ABSTRACT
In this article we hope to show that textual formulae are clearly in evidence in the folk-song tradition of southern Jiangsu, not only in epic songs, but also in minor genres like popular riddle songs. Before turning to this specific textual aspect, we shall briefly introduce the general nature of our folk-song research over the past seven years in rural areas in southern Jiangsu, and describe the folk-song tradition as we found it.!
