Interpreting Folklore

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Indiana University Press, 1980 - Social Science - 304 pages
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..". Dundes has produced a work which will be useful to both students and teachers who wish to broaden their understanding of modern folklore." -- Center for Southern Folklore Magazine "It is impossible ever to remain unimpressed with [Dundes'] excursuses, however much one may be in disagreement (or not) with his conclusions." -- Forum for Modern Language Studies Often controversial, Alan Dundes's scholarship is always provocative, perceptive, and intelligent. His concern here is to assess the material folklorists have so painstakingly amassed and classified, to interpret folklore, and to use folklore to increase our understanding of human nature and culture.

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Page 81
When in American culture does a young man become middle - aged ? In any
event , it is certain that the older one becomes , the less future be bas ! Since
American culture is future - oriented and since individuals are frequently
measured in ...
Page 169
The male hopes to seduce the young woman - it is he who is the hook - armed
sex maniac escaped from a mental institution , mentioned by the voice of society
or conscience in the radio news bulletin . However , the girl prevails upon her ...
Page 193
But if teeth are phallic , as Freud and his followers have suggested ; and initiation
rites are designed to bring young men to adulthood , why are the teeth removed ?
How could symbolic castration make a boy into a man ? This raises one of the ...

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Contents

The Curious Case of the Widemouth Frog
62
A Folkloristic Reflection of
69
Seeing Is Believing
86
Copyright

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Interpreting Folklore
Alan Dundes
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Alan Dundes
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Alan Dundes
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Common terms and phrases

American analysis animal appear asked attempt baby become belief believe birth boys bullroarer called castration child collected common concerned considered consists context culture daughter discussion distinction essay evidence evil eye example existence explain expression fact father female folk folklore folkloristic folktale football frog future girl given hand hero pattern idea important individual initiation interest interpretation Italy Jesus joke King Lear legend linguistic liquid literal male Mary means metaphor milk mother myth nature noted object one's original parents particular past perhaps person phallic play possible present Press projection proverb question reason refer reported represent ritual sense sexual similar society speaking story structure suggests symbolic tale theory tion traditional United University wish woman women worldview York young

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About the author (1980)

Anthropologist and folklorist Alan Dundes was born in 1934 in New York City. He received his BA in English in 1955 and his MAT in English in 1958, both from Yale University. He received his Ph.D in Folklore from Indiana University in 1962 and in 1963 he joined the teaching staff at the University of California, Berkley. He wrote over 250 journal articles and12 books and co-wrote more than 20 other books. In 1993, he became the first American to win the Pitre Prize's Sigillo d'Oro, which is an international life-time achievement award in folklore and ethnography. He died of a heart attack on March 30, 2004 at the age of 70.

Bibliographic information

QR code for Interpreting Folklore
TitleInterpreting Folklore
AuthorAlan Dundes
Edition2, illustrated, reprint
PublisherIndiana University Press, 1980
Original fromthe University of California
Digitized22 Jul 2008
ISBN0253143071, 9780253143075
Length304 pages
Subjects › 

Social Science / Folklore & Mythology
  
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