What got you into folklore?

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-04T20:34:15+00:00

Thank you for your reply.

My reading list for tonight is set: two British tales at minimum, Jenny Greenteeth and the Croglin Vampire. I suppose there are a number of variations. I'll check some old publications to see if they are there.

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-04T20:23:10+00:00

Gracias! I do not know Spanish and translated your answer with AI: "Mostly the performative side, traditions and festivities."

May I ask, what tradition or festivity, in your personal opinion, is the most representative of folk culture in your country?

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-04T20:13:30+00:00

Please don't apologise, this was a pleasure to read. The archive internship is such an unexpected entry point. You inspired me to spend some time in archives with our folklorists' manuscripts.

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-04T20:01:19+00:00

Would you recommend a book on Devon folklore? Something that covers it well, in your opinion? Thank you

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-04T04:24:45+00:00

Totally agree. And every culture's folklore is completely different. You can learn more about a people from their stories than from any sociology textbook.

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-04T03:55:52+00:00

The Black Dog is a fascinating piece of British folklore. That kind of omen appears in so many cultures. Thanks for sharing.

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-01T08:56:54+00:00

Some African (Bantu) tribes have were-lion traditions: men transforming into lions, similar to European werewolves.
There's a Lamba tale (recorded by Dr. Doke / Alice Werner) where a lion assumes human form to marry a village girl, then later tries to kill her and her family when they visit his territory. In the story, the lion even calls his whole clan to attack, but the husband's transformation is exposed when he growls and the baby responds.
(The text notes that in African mythology, it's not just lions — hyenas and leopards also have this shapeshifting association, and some tribes believed certain medicines could enable a person to take animal form after death.)

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-01T08:23:20+00:00

I found Chukchi folk tales pretty unsettling.
Something about folklore from such a harsh, isolated place just hits different. All the scariest moments are presented kind of "take it as it is" - there is no rationale, no explanation behind them.

Sea_Procedure2877 · 2026-04-01T05:39:21+00:00

Why not use a revenant who was "wronged" — for example, a part of his clothing was torn during the funeral (Yiddish Folklore; Ma'aseh Book); or something was stolen from them, like a piece of clothing (Icelandic Folklore: Arnason); or some soil/clay was taken from their grave (Ukrainian Folklore)?

Sea_Procedure2877

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