Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Anthropology/Oral tradition taskforce

Oral tradition task force

@StarTrekker, ShaveKongo, Ingwina, Ahiise2, Zanahary, Bloodofox, Drmies, Sweetpool50, Gunkarta, Di (they-them), Haoreima, Markx121993, Deiadameian, SMcCandlish, Hoodoowoman, Rachel Helps (BYU), Elspamo4, Manannan67, Batongmalake, NyanThousand, Laterthanyouthink, Dchmelik, O.ominirabluejack, Nihil Novi, Anacaona, Moxy, FULBERT, Carptrash, Vanderwaalforces, Sawyer777, JarrahTree, Reading Beans, Βατο, Piotrus, Nishidani, Pfold, Davidbena, Piccco, Pgallert, and Ugwulebo: Welcome to the oral tradition taskforce! For anyone unfamiliar with WikiProjects, to join just add your name to the participants section and watch this page if you’d like. Please feel free to discuss any ideas you have and to edit the main page Kowal2701 (talk) 07:22, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Just wanted to say that all of your time is valuable, and no one should feel pressured to contribute any more than they want to Kowal2701 (talk) 08:26, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Pages for [Oral traditions/folklore of a group]

An idea was to have pages that summarise a group's oral tradition/folklore and list specific stories, organised similarly to Romani folklore and English folklore. There are lots of Native American stubs like Salishan oral narratives and Tolowa traditional narratives that could be expanded in this fashion. While this'd be a good central resource for the reader, it'd also be a good resource for editors looking for specific traditions to create articles on and write about. So for example you could have Oral traditions of the Soninke people, Garhwali folklore etc. Kowal2701 (talk) 13:48, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Missing general pages

A couple pages missing from WP's coverage are Traditional oral history (or Oral history (tradition) with Oral history being moved to Oral history (academic discipline))

Oral repository or Traditional oral performer, sorry can't find the right term, but the general topic for Griot, Azmari, Rhapsode etc. Kowal2701 (talk) 13:53, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I would be glad to see Oral history renamed and redefined, as I think there are a lot of incoming links to Oral history that more likely refer to traditional storytelling. Laterthanyouthink (talk) 00:53, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Bhanaka, Seanchai, Bard, Aois-dana, Bhat, Charan, Druid, Fili, Skald, Aoidos Kowal2701 (talk) 16:16, 3 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Scope draft

So, @Kowal2701, I came up with this, please take a look and maybe @Johanna Wood might want to look too.

Oral tradition is the means by which information is transmitted from one generation to the next through speech and storytelling. It is a dynamic and ever-evolving process that encompasses a vast array of human expression. From myths, legends, and folktales to historical narratives, genealogies, and legal precedents, oral tradition serves as a repository of cultural knowledge, values, and beliefs. This taskforce explores the relationship between oral tradition and anthropology, literature, and other scholarly fields. We aim to improve Wikipedia's coverage of oral traditions from diverse cultures, including indigenous and contemporary societies. Our scope includes the study of oral performance, transmission, and reception; the interplay between oral and written traditions; and the influence of oral tradition on cultural identity, social structures, and historical narratives. We will examine oral genres such as myths, legends, folktales, epics, ballads, proverbs, and riddles. We will also look at the role of oral tradition in preserving cultural heritage, transmitting knowledge, and fostering social cohesion. Additionally, we will explore the impact of the digital age on the documentation, preservation, and revitalization of oral traditions. Through collaboration, we aim to create a comprehensive resource on oral tradition. Our work involves identifying gaps in coverage, improving existing articles, and creating new articles on underrepresented topics. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 15:19, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, great work! One thing I'd add is "the institutions crucial to oral tradition". The frequency they are told and climate they are told in have big impacts on the quality of preservation Kowal2701 (talk) 15:27, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Kowal2701 Something like Oral tradition relies on institutions and practices for its preservation and transmission. The Griot and similar roles in other cultures serve as oral historians and storytellers. Memorization, practice, and performance are necessary for the transmission of oral narratives. The frequency and context of storytelling influence the evolution and preservation of these traditions. could be incorporated? Vanderwaalforces (talk) 15:37, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Yes that looks good, also maybe say While oral tradition is largely found and emphasised in societies that revere the oral word in contrast to the written word, it is commonplace in some form within all societies worldwide. Kowal2701 (talk) 15:42, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

That is okay. So, how'd this be incorporated on the main taskforce page? Vanderwaalforces (talk) 15:51, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Just edit it like you would a normal page lol Kowal2701 (talk) 15:56, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe wait to see what others think Kowal2701 (talk) 16:10, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Yep, Will wait. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 16:20, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Does the scope include all of verbal folklore (which can include gossip and jokes), or just folktales? Rachel Helps (BYU) (talk) 16:25, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Rachel Helps (BYU) Gossips and jokes should also be part, I think. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 17:33, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

agreed, gossip is usually one of the antecedents of oral history Kowal2701 (talk) 17:39, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

changing "folktales" to "verbal folklore" would make it clear that the scope includes all of that. Rachel Helps (BYU) (talk) 17:39, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Idk, I think written folklore that is based on verbal folklore would be within the scope, like Kilwa Chronicle or Mahabharata Kowal2701 (talk) 17:48, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

