Table des matières

Online Resources

Illustrations

Mark Turin

Foreword

Ruth Finnegan

Preface

Ruth Finnegan

Preface to the Second Edition

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements: Addendum 2011

Abbreviations

Note on Sources and References

I. Introduction

1. The ‘Oral’ Nature of African Unwritten Literature

• I
• II
• III

2. The Perception of African Oral Literature

• I
• II

3. The Social, Linguistic, and Literary Background

• I
• II
• III
• IV

II. Poetry

4. Poetry and Patronage

• I
• II
• III
• IV
• V
• A NOTE ON ‘EPIC’

5. Panegyric

• I
• II
• III
• IV
• V

6. Elegiac Poetry

• I
• II
• III
• IV

7. Religious Poetry

• I
• II
• III
• (i) Praises of divining bones among the Sotho
• (ii) Odu Ifa
• IV

8. Special Purpose Poetry—War, Hunting, and Work

• I
• II
• III

9. Lyric

• I
• II
• III
• IV

10. Topical and Political Songs

• I
• II

11. Children’s Songs and Rhymes

• I
• II

III. Prose

12. Prose Narratives

I. Problems and Theories

• I
• II
• Adamu and Ifu
• III
• IV

13. Prose Narratives

II. Content and Form

• I
• The Vulture and the Hen
• The Finch, the Eagle, and the Hen
• II
• The Hyena, Wakahare, and the Crow
• One Cannot Help an Unlucky Man (Hausa)
• Wacici and Her Friends (Kikuyu)
• III
• Falsehood is More Profitable than Truth (Hausa)

14. Proverbs

• I
• II
• III
• IV
• V

15. Riddles

• I
• II
• III
• IV

16. Oratory, Formal Speaking, and other Stylized Forms

• I
• II
• III
• IV

IV. Some special forms

17. Drum Language and Literature

• I
• II
• III

18. Drama

• I
• II
• III
• IV
• V

Conclusion

Map showing peoples mentioned in the text

Bibliography

Index