Oral Tradition as History
Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press (1985), xvi, 258 pp.
Contains bibliogr. pp. 228-244, index
ISBN 0-299-10214-9 (U of Wisconsin Press); 0-85255-006-5 (James Currey)
Other editions: also London: James Currey, 3rd printing 1985
"I begin this examination with a description of the process we call oral tradition. This allows me to better define what is meant by this expression. Then this can be followed up with a discussion of how a tradition becomes a record, a testimony or a text to which the rules of textual criticism should be applied. From there I can turn to elucidation of its social context, and its character as an expression of culture. Tradition is information remembered and as such raises fundamental queries which are addressed next. Once this aspect has been studied, the value of traditions to the historian can be assessed." (Preface)
1 Oral tradtion as process, 3
2 Performance, tradition, and text, 33
3 Getting the message, 68
4 The message is a social product, 94
5 The message expresses culture, 124
6 Tradition as information remembered, 147
7 Oral tradition assessed, 186
2 Performance, tradition, and text, 33
3 Getting the message, 68
4 The message is a social product, 94
5 The message expresses culture, 124
6 Tradition as information remembered, 147
7 Oral tradition assessed, 186
