1. Orature
By: Johnathan Allen

2. Orature & The Times Orature = Oral Literature Stories weren’t written
They were told and spread by word of mouth
Passed between generations
Strong bonding experience
Communal participation in Africa
Easier telling than learning write and/or read
Decline of European orature
Printing press
More people reading and writing

3. Orature & The Changing Times
In the US
Slaves mostly kept orature alive
Orature coined as term by
Pio Zirimu or Ngugi wa Thiong’o
Further Decline from
Movies
Radio
Still orally but not passed from generation to the next
Television
87% literacy rate worldwide

4. Examples of Orature
Folklore
Urban legends
Origin myths
Personal tales

5. Common Traits of Orature
Frequently origin stories
Usually have a moral
With morally flawed but potentially redeemable character
Can be told
To teach a lesson to an individual or group
To entertain

6. Orature of Old Many classic stories previously told orally
Canterbury Tales
Le Morte d’Arthur
Rigveda
Iliad
Odyssey

7. Orature’s Influences Despite common traits
Themes, morals, & genres differ between cultures
Stories change over time depending on culture and even the storyteller
Either modified or discarded
Variations in words differ the story as well.

8. Benefits to Orature
Story can be made appropriate for varying audiences
Great practice for oration
Committal to memory instead of needing a book
Story can be made to have a personal effect on the listener

9. Orature Today Rural people Family stories Campfire Stories Africa
South East Asia
Family stories
Campfire Stories

10. Orature’s Rebirth Why orature? We have recording mediums
No need to memorize words
Like college
One big reason
What if?