Articles
Authors: Yves Quairiaux , Jean Pirotte
How, according to the folk-tradition, do the Walloons see the Flemish population ? An analysis of a stereotype is attempted here, considering the importance of stock-phrases and tags with regard to relations between populations. For an historian, the study of the folk-tradition sets a lot of problems concerning the research and the critical use of a complex documentation : oral tradition (popular phrases, songs, by-words, interviews), French and dialect al literature (navels, dramatic works, satirical writings), newspapers, etc. With such a documentation, we are able to describe some «patterns» of Flemings : the pedlar, the play-character, the militant Fleming, the farmer, the agricultural labourer and the worker. These portraits generally emphasize the dull-witted and rough appearance of the Fleming. The rise of these ideas, at a some time, among the Walloon population appears resulting from the social and cultural position of a great deal of the Flemish immigrants into the Walloon area.
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How to Cite: Quairiaux, Y. & Pirotte, J. (1978) “L'image du Flamand dans la tradition populaire wallonne depuis un siècle”, Res Publica. 20(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/rp.v20i3.20466