Written Text to Oral Presentation by Luc Guglieimi
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 .
KEYWORDS Belgium , oral tradition , storytelling , legends , tales , storyteller
INTRODUCTION
Stories have been an integral part of people ’ s lives for a very long time . Generation after generation have told stories , passing down a legacy that somehow remains original and intact even as its particulars and details transform . In Belgium , as in every part of the world , stories are still part of people ’ s lives . The French part of Belgium is no different , with an explosion of public storytelling since 1975 . These storytellers narrate tales , myths , and legends in different locales�even in jails and hospitals . Traditional stories were historically confined to the family , but this has branched outward in Belgium over
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