What is the definition of oral literature?

The definition of oral literature would be literature or story telling that uses the spoken work or word of mouth. Oral literature has no transcription due to the language not being a written language. One example of this would be American Sign Language, or ASL.

Another example of oral literature would be that of Native Americans. Fables, stories and poetry are passed down orally from generation to generation.

A third example of oral literature is the orations and folklore of Africa. African oral literature includes poems, riddles, chants, sayings, proverbs, drama and songs. Both Native American and African oral literature is a record of tribal history.