Suggests that major works of orally grounded literature, like "Beowulf," are the result of collective engagement with the question of what wisdom is. Claims "Beowulf" is the result of a set of cultural transformations and a means by which such transformations took place. Suggests it speaks to traditional verse's role in the consolidation of new…

The cases of literary folklorists are illustrated to indicate that the subjects like oral tradition are not self-sustained in modern universities. In order to resolve exclusionary practices in knowledge production and audience selection, a suggested solution is to reach multiple audiences.

Argues that, by reading literature that incorporates folklore and oral traditions, students learn to recognize and appreciate how oral traditions have influenced all cultures. Argues that a study of contemporary American written literature which incorporates elements of the oral tradition introduces students to old and deep wisdom and to a diverse…

This book is composed of 21 essays that define and illustrate the folklore of Texas. Following the introduction, the six essays concerned with defining are: "Classroom Definitions of Folklore" (F. E. Abernethy); "Defining Folklore for My Students" (Joyce Roach); "Folklore and Cinema" (Jim Harris); "Toward a…

This report is designed to examine the construction of cultural memory, specifically the interpretation and transmission of historical knowledge in Spain and Catalonia. The study contends that in modern complex societies the genre commonly categorized as history represents a particular form of cultural construct devoted to the transmission,…

This bibliography lists books, articles, and journals as well as a selection of sound recordings and videotapes to assist individuals and teachers researching the folklife of Georgia. Print resources are organized under 10 major categories including: (1) "General Folklife Studies"; (2) "Fieldwork Methodology"; (3)…

This report focuses on rhythmic meters characteristic of Bulgarian folk music. Folk instruments, attire, music history, and methods of learning the folk traditional music and dances are presented. Students prepare a lecture/recital to showcase their learning of this unit. The project is intended for use in an undergraduate music history course for…

Describes an initiative to incorporate folktales and legends from francophone West Africa into a college-level advanced French literary and cultural studies course. Students recorded their reactions to various texts taken from France and West Africa in reading journals. Analysis of the journals shows that critical competencies in Western culture…

The history of the Hmong people of Southeast Asia is based mainly on oral traditions, and until recent decades there was no written Hmong language. With the introduction of writing, a new view of history is beginning to emerge, as demonstrated by college student term papers. (SLD)

This paper discusses the process of ethnographic research and some reasons it might not go as smoothly as researchers or funders have planned. The paper's orientation is from that of a folklorist, but some of the cautionary matter may apply as well to oral historians and others involved in multicultural projects. The research was to conduct 15-20…

Traditionally, an important function of folktales in West Africa has been to educate, as the older generation imparts knowledge to younger members of the family, tribe, societal unit, or ethnic group both informally in everyday life and more formally within the context of the bush schools. This anthology of West African folk literature offers more…