Folklore Studies in England

Folkįore Studies in England by Jonathan Roper t rvas in 1846 that Englancl gave the worcl "folklore" to the world. Wry colleagues have been heard to quip tl'rat it lvas tįre last strbstarrtiaĮ contribr_rtįon tO the fįeld tlrat Errglislr folklorįsts lral,e trrac]e. TĮrat lrray be son-rewhat of atr exziggeraliclrr, but it is certairiĮy tĮre case tĮlat tĮre clisciplirre of folklorįstįcs is singularly undeveloped in this country. For, rvįrįįe tl-re Heacļs of Departn-rent irr Icelarrd arrd Ne."vfourrdĮarrd are English, there is no university clepartnrent of folklore in England. Tįrere is also t-to l'įatiotlaĮ foĮklore, arcĮrįve' arrc] tlre record of folklore ntatėriaĮs į-rere įs clrre of tl-re scanliest in Europe. Tlre gerrre of proverbs calį serve as an exatrrple of tlris: the starrdard colįecrior'r of ErrgĮarrc1's proverbs, Tlv oxford Dictionar1 of l} tglish Protetbs, ctltrtaįns no orally-collcctecl cxirr.nplcs, in contrast to Oxforcl's corrcsponding Aniericatl volutrre, \7olfģ arrg Mįcr-ļer's A Dįctiot'ttnl of At rterįcun Proą',erbs. AĮtlrouglr tlrcre rvzrs rro sigriificar-rt folkįorc arclrive tlrat tĮic cc1itors cotrl,.] Įiavc tlrarvt't otr fclr tlris rvork, tlrc idcir tlf rrrakirrg a c()į1tcllļp()rary sįļr\rcy of prtlvcrbiaĮ trsagc, strclr as rvas Jtltrc įIr tlrc ArrtcricaI) cilsc, sectļįs tlever to lravc crccurrcd tO them. Įrrsteacļ, tlre iterrrs irr tĮrc ErrgĮisĮr dicrior-rary are tļralvn frtlttt lvorks clf lįtcrature . Tl'rat prr> vcrhs arc first and frlrcįĪlost įįlr tlraĮ plrclrtltnctrtltl, ratl-rcr tĮrarr a literary forrrr, is l1()r lĪlcįĪtiol1ccl. And tĮ-rįs įs arr cxcttrpĮary casc: thc cxistctrcc of a lorrg tratlitiorr of verrracular Įitcrature, and of comparatively-early rnass serni-literacy, has led to oraį forrrrs beirrg overįooked in Errglislr cultural rcsearch. Whereas throughout Europe, culturaĮ natiorralism was key in the developļĪ'Įent of foļklore studies, English lrįstorical deveĮopnrent was, in a European context, afypical. Just at the time wlren nationalisrn and natiorr-buiĮcĮirrg rvere irr fulĮ flood tlrrouglrout Europe, English natįonal feeling waš self-assuredly subnrerged in the Brįtįshrress of the Unitecļ KirrgtJonr an< l tlre British Enrpirc. As opposcd to the sįtuation įn nrany otĮrer countries, including Scotland and lreland, there was never enough sense of endangered nationhood (or rrationaĮ inferioriry complex, to use Dundes' tcrm) to persuade English scholars to devote theįr lives to establisĮrirrg a central archįve of folklore or to conducting a deep fieldwork progran)rne. Besides, why should English researchers study local people ifthe wonders of the remoter areas of the Brįtish Islcs or of tlrc British Empire were open to theml FurtĮrertnore, while many English people with ethnographic interests were attracted abroad, conversely, very few foreigncrs lvere attracted to study Englislr vernactrlar cuįture. Foreigners have in fact played a key role in dre developtrrent of folklorc studįes in nrany Europearr countries besicļes their scholarly endeavours' that role is persuading the natįve population that tĮreir own culture is wortĮry of attentįon. One nright think, for example, of the German-speaking EstopĮrilcs irr Estonia, in this regard. This key foreign input, which the Englislt wcre provitĮing įtr sotlrc įl1stallces abroad, was never really fclt here. \7hile foreign Anglophiles could be arrracrecl to rhe "high cultural" figure of Shakespeare, they were nof equally attracted to the vernacular culture he emerged from and which permeates his work. England is the odd man out įn northern Europe in terms of the study of vernacular culture. 