Yes, they had a powerful oral tradition, and it served them well. I think you would find that all societies who didn't use books (or something of that sort) had a strong oral tradition, and it's a very effective way of maintaining a culture. Matter of fact, I think people who learn by oral tradition develop better memory and concentration than those who learn from books...because you don't have to remember what's in a book...you can just go back and read it again if you forgot some part. With an oral tradition, you're more likely to remember all the parts in a story quite clearly once you've learned it.