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African Origin of Drama and Theatre
There was literature in Africa before the advent of Western influence (Europeans). Traditional African drama and theatre existed in oral forms.
Origin of Traditional African Drama and Theatre
- Sacred Religious Rituals
- Ceremonial Festivals
- Mimetic Origin
- Folktales and Storytelling
Related topic: origin of Greek drama and theatre
African Origin of Drama and Theatre
1. Religious Rituals
Incomprehensible occurrences were believed to be controlled by superior forces—gods and goddesses. People believed that every phenomenon and human activity was governed by a specific deity. For example, if they were preparing for war, they would enact a mock battle where they emerged victorious. This was meant to guide a particular god toward granting their desires. Similarly, such enactments were performed to ensure a successful harvest or hunting expedition.
Sympathetic magic was practiced—where like attracts like. Dances, stylized movements, songs, and invocative poetry were used to attract the attention of the gods. These expiatory dances later evolved into a form of theatre. Over time, as these rites became regularly performed, they took on spiritual meaning and became established traditions.
Religious rituals stem from a series of actions demonstrated by humans to create a conducive atmosphere for a meeting between the human and spirit worlds. They aimed to encourage the gods and goddesses to respond to human pleas or requests. While these rituals have dramatic qualities, they were not meant for entertainment.
Religious rituals possess dramatic genres, meaning they can lead to the development of drama. However, for drama to evolve from ritual, the basic functions of the rituals must be disrupted. Drama emerges when there is a disciplined construction of an orderly sequence of actions that represent real or imagined experiences. Hence, religious rituals can ultimately metamorphose into ritual drama.
2. Ceremonial Festivals
A festival is a ceremonial event involving the entire community. It takes place when a community organizes itself to express its desires and celebrate its successes. During festivals, there is always celebration and merrymaking, and often drama, especially when the festival reflects aspects of the community's history.
In Africa, festivals are more prevalent than any other activity and are characterized by masquerading, singing, dancing, and merrymaking. Examples of festivals where drama may be found include:
- Rites of passage
- Feast of the farming cycle
- Occasional spontaneous festivals
- Deity worship and ancestor veneration
These communal celebrations are a rich source of festival drama, which may have originated from such vibrant communal activities.
3. Mimetic Origin
Drama may have evolved from the imitation of human actions. Humans are essentially mimetic beings. It is believed that early humans, especially hunters, deceived animals by dressing and behaving like them to succeed in hunting. This mimicry helped hunters in their expeditions.
Sometimes, this imitation occurred before a hunt, as a form of preparation, and after a successful hunt, as a way to re-enact the event. These re-enactments served to:
- Preserve memory
- Teach moral lessons
- Entertain the community
When such stories are re-enacted, reinterpreted, and enriched, they become drama. Stories of heroes in the community may also be dramatized, becoming part of the community's living memory.
4. Folktales and Storytelling
Animal stories are common in African oral traditions. Most of these stories are didactic satires. Though animals are used as characters, they represent human traits and behaviors. At times, the individuals whose behaviors are being satirized can be recognized by the audience.
Storytellers often act out the roles in the stories, switching from one character to another while narrating. These performances not only entertain but also encourage heroic spirit in the youth, and preserve cultural values and wisdom.
Function of traditional African drama and theatre
- Religious function
- Educational function
- Didactic function
- Political function
- Entertainment function
- Social function.
Related topic: origin of Greek drama /drama