Abstract

This issue is devoted to oral poetry. Most frequently in sung form, oral poetry has both a long tradition and a living presence in the Mediterranean area. Among the ancient Greeks and the pre-Islamic Arabs, from Spain to the Maghreb and from East to West, in every country bordering the sea as well as in the smaller islands, the Mediterraneans have indulged in rhyming and singing. To a certain extent, they still do. How and why they do so are two crucial questions raised here in an attempt at providing the first elements of a comparative Mediterranean perspective on the subject.

As is suggested by the main heading—Creativity and Tradition—special attention is focussed here upon the process of extemporizing, as well as on the social functions attached to it. A total of twelve studies, each bearing on one specific Mediterranean tradition, have been gathered; their authors belong to various disciplines including musicology, have had a direct experience of performance and have conducted extensive research in the field. As a preliminary mapping out of the issues involved, the following key observations are offered:

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