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Oral Epics from Africa: Vibrant Voices from a Vast Continent

Book: English. Bibliographic reference
Author(s)
Belcher, Stephen ; Hale, Thomas A. ; Johnson, John William
Title
Oral Epics from Africa: Vibrant Voices from a Vast Continent
Publication
Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997
Subjects
Jeli / Griot ; West Africa
Physical description
XXII, 331 or.
Type of material
Book
ISBN / ISSN
978-0-253-21110-1
"The editors... must be congratulated... Long live the African storytellers!" —Africa Today"It is difficult to imagine a more practical introduction to contemporary African epic than this anthology... no other single volume comprehends the full scope of African epic (as opposed to praise poetry) the way this one does.... The stories are engaging, and the free-verse translations are surprisingly readable.... Recommended for all academic collections." —ChoiceWestern culture traces its literary heritage to such well-known epics as the ÂIliad and the ÂOdyssey and ÂGilgamesh. But it is only recently that scholars have turned their attention toward capturing the rich oral tradition that is still alive in Africa today. These 25 selections introduce English-speaking readers to the extensive epic traditions in Africa.