Volume VI - 1952

Author Category Volume Page Year Language Laourdas V. BOOK REVIEWS 6 291 - 295 1952 Greek Title James A. Notopoulos, Homer and Cretan heroic poetry: A study in comparative oral poetry. I. The Song of Daskaloyannes. American Journal of Philology, Vol. LXXIII, 3, 1952, 225-250 Summary PDF Drawing on the conclusions of Milman Parry’s research into those features of orality that create the style particular to the Homeric epics and contemporary Yugoslav oral epic poetry, J.A. Notopoulos focuses on a typical example of Cretan folk poetry: the Song of Daskaloyannes. He analyses the poem’s composition technique and its relations to classical and modern tradition. Notopoulos is thus in tune with contemporary research trends, making use of his theoretical grounding and knowledge of Ancient Greek literature, Cretan studies and modern folklore. His work raises the issue of epic folk poetry in contemporary Greece and makes a substantial contribution to the study of Cretan literature.