TWO BROTHERS

AFRICAN LITERATURE

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Jill Anne BasitCinderella Salazar

AFRICAN LITERATURE

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African literature have a broad history characteristics. But today we will only talk about the general idea.

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It has origins dating back thousands of years from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs which uses drawings to present words. These led to the Arabic poetry which spread during the Arabic conquest of Egypt in the 7th Century and through west africa in the 9th century. They continued to blend with the european culture and literature to form a unique literary form.

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Africa experienced a long history of colonization that left an impact of its literature. The colonization led to slavery, millions of africans were brought to western countries around the world from the 16th century to the 19th century. The spreading of african people against their will, is called African Diaspora.

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Sub-saharan Africa developed a written literature during 19th century and early 20th century as a result of missionaries coming to Africa. The missionaries built churches and language schools in order to translate religious texts. This led to Africans in writing on both European and their indigenous languages. Although African Literature is rich, most of the popular works have come out since 1950s: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

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africans rarely use paper for literature and use oral techniques in telling stories this is called orature unlike western cultures that are associated with advanced forms of writing, african literature is oral in nature meaning it has to be recited and even performed. Griots are african storytellers and praisers who used oral techniques in telling stories. In western africa the griot is a learned storyteller, poet, a performer, and historian. Griots have been handing down oral culture for over 4000 years and accompany their stories with music and takes much effort and training for several years for them to familiarise themselves with the numerous traditional songs with rythms and melodies.

Features of Traditional African Storytelling

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Features of Traditional African Storytelling

1. it is a communial exprerience. 2. repitition is an important part of storytelling.

Features of Traditional African Storytelling

3. storytelling fulfills purposes beyond being just a form of enegertainment. 4. tone is a vital part of storytelling.

Tale of Two Brothers, an Ancient Egyptian story written during the 19th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. The story was written on Papyrus D'Orbiney, which is currently housed in the British Museum.

Bata is an Egyptian ox-god of the New Kingdom that is believed to be the brother of the god Anubis. He, along with Anubis, represented the 17th Upper Egyptian Nome.

the two brothers

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Anubis and Bata were siblings. When their parents died, Anubis took Bata under his roof, and since then Bata has always considered Anubis to be his father. As a way of giving back, Bata works in his field, looks after their animals, and does housework. As a result, Bata was regarded as a perfect man and was favored by the gods.

His daily routine consisted of tending to the cattle and bringing produce to his brother and wife, Anput while they sat and ate all day. He will then sleep in the cattle stable. He would prepare and serve food for them in the morning. His brother only gives him bread as a food for the day.

One day, while Anubis and Bata was tending the field, they needed seeds. Anubis then told Bata to fetch seeds from their house. When he got to their house, he saw Anput combing her hair.

There he asked her, 'Get up and give me seeds so that I may hurry off to the field,' and then she told him, 'Go, open the storage and fetch for yourself what you want. Don't make me leave my hairdessing unfinished,'

Since Bata wants to take out a lot of seeds, he loaded himself with barley and emmer. Then she asked him, 'How much is that on your shoulder?' And he answered '3 sacks of emmer and 2 sacks of barley,'. Anput complemented Bata of his strength.

After complementing Bata's strength, what do you think will Anput say?

Ask him to carry her

Help him carrying the sacks

Ask him to sleep with him

Anput also told Bata that she wants to know him through sexual intimacy. She said, 'Come, let's spend an hour of sleeping together. Such will be to your advantage for I will make you fine clothes,'

Bata was angry like an upper Egyptian panther and told Anput, 'You are my brother's wife, I see him as my father. What is this great offense which you have said to me? Don't ask me about it again and I shall not tell anyone about this,' Bata then walked out and went to the field.

At evening, Anubis went home after his work in the field while Bata was still doing his daily routine of work.He saw his wife lying down, acting like she was sick and full of bruises in which Anput painted. Anubis asked his wife, 'Who did this to you?!'.

Who do you think was the culprit according to Anput?

An Egyptian Panther

Bata

A thief

She wailed, 'Your brother! When he returned to get seeds, he asked me to sleep with him. I told him that I was like a mother to him, how could he think of it. He got angry and assaulted me.'

Anubis turned into an angry upper Egyptian panther and sharpened his spear. He then went to the stable and try to kill Bata. When Bata was approaching the stable, one of the cattles told him that Anubis is waiting for him with a spear on his hand.

Bata prayed to the gods, 'There upon to Pre-Harakhti, My good lord, it is you who distinguishes wrong from right.'Because the gods favor him, they answered his prayer.

How did Pre-Harakhti answered Bata's prayer?

Let out a crow to attack Anubis

Let out wolves to guard Bata

Let out a gulf of water with crocodiles

They let out a gulf of water infested with crocodiles so that he will be on one side, and Anubis on the other side of the water. Anubis then can't kill Bata, and Bata said 'Wait there till dawn.

I shall be judged by you in gods' presence and they can tell who is the culprit. After that, you will never see me again for I shall go to the River of the Pine,'

The next day, the gods arrived. There Bata said to Anubis, 'Why do you want to kill me when you still haven't heard my side. I am you brother, and I see you as my father that means I see your wife as my mother.' He recalled what really happened when he fetch seeds and how Anput asked him to sleep with her.

After proving that Anput was lying, what do you think will Bata do?

Leave and never come back

Cut Anput's tongue

Cut his own genitalia

He then swore to the gods, 'As for your coming in order to kill me unjustly, carrying your spear, it was an account of a sexually exhausted slut,' Bata took a reed knife a cut off his own phallus, threw it to the water, and the catfish ate it. He grew weak and become feeble. Anubis was grieving for him, but he can't approach him because the water with crocodiles are still in between them.

