African Oral Art and Culture, Research Paper Example

Introduction

There had been a massive research on African oral literature over the past several decades. The literal context of oral literature refers to the transmission of knowledge and human experience from folk tales to rituals of occult and unspeakable phrases. According to Nandwa and Bukenya (1983:1), oral literature is defined as those utterances, whether spoken, recited or sung, whose composition and performance portrays an appreciable degree of art.

The historical context of the African oral literature relies on oral literature, orature, traditional and folk literature and folklore. These literatures include oral art namely occult. In this paper I examine the role of African art in areas of healing, treating and coping with the help of religious practices thru occult healing by people affected by diseases as well as their involvement in singing and dancing collectively. Reviewing the scholarly work, their amendments and appreciation throughout the African continent, being followed by Christianity and technology, I shall be demonstrating some groups which are the centre of the occult rituals of the oral art; I am simply observing a wide range of rituals and contexts used to introduce and flourish the African oral literatures of Africa.

Body

Occult is an oral art and Africans are oral people which means that their art forms are oral rather than literary as mentioned by Cora Agatucci (2010), an English Professor at the Central Oregon Community College. The involvement of various ethnic and cultural groups into the occult healing is namely, Yoruba of Nigeria, Sukuma of Tanzania in the South Africa. As mentioned in the Twin Research (5(2), 132-136) by Leroy, F., Oruene-Olaleye, T., Schomerus-Koeppen, G., Bryan, E. (2004), Yoruba’s high mortality rate associated with pregnancies has contributed to the integration of a special twin belief system, based on the concept of a supreme deity called Olodumare or Olorun, assisted by secondary gods (Orisha), as well as their religion also involves immortality and reincarnation of the souls based on the animistic cult of ancestors. The religious belief in reincarnation is linked to Yoruba ancestor belief and it is believed that after the death of two generations passed, every human has chance to return to earth in the body of a newborn, with the same family, and therefore, regular prayers are said and sacrificial gifts are laid in front of a special family shrine as explained by Jantzen & Bertisch (1993); Thompson (1971) in the Twin Research 5(2), 132-136

J.R. Weisz (1972) is the researcher of the Department states that the disorders of supernatural origin were usually treated using magical amulets, as well as to cure certain diseases, amongst the Kikuyu, the Sebei, the Digo and the Luo tribes; moreover, if a person fell ill, he would often be advised that the lubaale, i.e. the spirit, of his kinship group was unsettled—means negative energy. If this happens today, many of the family members will feel to gather together at the shrine of the deceased for a spirit possession ritual. J.R. Weisz (1972) also mentioned that after the cleansing of the shrine with medicine and Lake Victoria waters, the family members will participate in a musical ceremony accompanied with dance aimed at inducing the spirit to one of their number.

Conclusion

By examining the roles of occult as an oral tradition in African society, it is widely observed that the African communities possess a greater insight of spirituality and beliefs of cure, reincarnation and healings than the world knows about them.

References

Agatucci, C. (2010). African storytelling. Retrieved from http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/afrstory.htm

Bukenya, A., & Nandwa, J. (1983). African Oral Literature for Schools. Nairobi: Longman, Kenya.

Leroy, F., Oruene-Olaleye, T., Schomerus-Koeppen, G., Bryan, E. (2004). Yoruba Customs and Beliefs Pertaining to Twins. Twin Research, 5(2), 132-136.

Thomp so n, R. F. (1971). Black gods and kings. Bloomingon/London: UCLA, Indiana University Press.

Weisz, J.R. (1972). East African Medical Attitudes 6(n.d.), pp.323-333. April 24^th, 2012 Retrieved from http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~jweisz/pdfs/1972.pdf