5 types of ORAL NARRATION

The oral narration is the oldest form of narration that has been used by mankind, since even before writing, people already they transmitted stories real or fictitious to each other from generation to generation.

In this lesson from a PROFESSOR we want to explain further what is it and what are the types of oral narratives, as well as some examples so that you can perfectly understand the oldest method that humanity has used to communicate.

The oral narration is the method of communication used to tell stories, whether real or fictitious, using the voice and attention of the interlocutor. A very clear example of this is the legends that have been transmitted from generation to generation without the need for anyone to put it in writing.

They are based on listening to information and broadcast it again to another person, so that story is in constant motion and also in constant change. Each narrator will add to the story part of its essence, so it is not surprising that stories change depending on who tells them.

Oral narration consists of a series of events that they are advancing and are located in a certain time and it is an act of communication that was born at the same time as humanity.

exist different types of storytelling and they differ from each other by some special characteristics.

Legend

The leyends They are fictitious stories based on a true historical event. The characters are men who start out normal and are set in a real world setting. story, but as the narrative progresses it becomes a completely unreal.

The characters can acquire supernatural powers and the places can change completely while the narrator tells it, to make way for the story that interests him. These legends have been passed down for generations and each narrator contributes his interpretation to the history.

Anecdote

An anecdote It is another type of oral narration. This is a short story that explains the events experienced by someone in a strange or even funny situation. They usually narrate entertaining incidents that call the listeners' curiosity and are always based on real events.

It is true that each person narrates the anecdotes of different way and that is the magic of oral language, that each one contributes their grain of sand depending on the personality they have: there are narrators who will stick to the events that have occurred, others who they will exaggerate the story and some that will take iron from the matter.

Myth

the myths They are stories that tell supernatural stories about men who have worked wonders or actions that have been carried out by the gods. The most common myths come from Greece and they have characters such as men, half-men, gods, monsters or fantastic animals.

Myths are characterized by being full of metaphors from real life and commonly use made-up characters to recount real situations. There may be more modern myths of people who have been treated as true heroes and their exploits have been passed from mouth to mouth.

Tale

A story it is a small story, received through tradition and explained orally. There are also written stories, but these are characterized by always be different and bring something special from the narrator who is telling the story.

They are usually located in a single stage (Although sometimes it happens in several places, but never as many as we can find in a novel). They are usually from short duration and they are designed to transmit some learning to the person who is listening to them without being too direct, that is, allowing them to reflect for a while.

Story

A story is another type of oral narration. We are before a long narrative in which several different concepts of the narrative come together. It can be told in the first person, but suddenly the narrator changes, different voices can be used to dramatize the story and it can be based on real or fictional events.

The goal of a story is entertain the listener and try to make him empathize with the narrator so that the story does not simply remain an anecdote, but provokes a response on his part. This is usually the type of oral narration more extensive.

The best way to understand each of the types of oral narration is through the examples which we show you below.

legend example

"According to Colombian legend, La Mojana is a tiny woman who kidnaps children who come near her domain. She lives in a stone house, under the water: she is white and has very long golden hair. To protect the children from the Mojana, it is necessary to tie them with a cord."

anecdote example

"One day I went with my friends to dinner and my partner stayed with the child while I got ready in the bathroom. When I left the bathroom there was a deathly silence in the house and that seemed very strange to me coming from them. My goodness, what I found: a stream of water came out of the small bathroom because David had a bathtub for the dinosaurs and my partner was lying in bed reading a book so quiet."

myth example

"A long time ago men lit fires to see in the dark, because there was no light. One day Gnowee, a goddess, came down to earth to search for her lost child. She used a torch that illuminated the entire earth for a few hours to be able to search for him and then she would go to night, because the goddess needed to rest. This myth explains how the sun originated.

story example

"Once upon a time there were three very envious mice, they wanted everything for themselves. But when a neighbor came to visit, they hid all the cheese they had stored. Suddenly a very furry cat approached, poked its nose into the hole and the envious mice cornered very frightened. When they screamed, the neighbor heard them and approached the cat full of courage and as he could, he pushed it away from the door. The poor mouse was so tired that the envious came out to thank him for the favor and finally invited him to eat. Everyone happily enjoyed a wonderful cheese plate and, laughing, they remembered the cat that ran away very angry."

story example

"Sancho Panza, who otherwise never boasted of it, succeeded, over the years, by composing a number of chivalric novels and bandits, at dusk and at night, to remove the demon from him to such an extent, to which he later gave the name of Don Quixote, that he threw himself irrepressibly to the craziest adventures, which however, due to the lack of a predetermined object, and which precisely should have been Sancho Panza, did not they hurt no one. Sancho Panza, a free man, remained impassive, perhaps because of a certain sense of responsibility, to Don Quixote in his wanderings, thereby achieving a great and useful recreation to its end."

We hope that this article has been helpful to you and that you now know the different types of oral narratives. If you want to continue learning about this topic or something similar, you can consult the writing section.