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    Singers and Tales: Oral Tradition and the Roots of Literature
    Singers and Tales: Oral Tradition and the Roots of Literature
    Singers and Tales: Oral Tradition and the Roots of Literature
    Audiobook4 hours

    Singers and Tales: Oral Tradition and the Roots of Literature

    Written by Michael Drout

    Narrated by Michael Drout

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In this course, Professor Michael D. C. Drout traces literature back to its ultimate sources in oral tradition. Drout shows us how works as varied as the Odyssey, Beowulf, the Finnish Kalevala, and epic songs from the former Yugoslavia were shaped by their origins as songs sung - and composed - before a live audience. Understanding the oral roots of these great works lets us see them in a whole new light. From classical texts to contemporary digital media, Drout demonstrates how the dynamics of oral tradition shape the verbal art that makes us who we are.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateNov 28, 2014
    ISBN9781470381813
    Singers and Tales: Oral Tradition and the Roots of Literature

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    4.5/5

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    • 4/5
      Singers and tales : oral traditions and the roots of literature wasn't just interesting, it helped me understand something in the Old Testament. I never could figure out how a writer could claim some king's lifelong fidelity to God when a few verses later we would be learning about that king's infidelity to God. Now it makes sense!Items discussed included how oral storytelling was written down or recorded, and how phrases or words can mean different things to persons reared in a tradition of written stories from those reared on oral traditions, how some scholars managed to figure out things that had stumped others. (That wasn't exactly a surprise. I recall a couple of instances in reading scholarly works by men in which they were baffled by references that seemed obvious to this female reader of Regency Romances. To be fair, I once reviewed a scholarly work by a female writer apparently so unfamiliar with American culture prior to the late 20th century that I found myself growling at her misinterpretations of a classic work from 1900 and a couple of its earlier movie adaptations.) Learning about how oral traditional storytelling cues and interacts with the listeners reminded me of watching classic cartoons and the joyful anticipation of what Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, or Wile E. Coyote, etc. would do next. We also learn how oral tradition has adapted to modern technology. (I won't spoil you for the examples Drout uses, but think of how much information is conveyed if someone starts chanting the theme to 'The Twilight Zone'.) Sadly, there is no discussion radio dramas and the difference between listening to an audio book with a single narrator versus a full cast, but perhaps another time...I enjoyed hearing snippets of Beowulf, the Kalevala, etc. in their original languages, even where Drout apologized for his pronunciation. These lectures were a very nice way to pass an afternoon.