‘Fossil Tradition’ in Stone Implements

Antiquity ◽  
1935 ◽  
Vol 9 (33) ◽  
pp. 74-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vayson de Pradenne
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Human Knowledge ◽  
Prehistoric Archaeology ◽  
Mode Of Transmission ◽  
Written Word

When one speaks of tradition, that is to say, of the transmission of human knowledge from one generation to another, one implies that there are two methods by which that transmission is effected—the spoken and the written word; thus one draws a distinction between oral and written tradition.Nowadays written tradition alone is of importance; but one recognizes that it has gradually replaced that oral tradition which alone existed, as one supposes, in prehistoric times. We wish here to call attention to yet another mode of transmission which certainly played a part, perhaps even an important part, in the Stone Ages, and disregard of which might in certain instances seriously confuse the study of prehistoric archaeology.

scholarly journals Qur’ans of the Umayyads

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 114-117
Author(s):  
Andrew Rippin
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Good Deal ◽  
Original Text ◽  
History Of ◽  
Written Word

Qur’an manuscripts have attracted a good deal of attention from scholars, especiallyin the wake of the spectacular finds in the Great Mosque in Sanaa in1972. Some might suggest that this attention is superfluous or even reflectiveof a willful ignoring of the significance of the scripture’s oral transmissionand a privileging of the written word over the oral. However, careful studiesof these manuscripts tell us many things, such as early Muslim attitudes towardthe text, that cannot be documented otherwise. In fact, early manuscriptsare the only tangible source about the oral tradition itself. We can also see thatchanges in appearance in early manuscripts provide evidence of the perceptionand role of such copies and that this went through a significant transformation,especially during the Umayyad period (661-750).Studies done by knowledgeable scholars do not aim to establish an “original”text or to find fault with the modern version; rather, they aim to focuson such matters as the history of the Arabic script’s development and howmanuscripts were used. Of course, such early manuscripts also provide evidenceof textual variation, the precise dimensions of which have not alwaysbeen preserved by Muslim tradition. It is worth reiterating, however, that thesevariations are never of such extent that one can doubt the integrity of the textor its doctrinal or legal contents. Overall, the study of early Qur’an manuscriptsis a challenging task, subject to much scholarly speculation and thusdifference of opinion, especially due to the absence of colophons on the availabletexts thought to stem from the Umayyad period. This is generally the resultof the lost first and last pages in such manuscripts, for they are the first tobecome worn and detached and then disappear. Most of those manuscriptsavailable to us today are in a highly fragmented condition.François Déroche is the world’s leading scholar on matters related toQur’an manuscripts. The vast majority of his writing until now has been inFrench; his masterful examination of a single early exemplar, La transmissionécrite du Coran dans les débuts de l’islam, appeared in 2009. Thus many readersto whom his scholarship has not otherwise been accessible will welcomethis book written in English and marketed in a relatively inexpensive paperbackformat. The work originated as a series of four lectures given at the LeidenUniversity Centre for the Study of Islam and Society in 2010. Thoselectures were primarily the result of an extensive use of the resources held inIstanbul’s Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum ...

scholarly journals The dawn of the Somali written word: an analysis of the creation and implementation of the Somali written language

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warsan Amin
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Oral Poetry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
History Of ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Knowledge Preservation ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
First Time

My major research paper (MRP) is grounded in the history of Somalia’s first orthography implemented in 1972 by President Mohamed Siad Barre. This meant that for the first time Somali history, there would be a written language that mirrored the Somali oral tradition in all its complexity. The nation’s longstanding cultural tradition of oral poetry has both impacted, and been impacted by the implementation of the orthography. Through the use of semi-structured interviews and grounded theory as my method of analysis, the purpose of this MRP is to explore this reciprocal impact between Somalia’s oral tradition and the implementation of the orthography, and also to explore how Somali poetry provides a unique lens into this reciprocal impact. After stating the data, I present the findings in two stages: (a) in the form of short stories that provide insight into the topic from the perceptions and perspectives of each interviewee, and (b) as overarching themes that have emerged from the interviewees collectively. The findings reveal that the colonial period in Somalia gave rise to the necessity of an orthography for the oral Somali language which then introduced a level of cultural anxiety as the oral tradition of knowledge preservation eventually weakened. Nonetheless, although the Somali orthography is now seen first and foremost as a means of knowledge preservation, the Somali culture still demonstrates a deep connection to their oral heritage.

Avoiding the tyranny of the written word

1986 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-37
Author(s):  
Bernard Spolsky
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Jewish Tradition ◽  
Universal Education ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Correct Reading ◽  
Written Law ◽  
Written Word

Abstract A study of literacy as a social rather than as a personal phenomenon reveals new aspects of its complexity. Looking in particular at Jewish literacy, a distinction is proposed between unmediated and mediated literacy, the latter referring to modes of literacy that continue to require extensive mediation by a teacher long after the initial skill of phonemic decoding of the orthography has been acquired. In the case of the Written Law (the Bible) this situation was maintained by the use of an orthography which did not record vowels or punctuation and by the maintenance of an oral tradition on correct reading in crucial points in the text. In the case of the Oral Law (the Talmud), when it was finally written down, it was recorded in an elliptical style that continued to make the mediation of a teacher necessary. The result in each case is a method of safeguarding transmission without fossilizing content. Even after unmediated literacy had become widespread for other purposes, the effect of the traditions has remained strong. The system of mediated literacy, combined as it is in the Jewish tradition with a strong value for universal education, assures continued interpretation of traditional knowledge.

scholarly journals An ethnobotanical survey of spontaneous plants used in traditional medicine in the region of Aures, Algeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karim Baziz ◽  
Rim Tinhinene Maougal ◽  
Abdelkader Amroune
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Single Species ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Ethnobotanical Survey ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Digestive Disorders ◽  
Mode Of Transmission

This study carried out in the Aures region (Algeria) between September 2018 and March 2019, allowed us to identify spontaneous plants used in the region and gather all the information concerning the therapeutic practices of the local population. Based on a series of ethnobotanical surveys, we have identified 112 medicinal species belonging to 49 families, of which Asteraceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae and Cupressaceae are the most represented. The leaves were the most used plant parts (28.86%), and the decoction (37.68%) represents the most frequently used mode of preparation. In addition, the remedies were prepared essentially from single species (81.15%) and were used mainly in the treatment of digestive disorders (23.99%). The study has also shown that women, married people, the elderly and illiterates people had the better knowledge of the use of medicinal plants. These results indicate that local population has a fairly deep empirical and traditional knowledge of phytotherapy. However, this knowledge is endangered mainly because of the mode of transmission which is based on oral tradition and an urgent transcription is needed to avoid the loss of this heritage.

scholarly journals ‘WE ARE A STORY-TELLING PEOPLE’: AN EXPLORATION OF THE ORIGIN TALES IN THE ORAL NARRATIVES OF THE NAGAS AND THE KHASIS OF INDIA’S NORTH EAST

2020 ◽  
pp. 141-149
Author(s):  
Payel Dutta Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Oral Narratives ◽  
Distinguishing Characteristic ◽  
Easy Task ◽  
North East ◽  
The Social ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Roman Script

In the absence of a written literature and language for ages, the oral tradition was one of the distinguishing characteristic features of the various tribes of Nagaland and Meghalaya. In the case of the Khasis of Meghalaya, “…their alphabet is of very recent history, no older than when Thomas Jones, the Welsh Presbyterian missionary, introduced the Roman script in 1842, to form the essentials of the Khasi written word.” (Nongkynrih vii) For the Nagas, even the oral dialects spoken by the different indigenous tribes are different and hence, it was not an easy task to keep the oral tradition alive amidst so much of diversity. The origin tales that find mention in the oral narratives of both the Nagas and the Khasis play an important role in the comprehension of the unique culture and tradition of both the tribes. This paper is an attempt to explore the tales related to the origin of the Nagas and the Khasis, to explore their rich oral tradition, how these tales mirror the cultural identity of these tribes which have undergone several changes in today’s time and most importantly, to read in between the lines of the tales to explore their significance vis-à-vis the social and cultural make-up.

scholarly journals The dawn of the Somali written word: an analysis of the creation and implementation of the Somali written language

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warsan Amin
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Oral Poetry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
History Of ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Knowledge Preservation ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
First Time

My major research paper (MRP) is grounded in the history of Somalia’s first orthography implemented in 1972 by President Mohamed Siad Barre. This meant that for the first time Somali history, there would be a written language that mirrored the Somali oral tradition in all its complexity. The nation’s longstanding cultural tradition of oral poetry has both impacted, and been impacted by the implementation of the orthography. Through the use of semi-structured interviews and grounded theory as my method of analysis, the purpose of this MRP is to explore this reciprocal impact between Somalia’s oral tradition and the implementation of the orthography, and also to explore how Somali poetry provides a unique lens into this reciprocal impact. After stating the data, I present the findings in two stages: (a) in the form of short stories that provide insight into the topic from the perceptions and perspectives of each interviewee, and (b) as overarching themes that have emerged from the interviewees collectively. The findings reveal that the colonial period in Somalia gave rise to the necessity of an orthography for the oral Somali language which then introduced a level of cultural anxiety as the oral tradition of knowledge preservation eventually weakened. Nonetheless, although the Somali orthography is now seen first and foremost as a means of knowledge preservation, the Somali culture still demonstrates a deep connection to their oral heritage.

