Written Text to Oral Presentation

Abstract

In Belgium, as it is the case in other parts of the world, people have always told stories. However, since 1975, in the French part of Belgium, a resurgence of oral storytellers, telling legends in a variety of environments, from the jail to boy scout meetings, has occurred. The oral tradition is no longer limited to the family circle and has been freed from spontaneity. Instead, these events are planned and, for a fee, anyone can come and listen to the storytellers, sometimes professionals, sometimes amateurs. This article will examine the classifications of these stories being told as well as the various functions these stories have in the French speaking part of Belgium.