Folklore: To Define or Not To Define? Why is This a Question?
Dr. Lynne S. McNeill explains what folklore is, and what folklorists do.
Folklore: As I Live and Breathe!
You cannot venture into the world of internet Folklore without stumbling on the constant squabbles over what folklore is “right” and which version of a story is “correct”, yet the funny thing is that the fact these arguments exist means that people are not grasping how complex Folklore is, nor understanding the forces that drive it.
Margaret Helen James: a forgotten feminist folklorist in Victorian East Anglia
British regional folklorists of the 19th century remain, in many cases, rather obscure figures. Margaret Helen James (1859–1938) deserves particular attention for using her writing about folklore to give a voice to ordinary women and critique a patriarchal society, but until 2017 James was completely forgotten.
‘Folklore’? What do you Mean? And Why?
You’re obviously already interested enough to know what folklore is, right? Yet the more we look at folklore, the less confident we can be about straightforward certainties.
Ruth Tongue and ‘The Chime Child’
The Chime Child is one of the most enchanting books I know. It begins with the rustle of autumn deep in the Somerset countryside where villagers, mindful of the old ways, have set up a corn dolly for Harvest Festival.