Supernatural Folklore Flashcards
What is Folklore?
Beliefs or customs that are passed down through generation primarily through oral tradition
What did early scholars view as folklore?
Part of everyday life
What are characteristics to help define folklore today?
Stories that are learned through oral tradition or performance
Who are the folk?
-European peasants
-Uneducated people
-Native Americans
What is the difference between pop and elite culture?
Pop culture is everyday life lived through mass media
Elite culture is having more access
3 Major Genres of folklore
- Myth: considered true
2.Legend: told are true or false, told about real people and place
3.Folktale: passed down by oral tradition, includes fairies
Features of haunted houses.
Example from folk, pop and elite.
Old, abandoned, broken parts on house
Folk: walking house on chicken legs
Pop: Movies, Adams family
What is liminality? Examples.
Betwixt and between.
Ex. basement, attic, bathroom
3 Major belief genres
- Folk
- Pop Culture
- Elite Culture
Characteristics of a legend
-Told about real people and places
-Told as true or false
Characteristics of a myth
-Sacred narrative
-Told as true
What is a memorate?
Personal experience narrative about a supernatural encounter.
What is ostension? Example
People act out themes or events found in folklore
Ex. Devils Tramping Ground
What is legend tripping? Example
People travel to the place where a supernatural event was believed to take place
Ex. Rail Road Children
What is a relational believer?
Someone who believes something based on logic
What is the relationship between tradition and belief?
-Shared stories/events
-Can be invented but also die out
Cultural Source Hypothesis
People are influenced by their culturally informed beliefs
Experimental Source Hypothesis
The experience people describe should be taken at face value
What is Worldview?
The way we understand ourselves and our relationship to the world around us
What is a moccasin telegraph? Example
Network of native permutation supernatural communication
Ex. Through native Americans
What is a fairy?
-Fallen angels
-Wondering dead
Where do you find fairies?
Fairy rings, megalith and rath
What do fairies do?
Dance, play, sing, attend wedding and funerals, ride horses
What is changeling? Examples
Old fairy baby who takes place of a young human baby.
Ex. The Good People and Irish Fairies
How has the views of witches/witchcraft changed over time?
In modern time it seems to be mostly women who will just curse people instead of older times when witches used to help find stolen items and help heal the wounded
3 Types of Appalachian Witchery
Examples
- White Witchery
- Black Witchery
- Witch Doctoring
Ex. Uses all natural things for healing
What is commodification? Examples
Belief given in exchange value for something that can be bought, traded or sold
Ex. Shirts or cups with the belief printed on it
What is trivialization? Examples
Belief traditions that are made to seem over the top
ex. Hollywood movies vs folklore
What is a cryptid? Examples
creature belonging to unconfirmed species
What is cryptozoology? Examples
The study of unconfirmed species
What is a hybrid? Examples
Product of cross breeding
Ex. Ligers and tigons
What is a cyborg? Examples
A hybrid that is part human part machine
What is species problem?
Failure of biologist arrangement of identification for half human half machines
What is bigfoot?
Large, hairy, heavy, tall, big foot creature
Theories of bigfoot
-Largely footed
-Becomes harmful if disturbed
Evidence of big foot
-Large lock of hair
-Unusual large footprints
