The development of oral literature forms

ORIGIN

Earliest record in Tang Dynasty (618～907) Labeled as an independent art form in the Qing Dynasty Performance storytelling (pingshu) can be traced to the Western Zhou Dynasty (BC770~256BC) Storyteller: author and actor Content: heroes Stand behind a table with a fan and gavel (“Storytellers”)

STATUS

Status was even lower than vernacular style genres Some educated scholars did see its value and oral literature (shuohua) helped to influence vernacular genres and vice versa

(Børdahl)

HUABEN

Produced by folk storytellers Script for storytelling in folk literature in the Song and Yuan Dynasties: Novels Historical stories Stories from Confucian classics Leather-Silhouette shows Puppet shows ("Huaben in Song and Yuan Dynasties“)

DETAILED AND BRIEF

Detailed: Simple language Recorded utterances

Brief: Outline Summary of stories Fictions and sketchbooks

("Huaben in Song and Yuan Dynasties“)

INFLUENCE

Vernacularly written Novels developed from Huaben Outlaws of the Marsh The Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pilgrim to the West

("Huaben in Song and Yuan Dynasties“)

WORKS CITED

Børdahl, Vibeke. "The Status of Oral Literature in Traditional China." Shuoshu.org. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. <http://www.shuoshu.org/Chinese_Storytelling/OWL/status%20of%20oral%20literature%20in%20traditional%20China.shtml>

"Huaben in Song and Yuan Dynasties." Chinaculture.org. Chinadaily.com.cn. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. <http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artqa/2003-09/24/content_41739.htm>.

"Storytelling." Chinancient.com. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. <http://www.chinancient.com/storytelling/>.