The irrevocable pedagogical value of the Bible: Liberation transcends technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hlulani M. Mdingi
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Black Experience ◽  
Distribution Of Wealth ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Western Values ◽  
Christian Thought ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Gospel Message

The introduction of the Bible in Africa operated on two major frontiers, firstly, the oral tradition of the missionary who possessed both the Gospel message by word and in the written text (gadget). Conversion occurred through oral ‘manipulation’ that includes an oral negation of the native’s history and worldviews. Secondly, the rise of missionary schools opened the door to the reading of the Bible. However, the black experience has revealed that the reading of the Bible by blacks, slaves and the oppressed gave rise to a new world of interpretation and, in some respects, quietened the oral, historical, political and spiritual disturbance of the missionary voice as the vanguard of the colonial master. It is not the gadget or the written word that is in dispute, even in the digital era, but what the Bible says about oppression, poverty, injustice, dehumanisation, equitable distribution of wealth and politics. Through the paradigms of liberative thought, namely, the hermeneutics of the oppressed, this study firstly will acknowledge the creative and existential interpretation of the Bible for particular goals. While laying out a brief history on Eurocentrism as superseding the Gospel. Secondly, the study seeks to look into Western Christian thought as expansion of the Western Empire. Therefore, arguing that shifts and progress under the guise of development maintain western values. Lastly, the study seeks to argue that despite any platform of biblical transmission, orally, the printing press and the electronic platform, the hermeneutical and epistemological pedagogy of the liberationist lens of the Bible persist; liberation transcends technology.Contribution: This research will contribute in the dialogue between faith and technology within the paradigm of liberation theology. The study seeks to centre the pertinent theme of justice and liberation in the Bible as a critical witness that is relevant for the meaning and relevance of the Bible.

scholarly journals Orocowewin Notcimik Itatcihowin: The Atikamekw Nehirowisiw Code of Practice and the Issues Involved in Its Writing

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Benoit Éthier ◽  
Christian Coocoo ◽  
Gérald Ottawa
Keyword(s):  
Direct Contact ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Code Of Practice ◽  
Mode Of Transmission ◽  
Contemporary Context ◽  
Plant Harvesting ◽  
Forest Activities

The Atikamekw Nehirowisiw Nation has for several years been developing a code of practice (orocowewin notcimik itatcihowin) to regulate hunting, fishing and plant harvesting activities in Nitaskinan, its ancestral territory. The Atikamekw Nehirowisiw code of practice is a collective project that sets out to put its territorial regulations in writing. The project's objective is threefold: to ensure the transmission of territorial knowledge and of rules relating to forest activities; to adapt these rules, passed on by ancestors, to the contemporary context; and to have them recognised by non-natives and the governments of other nations, including the governments of Canada and Quebec. This article presents some of the issues related to the process of writing and coding orocowewin notcimik itatcihowin, the Atikamekw Nehirowisiw code of practice; in particular, the importance of the oral tradition as a means of transmitting knowledge is emphasised. In our language, we say "atisokana ki atisokan" – we are infused and transformed by the narratives transmitted orally. This mode of transmission is politically, philosophically and emotionally significant. It is a unique way for us to let the heart speak, through direct contact, without interference.

Aboriginal Gothic

2019 ◽  
pp. 276-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Althans
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
First Century ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Indigenous Culture ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mode Of Transmission ◽  
Written Word

This chapter shows how, by combining European Gothic traditions and elements of Indigenous belief systems, Australian Aboriginal artists reclaim their own cultural heritage and reject the coloniser’s construction of Aboriginal people as the demonised Other. Aboriginal Gothic texts such as Her Sister’s Eye (2002) and ‘The Little Red Man’ (2011) defy their European predecessors’ traditional and stereotypical cast as well as their commodification of Indigenous culture, thus creating a counter-discourse to the master-discourse of European Gothic. This challenge, however, takes place within the plots and in the mode of transmission itself. Therefore, Aboriginal Gothic in the twenty-first century is not limited to the written word, but includes other forms like films, such as Karroyul (2015), and interactive media, such as Warwick Thorton’sThe Otherside Project (2014). In this way, the Gothic’s shape as a literary mode, as opposed to Indigenous oral traditions, is questioned just as much as its history of Othering.

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