American Folklore

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American Folklore
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Culture

• Everything that human beings do that isnt
  motivated by natural instinct, such as the usage
  of tools, creative and artistic expression,
  language, and formulation of beliefs and values.
  It is also used to describe groups of individuals
  who share common cultural traits but who differ
  in some way(s) from members of other such groups.

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Tradition

• Meaningful cultural behavior (or lore) that
  exhibits continuity over time and within the folk
  group.
• EX Santa Claus, International Dining Traditions

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Narrative

• A story usually involving both plot (a sequence
  of causally and/or logically linked events) and
  characters. Stories usually involve conflict,
  rising action, falling action, a climax, and a
  resolution. Different cultures have a different
  sense of story telling them what is/isnt
  appropriately narrative.

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Orality

• A quality of anything that is spoken, chanted,
  recited, sung, or read aloud rather than written
  down or read quietly. Most folk or traditional
  narrative is oral in nature, or was once upon a
  time.

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Performance

• An essential artistic dimension of anything
  oral, performance refers either to an individual
  rendition of a traditional narrative (or song,
  dance or drama) which may well also constitute a
  unique variant of the work being performed. Many
  of the aesthetic features of performance cannot
  be expressed in the text alone, such as tone of
  voice, dynamics, pacing, interaction with an
  audience, kinesthetic gestures, and costume.

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The Term Folklore

• The Folk (A Folk Group) Any two or more people
  who share at least one significant cultural thing
  in common, such as traditions, which help to
  create a shared identity for the group and its
  members.
• Some folk groups are very broad and diverse
  (nationalities, school districts), while others
  are very exclusive and specific (friends, club
  membership).

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The Term Folklore

• The Lore (Traditional Culture) A traditional
  behavior or material shared by a folk group.
• Types
• Narratives (epics, legends, jokes, drama)
• Costumes (professional clothing, sports uniforms,
  hairstyles)
• Beliefs (religions, superstitions)
• Speech (slang, nicknames)
• Holidays
• Music and Dance
• To be considered lore, a behavior/attitude must
  last over time within a folk group.

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Genres of Folklore

• Märchen or Magic Tale A folktale dealing
  chiefly with elements of magic, wonder, or the
  supernatural.
• EX Cinderella
• Ballad A traditional song that recounts a
  narrative, typically focusing on a single
  episode.
• Repetition of verse and refrain

• Legend A folktale that is told as though the
  teller believes it to be true.
• Etiological addresses origins, phenomena, or
  names.
• Historical addresses the actions of real people,
  past or present.

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Folklore

• Fashions/Fads
• Mass-Produced Materials (authentic or
  traditional)
• Fakelore
• EX Paul Bunyan
• Literature (written vs. spoken)
• Eye Dialect A technique used by both folklorists
  and fiction writers to simulate speech as it is
  actually spoken rather than in its correct
  form. It seeks to recreate the pronunciation,
  pacing, and syntax of oral language, usually
  pertaining to a folk group.

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Define Your Folk Group!

• Reminder A folk group is any two or more people
  who share at least one common factor
• Gender
• Social Class
• Ages
• Interests

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Discussion!

• Which folk groups do you see in Their Eyes Were
  Watching God ? (Consider the three genres of
  folklore Magic Tales, Ballads, and Legends)
• Gender
• Social Class
• Ages
• Interests