Keywords
Oral tradition, Songs, proverbs, narratology, traditional society, culture
Abstract
Oral tradition expresses self-identity and upholds social organisations, religious practices, ethical values and customary laws of a certain group of people. Orality is a complex phenomenon which configures its own ways and means of expression and transmission. It is that great highway of information where an existing intersection of ideas, forms and styles takes place at different levels, creating processes and dialogues with inter-linkages between form and content, genre and theme, visual and aural, local and regional, traditional and contemporary.
The oral literature or the traditional literature, transmitted to us from generation to generation, represents the most valid and appropriate expression of religions, mythological, historical and cultural milieu of the rural folk. It was the only form of literature that existed among the tribal society as a vehicle of expression and share knowledge and stories of an oral tribe in the form of proverbs, sayings, folk songs which held the community together.
Narratology is the art of narration through which folk tales, proverbs, myths, etc. are conveyed from one generation to the other orally. Narratives function as markers of ethnic or cultural boundaries. They also perceive through narration, the changes and loss of images in their society and their cultural differences. Thus all narratives are expressions of a given culture, and represent and transport its norms and values.
The telling of stories is such a pervasive aspect of our environment that we sometimes forget that stories provide the initial and continuing means for shaping our experience. Stories are the repository of our collective wisdom about the world of social and cultural behaviour ; they are the key mediating structures for our encounters with reality.All forms of narration are a reflection of culture. Folktales, proverbs, sayings and all kinds of everyday narration are expressions or representations of the cultural system of a people of its worldview, its value orientations, attitudes and habits, its customs and its history. Ordinary everyday communication is usually interspersed with short narrative forms like saying or proverbs, anecdotes, quips, stories, etc.With oral narratives, there are no reference books. Hardly anything is written down or recorded.
The present study will concentrate on a small part of a vast oral literature of the Ao Nagas, a major tribe of Nagaland, The Aos have a rich culture which is reflected in their oral literature like the use of proverbs, sayings, songs and folklores. Use of proverbs in everyday life and daily conversation is commonly practiced among the Aos. Some of the most popular proverbs used among the people are discussed here which speak about their culture and traditional wisdom. In the Ao society, many elderly persons converse with a song. Each occasion calls for the appropriate song. In the context of the traditional Ao society, songs and folklores are the major components of their discourse.Songs and folklores are major components of a non-material culture specially in the context of a traditional society. The past history of civilisation in the context of modern society can be understood better through study of oral traditions like folk songs and use of folk elements like proverbs. . It is important to preserve this oral tradition for the retention and continuity of one's culture and tradition.
IJCRT's Publication Details
Unique Identification Number - IJCRT24A3250
Paper ID - 254781
Page Number(s) - k595-k602
Pubished in - Volume 12 | Issue 3 | March 2024
DOI (Digital Object Identifier) -   
Publisher Name - IJCRT | www.ijcrt.org | ISSN : 2320-2882
E-ISSN Number - 2320-2882
Cite this article
  Dr. Sentinaro,   
"Narratives in Ao Folk Songs and Proverbs: A Repository of People Stories.", International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), ISSN:2320-2882, Volume.12, Issue 3, pp.k595-k602, March 2024, Available at :
http://www.ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT24A3250.pdf