Thou shalt not reveal thy secrets: the value of reticence in speech in Dagaaba folklore

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Periodical article

Title:	Thou shalt not reveal thy secrets: the value of reticence in speech in Dagaaba folklore
Author:	Angsotinge, Gervase T.
Year:	2005
Periodical:	Research Review (ISSN 0855-4412)
Volume:	21
Issue:	1
Pages:	19-27
Language:	English
Notes:	biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:	Ghana West Africa
Subjects:	Dagari child rearing folk tales literature folklore Dagaaba (African people) storytelling Literary analysis
Abstract:	The Dagaaba inhabit the northwestern part of Ghana. They are a predominantly farming community. Storytelling is one great pastime of the people especially during the dry season after the harvest of the crops. Some early researchers of traditional narratives have posited that the sole aim of telling these narratives is to entertain. This article shows that the purpose and function of storytelling among the Dagaaba goes beyond the entertainment aspect. It contends that, although the entertainment aspect is not to be ignored, the telling of oral narratives among the Dagaaba is a vehicle of enculturation and socialization of youth into the customs, traditions and morality of the society. The article analyses two oral narratives collected during research in the Nandom Traditional Area in 2002 in order to demonstrate the value of reticence in speech. Bibliogr., notes, sum. in English and French. [Journal abstract]