ABSTRACT
This paper is a very tentative statement of a view which I have held for some time but which I have hesitated to advance because more extensive field research than I have been able to undertake seemed required for its full validation. I present it now because this seems to be as good an opportunity as one could ever want for securing the reaction of those who have been engaged in Igbo and related studies for a much longer time than myself. * I should hope, in any event, that my argument will be found not only valid for the study of Igbo traditional literature but also helpful to our creative writers who may wish to exploit our traditions for contemporary uses.
