Changes

Typically, knowledge would be preserved in the form of [[poetry]]. The reason for this is simple - poetry, or [[song]], because of its regular and repeating structure, is much easier to memorise than prose. This is why ancient works such as the [[Odyssey]] take the form of poetry, since they are simply the written versions of the preceeding oral tradition. Today we think of poetry as rather ephemeral, and dealing with only certain subjects, but in pre-literate societies poetry, of necessity, was employed to record any information that needed preserving, from dry genealogical lists to practical [[science|scientific]] knowledge. Of course, stories and [[myth]]s were also recorded in this way, and when writing first emerged in any given area, the poems and songs were written down exactly as they were recited, thus preserving them until the present day.

Typically, knowledge would be preserved in the form of [[poetry]]. The reason for this is simple - poetry, or [[song]], because of its regular and repeating structure, is much easier to memorise than prose. This is why ancient works such as the [[Odyssey]] take the form of poetry, since they are simply the written versions of the preceeding oral tradition. Today we think of poetry as rather ephemeral, and dealing with only certain subjects, but in pre-literate societies poetry, of necessity, was employed to record any information that needed preserving, from dry genealogical lists to practical [[science|scientific]] knowledge. Of course, stories and [[myth]]s were also recorded in this way, and when writing first emerged in any given area, the poems and songs were written down exactly as they were recited, thus preserving them until the present day.

[[Category:Poetry]]

[[Category:Poetry]]

[[Category:Anthropology]]

[[Category:Anthropology]]