What is true about stories from a culture’s oral tradition?(1 point)
Stories from a culture’s oral tradition typically have several characteristics:
1. They are passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth rather than being written down. This means that they are often subjected to changes and variations as they are retold by different storytellers.
2. They often serve to encapsulate the values, beliefs, morals, customs, and history of the culture they come from. Oral traditions are a way for communities to convey their collective memory and identity.
3. Because they are not fixed in a written form, oral stories are often flexible and can be adapted by the storyteller for different audiences or circumstances.
4. Oral traditions often contain repeating elements such as refrains, formulaic expressions, or familiar story arcs, which aid in memorization and delivery.
5. They can include various genres such as myths, legends, fairy tales, proverbs, and epic tales, each serving different functions within the culture.
6. Oral traditions are dynamic and can evolve over time, incorporating new experiences or insights while maintaining a link to the past.
7. They are a form of art that relies on the performance skills of the storyteller, including voice modulation, gestures, facial expressions, and sometimes music or dance.
8. Oral stories often employ mnemonic devices to assist in preservation and transmission; these can include rhyme, rhythm, repetition, or alliteration.
9. The importance of oral tradition lies not only in the stories themselves but also in the act of storytelling, which can be a communal event that strengthens social bonds and transmits cultural knowledge.
10. They can be at risk of disappearing, especially in cultures that are undergoing rapid change or where there is a lack of younger individuals learning and carrying on the tradition.
Oral traditions are an integral part of the heritage of many cultures around the world and are a subject of study for anthropologists, folklorists, and linguists seeking to understand the depth and breadth of human cultural expression.