The Dynamics of Folklore

by Barre Toelken

One of the most comprehensive and widely praised introductions to folklore ever written. Toelken's discussion of the history and meaning of folklore is delivered in straightforward language, easily understood definitions, and a wealth of insightful and entertaining examples. Toelken emphasizes dynamism and variety in the vast array of folk expressions he examines, from "the biology of folklore," to occupational and ethnic lore, food ways, holidays, personal experience narratives, ballads, myths, proverbs, jokes, crafts, and others. Chapters are followed by bibliographical essays, and over 100 photographs illustrate the text. This new edition is accessible to all levels of folklore study and an essential text for classroom instruction.

Genres: Folklore, Nonfiction

456 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[B. Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a common misconception that folklore is antiquated, rustic, backwards, old, country. Folklore instead is the sharing of tradition and knowledge - it's jokes, memes, birthday parties, ghost stories, songs, quilting bees, the list goes on. As the title would suggest, it is a dynamic area of study.

I appreciated the cultural sensitively Barre Toelken displayed in his studies. This sensitivity, to be quite frank, was ahead of its time. For a man born in 1935 and who has since passed in 2018, he approached other cultures with respect and listened to their wishes. This is a man who learned the Navajo language and was an adoptive family member. He cared. Deeply. You could tell.

I was impressed by how he outlined what an ethical folklorist should do. That not all knowledge should be shared, that cultures and their active participants should be listened to. Because that's one of the points he made quite clearly in this - that while some may scoff, these traditions are important to the tradition-bearers.

"This is a good example of an entirely irresolvable dilemma, one that has grown more acute through the years because folklore and anthropological field researchers have assumed the right of access to traditional materials and have assumed the right to publish or disseminate those materials however they saw fit without regard to the hesitancies, codes, taboos, and ritual concerns of the real owners of those stories. ... That they feel dislocated and hurt while we only register embarrassment is a clear indication of our differences in worldview. It is also testimony to the abuse of power."

"Their refusal to tape their stories might be thought of as a loss by some folklorists, but in their reasoning lies an important lesson, perhaps the most important of all for any folklorist: the people’s integrity and the dynamics of their folklore are realities central to our profession."

I just... serious respect to this man.

I knocked off a star only because the technology chapter is obviously outdated. The rest of the information is good though. You can learn a lot about of the processes of folklore from this book and how to analyze and approach it.

[Garrett Zecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent introduction of the world of folklore. Reading this along with books like "Number Our Days" and some of Oring's work, and speaking with other folkorists, I was able to use all of these resources successfully in understanding what my goals were in my own fieldwork. This book is the ultimate tome in what folklore is, why it is important, and what you should try to get through your research. It was excellent, and I am really happy that I chose it as my keystone in my research before beginning my work... Excellent. Toelken is one of the fathers of folklore, and it is apparent in this text.