As interest in folklore increases, the folktale acquires greater significance for students and teachers of literature. The material is massive and scattered; thus, few students or teachers have accessibility to other than small segments or singular tales or material they find buried in archives. Stith Thompson has divided his book into four sections which permit both the novice and the teacher to examine oral tradition and its manifestation in folklore. The introductory section discusses the nature and forms of the folktale. A comprehensive second part traces the folktale geographically from Ireland to India, giving culturally diverse examples of the forms presented in the first part. The examples are followed by the analysis of several themes in such tales from North American Indian cultures. The concluding section treats theories of the folktale, the collection and classification of folk narrative, and then analyzes the living folklore process. This work will appeal to students of the sociology of literature, professors of comparative literature, and general readers interested in folklore.
The Life of Stith Thompson as revealed in these pages was in some ways ordinary, in others extraordinary. Reading through A Folklorist's Progress one sees clearly the contours of an academic life in the midcentury United States. In an efficient manner, Professor Thompson portrays the rounds of an academic of the period, planning for courses, establishing and revising programs, attending international meetings and conferences, working ideas into publications. He also describes the social domain with its cycle of parties, receptions, visits, and social clubs. These autobiographical pages paint an engaging portrait of community organized around the life of the intellect. But not every scholar has the opportunity to found an academic field, and in this light the career of Stith Thompson veers toward the extraordinary. Obituaries described Thompson as ""the father of folklore"", a journalistic label that, with some qualifications, epitomizes his scholarly career. While folklore studies existed in Europe well before Thompson's lifetime, it was Stith Thompson who, in 1949, conceived of a doctoral degree program in folklore, the first in the U.S. Stith Thompson's success in securing support for the unknown discipline of folklore was due to his stature in the academic community, his skill in dealing with the administrative structure of an American university, and his ties to funding agencies, the state department, and scholarly societies all over the world.
DIVNearly 100 myths and legends of heroes, journeys to the other world, animal wives and husbands, and even biblical subjects include "The Woman Who Fell from the Sky" (Seneca), "The Star Husband" (Ojibwa), "Crossing the Red Sea" (Cheyenne), and scores more. /div
This monumental work has now become... the indispensable tool of all folk narrative scholars."" -- Southern Folklore Quarterly ""A work of this kind can never be quite complete, but in this work Stith Thompson has approached perfection."" -- Volkskunde ""An invaluable aid to students and scholars... "" -- Reference & Research Book News Indiana University Press, with the generous support of the L. J. and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, is pleased to announce the republication of this folklore classic, in honor of the centenary of the American Folklore Society.
This monumental work has now become... the indispensable tool of all folk narrative scholars." --Southern Folklore Quarterly "A work of this kind can never be quite complete, but in this work Stith Thompson has approached perfection." --Volkskunde "An invaluable aid to students and scholars... " --Reference & Research Book News Indiana University Press, with the generous support of the L. J. and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, is pleased to announce the republication of this folklore classic, in honor of the centenary of the American Folklore Society.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.