African Literature

The African literature began in 2300 B.C and “ended” in 2100 B.C, in North Africa in Egypt by burial text papyrus then it descended to the Saharan Africa by oral culture, proverbs, also riddles, epic narratives, oration, personal testimony, praise poetry, songs, rituals and much more. The griots transmit all this stories and they were traveling performers. All this literature was influenced by the Islamic culture. 

The first African story was "The Sudan" by Abdal-Rahan al-sadi. When the African literature started was written in an African language called: "Swahili". When the colonization started the oral traditions and written work of Christian beliefs had a lot of ethic. These traditions were destroyed by the pagan and primitive culture because they wanted slavery. The salves narratives started in 1789 and they went on through some generations.

The Europeans helped a lot to developed education and journalism in the African culture.

The negritude started in 1920 and ended in 1930, it was made by African artist and it began because they were slaves. This part of literature was located in France mostly in Paris because it was the capital of art. The woman was a symbol of art and culture and this is called “Womanly”.

Some authors are:

·         Leopold Sedar-Senghor (1906-2001)

·         Alan Paton (1948) “Cry of The beloved Country”

·         Frantz Fanon (1967) “The Black skin)

·         And much more.

-Class notes