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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Islam and the Griots in West Africa: Bridging the Gap between Two Traditions
Author:Hale, Thomas A.
Year:1985
Periodical:Africana Journal
Volume:13
Issue:1-4
Pages:84-90
Language:English
Geographic term:West Africa
Subjects:Islamic history
griots
epics (form)
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Religion and Witchcraft
History and Exploration
Education and Oral Traditions
literature
Abstract:The gulf that seems to separate the Islamic world with its written tradition from the indigenous oral cultures of West Africa is much narrower than often thought. In fact, the written and the oral tradition have operated at times in an almost symbiotic relationship. For example, a reading of the chronicles, such as the 'Tarikh al-Fettash', reveals how important the oral tradition was for providing the authors with a variety of information. Conversely, the professional oral artists, the griots, came to accept Islam, they referred to Islam in their poems and epics, and served as an integral element of both the traditional world and the Islamic diaspora. The author looks at the roles in society of both the Moslem scribes and the griots, and the relations between them. - Notes.
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