Oral-Formulaic Composition

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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Oral poetry. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Oral tradition. (Discuss)

Further information: Oral tradition

The theory of Oral-Formulaic Composition is the mechanism proposed for how Homeric Epic could have been passed down through many generations purely through word of mouth. While most modern scholars believe that the Iliad and Odyssey were preserved through large periods of time through an oral tradition (a series of storytellers who would re-tell the stories and pass them on to their children for generations), the simple mechanics of how Greek bards could remember such long epics are hard to understand. According the the theory, multiple generations of bards who would recite epics such as the Iliad and Odyssey to aristocrats developed a series of verbal formulas to aid their memories. This resulted in the many epithets found in Homeric verse, such as "the red-haired king" for King Menelaus; however, it also gave rise to the many longer depictions of generic actions in epic, such as the steps taken to arm oneself or prepare a ship for sea. Because of these many formulas, bards who had a general outline of the story they needed to tell could essentially improvise individual passages that have more to do with details. ^[1]

Though the Oral-Formulaic theory is often discussed in conjunction with Homeric Epic, it can be applied to ancient epic poetry worldwide. In fact, it was first proposed by Milman Parry and his student Albert Lord as a way to explain how illiterate Serbian and Croatian singers could recite long narratives. ^[2]