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In many West African countries, the role of cultural guardian is maintained, as it has been for centuries, by griots. Griot—a borrowing from French—refers to an oral historian, musician, storyteller, and sometimes praise singer. (Griots are called by other names as well: jeli or jali in Mande and gewel in Wolof, for example). Griots preserve the genealogies, historical narratives, and oral traditions of their tribes. Among the instruments traditionally played by griots are two lutes: the long-necked, 21-string kora, and the khalam, thought by some to be the ancestor of the banjo.
Did you know?
An African tribal storyteller and musician is called a griot. The griot’s role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the tribe. They were usually among the oldest men in a tribe. In places where written language is the privilege of the few, the place of the griot as cultural guardian is still maintained. In Senegal, for example, the griot—without resorting to fantasy—recites poems or tells stories of warriors, drawing on his own sources of inspiration.
Examples of griot in a Sentence
Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
The story of Kaabu's royalty and reign has been told for generations through the songs of griots.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 27 Apr. 2025
But that’s not the case, and as the opening prologue showcases, the Irish have their own form of griots, the filidh, poets, and oral history keepers who were successors to the druids.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
Sinners interrupts its own plot to express that the spirit of African griots will continue to take new shapes in centuries to come.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Griot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/griot. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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griot
noun
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