Oral Tradition in Chidubem Iweka's The Ancient Curse

Abstract

This paper examines the importance of oral tradition in African Literature in Chidubem Iweka's The Ancient Curse. It  introduced extensively the concept of oral tradition and its varying components such as folktales, riddles, proverbs, myths, incantations, magic, cultural festivals etc This paper also made use of theoretical framework which is Archetypal criticism because the author under study gained their source from traditional and cultural pre-existing oral tradition. The essence was to portray the authority of the African oral traditions which have importantly formed the basis of African literature. Intensive efforts were made to highlight to readers how the author explored oral tradition in the texts with the sole aim of building the future generation. The witty uses of proverbs, rituals, magical incantations, ritual rites were also explored in the text. The novel, The Ancient Curse was the primary source of data, while the scholarly publications, journals and internet were the secondary sources of data. This study therefore, resuscitates the glory of African oral tradition which colonization declared inferior by incorporating oral tradition in the literary work. This study also advocates the pre-eminence of oral tradition in African literature as it inculcates in the readers the importance of the African cultural heritage.