The Oral Epic: From Performance to Interpretation (Routledge Studies in Medieval Literature and Culture)

This book focuses on the performance of oral epics and explores the significance of performance features for the interpretation of epic poetry. The leading question of the book is how the socio-cultural context of performance and the various performance elements contribute to the meaning of oral epics. This is a question which not only concerns epics collected from living oral tradition, but which is also of importance for the understanding of the epics of antiquity and the Middle Ages which originated and flourished in an oral milieu. The book is based on fieldwork in the still vibrant oral traditions of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia and Siberia. The discussion combines fieldwork with theory; it is not limited to Turkic epics but branches out into other oral traditions. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations A Note on Transcription and Transliteration Preface Introduction Part I: Settings Chapter 1: How to Identify an Oral Epic Oral: Shades and Grades The Challenge of Native Classification An African Interlude The Uzbek Dastan Notes Chapter 2: The Singer Epic Singers: Types and Terms Women Singer-Narrators The ‘Reader of Tales’ How to Become an Epic Singer South Slavs Mande Arab Mongol Uzbek The Chain of Transmission Singers’ Schools The Singers’ Awareness of Transmission Creativity and Innovation Changes in the Plot: Happy Endings The Composition of New Epics The Notion of Authorship Notes Chapter 3: Introducing Performance The Ethnography of Communication The Setting The Message The Event Textualization Notes Part II: Performance Chapter 4: Voice Speaking Singing Shamanic Voices Central Asian Overtone-Singing Altaian, Khakas, Shor qay/khay Notes Chapter 5: Gesture Conventional Gestures: The Karakalpak Jïraw Stylized Gestures: The Kyrgyz Manaschï Gesture and Inspiration Kyrgyz Yakut Minangkabau Tibet Gesture, Miming, Stage Props The Turkish meddah Rajasthan: Reading the paṛ Notes Chapter 6: Oral Epics as Songs Song as Vehicle, Song as Music Monotonic Narrative Melodies – Papua New Guinea Solo Singing Choral Singing ‘Riding the Song’: The Singing of the Kyrgyz Epic Manas Music and Metre: Some Examples Rajasthan: Pābūjī West Africa Notes Chapter 7: Voice and Instrument Gusle, Qobïz, Horse-Head Fiddle Case Study: Karakalpak Lute, Dutar, Dombira Case Study: Uzbek The Interplay of Song and Instrument Notes Part III: Interpretation Chapter 8: Words, Music, Meaning Meaning and Expression What’s in a Name? The Tibetan Gesar Turkic Terms for ‘Melody’ Köroğlu in Turkish and Azeri Case Study: Alpamïs Imitation Leitmotifs in Siberian Oral Epics Expression and Convention The Fulani Motto Notes Chapter 9: The Singer and the Tale Point of View Mythological Epics, Sacred Time First-Person Narration, Shamanistic Traces The Narrator’s Presence in the Narrative Notes Chapter 10: Performance and Interpretation Visualization and Imaging Aria and Recitative Case Study: Ghärip-Ashïq From Context to Text Performance Contexts Texts without Context Notes Appendices Appendix A: Notes on Oral Epic Traditions Sub-saharan African Epic Traditions North African Epic Traditions India South East Asia, the Far East, and the Pacific Slavic Epic Traditions Finno-Ugrian Epic Traditions The Tungus Mongolian Epic Traditions Tibet Turkic Oral Epics Appendix B: Audio/Video Examples Appendix C: Discography Glossary of Musical Terms and Non-Western Instruments Musical Terms Non-Western Musical Instruments Bibliography Abbreviations Index "This book focuses on the performance of oral epics and explores its significance for interpretation. The discussion is also relevant for the understanding of medieval and earlier oral-derived epics. The study is based on field-work on the oral traditions of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia and Siberia"-- Provided by publisher