Oral Traditions in Africa/Cosentino
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WAC 134: ORAL TRADITIONS IN AFRICA
Donald Cosentino, 101 Kaufman E Mail:
[email protected] OFFICE HRS: T: 1011; R 35. Fall Quarter, 2008; T/R 12:50 Teaching Assistants: Kathy Smith; Giavanni Washington Africans gave artistic utterance to their deepest thoughts and feelings about those abstract and concrete things that came within their existence; to their speculation about the origin of things, including man himself and the universe; to their interpretation of the struggle between man and the mysterious forces that surrounded him, and to their admiration for those individuals of the human race to whom legend gave credit for the triumph of man over such forces; to their traditional wisdom concerning conduct. Lastly they gave concrete and artistic expression...in emotional and rhythmic language to their admiration for collective and individual courage and achievement... from A. C. Jordan, a Xhosa writer, as quoted in Harold Scheub, The African Storyteller, Kendall/Hunt, 1990, p. 24 SYLLABUS This course surveys oral narrative and performance in diverse cultures of SubSaharan Africa. Lectures will be based on assigned readings and film viewing, and will focus on critical appreciation of the folktale, myth and the epic; and the role these narrative forms play in the social life of various African cultures. The course will also consider the evolution of Oral Traditions into such contemporary art forms as the novel and film. Students are expected to read and analyze the assigned texts before lectures, and to join in class discussions of the assigned narratives. REQUIRED BOOKS:
Oral Traditions in Africa/Cosentino
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Paul Radin, African Folktales; Cosentino, Defiant Maids and Stubborn Farmers.(Reader available at Westwood Copies). Daniel Biebuyck, Kahombo Mateene, The Mwindo Epic Amos Tutuola, The Palm Wine Drinkard and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Examinations: There will be a 2 hour midterm exam on 4 November, and a 3 hour final exam on December 8 from 3 to 6 PM. Both exams will be based on assigned readings and class lectures. The final exam will be cumulative, and count for 60% of the final grade.
Notes: The assigned readings are not lengthly. But many of the narratives are complex, and may need multiple readings. It is crucial that you read all assigned narratives before they are discussed in class. Regular class attendance is expected. As a courtesy to the instructor and fellow students, please be on time, and do not leave before the end of the lecture. Syllabus September 25: Introduction September 30: Talking in Images Required Reading: Radin #49: "How an Unborn Child..." (Bena Mukuni) Radin #66: "The Town Where None May Go To Sleep" (Hausa) Radin #67: "The City Where Men Are Mended" (Hausa) Radin #79: "Kenkebe" (Xhosa)
October 2: In Illo Tempore Required Reading:
Oral Traditions in Africa/Cosentino
Radin #19: "Mantis Creates an Eland" (Khoisan) Radin #22: "Mantis and the AllDevourer" (Khoisan)
October 7: The Age of Creation Required Reading: Radin #4: "How Abosom, the Lesser God..." (Asante) Radin #5: "Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky" (EfikIbibio) Radin #7: "The Brothers Sun and Moon..." (Kamba) Radin #17: "The Son of Kimanueze..." (Mbundu)
October 9: Ananse: The Akan Trickster InClass Viewing: "Anansi the Spider" (Asante) Required Reading: Radin #21: "How Spider Read Sky God's Thoughts" Radin #32: "How It Came About that We Shall Always See Okra..." Radin #33: "How It Came About that the Hinder Part of Kwaku..." Radin #40: "How Kwaku Got Aso in Marriage" October 14: Natural Wo/Man Required Reading: Radin #41: "The Young Man Who Was Carried Off by a Lion" (San) Radin #69: "The Child and the Eagle" (Ila) Radin #63: "The Enchanted Fowl" (Lango) October 16: A Flawed World 1 Required Reading: Radin #76: "The Old Woman Who Stole Milk" (Zulu) Radin #77: "The Wife Who Ate the Wrong Porridge" (Bena Mukuni) Radin: "Epilogue" (Ila) October 21: A Flawed World II
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Oral Traditions in Africa/Cosentino
Required Reading Radin #16: "How Kintu Was Tested..." (Ganda) Radin#64: "The Adventures of Mrile" (Chaga) Radin #62: "The WonderWorker of the Plains" (Ronga) October 23: The Art of Performance: Khoisan Bards InClass Viewing: "Bitter Melons" (Khoisan) October 28: The Tale in Society: The Case of Malagasy Inclass Viewing: "Angano...Angano" (Malagasy) October 30: Rites of Passage Required Reading: Radin #45: "Konyak and His Father" (Masai) Radin #65: "The Handsome Ogre Girl" (Kamba) Radin #72: "Ngomba's Basket" (Kongo) Radin #68: "M'wambia and the N'jenge" (Kikuyu) November 4: MID TERM EXAMINATION November 6: The Tale in Society: The Case of the Mende. Required Reading: Cosentino Defiant Maids and Stubborn Farmers November 11: Veteran’s Day November 13: Domei o Domeisia Required Reading: Cosentino, Defiant Maids and Stubborn Farmers. November 18: The Epic in Africa Required Reading: Biebuyck, Mateene: The Mwindo Epic (Nyanga) November 20: The Mwindo Epic , the saga continues...
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Oral Traditions in Africa/Cosentino
November 25: Tricksters and Heroes in the Black Atlantic Guest Lecture: Kathy Smith: Gede in Haiti November 27: THANKSGIVING December 2: Yoruba Myths and Literature Required Reading: Tutuola,The Palm Wine Drinkard (Yoruba) December 4: Oral Traditions and the Written Word Required Reading: Tutuola, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (Yoruba) FINAL EXAM: MONDAY DECEMBER 8 36
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