Ancient Roots. Although it is impossible to date the origin of literary production in West Africa, it is possible to deduce from themes, settings, and the plethora of narrative styles that West African oral literary traditions have roots as ancient as those of the people who occupy the land. Literary production in West Africa involved a trained professional class of verbal artists as well as a nonprofessional class of gifted entertainers. A professional or nonprofessional was expected to possess a good voice, to be agile and rhythmic, and to demonstrate a mastery of one's cultural aesthetic. Both drew on an extensive cultural and historical repertoire of themes, images, metaphors, and styles. From present-day Mauritania to Cameroon, the literature of West Africa is a vast store of complex mythical and historical narratives. Most of these works are part of oral traditions, but others have been...