This thesis takes a fresh, character-based approach to the Íslendingasögur. It is inspired by a narratological study that unites the functional and structural role of characters with their human, individualistic portrayal. My major objective is to demonstrate the important connection between characterisation and structure in the sagas. By drawing attention to characters that I term narrative triggers, I offer a way of reading the sagas that relies both on the narrative conventions of tradition and on the less predictable, personal interactions between the cast of any given saga. In the case of both major and minor figures in the Íslendingasögur a certain type of character is often present to perform necessary motivational functions, allowing the plot to develop. In Part I I emphasise the functional aspect of these characters, before exploring unusual examples that emphasise their individuality in Part II.The motivation of the plot is linked throughout to the figure of the ójafnaðarmaðr. A secondary objective is to provide a clearer understanding of the nature and function of this commonly occurring character type. The ójafnaðarmaðr is frequently alluded to in scholarship,but this thesis provides the first in-depth study of the portrayal of these characters. The quality that informs them (ójafnaðr,‘inequity’, lit. ‘unevenness’) is a threat to one of the core values of saga society and hints at an ‘unbalancing’ of social interactions and of the narrative equilibrium itself. That this unbalance leads to changes in the social structure of the setting is a key factor in driving the plots of the sagas along. For this reason, a detailed examination of the figure of the ójafnaðarmaðr is long overdue: they can be observed to perform a specific narrative function but are always fitted to suit their particular context. Focussing on the structural conventions of character introduction, Part I establishes my methodology and catalogues the examples of characters introduced as ójafnaðarmenn. The scope is limited to those introduced as such because it allows me to establish for the first time the full corpus and conventions of these characters and their introductions. Following developments in our understanding of the oral background to the sagas, my approach to these narratives is built upon the evidence of their shared origins in pre-literate storytelling [...]. The intersection between functionality and individuality in character brings certain aspects of the Íslendingasögur to the fore. Part II of this thesis shows that in combination with the structural markers explored in Part I, the sagas employ the collective perspective of the general public, other characters and ‘irrational’ motivators such as fate to contribute to their techniques of characterisation. Because disruptive qualities speak inherently of a difference in the way an individual sees themselves and in the way the public sees them, or we as an audience are meant to see them, figures termed ójafnaðarmaðr are an ideal focal point for the development of this study.

La présente étude questionne les rapports complexes de la fiction et de l’histoire, les retentissements du contexte, le poids des enjeux historiques, idéologiques, axiologiques dans l’épopée orale. Dans l’Épopée du Foûta-Djalon, la fiction narrative relie les faits réels et les faits fictifs dans un élan de construction d’une histoire mémorable où la vérité épique élève au premier plan la figure héroïque (Abdoul Rahmâne) au détriment de la figure historique (Almâmy Oumar) et où certains faits, réaménagés et réactualisés font émerger les mythes fondateurs investis de nouveaux sens. Le conflit qui opposa en 1867 Peuls et Mandingues rejaillit dans le récit sous forme d’une opposition de valeurs, que la vision épique, ambivalente, accentue au moyen d’une dualité contrastée : Peuls vs Mandingues, Musulmans vs Animistes. Du fait de sa vocation d’exaltation des valeurs fondatrices, l’épopée se distingue de l’Histoire dont elle se nourrit mais qu’elle infléchit dans le sens d’un drame qui flatte et réveille la conscience collective sans cesse invitée à relever les défis du présent. Outre le ton idyllique ou encomiastique, l’épopée prend aussi des allures satiriques en faisant une critique sans complaisance des vicissitudes et des drames de l’Afrique contemporaine (L’enfant prodige). L’analyse de la composition, de la structure et de la performance narrative révèle une esthétique fondée sur le « style formulaire », la narration épisodique et une forte « épicisation » rhétorique, couronnée par les effets de l’accompagnement musical qui agrémente l’écoute et traduit en sons les thèmes essentiels. / : This work questions the complex relationships between fiction and history, the effects of contextual background, the weight of historical, ideological, and axiological issues in oral epic. In Épopée du Foûta-Djalon, the narrative fiction links real and fictional facts in a dynamic momentum to construct a memorable story, one in which epic truth enhances the heroic figure – Abdul Rahmane – at the expense of the historical figure – Almâmy Oumar -, and one in which some facts have been rearranged and updated, and thus bring forth the founding myths which are endowed with whole new meanings in the process. The conflict which opposed Fulah and the Mandinka people in 1867 is represented in the story in the form of adversary values which the bivalent, epic vision reinforces in a set of contrasting dualities: Fulah versus the Mandinka people, Muslims versus Animists. Because it aims to exalt founding values, the epic story differs from, though is inspired by, History, the essence of which is shifted to fit a drama meant to flatter and awaken the collective conscience endlessly urged to meet today’s challenges. Apart from its idyllic and eulogistical tone, the epic also takes on satirical airs through a thorough criticism of the vicissitudes and dramas of contemporary Africa (L’enfant prodige). The analysis of the narrative composition, structure and performance reveals an aesthetics based on what is called “the formulaic style”, the episodic narrative structure and a strong rhetorics of “epicisation”. This aesthetics culminates in the effects of the musical accompaniment which embellishes the listening of this oral epic and translates the main themes into sounds.

