This statement ”when an old man dies, a library burns to the ground” is often attributed to Amadou Hampate Ba, a Malian writer. This statement eloquently captures the loss of cultural knowledge and oral tradition that takes place when an elderly man dies. library here significantly represent the knowledge and wisdom of the old man, and when the old man dies everything he knows about the past dies with him.
Oral tradition was one of the most important part of African History, it can be refers to as the transmission of cultural knowledge, stories and traditions through spoken language (verbally) from one generation to another, without the use of written records. it often involves the use of storytelling, songs, folklore and other verbal means.
However oral tradition was limited due to its weakness and vulnerability, information passed orally may have omissions, or distortions over time, leading to inaccuracies in the transmitted content. Also the death of the storyteller, when an old man who is a storyteller or who witnessed a lot of significant event that took place in the past dies the information and knowledge that he knows dies with him due to the fact that there are no written records to past it down to generations accurately.
Another weakness of oral tradition is Limited Reach, unlike written records, oral tradition might not reach a larger audience beyond the immediate community, limiting the cultural knowledge to a broader audience.
Despite these weaknesses oral tradition remains a crucial aspect of cultural heritage in Africa. it preserves and transmit cultural knowledge, values and traditions from one generation to another. it also serve as a means of historical preservation, helping communities maintain a sense of identity and continuity.
There are different mode in which oral tradition can be documented, it can be documented with myth, proverbs, rituals, festivals, music, dance.
In conclusion the statement ”when an old man dies it is tantamount to a library being set ablaze” simply means the vulnerability of oral tradition in Africa, prior to the coming of the Europeans it was said that Africans have no history which is not true. Africans have history it was just been passed orally which affected it accuracy, due to omissions.
ODUNUGA KEHINDE
Content Writer
Nigerian
