Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

W.G. van Emden. "`La Bataille est adurée endementres': Traditionalism and Individualism in Chanson-de-geste Studies." Nottingham Medieval Studies, 13:3-26.

After reviewing the individualist-traditionalist controversy, he judges in favor of the individualist position on the grounds that variations among manuscript versions of the chansons de geste reveal a greater textual stability than do the Yugoslav epics collected by Parry and Lord. Allows for an oral prehistory but postulates a "mutation" stage about 1100, during which epic material "was taken up by a literate poet for literary use" (14).
Area: OF