Forms of Oral Literature

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ORDINARY LEVEL LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

PART ONE: THEORY OF LITERATURE: AN INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
UNIT 7: Types of Literature: Forms of Oral Literature

FORM THREE
In this Unit, the following aspects will be covered:
 Introduction
 Types of Literature
 Forms of Oral Literature
 Various Case Studies
 Conclusion
 Practice Your Skills
Introduction
According to the historical development of literature and literary modes of presentation,
literature is divided into two major types, namely, Oral literature and written literature.
Oral Literature
This is a type of literature that is handed down or presented orally through the word of
mouth from one generation to another. Historically, this form of literature, oral
expression, was practiced much before the invention of writings. Until today, oral
literature is still dominant in various societies.
Sometimes in literature, the term ‘folklore’ is used instead of ‘oral literature’ because the
former has more and inclusive meaning than the latter one.
Folklore, by de nition, refers to the collection of traditional stories, customs, beliefs and
culture of a particular area or country. It is any of the beliefs, customs, and traditions that
people pass on from one generation to the next.

The following are the forms of oral literature.
FOLKTALES. These are the traditional stories about animals or human beings that are PAGES
usually passed down from one generation to another in a particular society. Most of these
tales are not set in any particular time or place, and they begin and end in a certain way. Home Kachele Online
For example, many English and Swahili folktales begin with the phrase ‘once upon a time’ Ifyou like these
and end with ‘they lived happily ever after’. The story of ‘Cinderella’ is one of the examples materials.…. GET THE
of folktales. WHOLE SOFT ...
FABLES. Fables are animal stories that try to teach people how to behave. They are a SOCIAL PLUGIN
particular type of narrative in which animals, plants, or similar characters are
anthropomorphized or made to seem as if they were human. The word ‘fable’ comes from
Latin word ‘fabula’ which means ‘a story or narration’ or ‘telling’. Fables are sometimes    
called ‘beast stories’ because they involve beasts or animals. Fables often deliver a moral
lesson which may or may not be explicitly stated at the end. The best known collection of
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fables is ‘Aesop’s Fables’ although it is uncertain whether a historical Aesop ever existed.
Examples of fables The Hare and the Tortoise, The Lion and the Mouse and others.
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A Fable Case Study 1: THE LION AND THE MOUSE
A fearsome lion traps a tiny mouse in its paw and is about to eat it when the mouse tells HOW TO COUNT WORDS IN A
the lion to spare its life in return for a favor someday. The lion, amused by this idea, lets COMPOSITION/ESSAY
the mouse go. Later, the lion is trapped by hunters and tied to a tree while the hunters go July 30, 2017
o to nd a wagon to carry the lion to the king. The mouse happens along and sees the
lion’s plight, so it keeps its promise and gnaws the ropes to free the lion. “No one is too Forms of Oral Literature
June 09, 2019
small to help someone bigger”. The moral of this fable is that you should not
underestimate anyone just because they are small and appears weak, because in times of
trouble they are the ones who can help you.
A Fable Case Study 2: THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE. FOLLOW BY EMAIL
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The story describes a race between a tortoise and a hare. The tortoise, though it is far
slower animal, wins the race because the hare foolishly stops to sleep. This story teaches
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the moral lesson that someone who works steadily can come out ahead of a person who
is faster or has a head start. The following table shows more fables and their moral Email Address
lessons they try to teach:
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Fables and Their Moral Lessons
The Wolf in sheep’s Clothing - Recognizing falsehoods and hidden dangers.

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The Ant and the Grasshopper - The value of planning ahead.
The Dog in the Manger - The vice of envy/wanting something only because others want it.
The Lion and the Mouse - The unpredictability of kind actions or making friends with those
who are di erent.
The Crow and the Pitcher - The value of ingenuity.
The Boy Who Cried Wolf - The vice of over creating.
The Tortoise and the Hare - The vice of arrogance, the virtue of consistency and the danger
of making assumptions about the abilities of others.
The Goose That Laid Golden Eggs - The vice of greed.
The Fox and the Crow - The vice of vanity.
The Bear and the Travelers - The importance of standing for friends.
FAIRY TALES. Fairy tales are the ctional stories that usually involve magic and mythical
creatures such as witches and fairies which possess supernatural powers. Fairy itself is an
imaginary creature. They have magic powers to perform good and bad deeds. Fairy tales
are set in imaginary land, long time ago and far away. They also contain imaginary
creatures like elves, goblins, and trolls. They also feature fantastical elements and they
have ‘a happily ever after’ ending. Nowadays, most fairy tales have been adapted into
animated stories. The famous examples of fairy tales are ‘Cinderella’, ‘Snow White’, ‘The
Seven Dwarves’, and ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Fairy tales are meant to entertain.
A Fairy Tale Case Study 1: THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

Is the fairy tale by A.C.Andersen that tells the story of a prince looking to marry a ‘real
princess’. When a pauper princess comes to his door looking for shelter, his mother, the
queen, tests her by placing a single pea underneath a mountain of mattresses, as a real
princess would be able to feel the pea despite all the cushioning. The theory proves
correct and the prince and the princess subsequently marry. It is a short story that tells a
horrible night’s sleep. To test whether a rain-soaked princess appearing at the castle is in
fact a true princess, the queen makes her a bed of many mattresses and comforters, atop
a single pea. The princess proves she is real and therefore an acceptable match for the
prince by complaining about the lump in her bed.
A Fairy Tale Case Study 2: CINDERELLA. PAGES

The story tells the tale of an unlucky girl who is transformed into a princess with a little
help from a fairy godmother and love. In fairy tales, the hero or heroine leaves home to Home Kachele Online
seek some goal. After various adventures, he/she wins the prince or a marriage partner in Ifyou like these
many cases a prince or princess especially in many European fairy tales as well as African materials.…. GET THE
fairy tales. WHOLE SOFT ...
TRICKSTER TALES. Trickster tales are folktales in which a trickster is a hero. Most SOCIAL PLUGIN
tricksters are animals who act like human being by playing tricks to other animals and
human beings as well. Trickster tales are ones of the most popular folktales because they
are found in every culture. Every culture or society has its own trickster hero or character.    
In Africa, tricksters include tortoise, the hare, and Anansi the Spider. In East Africa, the
hare (Kalulu in Kiswahili) is the most famous trickster hero. The book “Kalulu The Hare” by
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Frank Worthington, has a lot of wonderful stories about the clever and cunning hare.
PARABLES. Parables are religious stories that teach a basic truth, a moral lesson or a
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religious principle. The parables usually involve ordinary people who are faced with a
moral dilemma, or who most make a moral decision and then deal with the e ects of that
decision. Many folktales from all cultures fall into the category of parables. The word HOW TO COUNT WORDS IN A
‘parable’ comes from the Greek word ‘parabole’ that means ‘comparison’. Fables and COMPOSITION/ESSAY
parables both use comparison, but in fable the audience identi es with a talking frog and July 30, 2017
in the parable, the Prodigal son. Fables teach moral lesson and ethical lessons, parables
include those sorts of lessons, but also deal with larger spiritual truths; parables having Forms of Oral Literature
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both a religious and spiritual aspect. There are secular parables such as ‘Boy Who Cried
Wolf’ and ‘The Man and His Two Wives’ and Religious parables like ‘The Rich and Lazarus’, ‘The
Good Samaritan’ and ‘The Mustard Seed’ which are commonly referred to as ‘The Parables
of Jesus’. Most of Aesop’s fables also fall into the category of parables because they are
also actually parables. FOLLOW BY EMAIL
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A Parable Case Study 1: THE MAN AND HIS TWO WIVES.
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Aesop’s fable, ‘The Man and his Two Wives’ tells the story of a middle-aged man with a
young wife and an old wife, both of whom love him very much. The man’s hair is turning Email Address
gray, displeasing the young wife but sitting well with the wife who also has gray hair. The
young wife spends every night pulling out her husband’s white hairs, and the old wife, SUBSCRIBE
spends every night pulling out his black hairs. This results in the man going completely
bald. The moral of this parable is that if you try to please everyone, you will end up with
nothing in which you truly believe.
A Case Study 2: A Woman Who Never Took O Her Choker FACEBOOK
For example, there is the tale of woman who never took o her choker. She told her
husband to never touch the choker, but never told him why. One night, her husband took
the choker o as he slept only to nd her head detached from her body. As her head fell
away, she looked at him and could only silently cry.
LEGENDS. Legends are old and well-known stories that tell about brave people,
adventures, or magical events. Legends are told from one generation to another as
though they were true. They are set in a real world and in relatively recent times. Many
legends tell about human beings how meet supernatural creatures such as fairies, ghosts,
vampires, and witches. They are also associated with the famous people who have died. In
American folklore, John Henry was a black hero of many legends in the south. There is one
ballad that describes how he competed to dig against a steam drill. Other American
legends include Paul Bunyan who as a child, he could clap hands and break the windows
in his house. Paul Bunyan was also able to divert rivers, tame massive long jams, and
create wonders such as the Grand Canyon. Another American legend is Davy Crockett
who is said that he was the frontiersman and he killed his rst bear when he was just 3
years old.
MYTHS. Myths are the religious stories that explain how the world and humanity
developed into the present form. Many myths describe the creation of the Earth and they
are di erent from other types of folk stories because they are considered to be true
among the people who develop them. Myth itself by de nition is an idea or story that
many people believe, but which is not true. In some of these stories, a god creates the
earth. In others, the earth emerges from a ood. A number of myths describe the creation
of the human race and the origin of death.
A Myth Case Study 1: AFRICAN MYTHS ABOUT SPIDER-Abbey Baker.
Anansi. Perhaps the most well-known and signi cant African myth about a spider is the
tale of Anansi. This myth dates back to thousands of years, and has many variations. The
most common variation on the myth says that Anansi tied each of his eight legs to webs
so that he could stay near several di erent pots of food. He almost breaks into pieces
from the web pulling, but the ultimate result is that his legs and all spiders’ legs are
extremely like this. This both explains the thinness of spiders’ legs, and teaches the moral
of not being greedy.
ANECDOTE. An anecdote is a short written or oral account of an event in a real person’s

