| dc.description.abstract | The Thesis sets out to study three main
genres of Acoli Oral Literature, namely: fol':
narrative, the short fixed forms (proverbs,
proverbial sayings, similes and riddles) and
the sung form. The study focuses on the
literary forms and value of the genres rather
than on their sociological, value which has
been emphasised where the oral traditions and
literatrures of the African peoples has been
collected and studied by sociologists and
anthropologists. Typical examples of these
studies include those of Jan Vasina, the
Herskovits and Evans-Pritchard. There are
many others who have done similar work though
varying degrees of literariness and such work
includes that of Ruth finnegan, and Arewa and
Dundes, just to mention a few.
While there is no pretence here that the
Thesis deals with all aspects of literary
features and linguistic forms of Acoli Oral
literature; it should be pointed out that' in
a Thesis such as this one, only certain aspects
can be dealt with and even then not exhaustively•
.ttempts have been made to identify the
literary features and linguistic forms in each
of the genres dealt with. The core of the
-study consists- of Chapters 3,4 and 5. In
Chapter Three, a structural study of selected
samples of the folk narratives has been aimed
at. In Chapter Four, the short fixed forms
have been evaluated from the study of their
forms, poetic features such as imagery, metaphor,
alliteration and rhyme. Only proverbs and
riddles were subjected to this examination. In
Chapter Five, the songs were analysed in detail
to find out whether they have any Iiterary
features to recommend them as works of art which
would point to their literary and aesthetic
value. Chapter One sets out to give the background
to the research and study, to comment on the
methodology employed and to sketch the scope
and limits of the Thesis. Chapter Two, which
provides the background context for the study,
deals with the Acoli of Uganda and in this is
included their history, language, religious
ceremonies and their general day-to-day life
as indicated in their oral literature.
In the.final analysis, the research and
study establishes the oral performances as
works of art which have aesthetic value and
are acceptable as literature, hence the use of
the term Oral Literature. | |
