This thesis examines three genres of the oral heritage of the Neo-Aramaic-speaking Jewish community of Zakho, Kurdistan: the proverb, the enriched biblical narrative, and the folktale. During the past three decades, there has been a renewed interest in research on Neo-Aramaic, and a substantial growth of research in the field has been seen. However, the contemporary study of Neo-Aramaic has been focused almost exclusively on linguistic description and analysis. Content-based aspects of the study of the language and its cultures have received very little attention. This thesis is a first step towards filling this gap. The introduction to the thesis provides background information about the Jewish community of Zakho and about the Neo-Aramaic subgroup to which the Jewish Zakho dialect belongs, North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic (NENA). It then gives a brief review of relevant aspects of the study of folklore, before providing a description of the database of audio recordings upon which this thesis is based. The first chapter presents several approaches to the study of the proverb (paremiology). It is argued that an important component for the understanding and analysis of proverbs, one that is often overlooked, is the context of each proverb. The second chapter analyses an example of the genre of enriched biblical narrative through the lens of a concept taken from the field of thematology: the motifeme - a small meaning-bearing contextual-structural unit of the narrative. It demonstrates the non-linear historical development of the sequence of motifemes in the narrative analysed here, a feature which is particularly typical of Jewish narratives. The folktale is a genre central to the formation and maintenance of the Jewish Zakho communal identity, and the third chapter contains a detailed analysis of one particular folktale. The folktale chosen for analysis in this chapter features a cross-culturally uncommon motif: the motif of magical gender transformation. The NENA materials contained in this thesis are transcribed and translated into English. They are drawn from a database of recordings of members of the Zakho community living now mainly in Jerusalem, and were collected in the course of fieldwork undertaken by the author.

Orientador: Carlos Eduardo Ornelas Berriel / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T18:08:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MonteiroFilho_Edmar_M.pdf: 827398 bytes, checksum: a2b62a1590c2d9a466516430dfb3875c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Ignorado pela imprensa literária à época de seu lançamento, em 1945, e relegado a uma posição secundária perante o restante da obra de Graciliano Ramos por críticos e estudiosos da literatura, Histórias de Alexandre goza de grande sucesso entre o público leitor, uma vez que segue, há décadas, como terceiro título mais vendido entre as publicações do autor alagoano. O presente trabalho apresenta algumas hipóteses para explicar as razões que levaram a tal silêncio, seja seu lançamento por uma editora de menor expressão e a concorrência com outro dos livros do autor - Infância -, publicado quase simultaneamente, ou o preconceito contra a literatura infanto-juvenil e o folclore, gêneros ao qual o livro pode ser vinculado. O trabalho procura também apontar suas características de registro original dentro da obra de Graciliano, uma vez que é fiel aos mesmos pressupostos que sustentam o conjunto dessa obra, inserindo elementos do conto maravilhoso e da literatura oral, o que fornece interessantes materiais de análise para a escrita do autor. Ao criar um narrador-personagem cujas ambiguidades determinam diferentes leituras, o livro sugere também discussões sobre a figura do narrador em Graciliano, abrangendo a trajetória do escritor como contista e apresentando novos enquadramentos para sua obra, distintos do binômio ficção/confissão, consagrado por Antônio Cândido. O presente trabalho pretende, por fim, atender à demanda por estudos que contemplem Histórias de Alexandre, demanda esta assinalada por diferentes estudiosos em diferentes momentos de nossa história literária, valorizando-o ao realçar suas qualidades literárias e suas singularidades e propondo alguns caminhos para continuidade desses estudos / Abstract: Ignored by the literary press to the time of its launch in 1945 and relegated to a secondary position behind the remainder of the work of Graciliano Ramos by critics and scholars of literature, Histórias de Alexandre has enjoyed great success among the reading public, since it has appeared, for decades, as the third title best sold among the publications of the alagoano author. The present work includes some hypotheses to explain the reasons for this, such as the fact that it was launched by a more effective publisher, the effect of the popularity of other books by the author such as Infância, which was published almost simultaneously, and the prejudice against childlike or 'folk' literature, which are the literary genres seemingly to exist within the book. This work also tries to point to the characteristics of Histórias de Alexandre as an original register inside the work of Graciliano, because at the same time that it is faithfull to the same propositions that support his entire literary work, it includes elements of the folktale and of the oral literature, which provide interesting materials to assist in the analysis for the writing method of the author. While raising the issue of the use of a narrator-character whose ambiguities determine different ways of reading, the book also suggests discussions about the figure of the narrator in Graciliano's writing, including his trajectory as a short story writer and ways of presenting different framings for his work from the fiction/confession binomial, as consecrated by Antônio Cândido. The present work also intends to encourage the study of Histórias de Alexandre, as different scholars at different moments of our literary history have demanded, valuing it while highlighting its literary qualities and their singularities and proposing some suggestions for ways in which such studies could continue / Mestrado / Teoria e Critica Literaria / Mestre em Teoria e História Literária

The goal of this thesis is to develop a template for turning traditional stories into role-playing games for the high school curriculum. By developing 3 sample games based on Greek mythology, Arthurian legends, and a widespread folktale type, I explored the process of creating games that fit the limits of secondary classrooms and can be used to address specific educational standards. The sample games were tested with groups of high school and college students, and the results of the testing sessions evaluated in a narrative case study format. Feedback from the testing sessions was incorporated in the template, the final product of the thesis project. By exploring tabletop role-playing as a form of emergent interactive storytelling, a connection has been created between traditional storytelling and popular culture with the hope of reaching out to new audiences and introducing a stronger interactive element into storytelling in secondary education.

While over the years stakeholders such as publishers and academics have taken a keen interest in research into writing and publishing, they have been less concerned about research into indigenous children‟s literature. In this thesis a comprehensive examination of children‟s literature in the indigenous African languages of South Africa and in Zulu in particular, is presented. Qualitative research methods have been applied, using questionnaires and interviews to gain first-hand knowledge of problems and possible solutions to the dearth of original children‟s literature in the indigenous languages. The data obtained in this regard has proved invaluable to the researcher and, hopefully, will be so to others in the future. Oral folktales narrated before the influence of the missionaries qualify as children‟s literature. The transition from the oral performance of these folktales to the reading of written children‟s texts is discussed in detail. This is achieved by considering the milieu, themes, content, functions and values of this children‟s literature. The discussion of imilolozelo (lullabies) and izilandelo/izidlaliso (game songs) presents the genre of children‟s traditional oral poetry as a form of performance based not only on narrative but also on songs and/or chants interspersed with rhythmical movements to relay their message. Zulu school readers as modern literature for children are also examined by tracing their background and the development of original Zulu children‟s written literature since it was first recorded by the missionaries. Contents and themes of these early readers, dating from the 1800s, are examined and compared with a series of graded readers published in 1962 by C.L.S. Nyembezi. The sixth chapter of the thesis investigates Zulu children‟s picture books as contemporary literature. Various types of picture books and their functions are discussed. Research findings point to an urgent need for the training of African authors in the writing of age-appropriate books in indigenous African languages. Lastly, the study proves that it is feasible to regard traditional oral and modern indigenous texts as children‟s literature. / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African author Linda Rode‘s book In die Nimmer-Immer Bos (2009a) and Elsa Silke‘s English translation thereof In the Never-Ever Wood (2009b) have won a number of prizes in South Africa, which is evidence both of the quality of the anthology and its translation, as well as of the continued significance of the folktale genre in today‘s fast-paced, modern society. People continue to make sense of the world through telling stories and, although the stories told today might be marked by life in the 21st century, our ancestors‘ stories are still appreciated by many. Although Rode‘s tales are not unlike other folktales, her collection differs in that it is a mosaic of cultures and their folklore spanning the globe, a book that appeals to the whole family, and to young readers and listeners in particular. Through a practical translation into German of selected tales from Silke‘s English version of Rode‘s book, the present thesis investigates ways and means of translating folktales for children. A functional approach was suggested, taking into account the European audience as well as the original intention of the author. As such, the author‘s style was naturalised and an attempt was made to replicate it in the target language, whereas culture-specific items relevant to the setting of the individual tales were retained. Hans J. Vermeer‘s skopos theory, as enhanced by Christiane Nord, as well as Lawrence Venuti‘s concepts of foreignisation and domestication were discussed, amongst other relevant theories. Many of the challenges discussed in the annotations to the practical translation typically occur in the translation of literature for children, and the study thus hopes to make a contribution to research on the translation of literature for children. Interviews conducted for the purpose of the present study furthermore proved the positive impact of good cooperation between the people involved in a translation project on the final translation product. The resulting translation, meant to impart knowledge and pleasure to the audience, furthermore serves as a translation sample that is intended to entice German publishers to commission a translation of Rode‘s anthology for the German book market. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse skrywer Linda Rode se boek In die Nimmer-Immer Bos (2009a), sowel as die Engelse vertaling daarvan deur Elsa Silke, getiteld In the Never-Ever Wood (2009b), is in Suid-Afrika met verskeie pryse bekroon. Hierdie erkenning is ‘n bevestiging van die gehalte van die antologie en van die vertaling, sowel as van die voortgesette belangrikheid van volksoorleweringe as genre in die gejaagde, moderne samelewing van vandag. Mense maak steeds sin van die wêreld deur stories te vertel, en hoewel die stories wat vandag vertel word meestal handel oor die lewe in die 21ste eeu, word die stories van ons voorouers steeds deur baie mense waardeer. Hoewel Rode se verhale nie besonder anders as ander volksverhale is nie, verskil haar versameling in dié opsig dat dit ‘n mosaïek van kulture en volksoorleweringe van regoor die wêreld is. Die boek is dus een waarby die hele gesin, maar veral jong lesers en luisteraars, aanklank kan vind. Hierdie tesis ondersoek, deur ‘n praktiese vertaling van enkele verhale uit die Engelse weergawe van Rode se boek in Duits, strategieë vir die vertaling van volksverhale vir kinders. ‘n Funksionalistiese benadering is gevolg, wat die Europese gehoor sowel as die oorspronklike bedoeling van die skrywer in ag neem. In die lig hiervan is die styl van die skrywer genaturaliseer en, waar moontlik, na die doeltaal oorgedra, terwyl kultuurspesifieke items behou is wat relevant is vir die agtergrond waarteen die individuele verhale afspeel. Hans J. Vermeer se skoposteorie, soos aangepas deur Christiane Nord, sowel as Lawrence Venuti se konsepte vervreemding en domestikering is bespreek, saam met ander relevante teorieë. Baie van die uitdagings wat in die annotasies by die praktiese vertaling bespreek word, kom dikwels in die vertaling van kinderliteratuur voor. Hierdie studie hoop dus om ‘n bydrae tot navorsing oor die vertaling van verhale vir kinders te lewer. Onderhoude wat vir die doel van die studie gevoer is, het verder bewys gelewer van die positiewe impak wat goeie samewerking tussen die rolspelers in ‘n vertaalprojek op die finale vertaalproduk kan hê. Die uiteindelike vertaling, wat bedoel is om kennis oor te dra en genot aan die gehoor te verskaf, dien verder as ‘n vertaalvoorbeeld wat Duitse uitgewers hopelik sal aanmoedig om Rode se antologie vir die Duitse boekemark te laat vertaal.

Fairy tales are enchanting geographical stories, which affectively organize space-time in socially, politically, and ethically significant ways. Despite this, fairy tales have been neglected in the discipline of geography, and the inter-discipline of fairy tale studies has rarely interrogated the spatialities of tales, or of storytelling more widely. This thesis addresses this lacuna by theorizing the relationship between fairy tales, storytelling, and geography through the subversive folkloric figures of the trickster and crone. It posits, first, that we understand fairy tales as iterative stories that constitute mythic communities; and second, that trickster and crone figures are enchanting territorializing and deterritorializing refrains that subvert this mythic community. These two concerns are explored through Nolan’s (2008) Batman film The Dark Knight, and Maitland’s (2009) short story Moss Witch. An experimental research approach provides insight into these ‘worldly,’ enchanting, and symbolically rich stories, without sacrificing their liveliness or ‘systematizing’ them for ideological gain. The research begins with an interpretive textual analysis to address the symbolic traditions of the fairy tale refrains. Collage enables a ‘retelling’ of the stories as materially and visually expressive media. Genealogical analysis traces the material-discursive matterings of the geographical refrains within academic ‘storytelling.’ These combined approaches ‘story’ the trickster and crone as spatial patterns with affective force. Trickster refrains are animating forces of destruction and chaos. They shift between the centre and periphery of mythic community, violently overturn its seemingly ordered realities, and unfold insecure and profane in-between places, where (human) community can no longer be sustained. The crone refrain enacts a ‘wilding’ in fairy tales, entangling the civilized, storied human polis (or culture more generally) with the nonhuman ‘environment,’ and undermining both relational accounts of being and more romantic discourses of dwelling. Going forward, continued engagement with this nexus of geography, storytelling, and fairy tales promises to enrich our multidisciplinary endeavours, highlight our theoretical ‘matterings’ of fairy tales, and enable more responsible engagement with these endlessly enchanting stories.

