The Western folklore was created in the nineteenth century.In various historical periods there are different definitions and understandings of the "folk"in the context of "folklore,"and emphases of various schools of folklore are not the same either.As a result,Western literature is imbued with ...
itsoriginandmeaning.Theparentageandetymologyoflegendoffernogreaterdifficulties.Itscradlewasmedieval monasteriesandthecustomoftheir dwellersat thetable.Intheir halls therewas adeskforthelector,i.e.thelearnedmonkwhose dutyit was toreadatmeals edifyingstories,thelivesof thepatron-saintsof theparticular days.The...
It is now as ubiquitous as the Ford car and moves uneasily in Russian or Hungarian texts, not to speak of such familiar literatures as French or German. During the ninety years in which this word has been spreading over the world, it has extended its meaning until no man today can take...
Advancing the study of literature in the service of society, and examining how this advancement helps to foreground and extend debates such as racism and nationalism, I explore how the reading community of literature derives meaning from the text as though it were an ethnographic resource. In the...
Legend also refers to anything that inspires a body of stories or anything of lasting importance or fame. The story is handed down orally but continues to evolve with time. Much of early literature began as legend told and retold inepic poemsthat were passed down orally originally, then at ...
A Note from Chris:In my last article on this series on folk culture, we discussed how “folk”, meaning “people” represents the culture, stories and traditionsof the peoplerather than of elites or historians. Traditionally, folk stories, dances, etc. have been passed on through word-of-mo...
Mistletoe has made its mark in literature, adding a touch of romance to various works. One notable example is Washington Irving’s “The Sketch Book,” where the author beautifully describes the festive atmosphere surrounding the mistletoe.
That young girls might commit murder because of an Internet urban legend is certainly awful. But that fact speaks to the power of online storytelling and folklore. The stories we humans tell each other hold real meaning. How we interpret and act on that meaning affects our society in profound...
The name tuba is used in many languages, including Polish and English; the nineteenth-century German inventor of the instrument named it after the Latin word for "trumpet." Another inventor of the same century, the Belgian Adolph Sax, combined his name with the Greek root meaning "sound" to...
BCE, the meaning of su was similar to today's usage. During this period, the fundamental beliefs and values in Chinese culture were established through everyday folklore practices, and were extensively discussed in all the major classics written at that time. This period is described as the "...