FUNCTIONS OF ORAL LITERATURE
a) Oral literature creates entertainment to all classes of people in the society e.g Isikuti dance among the Luhya
Isikuti dance
Vuyanzi x2
Vuyanzi vuyanzi eeh!
Jane mbee mkoye kwanje.
The song comments on happiness that is prevalent in the community hence calls for a celebration mood.
b) Oral literature Explains mysteries beyond human understanding through myths which explain some phenomena e.g origin of life and death.
c) To nurture and cultivate linguistic competence and pronunciation e.g tongue twisters
Example
“Omoro naagete omonto omoro omotwe igoro igoro” (Gusii)
English: Omoro hit somebody with a panga on top of the
head yesterday.
d) Oral literature Helps to reach the audience’s inner motives through performance strategies e.g the Kiswahili song “kifo hakina huruma”
e) Oral literature enhances physical fitness especially among the youth
through children accompanied by dance e.g
Row row row your boat x2
Gentle down the stream x2
Merrily merrily merrily merrily,
Life is but a dream.
f) Oral literature enhances rendering of specific beliefs and philosophies of a particular society.
This is achieved through the use of
proverbs e.g
“Nyenki ya nja ndirikaga” (kikuyu)
English: The grass that grows outside ones homestead is not
palatable. It was told to ladies who have lacked marriage
partners in their locality to look for them far away.
g) Oral literature is a tool for persuasion especially political persuasion through the use of propaganda songs
e.g “Yote yawezekana…” or
through a proverb e.g
“Tochia korimi mwabande otige mwao gekoyia” (Gusii)
It literary means that you can’t extinguish fire in
somebody’s house while your own is on fire. It is used to
persuade people to vote for candidates from their own
community.
h) Oral literature educates and preserves the values of a community for future use by successive generations for the sake of culture
continuity. This is most evident in proverbs e.g.
- “Totwara eng’iti otanyare goita” (Gusii)
Literary meaning: never hunt an animal you can’t kill.
Application: Discourages people from initiating projects they can’t accomplish.
- “Jaber kasambu” (Luo)
Literal meaning: Beautiful ones are prone to danger.
Application: Advices beautiful ladies to be careful when dealing with relationship with men so that they make right choices.
- “Moyekune sasuriet sondili e moen keru” (kipsigs)
Literal meaning: Never cut a tree under which you have sheltered from rain.
Application: people should not despise those who helped them to achieve what they intended