'W'e were too arrogant to study ourselves, and did not seem Īomantic enough to attract others to study us either. The lack of large-scale folklore fieldwork nļeans that the record of many folklore genres in England is patchy, but the early establishmenr of vertracuļar literature also means tĮrat this patchy record has a substantial time deprh to it. My own special field, verbal charms, is an exarnple of this. \Vhereas the Archives of the Finnish Literature Sociery, filled with the results of massįve collection programmes' contain over 50,000 verbal charms, there are, I estimate, records of fewer than 1,000 verbal charms from England. And yer, while the Finnish examples dare, with few exceptions, of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, there are surviving rexrs of English verbal charms from every century from the tenth to tl.įe twentierh (with the exceprion of rhe twelftĮr-century). It may be the atypicaliry of our folklore record tirar rnay make us of intcrest to Europcan comparative scholars. The scantiness of the data has lecl to two problematic tendencies in the study of folklore here. on tįre one harrd, and most especially in the periocl fronr thc nineteen-tl'rirties to the nineteensixties, it perrnitted the production of a roughshod and somerirnes unjustifiably irnaginative use of scatterccl picces of evidence. On the other hand, and most especially in the last two decades, it has led to the production of works of what can only be calļed folkloriography, far removed from the realm of data, and equally lacking in evidential rigour. In terms of inrernational folklore scholar, ship, the absence of English folkĮorists from the lisr of authors of the Folklore Fellows' Communications speaks vol. unįes. And yer, the study of English folkĮore has still continued lrere, albeit sometimes under different headings than that of "folkloristics" and with a somewhat different focus. Thus, just as there was some study of folklore under the headings of "Popular Antiquities,' and 'ArcĮraeology'' before Thonls coirred the new term, so some elements of folklore have conrinued to be srudied here by Social Historians, Anthropologists and Literary Sclrolars. KatĮrarine Briggs, to take one example, produced fine scholarly works over a period of several decades, and it is fitting that The Folklore Sociery's annual book prize is named the Briggs'Award in her honour. However, her attentions, say, on the topic ofland spirits ("fairies"), for example, were largely given to the question offairy beliefs reflecred in literature, and her work is perhaps better seen as prirnariĮy tĮrat of a literary scholar, rarher than of a folklorist. In the last decade in particuĮar, it has been historians, who have made important contributiorrs to tĮre study of English vernacular culture, from E. p Tlrompson, arrd įris Briggs, Awardwinning study Cusroms in Common, to the most recent recipient of the Briggs, Arvartl, Atlarn ļ'į> x, wįtĮl Įris wtlrk Oraļ and Lįterąte CtlĮn t īn EngĮuntl 1500_ lZ00. Įįonalcļ Huttorr Įras studicd ErrglisĮr caįcrrdar cust()ļlįs witlr a lristorįaris careful conccrn fclr sorrrces ancl eviclence ir-r lris rvorks Starįorrs of tlrc Sun und The Rise arrd FaĮĮ of Merry Englarrd. Frtltrr a youĪlger gctreratiotr, orverr Davįes lras adcled to clur urrcĮerstatrclirrg of popular magical practices