Unit 4 Lesson 18.1 West African Oral and Written Traditions

What is a griot?

• A verbal artist of the Mande people
• A type of folktale
• A skilled entertainer
• A popular saying

What is the role of griots?

• To express ideas through popular sayings
• To sing songs of praise
• To educate their audiences with historical accounts and genealogies
• To tell trickster tales

What is the most cherished information in griot history?

• The successions of kings
• The ancestry of every villager
• The story of Sundjata Keita
• The history of the Mande people

What are folktales?

• Old stories
• Genealogies
• Popular sayings
• Historical accounts

What is the purpose of folktales?

• To educate audiences with historical accounts and genealogies
• To sing songs of praise
• To express ideas through popular sayings
• To pass along history

What is a trickster tale?

• A clever animal or human who outsmarts others
• A type of folktale
• A popular saying
• A historical account

Who is the famous trickster in West African folktales?

• The elephant
• The hare
• The monkey
• The lion

What are proverbs?

• Historical accounts
• Old stories
• Genealogies
• Popular sayings

What do West African proverbs use to express ideas or give advice?

• Images from everyday life
• Historical accounts
• Genealogies
• Old stories

What does the proverb 'A good story is like a garden carried in the pocket' illustrate?

• The importance of oral tradition
• The wisdom and values of West Africans
• The significance of written tradition
• How Africans valued their stories