of the dissertation thesis Ondřej Srba History and Oral tradition of Altain Uriankhais The object of this dissertation thesis is the Western Mongolian ethnic subgroup of Altain Uriankhais and its subject is their oral tradition as a source of history. The objective of the work is a structured description of the living oral tradition concerning the history of Altain Uriankhais based on my own fieldwork. The processing of the recorded oral tradition includes a partial transcription and translation of the recordings and an attempt to systematically describe the content of the oral tradition, its formal features and the meaning for the tradition bearers. As a main criterium to describe the content of the oral tradition I chose personalities of the local history, secondarily genealogies and the issue of migrations. On the example of partial case studies, I assess the information provided by the oral tradition in comparison with preserved archive sources. Keywords: Altain Uriankhais, Oirats, oral tradition, oral history, Mongolian studies

This thesis explores how contemporary Appalachian women’s gendered experiences influence their choices of ballad repertoire. This inquiry is pursued through a feminist analysis of interviews with six women ballad singers from Madison County, North Carolina. In evaluating the women’s choices of ballads and their commentary on the songs, this thesis draws upon narratological theories as well as concepts from Appalachian traditional music studies. This study finds that women’s repertoire preferences reveal contemporary female concerns for physical safety and political agency. The singers also extract hidden transcripts from ballad texts and use ballads to educate audiences about women’s historic oppression. However, some singers find other factors, such as a song’s tune, or its significance as a part of regional heritage, to be more significant than the narrative content of the songs. This work affirms the contemporary influences of gendered concerns in ballad singing communities.

This study presents a theory of melodic creation, transmission, memory, and recall within the Anglo- and Celtic-American culture of lower Appalachia, from the time of the earliest European settlers until the present. This theory and its attendant hypotheses draw upon earlier published ideas, current theories of memory and recall, and the results of applying a computer-supported analytical system developed by the author. Sources include previous studies of folksong melody, song collections, and earlier investigations of the psychology of memory. Also important are portions of an anonymous treatise on traditional Celtic musical scales and an authoritative, modern interpretation of this document. A final body of sources is a small group of sound-recordings.