His elder brother became exceedingly grieved and stood weeping for him aloud. He could not cross over to where his younger brother was because of the crocodiles. Then his younger brother called to him, saying: 'If you have recalled a grievance, can't you recall a kindness or something that I have done on your behalf?'

'Please depart to your home and take care of your cattle, for I shall not stay in a place where you are. I shall go off to the Valley of the Pine. Now what you shall do on my behalf is to come and care for me if you find out that something has happened to me when I extract my heart and put it on top of the flower of the pine tree.'

"And if the pine tree is cut down and falls to the ground, you are to come to search for it. If you shall have spent seven years in searching for it, don't let your heart become discouraged, for if you do find it and put it into a bowl ofcool water, then I will become alive in order that may avenge the wrong done to me. Now you shall ascertain whether something has happened to me if a beaker of beer is delivered to you and produces froth."

The younger brother, went to the Valley of the Pine and built a country villa. Meanwhile, his elder brother returned home after a tragic incident, killing his wife. One day, he encountered the Ennead and learned about his brother's actions, leading to a desire for revenge.

Pre-Harakhti asked Khnum to create a wife for Bata, and Khnum fashioned a beautiful woman with divine heritage. Seven Hathors predicted her death by execution knife. Bata loved her dearly but warned her not to go near the sea. One day, she saw the sea approaching and fled inside. The sea requested the pine tree to capture her, taking a curl from her hair to Egypt. The curl's scent ended up in Pharaoh's clothes, leading to conflicts with the launderers.

What do you think did the launderer do with the curl of hair?

Keep it to themselves

Brought it to the Pharaoh

Throw it away

The chief launderer found the fragrant curl of hair by the seashore and presented it to Pharaoh. The learned scribes revealed that it belonged to a daughter of Pre-Harakhti, and it was a tribute from another country. Pharaoh decided to send envoys to foreign lands to find her, and those going to the Valley of the Pine were to be accompanied by many men.

Some envoys returned with a report, but those sent to the Valley of the Pine were killed by Bata, except for one who returned. Pharaoh then dispatched soldiers and chariots to retrieve her, along with beautiful feminine adornments.

The woman returned to Egypt with jubilation, and she became Chief Lady. She advised Pharaoh to cut down the pine tree where Bata's heart was located. Soldiers were sent, cut the tree, and Bata died instantly.

Anubis returned home and found Bata dead. He wept and tried to find Bata's heart under the pine tree but couldn't for three years. In the fourth year, he decided to return to Egypt.

Anubis spent the entire day searching for Bata's heart under the pine tree and eventually found a pine cone that was, in fact, his brother's heart. He brought it home, placed it in a bowl of cool water, and waited.

What do you think happens next?

Bata's heart was cooked by the water

Bata danced the 'water' dance challenge

Bata will return back to life and transform into a bull

As darkness fell, Bata's heart absorbed the water, and he shuddered, returning to life. They embraced, and Bata told his brother about his plan. Bata would transform into a magnificent bull, and Anubis would ride on his back. They would seek revenge on Bata's wife and then take him to Pharaoh to gain rewards, after which Anubis would return to his hometown.

Bata transformed into a magnificent bull as planned, and Anubis rode on his back. They reached the place where Pharaoh was, and Pharaoh was informed about them. Pharaoh was delighted and offered a grand oblation to Bata, considering him a great marvel.

The entire land celebrated, and Pharaoh rewarded Anubis with silver and gold. Anubis returned to his hometown with the rewards, and Pharaoh highly favored him over anyone else in the land.

After some time, Bata approached the Lady in the kitchen and revealed his identity as Bata, now in the form of a bull. She became fearful of his revelation and left the kitchen. Pharaoh, spent time with her and was in a joyful mood. She asked Pharaoh to swear by a god that she could eat the bull's liver, claiming that the bull was worthless.

Will the pharaoh answer the lady's request?

YES

NO

Pharaoh, upset by her request, announced a grand oblation and sent a royal cupbearer to sacrifice the bull. During the sacrifice, the bull trembled, causing two drops of blood to fall beside Pharaoh's doorposts and grow into two Persea trees. Someone reported this to Pharaoh.

Two large Persea trees miraculously grew beside Pharaoh's great portal, causing jubilation throughout the land, and Pharaoh offered them an oblation. Some time later, Pharaoh inspected the Persea trees, adorned with flowers and wreaths, accompanied by the Lady. Bata revealed his true identity and accused her of having him killed when he became a bull.

How will Bata take revenge?

Make his ex-wife be killed by a splinter

Make the pharaoh be killed by spear made from his tree

Make his ex-wife pregnant and give birth to his reincarnation

The Lady asked Pharaoh to swear to grant her request, and she requested the trees to be cut and made into fine furniture. Pharaoh agreed, and skilled craftsmen cut down the trees. During the process, a splinter flew into the Lady's mouth, and she instantly became pregnant. Pharaoh fulfilled her desires.

After some time, the Lady gave birth to a son, and Pharaoh was informed. The son was well-received and celebrated throughout the land. Pharaoh appointed him as the Viceroy of Kush and later made him the crown prince of Egypt. They did not know that this baby was Bata's reincarnation.

Many years passed, and when Pharaoh died, his son succeeded him as the new king. He called for the great officials of his father and was judged alongside his wife, reaching a consensus. He also appointed his elder brother as the crown prince, who ruled for thirty years.

Upon his death, his elder brother became the king, concluding the story on a happy and successful note.

reflection

WRONG!!!

TRY AGAIN