Abstract EN:

The search for types, structures and ideologies in tales and stories raises a twin problem, on the one hand of form and of visible appearance, and on the one other of concealed, inner essence. The former is a matter of the breakdown of the tales and stories into their constituent units, involving the manipulation of the narrative units, episodes and storylines. Although comparative study reveals some similarities between the Renard tales and the african narratives, it highlights a number of culturally specific features. Above all, the renart and the african tales are socialised. Whether western european or african, the story teller is less of a philosopher than an entertainer. Yet the story telling technique is always based on social experience. The narrative discourse reflects the problems of the social environment of the author. In the "Roman de Renart", feudal ideology is observable as a kind of derision of individuals and values, whereas in the african tales there is a zest for life, and interest in community and hierarchical values, the hierarchy of beings and things. Popular literature is the expression of the aspirations, anguish, and fantasies of society.