Folklore as an Historical Science

A pioneering argument that folklore, the tales, customs, and beliefs of a people, can be read as genuine historical evidence.

At a glance It sets out a method for treating tradition as a record of the past rather than mere… Long before folklore was a settled academic field, this book made a bold case for taking… It argues that the songs, superstitions, customs, and half-remembered rites of ordinary… What it's about The study lays out folklore's claim to be a science, proposing that…

The study lays out folklore's claim to be a science, proposing that traditional beliefs and practices preserve traces of earlier stages of society.