Traditions, which may appear fixed in society, are often subject to changes and adaptations as future generations attempt to mould these traditions to fit their contemporary values. ... This is also true of the epic tradition. ... Although the authorship of The Iliad and The Odyssey are traditionally attributed to Homer, both poems were actually formed through the oral tradition (Beye 3). The oral tradition refers to a process where stories were formed by sharing through word of mouth and not transcription. ... With culture shaping early epics through oral tradition, there could be no individu...

• Word Count: 1343
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

When examining ancient Greek works, however, it is important to recognize that they are the products of a chiefly oral tradition. This is not to say that oral and literate traditions are conflicting with one another, but rather that the guiding principles of early Greek art revolve around the notions of memory and orality. The Iliad, in particular, represents the step out of an oral tradition and the beginning of western literature. ... Oral traditions pass down historical and cultural knowledge from generation to generation by means of spoken language, song and poetry. ... Repetition was ...

• Word Count: 1357
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

When examining ancient Greek works, however, it is important to recognize that they are the products of a chiefly oral tradition. This is not to say that oral and literate traditions are conflicting with one another, but rather that the guiding principles of early Greek art revolve around the notions of memory and orality. The Iliad, in particular, represents the step out of an oral tradition and the beginning of western literature. ... Oral traditions pass down historical and cultural knowledge from generation to generation by means of spoken language, song and poetry. ... Repetition was ...

• Word Count: 1392
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Recent studies have begun to see the Homeric epics in the light of other epic traditions, notably epics from Mesopotamia, and have begun to look at striking similarities. ... The connections run from similarities in methods of transmission, namely the oral traditions, to themes, characters and formal structural components. ... The earliest Gilgamesh stories seem to come from Sumerian texts which most likely reflect the crystallization of earlier epic traditions, and was probably one of the most well-known and influential poems available (West 65). ... Enkidu does develop more than Patroclus, a...

• Word Count: 4256
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate