Oral Literature and Traditional Literature Online
Links to texts and translations compiled for a seminar by David Stampe
Last edited 8/23/2005.
Additions, corrections, suggestions: stampe at hawaii dot edu
- International:
Folk and Fairy Tales of many cultures, in translation,
compiled by D. L. Ashliman.
- Hawaiian: Kumulipo, ed. and tr. Martha Warren Beckwith (1951):
- Native American:
- Mongolian:
Buryat Geser Epic,
translation.
- Korean:
Folktales in translation. (Broken link.)
- Chinese:
- Finnish:
Kalevala:
full text;
verse tr. by John Martin Crawford (1888).
- Ancient Middle East:
- Hebrew:
- Arabic: A Thousand Nights and a Night:
transl. by Richard Burton.
selections, transl. Richard Burton or Andrew Lang.
- Indian:
- Persian:
- Slavic:
- Serbian:
-
web site of Milman Parry Collection of Oral Literature, Harvard,
with Serbian epic songs [video requires QuickTime plugin], plus a history
of oral lit. studies at Harvard from Francis Child to Albert Lord.
-
Epic songs, intro. Mark D. Lew, translations by Helen Rootham (1920)
of 9 epic songs on the battle of Kosovo.
- Russian:
The Igor Tale
text, ed. Jakobson (1964);
introduction,
transl., and
commentary by Haney & Dahl (1992).
- Greek:
- Celtic:
- Welsh:
- Y Gododdin, 7th c. heroic poem attrib. to Aneirin:
transl. by Joseph Clancy.
- The Four Branches of the Mabinogion, 11th c.,
transl. Charlotte Guest;
unabridged
-
Pwyll son of Dyved,
-
Branwen daughter of Llyr,
-
Math son of Mathonwy,
-
Manawyddan son of Llyr.
- plus The dream of Macsen Wledig, Lludd and Llefelys, The Dream of Rhonabwy, How Culhwch won Olwen, The Tale of Taliesin, Owein, Gereint and Enid, Peredur Son of Evrawg.
- Arthuriana (Britain and beyond): links.
- Irish:
- Latin and Romance:
- Latin:
- French:
- Chanson de Roland: Old Fr. text and verse tr. by Ch. Scott Moncrief (1919).
- Les Lais de Marie de France, (c. 1170): text; verse transl. by Judith P. Shoaf (1995).
- Chretien de Troyes, fl. 1175, Arthurian romances (Erec and Enide, Lancelot, Cliges, Yvain), tr. W. W. Comfort.
- Provençal: Troubadour lyrics, texts, some w. transl. and midi.
- François Villon, b. 1431, works ed. Dufournet; works w. Japanese transl..
- Anthologie de la poésie française: texts, 13th to the 20th c.
- Italian:
- Spanish:
- Germanic:
- Norse:
- German:
- English:
- Old English:
- Beowulf: text, ed. Klaeber (1922);
verse transl. by Gummere (1910).
- Exeter Book: texts of Old English lyrics (Wanderer, Seafarer, etc.).
- Middle English:
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: text, ed. Tolkien & Gordon, 2nd ed. (1967); translations, verse by Jessie Weston, prose by W. A. Neilson.
- Piers the Plowman by William Langland (c. 1330-1387), with A and B texts, translated excerpts, etc.
- Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400): The Canterbury Tales, text and linked transl, searching, bookmarking, etc.
- Middle English Plays, intro, texts, essays, etc.
- Everyman, an anonymous late Middle English play c. 1485.
- Middle English Lyrics and Ballads, with Modern English glosses.
- The Harley Lyrics: texts.
- Modern English: