Africa

1. Africa The Continent of Storytelling

2. African Literature 700 BC-AD 1800s • Literature really began with ancient Egyptians • About 1000 BC, Egypt lost most world power • Near the Kushites were other civilizations • Kushites came into power in 710 BC • located at end of the Nile • lineage traced through females=girl power

3. Africa’s Golden Age • 3rd century AD Aksum rose to power • rich kingdom • in what is now Ethiopia • center of trade route from Rome to India • culture fell in 6th century AD • developed own writing system before this • evolved into scripts still used today by Ethiopians

4. Africa’s Golden Age • Drought drove migrants south and west • This resulted in many great kingdoms • Legendary city of Timbuktu was center of some great kingdoms • During 4th century, Roman Empire proclaimed Christianity the official religion • took control of entire northern African coast • Ethiopia still Orthodox Christian • Around 700 AD, Islam introduced to Africa • Arabic writing system introduced • By 1235, Islam was state religion of many eastern and western portions of Africa

5. Africa’s Golden Age • 300 AD-1600AD marked “Golden Age” • sculpture, music, metalwork, textiles, and literature flourished • Oral epics, praise poems, fables, proverbs, ritual drama, and other forms of oral literature developed. • Oral tradition—literature not written down, but passed from generation to generation by word of mouth

6. Africa’s Oral Tradition • African literature before 20th century primarily oral • Tonal quality important in many different languages • words change meaning depending on the tone in which they are spoken • think “uh huh” for yes, “uh oh” for problem • Vital to culture • bards, storytellers, town criers, and oral historians part of everyday life for thousands of years

7. Griots • Griots — masters of words and music • like a “living library” • today: professional storyteller, singer, or entertainer • in the past: memorized and transmitted nations’ histories, laws, and literature • In a society with limited written language, griots served as historians and entertainers. • Griots had to possess very good memories to be able to memorize all the traditional stories of their culture. • They also possessed creativity to add to their body of knowledge and extensive performance skill.

8. Africa’s Literary Richness • African literature share certain features and transcend time • striking images of nature • insightful look at human condition • ironies • Preserve cultures, bind communities

9. Africa’s Oral Tradition Vocabulary • Archetypal figure—universal figure in myths/tales • trickster—archetypal figure that uses cunning to get better of others • dilemma tale—form of a moral tale that ends with a question; invites audience to share judgments • chain tale or cumulative tale—formulaic story where every incident that came before is repeated as each new incident is added. (like “hole in the bottom of the sea”) • refrain—repeated lines in a story or song