25 Examples of Oral Sources

The oral sources they are unwritten information that is accessed through the spoken word and that can be a valuable historical documentary resource. They contribute to fix a collective memory or present alternative versions to a hegemonic discourse, in some cases.

They constitute a subgenre for historiography, called oral history, although historians agree on that, in many cases, should be taken with caution and require extensive research to confirm their veracity.

Types of oral sources

Oral sources can be classified into:

Testimonials

They are those speeches in the first person in which the experiences of an individual about some event are recounted. They may be:

• direct testimonials. They are narrations transmitted by an eye witness of the facts, who offers information that he knows from his experience or from his observation. For example:

1. The testimony given in a trial by a person who is the victim of a criminal act that is being judged.
2. The statements that an actor makes in an interview about his life.
3. An eyewitness description of an extraordinary phenomenon.

• indirect testimonies. They are narrations transmitted by someone who tells what another told him. For example:

1. The teachings from parents to children or from elders to apprentices, based on what their ancestors taught them.
2. The testimony given by a witness in a judgment about what you heard someone else say.
3. The declarations of the presidential spokesmen before the press.

oral traditions

They are different spoken forms with which the cultural heritage and immaterial of a community. They allow knowledge and experiences to be shared with the next generations. They may be:

sayings

The sayings they are brief statements of popular use and generally anonymous, which have a moral, didactic or philosophical intention. For example:

1. A good listener few words.
2. Not for getting up early, it wakes up earlier.
3. Barking dog does not bite.

songs

The songs are musical compositions with lyrics and accompaniment of various instruments. There are different types of songs, in particular folk songs are in the public domain, sometimes of origin anonymous and transmitted from generation to generation, becoming the form of expression of an entire community. They deal with issues related to national or cultural aspects, with particular features for different societies. For example:

1. “Corrido of my General Zapata” – Agustín Niño

At the foot of your grave
my General Zapata,
in the name of the country
I offer you a flower.

brave warrior,
brave son of the people,
my Mexico acclaims you
and praise your courage.

I also sing my song,
for your generals,
those loyal men
brave like you

To them a rose,
to you beautiful laurels,
to follow your temples
my... from the south

Oh, oh, oh, rest in peace,
under the sky you loved,
where does your phrase live
of Land and Freedom.

There by Chinameca,
where they betrayed you,
your blood is shining
like a ray of sunshine.

And your name in history
covered is with glory,
with tears of a people
that pays you honor.

goodbye jealous...,
goodbye Cuautla, Morelos,
the one she keeps in her breasts
to the son who loved her.

Goodbye Don Emiliano,
my General Zapata,
in the name of the country
receives white flower.

Oh, oh, oh, rest in peace,
under the sky you loved,
where does your phrase live
of Land and Freedom.

1. “The mornings” – Vicente Fernandez

These are the mornings
Whats did sing the King David
Today for being your saint's day
we sing them to you here
Wake up, my darling, wake up
Look already dawned
The little birds are already singing
The moon is already set
how beautiful is the morning
when I come to greet you
We all come with pleasure
And pleasure to congratulate you
the day you were born
All the flowers were born
At the baptismal font
The nightingales sang
It's already dawn
Already the light of day gave us
Get up tomorrow, he look already dawned
If I could lower you, the stars and a star
To be able to show you how much I love you
With jasmine and flowers this day I want to decorate
Today for being your saint's day
We come to sing to you

1. “All of Cuba likes it” – Remberto Bécker

All Cuba likes
guaracha atmosphere,
squeeze girls
the same as the cashew.

What about a danzón,
of a hot rumbita,
a party there in the East,
of that hot region?

there goes my inspiration
from my dear Havana,
she is the favorite from there
woman of my heart

That's why it stings me here
and I'm going to scratch myself there.

Stories

belonging to narrative genre, the stories they are texts that were born as a form of oral expression. The traditional tale consists of a brief narration, of anonymous origin, originally transmitted from word of mouth and which refers to fictitious events, but which reveal different aspects of the culture. Due to their oral transmission, in most cases, there is more than one version of these stories. For example:

1. "Cinderella" - Brothers Grimm

Once upon a time there was a young motherless girl who lived happily with her father. One day this he decided to remarry a woman who was also a widow, with two very pretty daughters, but wicked at heart. From then on, the poor girl was stripped of her clothes, mistreated and confined to the darkest corner of the house. She was forced to do all her housework by herself, and since she was always dirty, she ended up being nicknamed her Cinderella.

One time, the king offered a party and invited all the girls in the place, to try to get his son to meet and fall in love with one of them. Cinderella's stepsisters got ready to go, while the poor girl cried in silence because her stepmother forbade her to attend such an event. But, once she was alone, a fairy godmother appeared before her and offered her a beautiful dress and a splendid carriage so that she could go. She warned him, however, that at twelve o'clock at night, all that luxury would disappear. Cinderella enjoyed the party under the gaze of her stepsisters who, seeing her so richly dressed, did not recognize her. The prince immediately took an interest in her, and spent her entire evening by her side, paying no attention to any other girl.