life. Anecdotes are always short, amusing and interesting stories about real incidents or
people. Anecdote is used to illustrate a point. The word ‘anecdote’ is a Greek word which
means ‘unpublished’ or ‘not given out’, meaning also those anecdotes are short stories that
are told but that are not always published or given out. For example, a parable from the
Bible, like The Good Samaritan, could be called an anecdote because it is presented and
based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not but usually in an PAGES
identi able place. Like parables, anecdotes are often used by philosophers and teachers
of schools and religions to point out truths about real life. For instance, in the daily life, Home Kachele Online
you may tell others about yourself but you can give them an anecdote when you were Ifyou like these
suddenly caught by your mother stealing a piece of bread. materials.…. GET THE
WHOLE SOFT ...
EPICS. Epics are long narrative poems that recount the exploits of a larger-than-life hero.
Also, epics may be books, poems, or lms that tell a long story about brave actions and SOCIAL PLUGIN
exciting events. The epic hero is usually a man of high social status and who have a great
historical and legendary importance. Epics often involve supernatural events, long time
journeys, distant journeys, and life and death struggle between good and evil. The most    
common epics are ‘Beowulf’, ‘Odyssey’, ‘Illiad’, ‘Moses’ and ‘Sundiate’ (An African epic about
an Old Mali Empire).
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TALL TALE. A tall tale is a folktale about a larger-than-life hero who solve an over-the-top
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problem in a humorous or outrageous way. Tall tales typically feature highly exaggerated,
improbable details and were created by several cultures, including the ancient Greeks,
Romans and Celts. Many American cowboys, lumberjacks, railroad workers, and steel HOW TO COUNT WORDS IN A
workers created superhuman versions of themselves that shared their experiences about COMPOSITION/ESSAY
how they overcame obstacles. American folk heroes like Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, July 30, 2017
Pecos Bill, and John Henry are also regarded as tall tale heroes.
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Tall Tale Case Study 1: JOHN HENRY LAGEND. From Ballad of John Henry.
“John Henry was hammering on
the right side,
The big steam drill on the left.
before that steam drill could FOLLOW BY EMAIL
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beat him down,
He hammered his fool self
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to death”.
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BALLADS. A ballad is a short story in the form of a poem or song in which there are two
or more people speaking in turn. It is a dramatic type of poem as it is presented like SUBSCRIBE
drama. Like other folktales, ballads also were passed down by the word of mouth for
generations before being written down. The purpose of a ballad is to tell a story, so all
elements of a story are included, that is plot, characters, narrator, dialogue, setting,
drama, and so on. Features of ballad are so varied. Ballads are type of closed-form poetry. FACEBOOK
Hence, they have a speci c set of characteristics and most importantly they tell stories.
They often include a refrain and they are very rhythmical and use simple, everyday
language to tell the story. They are also made up of stanzas of four lines, with the second
and fourth lines rhyming. A typical rhyme scheme is aba ab. The rhythm of ballads is
based on the rst and third lines having four stresses and the second and fourth lines
having three stresses. Like songs, ballads also repeat important phrases throughout.
Simple, but strong language is used in ballads and because of the story-like nature of
ballads, dialogue is often included. The examples of ballads include, ‘Ballad of the
Landlord” by Langston Hughes and “Ballad of John Henry”.
RIDDLES. A riddle is a question that is deliberately very confusing and has a humorous or
clever answer. Mostly, riddles are the questions or statements testing ingenuity in divining
its answer or meaning. Every culture has riddles, which were passed down orally from one
generation to the next. There is on famous riddle in the Greek tragic play, ‘Oedipus the
King’ where the Sphinx asks King Oedipus; “What has one voice and becomes four-footed,
two-footed, and three-footed?” Oedipus answers by saying, “Man, who crawls on all fours
as a baby, then walks on the two legs, and nally needs a cane in old age”. They are
the puzzling questions, statements; especially ones intended to test the cleverness of
those wishing to solve them. A successful riddle often fancifully describes an inanimate
object as if it were a living thing.
Examples of Riddles and Their Answers:

