Albert Lord

Albert Lord was a Balkanist and scholar best known for his work on oral tradition and epic poetry. He studied how stories and songs are transmitted verbally across generations, especially among South Slavic communities. His research revealed how oral poets compose and perform epics without writing them down, emphasizing the importance of memory, performance, and tradition. Lord's work, often in collaboration with Milman Parry, helped transform understanding of the dynamics of oral storytelling and its influence on literature, highlighting that spoken word and improvisation play a vital role in cultural history and artistic expression.