And we just put low importance if it’s mainly now a written tradition? Kowal2701 (talk) 17:51, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

We should also consider present-day connections like rap and other forms of popular music which came from oral traditions somehow. JohnDVandevert (talk) 06:49, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Like this! The griot, super important. JohnDVandevert (talk) 06:49, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Comments for final draft

Oral tradition is the means by which information is transmitted from one generation to the next through speech and storytelling. It is a dynamic and ever-evolving process that encompasses a vast array of human expression. From myths, legends, and folktales to historical narratives, genealogies, and legal precedents, oral tradition serves as a repository of cultural knowledge, values, and beliefs. Oral tradition relies on institutions and practices for its preservation and transmission. The Griot and similar roles in other cultures serve as oral historians and storytellers. Memorization, practice, and performance are necessary for the transmission of oral narratives. The frequency and context of storytelling influence the evolution and preservation of these traditions. This taskforce explores the relationship between oral tradition and anthropology, literature, and other scholarly fields. We aim to improve Wikipedia's coverage of oral traditions from diverse cultures, including indigenous and contemporary societies. While oral tradition is largely found and emphasised in societies that revere the oral word in contrast to the written word, it is commonplace in some form within all societies worldwide. Our scope includes the study of oral performance, transmission, and reception; the interplay between oral and written traditions; and the influence of oral tradition on cultural identity, social structures, and historical narratives. We will examine oral genres such as myths, legends, folktales (gossip and jokes), epics, ballads, proverbs, and riddles. We will also look at the role of oral tradition in preserving cultural heritage, transmitting knowledge, and fostering social cohesion. Additionally, we will explore the impact of the digital age on the documentation, preservation, and revitalization of oral traditions. Through collaboration, we aim to create a comprehensive resource on oral tradition. Our work involves identifying gaps in coverage, improving existing articles, and creating new articles on underrepresented topics.

Any further comments before incorporation? @Kowal2701, Rachel Helps (BYU), and JohnDVandevert:. --Vanderwaalforces (talk) 15:17, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

What a wonderful draft my friend. Perhaps we can add something, albeit brief, about music specifically and its forms like the epic and the ballad? JohnDVandevert (talk) 17:31, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There’s also aural tradition which is like playing by ear, and is considered within the scope of the oral tradition article (oral tradition#Music). Maybe make oral historian a red link because we haven’t really got an article for that yet Kowal2701 (talk) 17:34, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

hi @Vanderwaalforces, That's an excellent draft. One minor point: the sequence "myths, legends, folktales (gossip and jokes)" gives the impression that gossip and jokes are subtypes of folktales - which is surely not what you intended. -- Womtelo (talk) 18:17, 7 August 2024 (UTC).[reply]

Whoops, how did I put that there, lol. Okay, noted. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 19:42, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, great guys, I just incorporated the scope on the main project page. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 22:37, 17 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Regarding importance, does this sound alright?

Top = articles on general core concepts, like oral poetry and oral history
High = genres of different peoples traditions, like izibongo, roles such as bard, and articles such as Draft:Oral traditions of the Soninke people
Mid = specific pieces of oral tradition that are predominantly recorded orally, such as Ural-batyr, BLPs and works that have been crucial in the study of oral tradition such as the Homeric epics
Low = specific works that used to be recorded orally but are now predominantly written, such as Pali Canon, articles to do with oral history like Oral History Association, and articles that discuss and mention oral tradition in at least a few sentences, like Albanian paganism
NA = articles not in the mainspace

Kowal2701 (talk) 10:25, 31 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Kowal2701 You know what you just did? This is the best and clearest classification of articles I’ve seen so far. The definition is just the way it should be, and this would make sorting out the importance of article very easy. Kudos ;) Vanderwaalforces (talk) 10:59, 31 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Lol thanks :) Kowal2701 (talk) 11:00, 31 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Related projects

Thanks for your work on oral tradition. It may be possible to retrieve some material from wp:WikiProject Folklore which seems to be dormant. --Northernhenge (talk) 11:03, 13 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, we have been in close contact with that WP and some members have joined. We could copy the format of their main page? Kowal2701 (talk) 11:05, 31 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Possible move to a WikiProject?

Is it worth having a discussion about moving this to its own WikiProject? Out of the 150 so articles currently tagged, practically none of them had the {{WikiProject Anthropology}} banner priorly, and we're sort of bloating their categories with articles outside of their scope. We've also got a lot of members, the recommended number is 6 to 12 per Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Guide. It's just about whether this project would be sustainable Kowal2701 (talk) 14:27, 18 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Kowal2701 This is something that would make sense, especially because participants of this taskforce is surprisingly increasing. Vanderwaalforces (talk) 13:14, 20 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Userbox

@Kowal2701 Do you or anyone else have a draft for a userbox for this taskforce? I do but just asking so we don't duplicate things :) Vanderwaalforces (talk) 15:11, 4 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Vanderwaalforces no I don’t, feel free to make one, that’d be great Kowal2701 (talk) 16:10, 4 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Okay then :) Vanderwaalforces (talk) 15:02, 5 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]