“I have three hands, but just one face. I’ll link arms with you as I run my race”. This is the
wristwatch. You can get your riddle ideas by listing as many objects as possible and
imagine how they might describe themselves if they could speak. Write their descriptions
down as a set of phrases, the shorter the better. Other examples of riddles are:
“I wear my jacket all the time. I stand with my back to you, showing my spine”. That is a book.
“I’m all over the place, but I know where I am at. My life goes in circles, but I never feel at”.
That is a globe.
“I have the voice of a dog and the pages of a book. I have the chest of an elephant and you will
nd me if you look”. That is a tree.
“I’ll take you to the top, I’ll wear my hair in plaits. But if you can’t stop I will burn you, and after,
leave you at”. That is climbing rope.
There are many riddles in our own societies. Some we play with them every day, but some
are forgotten even some others are still in the heads of our forefathers. In Kiswahili, they
are called ‘Vitendawili’. So, it is common that we possess one, two or more riddles.
SAYINGS. A saying is a well-known short statement that expresses an idea that most
people believe is true and wise. Saying are also folk statements that are handed down
from one generation to another. Sayings include proverbs and idioms. According to
Wolfgang Mieder, author of the book “Proverbs Are Never Out of Season”, the de nition of a PAGES
Proverb is a phrase which contains above all wisdom, truth, morals, experience, lessons,
and advice concerning life and which has been handed down from generation to Home Kachele Online
generation. Proverbs are also de ned as short well-known sayings that state a general Ifyou like these
truth or give advice and they can be orally transmitted or put in written forms. A proverb materials.…. GET THE
can help you perfect your conversational English skills and deepen your understanding, as WHOLE SOFT ...
proverbs often come up in conversation. You may also keep the record of proverbs you
read somewhere or hear someone speak. You can also keep your own proverbs that you SOCIAL PLUGIN
compose.
Some common examples of proverbs include:
You can’t judge a book by its cover.    
Don’t run before you can walk.
Don’t teach old dog new tricks.
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Beggars cannot be choosers.
As you sow, so you shall reap.
A short cut is often a wrong cut.
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Rome wasn’t built in one day.
Keep your mouth shut and ears open.
Walls have ears. HOW TO COUNT WORDS IN A
COMPOSITION/ESSAY
IDIOMS. An idiom is de ned as a group of words that has a special meaning that is July 30, 2017
di erent from the ordinary meaning of each separate word. It is also de ned as a phrase
or sentence that is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be Forms of Oral Literature
June 09, 2019
learnt by heart as a whole unit. Therefore, the meaning of a whole unit of idiom is not
clear, that is, its expression has a meaning other than its literal meaning.
Some common examples of idioms include:
Kick the bucket=die.
Under the weather=ill. FOLLOW BY EMAIL
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On the fence=undecided/dilemma.
Hold your horses=be patient.
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Give the cold shoulder=ignore one’s presence.
Bite your tongue=avoid talking. Email Address
Blue moon=a rare event.
Don’t like a sh=drink heavily. SUBSCRIBE
Tie the knot=get married.
Till the cows come home=a long time.
OTHER FORMS OF ORAL TRADITIONS FACEBOOK
There are also other forms of oral traditions. These include customs and beliefs,
superstitions and witchcraft, folk songs and dances, folk heroes, as well as folk holidays.
CONCLUSION
Written and oral literature
However, many of the things we now call literature began to live without being written at
all. Long time ago before we can read the printed forms of literature, there were narrators
who told oral tell stories. Even today we have folks songs and verses passing from person
to person by word of mouth. In English literature, there were ballads, old songs, legends,
folk stories, or folk tales handed down from mouth to mouth because people had not
known alphabets. Thus, we see what is called oral literature. Plays were prepared and
performed from place to place.
PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS
1. Collect various proverbs and idioms, and then learn them by heart.
2. Compose various Swahili Riddles and try to translate them in English.
3. Tell any famous myth that is found in your society.
4. Every society has fairy tales. Tell any fairy tale before your fellow students in the class.
References
Abrahams, M.H (1971) A Glossary of Literary Terms, Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc. New
York.
Daniel, K et al (ed.) (2003) Elements of Literature: Fourth Course with Readings in World
Literature; Florida Edition, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Austin.
Daniel, K et al (ed.) (2003) Elements of Literature: Sixth Course; Literature of Britain with World
Classics; Florida Edition, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Austin.
Kinsella, K et al (2003) Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes; Copper
Level, Pearson, Upper Saddle River.
http://advisoranalyst.com/glablog/2016/01/12/the-tortoise-and-the-hare.html
http://amybronwenzemser.com/book-101-tortoise-hare/
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