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2.
The Symbolic Context
The second section of this study reviews the extra-ballad expressions of
Newfoundland deathlore (the "symbolic" context). The multigeneric complex of which the
ballads are but a part considered in relation with the socio-culturaJ reality (the "pragmatic"
context), hopefully, will illuminate the extent to which the ballads' views on death are
shaped by the life circumstances and recreative talent of their audiences. Are the ballads'
declarations consonant with the cultural discourse on death as a whole? Do their views
show affinities with those of certain genres more than others? Has their message olltlived
the classical repenoire in modem tmdilion?
This seclion overviews major genres in past as well as modern tradition. While this
extensive corpus is considered structurally rather than exhaustively, the quotation of texts
and interviews inherent to this multigeneric examination amounts to considerable amplitude
relative to the two other sections of this thesis. None of the genres considered, however, is
studied in .my comparable depth or breadth with those of the classical ballads. The generic
expressions making up the ballads' symbolic environment have been delineated with a view
10 highlight the place and relevance of their own declarations. This cultural-specific inquiry
into ewfoundland anilUdes about death relies on Philippe Aries's interpretive model for
Western culture.