The difference between oral and written traditions of African literature

 

The difference between oral and written traditions of African literature

Introduction.

Both oral and written traditions of African literature are used to convey different messages and capture different audiences. While oral literature emphasizes the cultural values that are passed from one generation to another through the use of proverbs, songs, legends, and poems, the written literature uses figurative language such as symbols, imagery, conflict creation and focuses on imagination and theoretical perspectives.

 

 

Oral African Literature

The Rienner Anthology of African Literature comprises of stories ranging from the ancient cultures to the present day. The collection reflects African cultures’ enduring themes featuring works of well-known writers such as Ngugi wa Thiongo, Chinua Achebe, and Wole Soyinka, among others. The stories are arranged in chronological order, and there is a clear depiction of the African landmarks and features. Chinua Achebe, in his book, ‘Things fall apart‘, uses the oral literary works to illustrate the Igbo tradition of the Nigerian people. In chapter one, he uses the proverb when the tradition of passing the kola nut for fellowship and strengthening of alliances is addressed. “He who brings kola brings life” (6). The use of the proverb of the cripple that becomes hungry when the moon shines is seen as the use of originality from the Igbo community (10). Proverbs in the book are used to warn, advise, and educate on the importance of culture and African traditions.

Achebe uses songs to convey his message and give the traditional African feel to his readers throughout his novel. Some songs are translated while others are in pure Igbo. The first song is a children’s song; “The rain is falling, the sun is shining” (35). The use of songs combine traditional African themes that helps the reader to relate and picture the story. In his works, Achebe shows the different African ceremonies such as marriage, work, and even death and how they are celebrated through songs. The wrestling song (51) is sung to encourage braveness and show the strength of the community. He leaves Okonkwo’s song untranslated due to his stand against the western cultures colonialism and Christianity.

The use of folktales is seen in chapter seven, where he uses them to describe the characters’ culture. Okonkwo is described giving stories to his sons. He talks about masculinity, bloodshed, and violence. His son Nwoye preferred his mother’s tortoise stories and his wily ways to those of violence told by his father. (53) Other folktales show how the African culture is used to describe certain natural phenomena and their occurrence to illustrate the culture and give meaning to the existing value and traditions. The story about how the Tortoiseshell is not smooth (96-99) was used to excite the children.

 

Written African Literature

Vincent works on his book the African experience and focuses on Africa’s role in becoming independent and free from the western world. It describes the people as a continent and not as tribes. The social structures and cultures are vividly described in the first chapters. The fight and the struggle for independence, freedom, and nationalism are key (6).

In his book, Albert Camus uses literary devices that indulge his readers in a moment to reflect on their own existence and explore ways in which one can be happy through accepting the reality of things. In the first chapter, Camus uses irony to contrast the society’s expectations where the funeral caretaker is insisting Meursault to view his mother’s body, but Meursault is adamant. Camus shows how people’s responses to different situations may be deemed as abnormal by society. Society expects a different response to events, and by this, Meursault is seen as a rebel.

Albert’s use of symbols enhances the reader’s understanding and creates a connection with the events. He symbolizes the courtroom as the society and the law as the will of the people to emphasize on the society’s ways to find irrational explanations to the irrational events, in the case of Meursault’s crime. The society is ready to judge and decide Meursault’s crime of not conforming to the Christianity laws.  The use of a crucifix to symbolize Christianity in this case, where there is a general order required to be followed that Meursault does not conform to, is ironic. Meursault’s view of the universe is that it is irrational and purposeless, whereas he lives in a community where Christianity and its values are upheld. Camus can show the conflict in his novel that is depicted between people and events. This conflict rules the entire novel and decides Meursault’s fate in the end.

In conclusion, both the oral and written traditions of African literature embrace the use of literary forms of literature to convey their message. The use of these devices by Chinua Achebe in the things falls apart, and Albert Camus in the stranger shows the different African traditions, culture, the norms, and general societal rules that guide those involved and how their lives are shaped their emphasis.

 

 

Oral and Written Literature in Rwanda

Rwanda has a long history of rich oral literature dating back to the ancient Kingdom of Rwanda. Not much-written literature existed before the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The oral traditions are mainly in the native Kinyarwanda language of the country. Very few books and other literature have been written in Kinyarwanda. However, a number of books have been written in French. Alexis Kagame (1912-1981), a clergyman and historian, is credited with researching the oral history of Rwanda and publishing a number of volumes of poetry and Rwandan mythology. The traditional texts are categorized into two major groups; the official tradition comprising the more formal royal documents and the non-formal, popular literature found in Aloys Bigirumwami’s work. The main difference between these two categories does not relate to the content but rather whether the literature was officially controlled or not.

The official tradition whose contents are the royal literature is a body of knowledge contained in a set of documents, whose creation and preservation were officially regulated and promoted by the Kings of Rwanda. Under the active supervision of the Kings, specific families were entrusted with the responsibility of this heritage. This was passed down from one generation to the next as a means of preservation. These traditional texts are further categorized into four major sets, depending on the nature of their content and intent. The sets include the following;

• Ubucurabwenge, which literally means the “forging of wisdom,” documents a genealogical list of Rwanda’s Kings. The list was recited in ascending order, beginning with the reigning King and Queen, and ending with Muntu (Mankind), the first King of Men, whose father was Kigwa, son of Shyerezo, the King of Heaven. The list was recited at coronation ceremonies and spanned forty-three (43) reigns, giving the names of the King and Queen Mother.
• Ibitekerezo translates to mean “thoughts” and “narratives” , which implies that the royal myths are an intelligent, thoughtful narration of past events. This is a collection of royal myths that tell about the life and work of the kings. The poetry praises their deeds of valor, justice and mercy.
• Ibisigo, which is translated to mean “what is left”, is a collection of royal poetry that recounts, in poetic form, the deeds of the Kings arranged in a chronological order. Ibisigo also includes a number of stand-alone poems and is considered a major source of historical information.
• Ubwiru does not have an obvious meaning. According to Alexis Kagame, Ubwiru means “inviolable secret”. The set of documents comprised of royal rituals.

Besides the above four official documents, more popular types of oral literature can still be found in the Rwandan culture. Alexis Kagame and a few other researchers did a lot of work in researching, translating, and publishing the Rwandan oral tradition. However, still, a significant portion of the rich oral culture remains unexplored. The Rwandan literary scene, however, took a new turn after the 1994 genocide, with many writers taking up writing as a way to deal with the trauma, to denounce rumors, prejudices, and also as retaliation against political manipulations.

The 1994 genocide and its impact on Rwandan film and literature

For a long time, Rwanda had very minimal representation in the modern African literary and cinema scene. The 1994 genocide led to an emergence of a literature of witness accounts, essays, and fiction by a new generation of writers such as Benjamin Sehene, Yolande Mukagasana, Scholastica Mukasonga, among others. A number of these authors and filmmakers have made significant contributions to the Rwandan literary scene. However, despite all the progress made so far, the Rwandan production drawing its inspiration from the Tutsi genocide is still finding its feet. The Rwandan cinema scene did not exist before the 1994 genocide. The majority of the films inspired by the genocide have mainly been the work of foreigners. However, young Rwandans writers and filmmakers are encouraging each in developing the local productions. A number of films focusing on the Rwandan genocide have been produced. These include A good man in hell (2002), Keepers of memory (2004), Hotel Rwanda (2004), and Sometimes in April (2005).

Hotel Rwanda

Hotel Rwanda is a film that is centered around a man by the name Paul Rusesabagina. He worked as a hotel manager in Rwanda’s capital when the genocide occurred; Rusesabagina used all tricks possible a good hotel manager does to deal with irate guests. He used charm, flattery, deception, lies, and bribery to save his family and the lives of over a thousand people. As depicted in the film, Hotel Rwanda, does not show how Rusesabagina was brought up, how disputes were settled over a banana beer. His father’s example of the Rwandan hospitality that can be summarized as ‘If a man can keep a fierce lion under his roof, why can he not shelter a fellow human being?

In the book “An ordinary Man: The True Story Behind Hotel Rwanda” by Paul Rusesabagina seeks to fill the gaps left by the Hotel Rwanda film. The African oral tradition style of storytelling is evident in the way he narrates this story. He makes good use of his excellent memory to illustrate the happenings in the hotel vividly. The story flows in a similar style to the Rwandan oral tradition that Rusesabagina had been exposed to in his childhood. After the genocide, film and written literature has emerged to complement oral traditions. The art of storytelling in the context of oral traditions is still a preserve in the Rwandan culture and will continue to do so in the future. In both the film and the book, storytelling is well utilized. The creation of Rusesabagina as a hero who manages to rescue over 1200 people is depicted. If it were in ancient times, the Ibyivugo (heroic poems) would have been created to celebrate his heroic fates. The Indirimbo z’Ingabo (heroic hymns and army music) might have also been part of the oral tradition to honor Rusesabagina’s heroism. There are various forms of the Rwandan oral tradition that form the popular literary genres, such as the Imigani (proverbs and sayings), Inyasiro (hunting poetry), Ibisakuzo (riddles and enigmas), and songs. All these forms of oral tradition are incorporated into modern-day film and literature in Rwanda.

 

Works Cited

 

Albert Camus. The Stranger. Gallimard. 1942. Print

Anthonia Kālu. C, ed. The Rienner Anthology of African Literature. Boulder: United States. Lynne Reinner Publisher.2016.print.

Chinua Achebe. Things fall apart. Nigeria: William Heinemann.1958. Print.

Vincent Khapoya. B. The African Experience .intro. New York: Longman. 2013. Print.

Roger Ebert. A hotel ‘diplomat’ offers sanctuary from genocide. 2004. Blog

Seth K. Buhigiro. The oral literature of Rwanda. 2009. https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/14696

Urther Rwafa. Film representations of the Rwandan genocide, 2010. African Identities, 8:4, 389-408, DOI: 10.1080/14725843.2010.513254

Emmanuel Sehene. R & Ephrem Rugiririza. How Rwandans are writing about the genocide. 2019. https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/other/41285-how-rwandans-are-writing-about-the-genocide.html