Article
Folklore
Yoel Shalom Perez
Summary: The article discusses the benefits of using databases to organize folklore materials found on the internet, including folktale archives, motif databases, and books. It examines existing examples of folklore databases on the internet and explores the potential for establishing an open system of folklore databases and other projects that involve folklorists from around the world.
Book Review
Folklore
Zoltan Magyar
Article
Folklore
Julien d'Huy, Jean-Loic Le Quellec, Marc Thuillard, Yuri E. Berezkin, Patrice Lajoye, Jun'ichi Oda
Summary: There is a new trend in comparative mythology that uses statistics to reconstruct the (pre)history of myths and mythological motifs and understand their evolution. The convergence of results obtained by different approaches allows for the intertwining of multiple strands of evidence. This paper aims to summarize the research, with a focus on motifs in the first part and different versions of the same myth in the second part.
Editorial Material
Folklore
Gerhard Lauer
Article
Folklore
Johan Eklund, Josh Hagedorn, Sandor Daranyi
Summary: Computational motif detection in folk narratives is a challenging task due to the fluid nature of motifs and the lack of adequate training data. This study uses the Support Vector Machine algorithm on a test collection of annotated folktales to predict text membership in different categories. The results show high F-1 scores for most tale types, except for type 275, which has a low precision rate despite a perfect recall rate.
Article
Folklore
Christoph Schmitt, Alf-Christian Schering
Summary: This article discusses the digital transformation of Richard Wossidlo's ethnographic and linguistic collection into WossiDiA research environment. The Digital Wossidlo Archive utilizes a hypergraph database to showcase handwritten sources and their indexing, effectively representing the diversity and delicate nature of the tradition archive. The paper also explores the preservation of proprietary properties, compatibility with big data scenarios, and the enrichment of ethnographic fieldnotes through a dragnet detection-like method.
Article
Folklore
Theo Meder, Petra Himstedt-Vaid, Holger Meyer
Summary: ISEBEL is an online database that contains over 70,000 traditional legends in Dutch, Frisian, Danish, and German, with an additional 6,000 Icelandic legends being added. The project was initiated by the Meertens Institute, University of Rostock/Wossidlo Research Center, and UCLA/UC Berkeley. It aims to create a European database with an intelligent search function and geographical visualizations. The search engine is considered 'intelligent' because it offers English search capability through automatic translations. This article also provides examples of international legends about mermaids and werewolves.
Article
Folklore
Jeana Jorgensen
Summary: This study uses quantitative methods to examine feminist claims about beauty in ATU 510A Cinderella texts. The study finds that youth and beauty are correlated, and the encounter between the protagonist and the donor figure does not enhance her beauty but rather provides her with tools for social advancement. Investigating the connections between gender, beauty, and success is important in both fictional and real-world contexts, as it addresses societal norms and the issue of gender-based violence faced by women perceived as beautiful.
Article
Folklore
Gessica Sakamoto Martini, Jeremy Kendal, Jamshid Johari Tehrani
Summary: This case study applies phylomemetic methods from computational biology to trace the mutation and diversification of the Cinderella folk narrative. The study tests theories proposed by Anna Birgitta Rooth on 266 versions of Cinderella using Bayesian phylogenetic inference, phylogenetic networks, and a model-based clustering method. The results show support for Rooth's types and indicate widespread mixing among traditions, particularly in Type AB tales. The study highlights the value and versatility of phylomemetic methods in uncovering historical relationships and evolutionary processes in international folktales.
Article
Folklore
James Abello, Peter M. M. Broadwell, Timothy R. R. Tangherlini, Haoyang Zhang
Summary: The ATU tale type index and the Motif Index of Folk-Literature have been widely used for small-scale folktale studies, but there are few studies on indexing large-scale linguistically and culturally unified collections. This study uses 2606 recognized ATU tales to create a network graph with 19738 nodes and 28292 edges, providing a large-scale overview of the Danish folktale tradition. It also introduces two novel interrelated network decomposition methods for studying folktale collections at the corpus scale.
Article
Folklore
Violetta Krawczyk-Wasilewska
Summary: The article provides a brief history of Polish folk tales, tracing their origins from oral traditions to today's digital collections. It describes the storytelling tradition in Poland, discusses the folk tale collections and research tradition, and introduces the current digital folk tale archives in detail. The focus of the article is on the recent development of online folk tale indexes and collections, showcasing the rich Polish folk tale documentation and scholarship as an important part of the European and global intangible heritage in the digital age.
Book Review
Folklore
Attila Mateffy
Book Review
Folklore
[Anonymous]
Article
Folklore
Damien Donnellan
Summary: This article explores the history and cultural heritage of the Galway Hooker, as well as the work of the Galway Hooker Sailing Club. By advocating for the use of ecomuseology, the article promotes the preservation of local cultural heritage and sustainable development.
FOLK LIFE-JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Folklore
Brendan C. Walsh
Summary: The folk legends of clergymen confronting terrifying apparitions in rural England lack substantial historical or theological legitimacy. The literary accounts of clergy exorcising spirits in the early modern period are often satirical or polemical, and actually originated in Victorian sensationalist folklore developed to serve literary or political agendas.
Article
Folklore
Sasa Babic, Piret Voolaid
Summary: This article interprets Estonian and Slovenian proverbs related to alcohol and drinking in their broader sociocultural context, and analyzes the controversies embedded in these proverbs. It examines how these culturally metaphorical units fit into the ethnic pretext, focusing on national culture, gender and family dynamics, and the ambivalence surrounding drinking.
Book Review
Folklore
Howard Huws
FOLK LIFE-JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Folklore
Doaa K. Riziq, Hana O. Khalil
Summary: This study examines gender and family-related proverbs in Jordanian Arabic, using Hofstede's dimensions of culture to interpret the culturally specific meanings inherent in these sayings. The analysis shows that there are similarities with other cultures in certain socio-cultural norms, suggesting the widespread presence of patriarchal values and norms across cultures, as revealed by these proverbs.
FOLK LIFE-JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES
(2023)
Biographical-Item
Folklore
Simon J. Bronner
Article
Folklore
Joanna Bochenska, Farangis Ghaderi
Summary: Folklore-collecting initiatives in Turkey and Iran have gained popularity, with Kurdish folklore playing a significant role in Kurdish history and national identity. Today, collectors view it as a means to protect the Kurdish language and promote indigenous knowledge production.
