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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The Wolof epic: from spoken word to written text
Author:Diop, SambaISNI
Year:2006
Periodical:Research in African Literatures
Volume:37
Issue:3
Pages:120-132
Language:English
Geographic term:Senegal
Subjects:epics
Wolof
translation
External link:http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/research_in_african_literatures/v037/37.3diop.pdf
Abstract:This article considers issues of the transition from oral to written in relation to two Senegalese epics. The author was involved in the collection phase and in the production of written English and French versions of the epics. The first epic is 'The Epic of Ndiadiane Ndiaye' performed by the griot Cheikh Niang. The second, 'The Epic of El Hadj Umar Taal of Fuuta', was performed by a goldsmith named Birahim Thiam. Both epics are replete with historical, religious, linguistic, and cultural references, in addition to constituting important identity markers and memory preservation items for the constituencies and audiences of the two performers. Three languages are involved in the production of the epics, each playing a specific role: Wolof, Arabic, and French. The first is the language of performance and is the culture carrier; Arabic is the language of the Islamic faith; and French is the medium of modernity. The paper discusses the translation process from word to print that poses a number of challenges, and the editing process, which is also an important step toward the production of the final text. The transmission process of the two epics stretches from earlier griots through the two performers discussed in this article to the English and French versions of the texts. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]
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