The folk narrative is treated as "description of life and/or living,
real or fictitious." Consequently, the class addresses the narrating
process from a broad sociocultural perspective. In addition to the
standard Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, etc., the course will
attempt to reveal the wealth and diversity of the folk narrative.

The course's contents may be grouped into 8 segments.

I. Lore as a Category of Culture. The folktale as a cultural
phenomenon
The Perception of "culture," community, folkloric materials, and of
other categories: Natural (Geographic), ethnic, religious, gender,
and linguistic factors. Culture Areas Sub-culture, counter/contra-
culture, culture specialty, etc.

II. The Folk. Who are the folk?
Social groups (primary and secondary groups; Gemeinschaft and
Gesellschaft.

III. The Basic Characteristics of Folkloric Materials.
What is traditionality? That which is traditional and that which is
popular. Elite/academic culture (cf. "literary tradition").
Formularization and folklore genre.
"Folklore." Similar but not identical terms which refer
to "lore": "Verbal art," "spoken art," "oral literature," "Folklife
studies," Volkskunde." What is "Fakelore"?

IV. The Genres and Fields of Lore
Folk Narrative, and other Categories of Lore
Collecting, classifying, and studying.
Key Concepts Associated with studying the Folktale :
The Tale type: Variant, version, redaction, rendition; Episode, cf.
fragment; Motif, theme; Motif cluster, motif-sequence; Composite-
text; Frame story; Cycle.
Archetype/Urform/Grundform, Oikotype, Normal form, Subtype.
Relevant concepts: "distorted text," "adapted text," "Fragmentary
text."

V. Factors involved in Typological and Genre Studies:
Performance and Genre
1. Form
2. Contents
3. Function or Narrator's Intent
The Social Process
Kinship ties
Culture bound symbols and perceptions
Historic evidence as a criterion in classification
4. The Worldview of the Scholar/Classifier. Cognitive Systems:

VI. Alternate Classifications
1. Fantasy narratives
2. Humorous narratives
3. Didactic narratives
4. Knowledge, narratives expressing
Conversational stories
5. Belief, narratives expressing
6. Character-Building, "thought-provoking" narratives
7. Riddle-tales

VII. Other Categories (Genres and Fields)
Narrative Folk Poetry (ballad, Epic-sîrah, cante fable)
Didactic tales. (exemplum, fable, dilemma tale)
Knowledge, belief and attitudes.
Tales based on knowledge: historical legend, historical anecdote,
cf. etiologic tale.
Belief Narratives. Sacred belief story (cf. "Religious legend"),
religious tale, "myth," exemplum, memorate/personal Experience,
(local legend; migratory legend).
Narrating and mental health:
Tales and Beliefs, Customs, Folk Medicine and Healing.
Proverbs and Tales.
Riddles and tales: the Riddle Narrative.
The Ballad and the Epic.

VIII. Select Folkoristic Theories and the Perception of Data
"Historical Reconstructional
"Historical Geographical Method"/"The Finnish School"
Anthropological-Evolutionary theory
Functional theory
"The Psychoanalytical and Neo psychoanalytical"
Analytical Psychology/Jungian
Structural/Morphological Theory
Performance-centered approaches; Semiotic


Requirements: Two exams (partly take-home type)
One term paper