6. Poets and their positions
- Ruth Finnegan (author)
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| Title | 6. Poets and their positions |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Ruth Finnegan (author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0428.06 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0428/chapters/10.11647/obp.0428.06 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Ruth Finnegan; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-05-28 |
| Long abstract | In this chapter, the focus is on oral poets and their diverse roles within different cultures and societies. The chapter begins by addressing the broad question of who the poets are, explaining that virtually anyone can assume this role depending on the social context. While oral poets can be found in various forms—from official court poets in medieval kingdoms to unpaid singers among labourers—there are recurring patterns that shape their societal roles. These poets are often bound by social conventions and are influenced by the economic and political institutions of their societies, indicating that the position of oral poets is not entirely random. This chapter further explores these positions through case studies of five distinct poets from various cultures: Velema Daubitu, a seer and poet in Fiji; Avdo Mededović, a Yugoslav epic minstrel; Johnnie B. Smith, a black American prisoner and song leader; Orpingalik, an Inuit poet and shaman; and Almeda ‘Granny’ Riddle, an American folksinger. These studies illustrate the variety of oral poets, from those who consider themselves mere conduits for ancestral voices to those who use personal experiences and social circumstances to compose their works. While each poet navigates different societal expectations and roles, their artistry is shaped by both their individual creativity and the cultural frameworks in which they operate. This reveals the complex interplay between personal expression and the collective, traditional structures that support oral poetry. |
| Page range | pp. 217–274 |
| Print length | 58 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
Ruth Finnegan
(author)Ruth Finnegan FBA OBE was born in 1933 in the beautiful fraught once-island city of Derry, Northern Ireland, and brought up there, together with several magical years during the war in Donegal. She had her education at the little Ballymore First School in County Donegal, Londonderry High School, Mount (Quaker) School York, then first class honours in Classics (Literae humaniores) and a doctorate in Anthropology at Oxford. This was followed by fieldwork and university teaching in Africa, principally Sierra Leone and Nigeria. She then joined the pioneering Open University as a founding member of the academic staff, where she spent the rest of her career apart from three years – and more fieldwork – at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, and is now, proudly, an Open University Emeritus Professor. She was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1996, and is also an Honorary Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford. Ruth has published two books with OBP, Why Do We Quote? The Culture and History of Quotation (2011), https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0012, and Oral Literature in Africa (2012), https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0025.