oral literature: References & Edit History

H. Munro Chadwick and N. Kershaw Chadwick, The Growth of Literature, 3 vol. (1932–40, reprinted 1986), is a classic comparative volume on early literature. Ruth Finnegan, Oral Literature in Africa, rev. ed. (2012), is a comprehensive review of the continent’s genres. Jack Goody, The Interface Between the Written and the Oral (1987), is a study of the differences between communication in the two registers. Marcel Jousse, The Oral Style, trans. from French (1990), is an investigation of the stylistic characteristics of oral cultures and oral traditions. Claude Lévi-Strauss, The Savage Mind, trans. from French (1966), is an important theoretical work on oral cultures. Albert B. Lord, The Singer of Tales, 2nd ed. (2000), is a brilliant volume comparing Yugoslav bards of the 20th century with Homer. Dennis Tedlock, The Spoken Word and the Work of Interpretation (1983), is a review of work in the field of oral genres. Stith Thompson, The Folktale (1946, reprinted 1977), is a general introduction to the genre. Frances A. Yates, The Art of Memory (1966), is a study of mnemonic devices, mainly in written cultures.