"The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt

Literature and oral tradition share a symbiotic relationship. Toyin Faiola the author of A Mouth Sweeter than Salt has produced a highly engaging memoir. The text is set in Ibadan, Ode Aje and Ilorin. We find a rich and knowledgeable exploitation of oral forms which the author uses within the frame...

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Main Author: Felicia Ohwovoriole
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: LibraryPress@UF 2021-12-01
Series:Yoruba Studies Review
Online Access:https://ojs.test.flvc.org/ysr/article/view/130156
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author Felicia Ohwovoriole
author_facet Felicia Ohwovoriole
author_sort Felicia Ohwovoriole
collection DOAJ
description Literature and oral tradition share a symbiotic relationship. Toyin Faiola the author of A Mouth Sweeter than Salt has produced a highly engaging memoir. The text is set in Ibadan, Ode Aje and Ilorin. We find a rich and knowledgeable exploitation of oral forms which the author uses within the frame of the biographical genre. Through the use of proverbial narration, Fa­Iola presents a tale replete with magic, religion, divination, spirituality and various folklore elements. The oral forms Faiola has used in the text come from the oral character of everyday life, prose narratives, songs, proverbs and proverb-like expressions while exploring the themes of innocence, curiosity and growth. This stylistic feature of narration is common in African story telling sessions. In both the traditional and modern context, the African prov­erb fulfils its social and communicative function in various forms. Faiola pres­ents an inseparable relationship of mutual exchange between the oral and written traditions. However, our point of emphasis is to evaluate the context and usage of the proverbial narration with a restriction to proverbs which deal with animals. The qualities attributed to animals in the proverbs and sayings figuratively and metaphorically describe people's appearance, characteristics and deeds.
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spelling doaj-art-22ea70f6cbad46c6b5b2d6acffc13a9b2025-02-07T13:44:38ZengLibraryPress@UFYoruba Studies Review2473-47132578-692X2021-12-0112"The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt Felicia Ohwovoriole0University of Lagos Literature and oral tradition share a symbiotic relationship. Toyin Faiola the author of A Mouth Sweeter than Salt has produced a highly engaging memoir. The text is set in Ibadan, Ode Aje and Ilorin. We find a rich and knowledgeable exploitation of oral forms which the author uses within the frame of the biographical genre. Through the use of proverbial narration, Fa­Iola presents a tale replete with magic, religion, divination, spirituality and various folklore elements. The oral forms Faiola has used in the text come from the oral character of everyday life, prose narratives, songs, proverbs and proverb-like expressions while exploring the themes of innocence, curiosity and growth. This stylistic feature of narration is common in African story telling sessions. In both the traditional and modern context, the African prov­erb fulfils its social and communicative function in various forms. Faiola pres­ents an inseparable relationship of mutual exchange between the oral and written traditions. However, our point of emphasis is to evaluate the context and usage of the proverbial narration with a restriction to proverbs which deal with animals. The qualities attributed to animals in the proverbs and sayings figuratively and metaphorically describe people's appearance, characteristics and deeds. https://ojs.test.flvc.org/ysr/article/view/130156
spellingShingle Felicia Ohwovoriole
"The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt
Yoruba Studies Review
title "The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt
title_full "The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt
title_fullStr "The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt
title_full_unstemmed "The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt
title_short "The Horse on which Words Ride": Proverbial Narrative in Toyin Falola's A Mouth Sweeter than Salt
title_sort the horse on which words ride proverbial narrative in toyin falola s a mouth sweeter than salt
url https://ojs.test.flvc.org/ysr/article/view/130156
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