Seychellois Orature
Orature is a blended word or ‘portmanteau’ meaning oral literature. The Seychellois orature consists of legends, riddles, myths, proverbs, tales and superstition that are preserved through oral transmission and forms part of our culture.
In other words, it comes from the past and it passed verbally from one generation to the other.
Our orature is a bit like an onion. That is, it consists of layers of expression and cultural practices that have been inherited from the Old World, ie Africa, Madagascar and France, and recreated or adapted to suit new situations and environments in the New World, which is now the Seychelles. This is despite the fact that the slaves had their original myths amputated by slavery and French cultural domination.
In this section, I will attempt to gradually record as many Seychellois legends, riddles, myths, proverbs, tales and superstition as possible and welcome any contribution that you may have.
