Oral Tradition And The Middle Ages - 1163 Words

Much of the known history of a certain nation, which survived the Middle Ages, is derived from a specific story or collection of stories. These stories are defined as epics, because they often contain a hero or heroic group that slayed an evil force of some kind. One of the greatest effects the epics had on the tribes or communities of the Middle Ages was their unifying influence. Through oral tradition, the tribal communities were brought together to be educated in their history. With the prevailing overthrow of the Roman Empire, the European world was brought into a period known as the Dark Ages. Learning via oral tradition was rather common during the Middle Ages, as the literacy skills to read and write mostly died with the beginning of Germanic tribe rule. Oral tradition also provided people something to compare themselves to what they strive to be. The epics allowed for the tribal people to be unified with a common goal. This was more often than not the objective of keeping the ir history, and the most dominant way of achieving this came through defeating their enemies who wished to overthrow the tradition. The tribes were brought together to fight the â€Å"outsider† enemy. These â€Å"outsiders† were viewed as being different based on their life, religious, and/or cultural views. Two of the most significant elements in defining how epics create nations are the effects war and Christianity had on the culture. The epic of Beowulf was successful in defining Anglo-Saxon culture.Show MoreRelated Devil on the Cross by Ngugi wa Thiong’o Essay1224 Words   |  5 Pagesspeaking to us himself. Muturi or Nugugi believe in oral tradition. That by telling a story one learns from it. Just as â€Å"heart makes man,† oral tradition smoothes out the rough edges one has. Oral tradition leads to the shaping of our great grand kids. â€Å"The [heart] co-operates with all the other organs of the body,† unlike the upper class that only ten d to work with themselves, the middle and lower classes work together like the heart. By the middle and lower classes working together their heart isRead MoreDevil on the Cross Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pagesspeaking to us himself. Muturi or Nugugi believe in oral tradition. That by telling a story one learns from it. Just as heart makes man, oral tradition smoothes out the rough edges one has. Oral tradition leads to the shaping of our great grand kids. The [heart] co-operates with all the other organs of the body, unlike the upper class that only tend to work with themselves, the middle and lower classes work together like the heart. By the middle and lower classes working together their heart isRead MoreTaking a Look at the Old Testament868 Words   |  4 Pagesin this long process. The early Judaism and acient Israel had particular traditions that were very vital to them. This led to writing of a form that was read, revised, interpreted and reread. The outcome of this reflec ts a complexity and diachronic richness that should be accounted for in every discussion if its composition and redaction. The Old Testament is tied and linked closely to the ears where those traditions were corrected, script down, edited, re-scripted, and finally joined to formRead More Beowulf Society Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pages Beowulf Society The earliest known manuscript of Beowulf is thought to have been written in the tenth century, however, the poem had most likely been told as an oral tradition for centuries before that. In fact, the poem’s events date back to the sixth century. However, because there is only one manuscript of Beowulf still in tact very little is known about the poem or its author. The poem does, however, give us great insight into the culture of the people who composed and told this epic tale.Read MoreBeowulf Society1744 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf Society The earliest known manuscript of Beowulf is thought to have been written in the tenth century, however, the poem had most likely been told as an oral tradition for centuries before that. In fact, the poems events date back to the sixth century. However, because there is only one manuscript of Beowulf still in tact very little is known about the poem or its author. The poem does, however, give us great insight into the cult ure of the people who composed and told this epic tale. BecauseRead MoreThe Age Of Reason By Judaism1449 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the â€Å"Age of Reason†, Judaism was forced to re-evaluate its core values in response to acculturation and assimilation. 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The restrictionRead MoreThe origin of the fairy tale derives from oral tradition. These tales vary depending on the800 Words   |  4 PagesThe origin of the fairy tale derives from oral tradition. These tales vary depending on the culture, time, and purpose of the teller, hence why there are multiple versions of a single tale. Every narrator reinvents the tale to meet their needs. The familiar themes, images, and symbols associated with the fairy tale tradition have been recycled by film makers and writers a like. This is because fairy tales are not only the most recognisable narrative worldwide, but they have a certain quality thatRead MoreCharacteristics Of Middle English Literature1356 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Structure in Middle English Literature In today’s time, we have modern day literature and it’s refreshing to be able to go back into the past and look at classic English literature to see how different literature has become. There hasn’t been another time frame of English literature like the Middle English Literature era. During the middle English era literature and its writers were unique and their pieces of literature were created during the Middle English era to cover a variety of manyRead MoreChristianity, Islam and Buddhism728 Words   |  3 PagesEarly Middle Ages moving to the Dark Middle Ages, life was brutal and not choosing what religion you belong to makes it even harder for the individual. You had to believe and set aside your difference with religion. During the Early Middle Ages the Roman Empire suffered many lost but were not destroyed by the constant warfare from the north. Civil war inside Roman Empire cause Rome to decline and less could not protect itself. They were lots of invasions and warfare throughout the Early Middle Ages