Oral Tradition and Myth. An oral tradition is a work, idea, or custom passed by word of mouth from generation to generation. A myth is a story that explains the beginnings of things in the natural world. As you read, determine whether this story is part of the Yoruban oral tradition, whether it is a myth, or whether it is both. How do you know?
Motif. A motif is anything that appears repeatedly in one or more works of literature, art, or music. Many motifs deal with people’s actions and their consequences. One of the most common motifs in the world’s mythologies is of a golden age in history ruined by human wickedness. As you read, determine how this motif appears in the story.
|
• Geography Connection. After the Ibo, the Yoruba are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria, a West African nation. Most Yoruba live in the southwestern part of the country, and some live in neighboring Benin and Togo. Yoruban towns were traditionally organized around the palace of the local oba, or king, which was surrounded by compounds belonging to extended families, each with its own elder male as its leader. The kingdom of Benin, mentioned in this story, was a town that developed into a great Yoruban city-state.
• Art Connection. The Yoruba are famed for their skilled artistry and for their marvelous, complex oral literature. Among the finest products of Yoruban crafts are woven goods, leather goods, carvings in ivory and wood, and works in bronze.
• Cultural Connection. The Yoruba have some of the most sophisticated and elaborate oral poetry in the world. It includes songs, incantations, works of praise, improvisations, and poetry describing people’s ancestries and histories of towns. Like many African peoples, the Yoruba also have many traditional proverbs. One of them is: “If the earthworm does not dance in front of the rooster, he will still be eaten—but at least the rooster cannot say he was provoked.”
What does greed mean to you? Write a definition of greed in your journal, and give some examples.
|
