What does "Oral Tradition" Mean?
It means that information is passed down through the generations by word of mouth. It is different from written tradition, in which information is passed down in written documents.
Key Facts About Oral Tradition:
- Many types of information were passed from one person to the next orally, such as legendary stories, religious myths, history, laws, and the latest news.
- The oral telling of stories was a popular form of entertainment.
- Just because a culture participates in the oral tradition does not mean they don't have a writing system. The ancient Greeks had a written language, but not everyone could read it, and not everyone was wealthy enough to own written scrolls/tablets.
- Stories were often told as long poems because it is easier to memorize a text that has repetition, rhyme, and rhythm. Another way to remember a long story is to put it to music: there are a few surviving examples of ancient Greek musical compositions that we can listen to in order to imagine what greek music sounded like.
The Earliest Greek Songs:
"Epitaph of Seikilos"
Although the Ancient Greeks didn't use musical notes like the ones we use today, scholars were able to translate the Ancient Greek musical symbols into pitches, and it is possible for us to still hear this ancient melody. The song is carved into a tombstone, and the words read, "While you live, shine. Have no grief at all. Life exists only for a short while, and time demands an end." It is known as the earliest complete musical composition ever discovered. (There are two versions linked below because music history scholars don't know for sure what key the song was written in. Each version sounds a little bit different!) Example #1 Example #2 |
"Orestes Stasimon Chorus"
This song comes from an ancient greek play. It tells the story of Agamemnon's son, Orestes. When Agamemnon returned from Troy, his wife (Clytemnestra) and her new lover (Aegisthus) killed him because he was unfaithful to her while he was away. Orestes then killed his mother and her lover to avenge his father's death. After this, the Furies (bird-like monsters that represent guilt and self-hatred) follow Orestes around, tormenting him every day. Example #1 |