In den letzten Jahrzehnten hat sich in der Mediävistik die Meinung einiger Forscher durchgesetzt, den oralen Traditionen käme bei der Erforschung der frühmittelalterlichen Musikgeschichte ein hoher Stellenwert zu. Bei Berücksichtigung dieses Aspektes entsteht ein völlig anderes Geschichtsbild als bei einer ausschließlichen Betrachtung der in Noten überlieferten Musikproduktionen. Die Erforschung der nicht-schriftlichen Musik steht vor dem Problem, dass die diesbezügliche Quellenlage extrem dürftig ist. In vielen Fällen lässt sich diese Tradition entweder nur aus dem Kontext erschließen oder aus Hinweisen, die sich verstreut und eher zufällig in diversen Quellen finden. Das darf nicht zu dem Fehlschluss verleiten, Fantasien, Improvisationen und das schriftlose Musizieren seien ohne Bedeutung gewesen. Der Beitrag stellt diese Thematik in einem größeren Kontext dar und berücksichtigt auch außereuropäische Aspekte der oralen Traditionen. / In the last decades it was established among some researchers in the field of mediaeval studies that oral traditions seem to be of considerable significance to the research of early medieval music history. Consideration of this aspect leads to a completely different conception of history compared to a perspective limited exclusively to music production as it survives on the page. Yet research into non-written music is faced with the problem that relevant sources are extremely limited. In many cases this oral tradition can only become accessible by interpreting original contexts or through indications scattered rather haphazardly in various sources. This should not lead to the fallacy that fantasies, improvisations, and non-notated music making were without importance, however. This article presents this topic in a larger context and also considers non-European aspects of oral traditions.

[pt] A presente dissertação se localiza no escopo dos estudos em design, um campo que historicamente participa da (re)produção simbólica de valores, crenças, identidades, comportamentos, e discursos normativos. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desta pesquisa é fomentar reflexões a partir de estudos feministas e da arte, com a técnica da colagem e as noções da prática do cuidado de si, ao trazer para o campo do design a proposta de revisarmos nossas condutas projetuais, que sofre inflexões de gênero, classe, raça, e, portanto, não é universal nem neutra. Os caminhos traçados para conectar design, colagem e feminismo atravessam as imagens, narrativas e movimentos artísticos apresentados: obras de mulheres pesquisadoras, escritoras, professoras e artistas que se posicionaram de modo a desafiar o cânone artístico através da prática da tradição oral de mulheres (grupos de conscientização) e da prática do cuidado de si por meio do compartilhamento de experiências. / [en] This research is located in the scope of design studies, a field that historically participates in the symbolic production of values, beliefs, identities, behaviors, and normative discourses. In this sense, the objective of this research is to incite reflections based on feminist studies and art, more specifically the collage technique and notions of the practice of self-care, by bringing to the field of design the proposal to review our designerly methodologies and practices, which suffer inflections from gender, class, race, and therefore is not universal and neutral. The paths traced to connect design, collage and feminism cross the images, narratives and artistic movements presented - works by women researchers, writers, professors, and artists who have placed themselves in a position to challenge the artistic canon through the practice of women s oral tradition. (Consciousness groups) and the practice of self-care by the sharing of experiences.

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<p>This thesis explores the intersection of storytelling and spirituality in contemporary Native literature in Canada. The invocation of the oral tradition and its history will be examined in the works of Eden Robinson, Joseph Boyden, and Harry Robinson, as each author attempts to orient his or her narratives within a First Nations framework. By gesturing towards orality in their written literature, these authors acknowledge the dialogic nature of a narrative that has been shaped by ancestral experiences and memory and thus write against the colonial master narrative of the contemporary Canadian nation-state. In Joseph Boyden's <em>Through Black Spruce</em>, Eden Robinson's <em>Monkey Beach</em>, and the transcribed collections of Harry Robinson's stories, the invocation of orality becomes the vehicle through which to explore Indigenous ways of knowing and traditional spiritual beliefs. This thesis first considers the ways in which the mode of storytelling allows each author to create a new narrative that introduces readers to an Indigenous perspective on the processes of history. It then examines the evolution of specific spiritual beings from traditional narratives into contemporary settings as a way to explore neocolonial attitudes and the compromised contexts of modern Indigenous life in communities across Canada that continue to be haunted by a legacy of colonialism. I end with an exploration of the potential for healing that each author envisions as communities move into a decolonization process through the regeneration of tribal languages, a reconnection to sacred space, and a reimagining of the Canadian master narrative and its colonial interpretation of history.</p> / Master of English