Asian Review of Social Sciences (ARSS)
Oral Tradition as Source of Construction of History of Pre Literate Societies
Author : K. VijayaKumariVolume 7 No.3 October-December 2018 pp 140-142
Abstract
Oral traditions are considered as a reliable source of historical writing. It represents collective experience and wisdom. But oral tradition is largely anonymous. It imperceptibly absorbs what comes from many sources—individuals, inside groups, and outside groups. In any society, oral tradition has the function of supporting the political structure, economic systems, religious aspects and the social and cultural moves of the group. The knowledge and experience of elders and lessons learned by several generations through experience are crystallized into it. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyse the importance of oral tradition, its elements and various aspects in association with utilization of oral tradition as important source material for the reconstruction of history. Paper also emphasize the need of carefulness and patience on the part of historian while using the facts and should go in to deep the roots of the oral tradition in order to ensure that the facts collected and gathered are authentic and genuine.
Keywords
Oral tradition, Cultural Development, Great Tradition
Full Text:
References
[1] Dube, S.C., (1990). Tradition and Development, Delhi, Vikas Publishing House Ltd, 99-106.
[2] Report on an International Workshop in St. Augustin near Bonn, Germany, The Present-Day Importance of Oral Traditions – Their Preservation on,, Bonn, Publication, Bonn, Germany,Walther Heissig and Rudiger Schott.
[3] Cohn, B. S. (1990). An Anthropologist among the Historian and Other Essays. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
[4] SomenathBhattacharje, (2016). Interaction between great and little tradition: The dimension of Indian culture and civilization, International Journal of Research in Engineering, IT and Social Sciences, 6(5), 1-3.
[5] Vansina, J. (1965). Oral tradition: A study in Historical Methodology.Chicago, Chicago: university press, 13, 196.
[6] Fadeiye, J, D. (2004). Historiography and Methods of Teaching History for N.C.E and Undergraduates. Oyo: immaculate City Pulishers. http://.wikipedia.org,Definition of oral tradition.
[7] Rachel Santhosh, (2008). Mapping of an Ethnohistory of the Paniyan: Some Preliminary Reflections, Indian Anthropologist, 38(1), 61-76 Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41920057, Accessed: 10.11-2018 11:49 UTC.