Chants funèbres de l'île Wallis

This paper is dealing with Uvean dirges composed between 1956 and 1973. In this contemporary production many literary themes such as floral symbolism, respect formulas, death conception, take their origin in the older rules of composition. The musical study has not been effected here : three musical transcriptions give nevertheless the minimal outlook to the musical type of production. For each text, topographical, ethnographical and literary notations are gathered in reference to the circumstances of the event " described " by each dirge. By comparing twelve Uvean dirges with the most ancient Futunan songs collected by Father Servant (1807-1860), it is possible to introduce a study to textual invariants in Uvean-Futunan songs, and more consequently the meaning of them.Mayer Raymond, Nau Maline. Chants funèbres de l'île Wallis. In: Journal de la Société des océanistes, n°51-52, tome 32, 1976. pp. 141-184