An analysis of the tall tale genre with particular reference to Phillippe d'Alcripe's La nouvelle fabrique des excellents traits de vérité (circa 1579); together with an annotated translation of the work.

Thomas, Gerald (1970) An analysis of the tall tale genre with particular reference to Phillippe d'Alcripe's La nouvelle fabrique des excellents traits de vérité (circa 1579); together with an annotated translation of the work. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to provide a detailed analysis of various aspects of one minor genre in oral folk narrative, the tall tale. The analysis refers particularly to Philippe d'Alcripe's La Nouvelle Fabrique des Excellents Traits de Vérité (ca. 1579), a rare and important collection of sixteenth century French tall tales with many international parallels. Because of its scarcity, the work has been translated and annotated. -- Previously defined largely on the basis of its content of lies and exaggerations, a new definition of this humorous anecdotal genre, based for the most part on the analysis of American source material, includes as criteria the contexts and functions of the tall tale. The genre is characterised by certain formal patterns such as the lying contest between two liars. Tall tales tend to gather around noted raconteurs who are the heroes or protagonists of their own or others' tales. Such heroes seem to thrive in a limited number of professional contexts and generally enjoy a regional fame alone, unless commercially exploited. It has been possible to confirm the existence in French tradition of patterns of tall tale telling, similar to these found in North America. -- The presence of lying motifs or the common notion of impossibility in other genres has necessitated an analysis of the differences between the tall tale and Märchen, saint's legend, giant lore, nonsense tale, lying song and aspects of children's lore and folk speech. -- Against this background, an analysis of the content of the tales in La Nouvelle Fabrique supports the argument that Philippe d'Alcripe's collection is a body of traditional oral narrative collected in a traditional context with an accuracy approaching modern standards.

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