Books in the Poetics of Orality and Literacy series

Focuses on the influence of the oral tradition on written vernacular verse in England from the 5th to the 15th century. The book explores how a living tradition articulated through the public, performance voices of pre-literate singers found expression through the pens of private, literate authors.

By looking at the ways in which cultures in Northern Europe interpret lyric songs, this work illuminates both commonalities of interpretive practice and unique features of their musical traditions. It draws on sets of lyric songs from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland to explore the question of meaning in folklore.