So amused was she by Cinderella, that she forgot the warning that she had been given by her fairy godmother. When the bells chimed midnight, she ran away without saying goodbye and, running towards the exit, she lost one of her dainty glass slippers. Then the prince and his courtiers went through the houses of the city to find the girl who owned the tiny shoe, until he found the residence where Cinderella lived with her stepmother and her her stepsisters.

Both of them hurriedly tried it on, but neither had a foot so small and thin as to fit it. Before leaving, the prince spotted Cinderella watching silently from a corner of the room and invited her to try her shoe on her too.

To everyone's surprise, her shoe fit perfectly and the prince immediately recognized her. He took her with him to the palace and they were married. Soon Cinderella forgot the sad past of her and her stepsisters, who had caused her so much harm.

1. Little Red Riding Hood – Charles Perrault

Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived with her mother in a distant town. She was very sweet and loved by everyone. Since she used to wear a red hood, soon everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.
Once, his mother told him that his grandmother, whom she loved so much, was sick. "Please take this basket of food to Grandma as soon as possible." Before saying goodbye, she warned him: "Go along the path that crosses the forest and don't get distracted on the way."

Little Red Riding Hood began her journey and shortly after walking she came across a wolf, who asked her where she was going and what she had in the basket. "They are gifts for my grandmother, who is very ill." While the girl was distracted picking flowers and admiring the birds, the wolf decided to run quickly along the stretch of path that led to the grandmother's house. He did so, and in a short time he arrived at the cabin located in the middle of the forest. With his huge paws he knocked on the door and begged, refining his voice: "Grandma, I'm Little Red Riding Hood, I've come to visit you." The old woman had not finished opening the door when the wolf pounced on her and swallowed her with her huge mouth, in one bite.

Quickly, he put on granny's nightgown and got into bed, waiting for the little girl. Once at the door, Little Red Hood knocked softly. "Come in, dear, what a nice visit," lied the wolf. The girl stared at the animal, dressed in the old woman's clothes, and commented: "Grandma, what big ears you have...". To which the wolf replied: "To listen to you better." Not satisfied with what she saw, the girl insisted: "But granny, what a big nose you have", and the wolf in turn said: "To smell you better". Approaching a little closer to the head of the bed, Little Red Riding Hood addressed the wolf again: "But granny, what a big mouth you have." In a single movement, the wolf rose and gobbled up the little girl. Then, fed up with so much food, the wolf fell asleep.

At that moment, a hunter known to the grandmother was passing by, who saw from the window the huge wolf sleeping in the old woman's bed. Without saying a word, he killed her and when he felt it, he perceived that the grandmother and granddaughter were in her belly. The man opened the animal's guts and released them. Everyone hugged each other as a sign of joy and had a great snack with the products from Little Red Riding Hood's basket.

1. Rapunzel – Brothers Grimm

Once upon a time there was a couple who lived very close to the evil witch Gothel who had a beautiful garden full of flowers. The woman became pregnant and, as the days passed, she began to feel an enormous desire to eat some rapónchigos that she saw in the witch's garden.

The husband, then, sneaked in and seized a few, with such bad luck that the witch discovered him in the middle of the trance. The man begged for mercy and she agreed not to kill him if she gave him the unborn baby in return.

The man painfully agreed, and after a while, brought the blanket-wrapped offspring to the wicked witch. The girl, whom she named Rapunzel, grew up with the witch and, at the age of twelve, she was already a very pretty girl. The witch then decided to lock her in an immensely tall tower without doors. Gothel visited her daily and, in order to enter her, she would ask Rapunzel to let her long hair fall out of the tower window.

A prince spent a day near the intriguing construction and stopped when he heard a sweet voice singing inside him. He did not find access doors, but he observed how the witch entered helped by the long hair of the girl. The next day, knowing that the witch was missing, he asked Rapunzel to admit her into the tower and she agreed. The young people quickly hit it off and fell in love. The prince visited the girl daily and together they planned a way to escape from her: he would bring her silk thread, so that she could weave a ladder that would allow him to climb down from it.

However, the terrible witch found out that the young prince was in contact with Rapunzel and, in revenge, threw her into a gloomy swamp, but not before cutting off her long golden braid. With her, he tricked the prince into going up the tower and left him locked up there, and assured him that he would never see the girl again.

Desperate with pain, the man fell from the tower onto some thorns and was left blind. Helpless, he gave up his love for Rapunzel because he could no longer see her beauty. But wandering groping through the swamp, he unexpectedly came across her, who offered him shelter and a home. Seeing him in this state, the girl could not contain her tears and her tears, touching the unfortunate man's eyelids, restored his sight.

So, they returned to the king's palace to get married and live happily for the rest of their days.

legends

The legends stories that narrate natural or supernatural events, which are transmitted orally and between generations. The stories focus on times and spaces similar to those of the community, which gives them a certain credibility. On the other hand, in the exchange of stories, many have been modified, cut or extended. For example:

1. Why is the sea salty?
   A Norse legend explains that, long ago, there was a giant who had a magical mill that produced salt. But she gave it to a humble woman who lived with her little daughter. Thanks to this fantastic present, the lady was able to produce as much salt as was necessary and sell it in the nearby town and thus support her and her daughter's expenses. However, an evil goblin stole it and threw it in the middle of the sea. Since then the waters of seas and oceans are salty.
2. the crybaby
   A legend originating in Mexico tells the story of a woman who, being despised by her husband, had a fit of rage and, out of spite for her, drowned her children before killing herself. Since then, she wanders around areas near rivers, lagoons and seas, wailing in a terrifying way and scaring everyone she sees.
3. The ceiba flower
   Once upon a time there was a young girl of Guarani origin who lived with her community on the banks of the Paraná River, in what is now Argentina. Her name was Anahí and everyone liked to hear her sing, because she had a sweet and melodious voice. Once a group of Spanish soldiers investigating those territories discovered the young woman and arrested her along with other people from the town. For a time, the settlers were detained in the hands of the explorers, until Anahí managed to avoid the danger and escape. She but she was captured again, not far from there and sentenced to death for it. The soldiers tied her to a tree, which they set on fire while the girl did not stop singing. The next day, on that tree, in the middle of the ashes, some delicate red flowers appeared in commemoration of her death. Now that beautiful flower is known as the ceibo flower.

myths

The myths they are oral and anonymous narratives that show how a community understands the world. Myths arose to explain great enigmas for which there was no obvious answer. Therefore, most develop themes such as life and death, and the origin of the world. In these stories, the protagonists are supernatural beings who carry out extraordinary actions and give answers that in other times were accepted as true. Unlike legends, the narrated events do not take place in a close and familiar time, and their protagonists are not necessarily ordinary people. It is an environment that belongs to another time far removed from the present. For example:

1. Pandora's box

The god Jupiter was angry with men when they, with the help of Prometheus, learned to light and manipulate fire. In revenge, he asked the gods to create a woman who would be endowed with all possible qualities: beauty, talent, curiosity, wisdom and the fantastic gift of speech. They called her Pandora and in her heart they also hid evil and deception.

Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, then received a gift from the gods, even though he had been warned against doing so. He immediately fell in love with the woman and married her. Jupiter sent as a wedding present a box with the mandate that it never be opened.

But the young wife could not help herself and one day she opened it to find out what was inside of it. In this way and without wanting it, he released all the evils of humanity that caused all the misfortunes of the world.

1. The myth of Sisyphus

Sisyphus was the king and founder of the city of Ephyra. He was reputed to be impious and was accused of killing and robbing wayfarers and sailors to increase his wealth. The gods did not approve of his boundless wickedness and decided to punish him. So Zeus sent Thanatos to find him. But Sisyphus was very cunning and managed to trick Thanatos, catch him and put him in shackles. For a time there were no deaths on Earth, until Ares freed the god from his chains.

As punishment for his insolence, Ares sentenced Sisyphus to serve Thanatos in the underworld. But again, the cunning king twisted his luck again: before he died, he asked his wife not to perform the rituals and upon reaching hell he complained to Hades that he was not fulfilling his duties and asked to return to Earth to challenge her When he was in Ephyra, he absolutely refused to return to the underworld. There he lived out the rest of his life until he died naturally, at an old age.

So, she finally had to fulfill a punishment that would last all eternity: she would have to climb a huge stone to the top of a hill, but every time he was about to reach it, the rock would roll back to the base and Sisyphus would have to go back up. start.

This is how it can be seen every day: Sisyphus is the disk of the sun that crosses the sky during the day, hides at night, and reappears the next day.

1. The myth of the echo

Among the nymphs of the forest and the mountain, was Eco, recognized because the most beautiful and seductive words came from her lips. So much so, that Zeus began to feel attracted to her. Her wife, Hera, discovered the god's intentions and became jealous of her. He then cursed the nymph and took her voice away from her, so that from then on Echo could only repeat the last fragments of what others said.

On one occasion, the nymph crossed Narcissus, fell in love with him and began to spy on him secretly. When the young man realized that Eco was following him, he cruelly rejected her and the hurt nymph ran to hide in a cave where he ended up wasting away until only her voice remained.

family stories

They are stories of experiences that involve the different members of a family, which are received as a legacy from previous generations and that constitute, together with the photographs and other inherited memories, an identity element that affects even the most youths. Family stories contribute to the internal cohesion of those who belong to it. For example:

1. Immigration stories, which explain many of the traditions that families preserve to this day.
2. Different accounts of the same episode since, many times, the same family event is remembered in a different way according to the point of view of those who witnessed it.
3. Family jokes, which sometimes become traditions or explain a certain way in which things are done in the family nucleus.

life stories

The reconstruction of the personal experiences of each individual is usually a strategy of research within the biographical method, which allows creating different versions of history Social. This method can also be used to reconstruct the identity of a society, by investigating the lives of several of its members. For example:

1. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, which could be reconstructed from texts written by the apostles and followers.
2. Documentaries of artists or politicians, in which acquaintances intervene to provide anecdotes or testimonies.
3. In group therapy, psychological techniques are applied to allow patients to relate their life experiences in order to improve their social ties.

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