ABSTRACT
This chapter establishes the fact that literature had existed in Africa even before the arrival of Europeans in the continent. Europeans did not introduce story-telling into Africa. Story-telling has been as old as humankind on the continent. Like African literature in general, the foundation of all Igbo literature is in their oral performance known also as folklore with the folktale as its most prominent genre. Igbo literature embodies the literary aspects of such oral performances as folksongs, folktales, riddles, proverbs, prayers, incantations, histories, legends, myths, dramas, oratories, and festivals. From these grew the roots of Igbo life, its culture, and its worldview, all of which form the basis and inspiration for the Igbo novel. This chapter examines and analyzes the ramifications of Igbo oral performances and the dynamics of creativity and reception.
