No princípio era a voz: narrativas de origem em Timor-Leste

This article analyzes Timorese oral literature as a symbolic foundation of collective memory and cultural identity in Timor-Leste, taking as its central axis the legend of the island of Lorosa’e – the boy and the crocodile. It starts from the understanding of orality not as a stage prior to writing, but as a living cultural practice, a producer of knowledge, values, and belonging. Based on studies of origin narratives, the role of the lia-na’in (folk singers) as guardians of the word and the importance of narrative performance in the transmission of ancestral memory are discussed. The article also examines contemporary processes of circulation of these narratives, highlighting the work of the Haktuir Ai-knanoik group, which articulates orality, education, and identity through storytelling in the Timorese school context. Within the context of Lusophony, the circulation of the crocodile legend in Brazil is analyzed based on the book Tales from Timor-Leste, part of the Around the World Speaking Portuguese collection, highlighting the role of editorial mediation in building intercultural bridges. Finally, a pedagogical proposal aimed at Brazilian basic education is presented, which values orality and interculturality as formative principles.