The Singer of Songs: The Oral-Formulaic Theory and Medieval Improvisation

Abstract

According to Benjamin Bagby, modal language is a collection of musical movements and gestures that make up a melody. He uses this technique to provide accompaniment for his performance of the Old English Beowulf epic. The background and mechanics of this technique are discussed. The oral-formulaic theory states that the Homeric epics were not the product of one genius man or a set of editors, but the product of an oral tradition, in which the poems were composed, performed, and transmitted orally. The formulaic structure of the texts is what makes this possible. The Old English Beowulf poem is said to be of an oral tradition as well. The theories of performance of the Beowulf poem are compared to the oral-formulaic theory. The way modal language works is in some ways similar to the oral composition of epic poetry, but the way Bagby uses it in his performance is on a more complex level than in chant.