Oral Literature

Oral LiteratureRead The Sun Still Rises in the Same Sky on pg. 23, and write down four generalizations about American Indian oral tradition.1Oral TraditionNative American and ancient European classics are both rooted in the oral traditionWas and continues to be defining element of Native American culturesMid-1800s, European-American editors and translators began copying and translating Native American literature into writing to preserve the culture; until this point, was assumed Native Americans had no literature

Oral Traditions Before Columbus arrived in 1492, there were thousands of narratives, ceremonies, songs, and speeches performed by Native Americans categories are as follows: Creation storiesTrickster/hero storiesChantsCeremoniesRitualsOral TraditionMost oral genres of literature (whether spoken or sung) were considered the common property of a group rather than an individual authorTraditional Native American conceptions of identity= communal and inclusiveAudience listening to an oral performance was considered to be a part of the performance; their active response shaped the telling of the tale

Key Elements of Oral LiteratureNative American cultures use stories to teach moral lessons and convey practical information about the natural world (The Sun Still Rises)Creation myths also convey these lessons, while focusing and preserving spiritual beliefs about nature and of the physical world, social order and appropriate behavior, human nature and problem of good and evil

Oral TraditionThe early myths led into native legendsAll were originally oral stories passed down for many generationsThe stories and legends often have ritual beginnings and endingsProgress and change are shown as cyclical, not linear as western thinking normally follows (The Sun Still Rises)Common Myth ThemesMovement from a sky world to a water worldFortunate fall creation storyEarth-diver myth usually involving an earth made from mud or a flood after the universe is createdTheft of fireEmergence myth movement of beings from under the surface to the surface of the earth

Key Elements of Oral LiteratureAmerican Indian oral literature also reflects a more inclusive, eco-centric view of the natural world than the one typically seen in Western-European literature (The Sun Still Rises)Native American universe is not dominated by humans; animals and humans are often interchangeable in myths and folk tales; all viewed as divinitiesOpposes GCB (established order)

Key Elements of Oral LiteratureAmerican Indian oral literature shows a keen awareness of the power of metaphor (The Sun Still Rises)Words are as powerful and alive as the human being who speaks them; oratory is a highly respected and developed literary formKey Elements of Oral LiteratureArchetypes: a pattern of story or a type of character that is used often in different stories over the agesThe Trickster: archetypal figure in many oral stories used to explain and challenge the Euro-American invasion of the land; often represented as a CoyoteRepetition: device used but often the lines repeated contain different/ changing meanings; used to create expectationRead With 5 O'clockCompare: The Sky Tree to The Earth OnlyCompare and Contrast these Creation Myths using a Vinn Diagram (p. 24-25)Read Coyote Finishes His Work. On the back of your Vinn Diagram, write three sets of conflicting characteristics that make the coyote a Trickster

In-Class Writing AssignmentWrite a creation style myth about how something in nature was created.

You can select any topic you wish.Examples:why the sun turns colors as it sets how some places turned cold and snowy and others not