PT|EN
Oral Patrimony and Traditional Literature
Courses Degree in Humanities
Cod: 51159
Department: DH
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: Literature
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 15

Curricular unit that gives a panoramic view of the Oral and Traditional Literature of the Lusophone world. Initially basic notions and concepts will be studied and questioned. Special attention will be given to the importance of oral traditions as cultural heritage, and to theoretical paths fundamental for the study of traditional and oral literature: Propp, Bettelheim, Parry & Lord.
Secondly traditional tales existent in the Lusophone world will be studied. Special attention will be given to etiological tales and its social functions.

  1. Traditional literature
  2. Oral traditions 
  3. Cultural heritage

The curricular unit aims to introduce students into the study of oral and Traditional Literature. Besides the acquaintance with this kind of literature, the student must acquire theoretical knowledge on the diversity of its textual forms and the most important theory produced about it.
By the end of this curricular unit, the student must have:
• seized a panoramic view of the Lusophone world’s Oral and Traditional Literature;
• absorbed conceptual and theoretical tools in order to be able to analyse texts of oral and traditional Literature;
• seized the most important characteristics of the textual form studied in detail: the tale;
• developed the capacities of expression, of criticism and of expression.

I.Discussion of the curricular unit’s subject
1.Concepts:
•Traditional literature
•Popular literature
•Oral literature
•Marginal literature
2.Forms:
•Canonic genres: lyrical, narrative and dramatic
•Interpellation and performance forms: sententious, devotional and marginal
II.The traditional tale in Lusophone world: reading and analyzing

A) Basic theoretical bibliography
BETTELHEIM, Bruno, Psicanálise dos Contos de Fadas, Lisboa, Bertrand, 1995
PROPP, Vladimir, Morfologia do Conto, Lisboa, Vega, 2000
LORD, Albert B., The Singer of Tales, Cambridge MA, Harvard University Press, 1960

B) Texts
CONSIGLIERI PEDROSO, Zózimo, Contos Populares Portugueses, Lisboa, Veja, 1992
ROSÁRIO, Lourenço do, Contos Africanos, Lisboa, Texto Editora, 2001 or idem, A Narrativa Africana de Expressão Oral, Lisboa, ICALP / Angolê, 1989 ( http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=54&Itemid=69 )
Sylvio Roméro, Contos Populares do Brazil, Nova Livraria Internacional editora, Lisboa, 1885 (http://www.brasiliana.usp.br/bbd/handle/1918/01614000#page/1/mode/1up)

C) Support bibliography
GUERREIRO, Manuel Viegas (Coord.), Literatura Popular Portuguesa. Teoria da Literatura Oral / Tradicional / Popular, Lisboa, ACARTE / Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 1992
ADAM, Jean-Michel & REVAZ, Françoise, A Análise da Narrativa, Lisboa, Gradiva, 1997
BELTRÁN, Rafael & HARO, Marta (eds.), El cuento folclórico en la literatura y en la tradición oral, València, Universitat de València, 2006
MEIRELES, Maria Teresa, A Partilha da Palavra nos Contos Tradicionais, Lisboa, Apenas Livros, 2005

E-learning.

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a final digital test, Global e-folio (e-folio G) at the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final exam (100%).