African Literature Africa (1)

African Literature – General Info Take ABRIDGED notes. Africa is an expansive continent with many people comprising fascinating histories and an array of cultures. Religious influences have certainly made an impact on the people in Africa. Needless to say, the slave trade was a historical event that continues to have repercussions, but it would be foolish to assume that a literary culture did not exist in Africa earlier than the 20th Century, in spite of the fact that written language was not a prominent feature of their literature.

African Literature – General Info Take ABRIDGED notes. Forms of literature that existed in Africa before the 20 th Century include many under the banner of the oral tradition:  Folk tales Legends Trickster tales (imported to America with the slaves)  Myths  Praise poems  Epic & political poems (The Mali Epic of San Jara)

African Literature --Take ABRIDGED notes about The Mali Epic of San Jara This is a national epic of the many people who inhabit the heartland of West Africa; in addition to Mali, it includes coastal regions, savanna belts & the modern areas of Senegal, Gambia & Guinea. The people & the stories in those places share a common history and culture. There is no doubt this information is well supported by history and it reveals the close ties between ancient Mali and the spread of Islam which allowed for an elite, educated populace.

African Literature --Take ABRIDGED notes about The Mali Epic of San Jara This is a poem that was originally, and continues to be, performed orally. The poets are more commonly by the French word griots. These are paid poets, wordsmiths who use the power of their voices, dramatic pauses, and their body language to convey the story. It is valued by these African groups and is as integral to their literary history as Homer’s Odyssey is to Western culture.

African Literature --Take ABRIDGED notes about The Mali Epic of San Jara “The epic is...(a) repository not merely of the achievements of an outstanding individual but of the growth of a national consciousness” (Norton 1995). It is a record of the great events of Son-­‐Jara Keita whose life, exploits, and values result in a rivalry with his brother for their father’s throne. (Themes seen in Cain & Abel and Jacob & Esau in the Bible.) The story relates Son Jara’s trials which he overcomes through personal qualities like loyalty to his mother, humility, bravery, and persistence. In short, it can be considered a classic good vs. evil plot.