ABSTRACT
The most ancient form of the handing down of literature was oral transmission, from mouth to ear, so to speak. The legend of Meng Jiangnv is a typical example. This legend's origin can be traced back to the Warring States Period. Another important channel for the transmission of ancient folk literature was song performances. The collections in the Book of Odes and the Han Dynasty Music Bureau and the folk songs of the Southern and Northern Dynasties could all be set to music. Worthy of special attention is the use of dramatic performances to express literary works in word and gesture. The two methods of transmission - oral and written - often complemented and promoted each other. Oral transmission and performance were of course important forms of the transmission of literature since ancient times, but in the course of its being handed down there was a very real danger of oral literature being lost.
