33-72

The family portrait : parents, children and siblings in Greek folk songs

Μελέτες

• Saunier, Gay (M.)

The present essay examines the unrecognized issue of the contradictory nature that folk culture often presents in terms of its structure and function. A portrait of a family, drawing on Greek folk songs, forms the basis for our examination. The writer distinguishes between ritual songs, consisting, above all, of dirges and bridal songs, and narrative songs or ballads, comprising acritic songs, freedom fighter songs and songs of migration, among others. In the case of the first set of songs, which have a prescriptive character, contrary to reality no conflict is witnessed, because the individuals in the songs are presented in ideal terms. In the second case, things are entirely different, since “the parental and fraternal figures are anything but fixed and ideal”. The writer therefore offers a detailed list of the various cases and conflicts involved.

• Other Humanities

• Λαογραφία

οικογένεια, δημοτικά τραγούδια

Επιμέλεια αγγλικής μετάφρασης περιλήψεων: Δρ. Βασιλική Χρυσανθοπούλου, Ερευνήτρια, Κέντρο Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας, Ακαδημία Αθηνών