Oral Tradition: A Study in Historical Methodology

by Vansina,Jan

• ISBN13: 9780202308197
• ISBN10: 0202308197
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-28
• Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS

Summary

Oral traditions are historical sources of a special nature. Their special nature derives from the fact that they are unwritten” sources couched in a form suitable for oral transmission, and that their preservation depends on the powers of memory of successive generations of human beings. In many parts of the world inhabited by peoples without writing, oral tradition forms the main available source for a reconstruction of the past. Based on the author’s many years of fieldwork in Africa, this definitive work explores the possibility of reconstructing the history of non-literate peoples from their oral traditions, surveys existing literature, and evaluates methods of collection and interpretation. On first publication, Daniel McCall in the American Anthropologist called Oral Tradition a tour de force.”

Table of Contents

ALDINETRANSACTION PREFACE	x
ALDINETRANSACTION INTRODUCTION	xi
PREFACE	xvii
I. ORAL TRADITION AND HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY	1	(18)
1. AIMS AND PLAN OF THE WORK	1	(1)
2. THE RELATION OF ORAL TRADITION TO WRITTEN HISTORY	2	(6)
3. THE TREATMENT OF ORAL TRADITION IN ETHNOLOGICAL LITERATURE	8	(11)
II. TRADITION AS A CHAIN OF TESTIMONIES	19	(28)
1. DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS	19	(2)
1. Definition	19	(1)
2. Characteristics	20	(1)
2. THE VERBAL TESTIMONY OF THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION	21	(10)
1. The verbal testimony	22	(2)
2. The verbal testimony and the chain of transmission	24	(2)
3. The text and variant versions of a testimony	26	(1)
4. The manner of testifying	27	(3)
(a) The group testimony	28	(1)
(b) Dispute between informants	29	(1)
(c) Interrogation of informants	29	(1)
5. Summary	30	(1)
3. THE METHOD OF TRANSMISSION IN ORAL TRADITION	31	(9)
1. Instruction	31	(2)
2. Control over recital of traditions	33	(1)
3. Esoteric traditions	34	(2)
4. Mnemonic devices	36	(3)
5. Summary	39	(1)
4. DISTORTIONS DUE TO TRANSMISSION	40	(7)
1. Failure of Memory	40	(4)
(a) The method of transmission	41	(1)
(b) Control over recital	41	(2)
(c) Frequency of repetition	43	(1)
(d) How to evaluate the effects of failure of memory	43	(1)
2. Explanatory interpolations	44	(1)
3. Summary	45	(2)
III. UNDERSTANDING THE TESTIMONY	47	(29)
1. CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF A TESTIMONY	47	(7)
1. Intentional and unintentional testimonies	48	(1)
2. Significance	49	(2)
3. Structure and literary categories	51	(1)
4. Method of transmission	52	(1)
5. The manner of testifying	52	(1)
6. Other criteria of classification	53	(1)
7. Summary	54	(1)
2. THE STRUCTURE OF THE TESTIMONY	54	(11)
1. The outward formal structure	54	(3)
(a) Formal factors affecting the testimony	55	(1)
(b) Formal factors affecting transmission	56	(1)
2. The internal structure	57	(6)
3. The light thrown on the testimony by its structure	63	(2)
4. Summary	65	(1)
3. THE MEANING OF THE TESTIMONY	65	(11)
1. The literal meaning of a testimony	65	(2)
2. The purport of a testimony	67	(8)
(a) Literary categories	67	(2)
(b) Symbolism and poetic allusions	69	(3)
(c) Stereotypes	72	(3)
3. Summary	75	(1)
IV. THE TESTIMONY AS A MIRAGE OF REALITY	76	(38)
1. THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF A TESTIMONY	77	(18)
1. The testimonies of the chain	80	(7)
(a) Purpose	80	(4)
(b) Significance	84	(3)
2. The initial testimony	87	(4)
3. The final testimony	91	(4)
(a) The informant and his fellow countrymen	91	(1)
(b) The informant and the investigator	92	(3)
4. Summary	95	(1)
2. CULTURAL VALUES AND THE TESTIMONY	95	(13)
1. Cultural values and the initial informant	97	(2)
2. Cultural concepts concerning history	99	(7)
(a) The measurement of time	100	(2)
(b) The idea of historical truth	102	(2)
(c) Historical development	104	(2)
3. Idealization of the past	106	(2)
4. Summary	108	(1)
3. THE PERSONALITY OF THE INFORMANT AND THE TESTIMONY	108	(6)
Summary	111	(3)
V. THE EVALUATION OF TESTIMONIES	114	(27)
1. THE ORIGIN OF TESTIMONIES	114	(6)
1. The initial testimony	115	(3)
2. Hearsay testimonies	118	(2)
3. Summary	120	(1)
2. COMPARISON OF TESTIMONIES	120	(21)
1. Textual comparison	121	(8)
(a) Fixed texts	121	(5)
(b) Free texts	126	(3)
2. Comparison of the circumstances of transmission	129	(8)
(a) The informant	129	(4)
(b) The locality of transmission	133	(1)
(c) The type of testimony	134	(3)
3. Results obtained by the comparative method	137	(2)
4. Summary	139	(2)
VI. HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE	141	(42)
1. TYPES OF TRADITIONS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AS HISTORICAL SOURCES	142	(22)
1. The typology	143	(1)
2. Formulae	143	(4)
(a) Titles	145	(1)
(b) Slogans	145	(1)
(c) Didactic formulae	146	(1)
(d) Ritual formulae	146	(1)
3. Poetry	147	(4)
(a) Historical poetry	148	(1)
(b) Panegyric poetry	149	(1)
(c) Religious poetry	150	(1)
(d) Personal poetry	151	(1)
4. Lists	151	(3)
(a) Place-names	152	(1)
(b) Personal names	153	(1)
5. Tales	154	(6)
(a) Tales concerning general history	155	(1)
(b) Tales concerning local history	155	(1)
(c) Tales concerning family history	156	(1)
(d) Myths	157	(1)
(e) Aetiological myths	158	(1)
(f) Tales of artistic merit	159	(1)
(g) Personal recollections	160	(1)
6. Commentaries	160	(4)
(a) Legal precedents	161	(1)
(b) Explanatory commentaries	161	(2)
(c) Occasional comments	163	(1)
7. Summary	164	(1)
2. HOW TRADITIONS ARE BIASED	164	(9)
1. Types of tradition and political organization, as exemplified by Rwanda and Burundi	166	(4)
2. The limitations of oral tradition	170	(3)
3. THE CONTRIBUTION OF AUXILIARY DISCIPLINES	173	(14)
1. Archaeology	174	(2)
2. The methods of cultural history	176	(4)
3. Linguistics	180	(1)
4. Physical anthropology	181	(1)
5. Summary	182	(1)
VII. THE INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY	183	(4)
APPENDIX: IN SEARCH OF ORAL TRADITIONS	187	(18)
1. Getting to know the environment	188	(2)
2. The search for informants	190	(4)
3. The systematic collection of sources	194	(4)
4. How to record one's sources	198	(4)
5. Summary	202	(3)
NOTES	205	(11)
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS CITED	216	(7)
INDEX	223