“Tyrrany”?
The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
11–20 of 59 posts
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#12This is such bullshit. Consider the Serbian mythical figure Dukljan. Do you really think this output of several centuries of Chinese Whispers game is a good way to preserve knowledge about the Roman emperor Diocletian?
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#13It's interesting how people will think that the Klamath preserved an oral story from 7700 years ago, yet in the historiography of Europe, a 50-100 year gap from the events to the recording of them in text is viewed with deep suspicion. For example, viewing the accounts of the Trojan war as being even remotely accurate beyond "there was a war in the bronze age," is seen as pretty fringe.
Nobody has oral history from 7700 years ago.
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#14It's interesting how people will think that the Klamath preserved an oral story from 7700 years ago, yet in the historiography of Europe, a 50-100 year gap from the events to the recording of them in text is viewed with deep suspicion. For example, viewing the accounts of the Trojan war as being even remotely accurate beyond "there was a war in the bronze age," is seen as pretty fringe.
Nobody has oral history from 7700 years ago.
I agree, but the linked article claims otherwise.
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#15This is such bullshit. Consider the Serbian mythical figure Dukljan. Do you really think this output of several centuries of Chinese Whispers game is a good way to preserve knowledge about the Roman emperor Diocletian?
>A Serbian folk song about Dukljan says that he once removed the Sun from the sky and brought it to the Earth.[1] Saint John managed to trick him and restore the Sun, but afterwards, while chasing him, Dukljan grabbed at him and tore a piece of flesh from John's foot, which explains why humans have arches of the foot.[1]
I don't know, I'm pretty sure this is in the Historia Augusta.
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#16It's interesting how people will think that the Klamath preserved an oral story from 7700 years ago, yet in the historiography of Europe, a 50-100 year gap from the events to the recording of them in text is viewed with deep suspicion. For example, viewing the accounts of the Trojan war as being even remotely accurate beyond "there was a war in the bronze age," is seen as pretty fringe.
Nobody has oral history from 7700 years ago.
Lol seen the homepage of the ABC? (Australian not American broadcaster).
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#17Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#18having spent significant time with people who hold spoken knowledge, I can promise you that there are still many things that can only be passed this way, and an ancient comment, passed verbaly to me, is directly relevant, as it concerns the adoption of writing by an affiliated tribal group, and how this was proof that "their minds are weak"
If you video the speaker and I watch the video, what knowledge do you learn that I do not?
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#19It's interesting how people will think that the Klamath preserved an oral story from 7700 years ago, yet in the historiography of Europe, a 50-100 year gap from the events to the recording of them in text is viewed with deep suspicion. For example, viewing the accounts of the Trojan war as being even remotely accurate beyond "there was a war in the bronze age," is seen as pretty fringe.
But there was a war, wasn't there? So why not admit that 8000-year-old myth can have got "the rocks went flying" part right.
Written accounts are still vastly superior to oral tradition of course, their accuracy is on another level. But that doesn't mean there is absolutely nothing to glimpse from old myths.
Re: The Tyrrany of Literacy. On oral tradition and what is lost
#20I had similar thoughts while thinking about the right to own copies of music or films.
That is - increasing ease of recording and transmission of cultural artifacts has homogenised that output, and reduced the urge and ability of individuals to preserve and pass on that output.