Mennofolk2: A Sampler of Mennonite & Amish Folklore

by Ervin Beck (Editor)

MennoFolk2 follows Ervin Beck’s popular and critically welcomed MennoFolk. This second book offers 17 new studies of folklore that represents small subgroups of Mennonites and Amish, rather than their culture at large. Here you will find a wide range of age groups, geographic locations, religious subgroups, and folklore genres. Includes Allen White’s Bedtime Stories, Arthur Emmert’s Horse-Trading Stories, and Nicknames in the Lockport Church, all of which makes interesting, revealing reading. "With MennoFolk2, Ervin Beck and his students offer an invitation to explore the informal history, culture, and traditions of Mennonite and Amish communities. So much has been written about the purely religious and social history of the Mennonites and Amish, and so little about the texture of their rich folk cultural life. Perhaps it is time to devote attention to documenting the traditional practices that reinforce community and give meaning to its members." —From the Foreword by Catherine Hiebert Kerst, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

247 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2005

Reviews

[marcus miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting collection of folk stories and traditions emerging from Beck's classes at Goshen College. The chapters were written by different students so some there is some disparity in quality.