Integrative Dialogue among Oral Genres Using the Example of Beninese Fairy Tales and Riddles

Abstract

The term “Räthsel-Märchen” (Eng.: “Riddle fairy tale”) was first used by the Brothers Grimm in the first edition of “Kinder- und Hausmärchen” (Eng.: “Children’s and Household Tales”). With it, they titled the fairy tale 69, which was published in the later editions, namely, in the ones of 1837 and 1840 under the title Rätsel (Eng.: “riddle”). After them, riddles collectors and researchers used this term in their respective works to designate a category of riddles and fairy tales. This article focusses on the latter, using the Beninese fairy tales, especially those of the Fon, as a starting point to show how, through its narrative function in the fairy tale, the riddle contributes to an integrative dialogue between the two oral genres.

Keywords

• fon fairy tales
• riddle
• narrative function