Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

Flemming G. Andersen, Otto Holzapfel, and Thomas Pettitt. The Ballad as Narrative: Studies in the Ballad Traditions of England, Scotland, Germany, and Denmark. Odense: Odense University Press.

A two-part series of ten essays on the ballad traditions of England, Scotland, Germany and Denmark. Part One is a chronological sample of narrative techniques in English and Scottish ballads; Part Two a stylistic sample of Danish and German ballads. Each part is prefaced by an introduction that places the subsequent findings within the perspective of contemporary ballad research. Emphasis is placed upon the study of narrative technique, especially with respect to oral-formulaic phraseology and structure, but considerable attention is paid to the socio-cultural role of the ballad as well. The text of each ballad, with English translations when appropriate, is provided at the beginning of each essay. An annotated bibliography is also appended.
Area: FB, CP