'Les orphelins sur la tombe de leur mère' at the Crossing with Flemish Tradition

peer reviewed ; The study proposes a comparative analysis of the French-language and Flemish/Dutch versions of the international ballad deriving from the Danish 'Moderen under Mulde' (Dgf 89), and on this basis identifies three French-language texts recorded in North-east France and Wallonia yet showing closer affinities to the neighbouring Flemish tradition. In the light of both textual traditions, their unilateral adoption of Flemish motifs and their enhancing effect suggests deliberate selection rather than mere geographical proximity or bilingualism as explanation for their hybridization.