in a flurry of publicatį> rrs, rv įricl'r irrc lu cļc V/itcl tcr af t, Nlaģ c and CuĮttn'e 1 7 36* 195 ]. As far as folkloristics itself gocs, the Īl2'įtiolļįįl tlrganisatit:tt-t is TĮrc Lbįklore Socicry. Whctļrcr this btlcly sĮrtluld bc undcrstcltlcl as bcirrg tįre į-orrdon Foįklorc Sociery tlre EllgĮlsh Fcllkįore Sociery, tlre Brįtįslr Folkltlrc Sclcicry ()r cvetl tlļe \i7orĻ į Folklorc Society, is įcft sonrervlrat unclear by thc lack of a locating adjcctive ir.r its title. This is partly cxplained by TĮie.FolkĮore Sociery being thc first stlciery of its kįncļ. But its tratrrc aįscl reflects a c()ntinuįng arrrbriguiry as to įts geograpi-ricaĮ rca of irrtercst. Sirriila rly, its jor_rrrral is sirrrply called Foļkļore. Irr tlreįr sigrrificant reccnt Dicrio7įdĪf of ErrgĮlsh FoĮkĮore (oxford University Prcss, 2000), Jacqucline Simpson ancl Steve Roud put a positivc spin on these sĮippcry titlcs. "Tlre jOurtral,'' tĮrey remark, "likc thc sociery, took the whole of folklorc worĮclrviclc irs its rclrrįt'' (Ļ r. 130). But tlrįs unlocatc,.ltrcss catr įre sccll 2ļs cxprcssitig vcry wcll tlrc bįurrcd atrratettrisnr of Errglislr folkįorįsts over tlrc yeirrs. TĮrc Ftllkįorc Socicty įras I'rolv tnclvcd its Įrcadc1trartcrs ttl tįrc Warburg lrrstįtutc įrr 'Wobtrrn Sqr'rarc, Lorrclorr, but its books Įargcly lravc Īlot ln()ve(ļ rvitlr ir, rvįricįr urlftlrtunately įras tlrcant tįrat its exccllcrrt library is largcly ir-raczr ccssible. Ak> ngsiclc The Folklore Socicry, there is another adjective-less organisation, whose concerns are lnore ethnological, the Sociery for Folk Life Studics. This body's remit, howeveĻ is more defined and more modest - tlie study of the "traditįonal ways of life įn Great Britaįn aIrtl Irelarrd''. It issues an anrrual etlrnological journal FoĮk Lit'e, u'rder the editorship of Roy Brigden, who is based in the Museum of English Rural Life, at the Universiry of Reading. A tlrįrd important body is the Englislr Folk Dance ancl Song Society, which has a plrysicaį base įn Cecil Slrarp Housc in Camden, London, and publislres an annuaĮ FoĮk Musįc JoumtlĮ. It is tlre rather grandįosely,named National Centre for English Cukural Tįadition, now headed by the dialectologist Joan Beal, that contįnues, in its underfunded way, to provide the only academic folklore programme in England at tĮre Universiry of Sheffield. In the continued absence of a natįonal folklore archive in England, this centre's archives, and the IFLDS archives (relating ro another now-defunct centre, which are held by the Universiry of Leeds), are the best-available repositories of English folklore įtems. The Slreffįeld centre was fourrded by john Widdowson, protēgē of the great North Amcrican folklorist Herbert Halpert, and it attempted to introduce a more rigorous and contemporary North American approach. It is no accident that contemporary legend should be a central topic for notabįe rrrembers of the Sheffįeļd sclrool such as Pauļ Smith and Gilįian Betrnett, bodr in a series of conferences and in the pages of the centre's journal, I-ore and Language. Bcsidcs c()į1tclĪrp()rary legcrrcl, popu- lar subjects with contemporary English folklorists have included childlore (following the paths opened by Peter and Iona opie), and trąditional drama (whiclr led to the for.iratiotr of the Tįaditįonal Drama Research Group). Representative books in these two fields are, respectively, the collection edited by Julia Bislrop and Mavis Curtis, PĮay Toda1 in the Primmy SchooĮ PĄground, and