Classification of oral literature
1. Oral narrative
2. Oral poetry ( songs, poems)
3. Short forms ( riddles, proverbs and tongue twisters)
Categories of oral narratives
Oral narratives are classified into:
a. Trickster narrative - is a story where the main character is deceived by another
character in cunning way
b. Dilemma narratives- is a story where the main character faces a difficult
choice between two or more equally undesirable alternatives.
c. Fable narratives- is narrative form, usually featuring animals that behave and
speak as human beings
d. Etiological narratives- is a story that explains the reason why something is the
way it is
e. Ogre narratives - , is a narrative that involves with a hideous monster
character that feeds on human flesh
f. Legends - is a story that talks about a person who has a reputation, name or
legacy in a society
g. Myths - is a story that explains cultural beliefs and traditions of a community
h. Tall tales _ is a genre of oral narratives that is fanciful and difficult to
believe.
Features of oral narratives
a. They are timelessness
b. They have opening formula
c. They have closing formula
d. They have dialogue
e. They have idiophones
f. They have fantasy
g. They have economic activity
h. They have moral lessons
I. They use personification
Functions of tall tale
1. They teach us moral lesson
2. They are used for entertainment
3. They develop our thinking and decision making ability
4. They improve our reading ability
Features of tall tales
1. They contain superhuman hero, who is very strong
2. There is extreme use of exaggeration and hyperbole
3. The main character is helped by a powerful creature
4. The main character has always a problem to solve
5. There is a solution to impossible situation
6. The plot of the story is always funny and impossible
Functions of opening formula
1. It captures the attention of the audience
2. It announces the start of the conversation
3. It identifies the characters
4. It takes the audience to the world of fantasy
Features of dilemma narrative
1. The main character faces a dilema.
2. They leave the audience a question to solve.
3. There is a conflict between the characters in the narrative.