¡§Jasmine Flavored Tea¡¨ is one of the earliest published works of Eileen Chang. However, the autobiographic fiction which focuses its topic on ¡§looking for Father¡¨ has not been valued by the academic circle for a long time. In fact, ¡§Jasmine Flavored Tea¡¨ is the center text(centext) among Eileen Chang¡¦s works. She semioticizes this work according to its plot and then makes these elements metaphors of her later works. This is the key to discussions about the hypertextuality between the texts of Eileen Chang and the phenomenonal world. By using a new approach of criticism called ¡§the School of Super Searching,¡¨ this discourse attempts to blend the research achievements of modern anthropology, psychology and folkloristics into traditional searching, to do gender studies by searching ¡§psychological facts,¡¨ and to focus on the intertextuality between the plot of the fiction and the folk data. By means of the motive tied with folktales and folk customs, and of the related significant notions like misogyny, twins complex, endogamy desire, liminality and initiation rite, divine king and scapegoat, and individuation process, with a close reading on the text of ¡§Jasmine Flavored Tea,¡¨ this discourse explores how the pieces of symbolism and meaning in the text associate with the life experiences of Eileen Chang.The issues dealt by this discourse are as follows: 1. Lead a large amount of anthropological concepts into literary criticism, and make intertextual comparison between ethnography and literary works. 2. Clarify the countervailing process between masculinity and femininity in ¡§Jasmine Flavored Tea¡¨ by means of the connotative plot structures of the fairy tales, ¡§Iron John¡¨ and ¡§Little Red Riding-Hood,¡¨ in the text. Men gradually construct masculinity by adopting male violence in order to get rid of maternal swallowing and paternal castration. 3. The practical operatoins of Jung¡¦s theory in literary criticism: (1) Twins complex is an important complex to present the relationship between ego and Anima/Animus. (2) Synchronicity and the possibility of predictive text(predictext). (3) Clarification on the relationship between ¡§sukuu¡¨ and the self. (4) Application of the participation mystique on the narrative point of view. 4. Apollo¡¦s Neuroses- Reinterpretation of the implication for the incest by Oedipus in the texts of Eileen Chang. 5. There exists an association between fowls as the symbol of twins complex and Eileen Chang¡¦s family. 6. The riddle about Eileen Chang in her late years is an individuation process from putting on the wolf¡¦s skin to taking it off. 7. The comparison between the autobiographic works, ¡§Jasmine Flavored Tea¡¨ and Little Reunion.

While over the years stakeholders such as publishers and academics have taken a keen interest in research into writing and publishing, they have been less concerned about research into indigenous children‟s literature. In this thesis a comprehensive examination of children‟s literature in the indigenous African languages of South Africa and in Zulu in particular, is presented. Qualitative research methods have been applied, using questionnaires and interviews to gain first-hand knowledge of problems and possible solutions to the dearth of original children‟s literature in the indigenous languages. The data obtained in this regard has proved invaluable to the researcher and, hopefully, will be so to others in the future. Oral folktales narrated before the influence of the missionaries qualify as children‟s literature. The transition from the oral performance of these folktales to the reading of written children‟s texts is discussed in detail. This is achieved by considering the milieu, themes, content, functions and values of this children‟s literature. The discussion of imilolozelo (lullabies) and izilandelo/izidlaliso (game songs) presents the genre of children‟s traditional oral poetry as a form of performance based not only on narrative but also on songs and/or chants interspersed with rhythmical movements to relay their message. Zulu school readers as modern literature for children are also examined by tracing their background and the development of original Zulu children‟s written literature since it was first recorded by the missionaries. Contents and themes of these early readers, dating from the 1800s, are examined and compared with a series of graded readers published in 1962 by C.L.S. Nyembezi. The sixth chapter of the thesis investigates Zulu children‟s picture books as contemporary literature. Various types of picture books and their functions are discussed. Research findings point to an urgent need for the training of African authors in the writing of age-appropriate books in indigenous African languages. Lastly, the study proves that it is feasible to regard traditional oral and modern indigenous texts as children‟s literature. / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

