Narrative Structure and Political Construction: The Epic at Work

This article explores the idea that the construction of meaning lies at the very foundation of oral or “oral-derived” texts, which rely on the totality of tradition to create precise meaning. Through a careful analysis of the epic genre, Goyet asserts that its core function is precisely to allow society as a whole to understand—first dimly and then in more detail—a new political order. The major works treated are the Old French _Song of Roland_, the ancient Greek _Iliad_, and the Japanese _Hôgen_ and _Heiji monogatari_