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Article: Bury my bones but keep my words: the interface between oral tradition and contemporary African writing.(Critical Essay)
- Article from:
- Literator: Journal of Literary Criticism, comparative linguistics and literary studies
- Article date:
- August 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Literator Society of South Africa. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Abstract
Bury my bones but keep my words: The interface between oral tradition and contemporary African writing
The contention in this article is that African oral tradition should be reexamined in view of its perceived new importance in the work of African novelists. This article investigates the nature and definition of oral tradition, as well as the use of oral tradition as a cultural tool.
The increasing inclusion of oral literature as part of the African literature component within university and school curricula is discussed. Finally, the pronounced role of oral tradition in fiction is examined, using as exemplars some seminal works of ...