語言與文化脣齒相依，在語言學習與教學的層面上，文化的概念具有相當程度的重要性，特別是屬於高語境的華語，擁有豐富的文化意涵。華人社會中的民間風俗緊貼日常，是理解生活文化的重要線索。華語學習者能透過習俗傳說的故事性，理解隱含的華人文化背景，避免文化誤解，達到尊重他人，進而培養跨文化的能力。 　　民間故事的教學多置放於中文母語學習者的教育歷程，而在華語文教學的領域，仍以華裔或中高級以上程度學習者為大宗。故本研究以民間文學中的習俗傳說為範圍，中級華語學習者為對象，使用內容分析法找出合適的文化教學主題，文本分析法探析教材與跨文化教學點，並援引前人歸納之文化教材編寫與教學設計理論，做出教學設計，另以調查研究法中的研究工具作為輔助，透過行動研究法檢視華語文教學的實踐。 　　本研究目的有二，一為發展習俗傳說與跨文化概念應用於成人華語課程之教學設計；二為探討習俗傳說與跨文化概念於成人華語課程之實施成效。本文融合ADDIE教學模式之五大步驟，包含分析、設計、發展、實施、評鑑，以及Moran之體驗式學習循環，包括理解內容、理解方法、理解原因、理解自我，作為本研究課程設計模式。並以影音、問卷、訪談等資料等研究工具，作為評估實施成果與修正依據。 　　本文研究結果如下：第一，於教學設計方面，本研究採用兩項教學模式之融合，為ADDIE教學模式及Moran之體驗式學習循環，有助於文化教學更加完整，達到跨文化的範疇，另外，於教材設計中，需針對學習者程度考量詞彙難易度，並注意應符合教學宗旨與課堂設計；第二，於實施成效方面，以習俗傳說為素材之華語教學課程，能夠增進學習者的語言技能，提供文化學習與體驗的機會，達到跨文化的目的。 / Language and culture are inextricably linked. Cultural concepts are considerably important for language learning and teaching, particularly for Chinese, a highly contextualized language with rich cultural implications. Folk customs in Chinese society are closely related to everyday life and can serve as important clues for understanding the living culture. Stories involving customs and legends can help learners of Chinese understand Chinese cultural implications, avoid cultural misunderstandings, achieve respect for others, and develop interculturel competence. The teaching of folktales is usually used in the education of native Chinese speakers. In the field of teaching Chinese as a second language, it is generally restricted to heritage learners or learners at or above the high intermediate level. This study focuses on customary legends in folk literature with intermediate learners as the target group. Content analysis is used to determine appropriate topics for cultural teaching and text analysis to analyze teaching materials and intercultural teaching points. Established theories of cultural materials compilation and instructional design were referenced to inform our own instructional design. In addition, I adopted action research design and developed a survey instrument to use as an aid in examining the practice of Chinese language teaching. The study has two objectives: first, to develop an instructional design for the teaching of customary legends, and intercultural concepts in adult Chinese language courses; and second, to investigate the effectiveness of utilizing customary legends, and intercultural concepts in adult Chinese language courses. ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation) and Moran’s experiential learning cycle (knowing about, knowing how, knowing why, and knowing oneself) were used as models for course design. In addition, videos, questionnaires, and interviews were used to evaluate the implementation outcomes, and served as a basis for revision. The results were as follows: First, the two teaching models that were incorporated into the instructional design for this study, the ADDIE Model and Moran’s experiential learning cycle, contributed to the comprehensiveness of cultural teaching and the achievement of an intercultural scope. However, during materials development, it was important to ensure that the degree of difficulty of the vocabulary matched learner levels, and that the vocabulary aligned with the teaching objectives and course design. Second, in respect to the effectiveness of implementation, I concluded that a Chinese language teaching course utilizing customary legends as teaching materials can enhance learner language skills, provide cultural learning and experiential opportunities, and achieve intercultural goals.

Accusations and persecution of witchcraft have been embedded in global culture for centuries. For as long as these persecutions have occurred, women have found themselves accused most frequently. Older women with herbal knowledge were often called on to assist with childbirth or termination of pregnancies and this “secret knowledge” often led them to be suspected of supernatural abilities, often of a satanic nature. Intrigued by these wise women who appeared to have mysterious powers and a penchant for arousing the ire of men in the legal, medical, and religious communities, I began to notice their frequent appearance in novels. Does the presence of actual or perceived magic serve to improve the women’s status in their community? I reviewed several examples of YA literature, two picture books, and four Toni Morrison novels to determine if magic, conjuring, and witchcraft were more powerful threats than sexism and racism.