Morphologie d'un conte africain

Abstract

C. Bremond—Morphology of an African Taie. The first chapter of Denise Paulme's La mere devorante, entitled 'Morphology of the African taie', aims at setting up a typology of narrative forms. Summing up and criticizing her study, C. Bremond shows that a mechanical application of its theses is likely to lead into a dead-end. In fact, some of the standard taies, whose the-matic identity cannot be doubted, may be actually realized according to several typological contours. Denise Paulme's method of analysis nevertheless remains safe, precise and fruitful, provided the necessary precautions are taken to avoid possible misunderstandings. This discussion is illustrated by a taie, quite wide-spread in Africa, of which D. Paulme herself has collected about fifty versions, [pp. 485-499]