Oral Tradition

ORAL Tradition

1- All Epic tales are Rooted in Oral Tradition. Today: Urban legends, ghost stories.

2- No known author or original creator

3- Passed on by word of mouth (Large percentages of ancient civilizations were illiterate, and some societies didn't even have a written language)

4- Translated and written, but no original copy

5- Each story-teller adds his or her own personal flair and details, like making the hero from the town where he's telling the story.

6- Similar Plots, Characters, and other Mnemonic devices to help storytellers remember

LITERARY Tradition

1- All modern books and films.

2- Author/s with copyright ownership of his/her/their work.

3- Requires a literate population/ audience. No storyteller required to be present.

4- The story is static (Nothing about it changes, not even the details).

5- Still can find similar plots, characters, and themes to ancient epics.

Question: How does oral tradition affect story elements (Character types, theme, and events)?