Folklore as a Medium for Cultural Renaissance in a Deculturised Society: Oral Poetry as Praxis

Abstract

Every group of people bound together by common interest and purpose, whether literate or not, rural or urban, possesses a body of tradition and culture called folklore. This study fundamentally treats folklore as a medium for a cultural renaissance in deculturised African society. It explores the dearth of the traditional forms of knowledge that shape and give meaning to people's lives. Also, the study, through the analyses of some traditional African poetry, explores the dynamics of folklore on cultural education of values, morals, and the aesthetics of the culture of the people. Finally, the choice of oral poetry for cultural reaffirmation and the exploration of performance as a significant technique in oral tradition is presented in the discourse.