Griots were a link to the past. Their increasing, almost unattainable knowledge brought to light ancient solutions that alleviated modern-day dilemmas. These designated chroniclers were respected well in their society because of their hard work and dedication to their culture.
Did griots inherit their role?
The griot profession is inherited, passed on from one generation to the next.
What role did griots play in the transmission of oral history?
Griots could recite everything from births, deaths, and marriages to battles, hunts, and the coronations of kings. Some griots could tell the ancestry of every villager going back centuries. Griots were known to speak for hours, and sometimes even days. This rich oral tradition passed from griot to griot.
What are the disadvantages of oral history?
Oral history has many advantages, but as a primary source there are a few disadvantages. One of which is an individual recalling a false memory. In some cases when events took plave more than forty years ago, the individual could have trouble remembering the exact details of their experience.
Why is oral tradition an important historical source?
Oral Tradition facilitates a better understanding of history. Oral tradition is a source of historical material. In writing history, there are various sources of materials available at the disposal of the Historian. … Thus, a sense of history and tradition has always been part of the African way of life.
Why did griots have to memorize their stories?
Griots were also the historians of Ancient Africa. They would keep track and memorize the history of the village including births, deaths, marriages, droughts, wars, and other important events. The stories and historical events would then be passed down from generation to generation.
Are griots always men?
The profession is by no means a male prerogative. There are many women griots whose talents as singers and musicians are equally remarkable.”
How griots tell legendary epics through stories and songs in West Africa?
For centuries, griots have passed down the epics of the Sahel through songs and stories, with each person adding details that related to their lives and the lives of their audiences. This is how the stories remained relevant across generations and cultures.
What was the source of Mali’s wealth?
Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.
What is a modern day griot?
Writer Gaylene Gould meets the modern performers who are re-inventing traditional West African music. Traditionally griots belong to particular West African families who act as oral historians, advisors, story-tellers and musicians for their culture. …
Who was the first griot?
Since the 13th century, when Griots originated from the West African Mande empire of Mali, they remain today as storytellers, musicians, praise singers and oral historians of their communities. Theirs is a service based on preserving the genealogies, historical narratives, and oral traditions of their people.
What plant is the Akonting made out of?
The strings are currently made of nylon but in the past they used strings made from fine strands of a palm tree root, the same as they make palm wine.
What does griot mean in world history?
: any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies broadly : storyteller.
How do Africans tell stories?
Repetition of the language, rhythm and gesture are important characteristics of African oral storytelling (Matateyou 1997). Storytellers repeat words, phrases, gestures and verses or stanzas. The utilisation of repetition techniques makes it easy to understand and recall the stories from memory.
What is a female griot called?
A female griot is referred to as a Jelimuso or Jalimuso (muso meaning “woman). The craft of the griot, Jaliyaa, is traditionally, passed down from father to son and mother to daughter. In the 13th Century West African Empire of Mali, griots served the royal families as advisors, tutors and diplomats.
How do you become a griot?
Traditionally, in order to become a griot, you had to be born into a griot family. It was an art form passed from father to son, almost like an apprenticeship.
What were storytellers called?
In the Middle Ages storytellers, also called a troubadour or a minstrel, could be seen in the market places and were honored as members of royal courts.
Who was the first king of Mali?
Sundiata Keita was the first ruler of the Mali Empire in the 13th century C.E. He laid the foundation for a powerful and wealthy African empire and proclaimed the first charter of human rights, the Manden Charter.
What are three different environments found in Africa?
Africa has five main kinds of ecosystems: coastal environments, deserts and semideserts, mountain environments, savanna grasslands, and forests. Each ecosystem has its typical environment and climate, and the people who live there have adapted to its conditions and learned to use its resources.
What is the most important element of oral history?
Four key elements of oral history work are preparation, interviewing, preservation, and access. Oral historians should give careful consideration to each at the start of any oral history project, regardless of whether it is comprised of one or many interviews.
What is the scope of oral history?
“Oral History” is a maddeningly imprecise term: it is used to refer to formal, rehearsed accounts of the past presented by culturally sanctioned tradition-bearers; to informal conversations about “the old days” among family members, neighbors, or coworkers; to printed compilations of stories told about past times and …
What are oral traditions in history?
By John Miles Foley View Edit History. Oral tradition, also called orality, the first and still most widespread mode of human communication. Far more than “just talking,” oral tradition refers to a dynamic and highly diverse oral-aural medium for evolving, storing, and transmitting knowledge, art, and ideas.