Eddie Cass' study The l-ancahįre Pace-EggPla1. In the fįeld of plantlore, Riclrard Mabey's recent Fįora Brįtaru-tįca ctrntairrcd a great dcal clf contclĪįp()rary plant belie{ and Roy Vickery's more scholarly work, A Dictionar1 of PĮantInre, has been successful in its combį nation of historical sources with contempofary survey. At the Universiry of Salford, John Adams co-ordįnates the Village Music Project, which srudies "English Social Musicians" from the lTth century onwards by means of their surviving rnanuscripts. His concern is the rnusic that "was and is played in towns and villages, for weddings and wakes, by and for most classes in English sociery.,' Unlike North America, rhere is no deveĮoped fieļd of Public Folklore in England, but Doc Rowe, who has documented a significant number of calendar customs serially for over thirry years, is the nearest thing we have to a public folklorist. I have included web addresses of some public folkiore bodies, such as the 'Ų?'ren Tįust and Folk SouthWest in the iist at the foot of this article. But perhaps the most significant event in the lasr few years of English folklore study was rhe appearance of irrc Sirrrpstltr's arr,.ļ Stcvc lįotrd's aforenrentįon ed Dictionary of EngĮistt Jacc1ucl FoĮkĮore, whicl'r effectįvely, by tĮre conr- bincd sunr of įts ctrtries, providcs a definition of what English Folklore is. That it should have raken over l50 years frorn the naming of field undl a reliable overview of įt was produced is a sign of how behind we are when compared with our European or North American colleagues. How much we will carch up or lag behind in furure remains to be seen. Website s The Folklore Sociery _ htrp:ll folklore -socie ry.com/ Museum of English Rural Life _ http,ll www.museums. reading.ac. uk/museurn/rnerļ/ www. hr TĮ're Rural History Centre _ ,ll www. reading. ac. uk/lns tits/im/ index.htr.nl National Centre for Englisli Culturaį Tiadidon http://wwrv.shef.ac.uk/ englįsh/natcect/ English Folk Dance and Song Sociery http //www. e fdss. org/index. htm English Folk Play Research Home page : - ht :/iwww.shef.ac.uk/uni/projecs/ tdrg/ Doc Rowe -http:ll performance. salford. ac. uk/ researclr/tlocrolve/docrowe. Įrtrrr www. Foļk South\Ucst _ http:// www. fo lksr.v. 'ŲU'ren o rg. tr k/ Tįust _ http:// www.\,ļ/re ntrus t.co. Village Music Project uk/ - l-rtrp:// www. perfo rma nce. s alford. resea rclr/vrrrp/I ndex. Įrtrrr a c. uk/ Contents We Are Now Descending by Gisli Sigurõsson Facing the Future: Folklore Srudies at Sweden's Youngest University by Ulf Palmenfelt & owe Ronström Folkloristics in Denmark? by Lone Ree Milkar Folklore Srudies in England 10 by Jonathan Roper Texts of TestimonyAutobiography, Life. story Narrative and the Public Space by Outi Fingerroos & Anne Heimo Understanding Cultural Complexity by fuikka Norrbacka Landsberg The Lifespan of Archival Material 1B - Legal and Ethical Issues in Cultural Srudies by Lena Marander-Eklund Gender and Violence in the Nordic Countries 15 22 )A by Gabriella Nilsson Recent Books on Folklore 30 News in Brief 31 NNF's Annual Report 2001 1t NNF News 3200l, voļume 4 ISSN 1455-9110 Editor-in-Chief: Ljlrika Editor: Ingela Ollas vblf-KnuĶ Address: Nordic Nerwork of Folklore, NNF FoļkĮorisucs : t Äbo Akademi Universiry Biskopsgatan 10 FĪN-2O5ooÄbo Telefax + 35822L5 49 02 E-mail: [email protected] h tņ ://www. abo. filfaklhf/folklore/nnf Cover photo: Greenlandic stone sculpcure. Photographer: fuikka Nonbacka Landsberg Printed by Painoļa, Kaarina