The Southern Sardinian Tradition of the Mutetu Longu : A Functional Analysis

Abstract

The Southern Sardinian Tradition of the Mutetu Longu:A Functional Analysis Paulu Zedda (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Paulu Zedda in a public performance. Photo by Robertu Corona. All photos used by permission. Saludi e gratzias. First of all I would like to thank the University of Missouri and John Foley for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the knowledge of oral tradition, and for permitting me to present the poetic art of my homeland under the distinguished name of two scholars who are considered, by most of the world, to be the founders of the modern conception of oral poetry. The studies carried out by Milman Parry and Albert Lord redefined the criteria and principles underlying the creation and transmission of oral poetry in a pre-literary age. Progress into the understanding of its internal workings has enabled us to dispel doubts regarding the origin of several ancient texts that have survived in written form (Foley 2002), and to understand not only what, but also "how," they mean. It is mostly thanks to the Center for Studies in Oral Tradition (http://www.oraltradition.org/) and the journal Oral Tradition (http://www.journal.oraltradition.org/) that this field of research has progressively increased in both quantity and quality, gaining respectability on a par with the most prestigious scientific disciplines. A renewed interest has drawn attention and uncovered new ways of conducting research into the unlimited range of oral poetry, which goes far beyond the range of epic poetry where Parry and Lord initially focused their attention. This new awareness, further increased by Walter Ong and John Foley, has not only given us a wider perspective on all the various forms of verbal art, but also a more profound comprehension of the principles that govern our society and its languages. I shall consider in this paper the kind of oral poetry that was called cantus amoebaeus1 by the Romans, based upon a poetic joust between two or more poets who improvise their verse in search of public approval. This is, and has been, a widespread genre in various separate cultures, and it has to be considered a unique chapter within the entirety of the oral poetic tradition. Some of the styles adopted in this specific form of oral poetry are so common and recurrent that they seem to derive more from an innate need in people than from their cultural ducation, and they can be considered universal to this genre.2 Different traditions are, however, distinguished by many other characteristics that define their extremely lively, varied, and versatile nature. Rather than merely referring to my experience as a faculty member at the University of Cagliari, the main aim of my work is to recount the firsthand experiences of a cantadori (performer of improvised sung poetry), such as I am, and to describe the oral tradition of the mutetu longu, this Sardinian poetic form to which I belong. My observations, my considerations, the explanations and evaluations I offer, notwithstanding the textual references, spring mainly from my hands-on experience gained while performing, and moreover from contact I have had with improvisers belonging to other extemporaneous traditions.3 This study is divided into two sections: the first basically describes the Sardinian mutetu longu, with particular attention to the structure of the strophic forms; the second reflects, drawing also on external comparisons, upon some of the aspects that strongly characterize it. In addition, this latter section discusses the way this complex phenomenon works and how it achieves its inner balance. I shall also evaluate the functional reasons behind the particular metrical structure (which reaches high levels of formal complexity and redundancy), the relevance of memory in the elaboration of the poetic text, and the flow of time and its perception. Part I: The Mutetu Longu Click for larger view View full resolution Map of southern Europe delineating Sardinia. Elaborated by the author. Politically, Sardinia has belonged to Italy since 1861 and currently has 1,660,000 inhabitants.4 Recent legislation meant that Sardinia was declared officially bilingual in 1997.5 Italian and Sardinian are the two official languages.6 A recent survey, carried out by the Sardinian Regional Council...