Folklore and the Nation
Introduction
It is no accident that interest in folk heritage coincided with the period of Romantic nationalism in Europe. From the very start the search for national origins and national identity was inextricably linked with a desire to uncover the 'authentic' culture of the people. To this day, stories, myths and traditions play an important role in providing a sense of national community, identity and belonging, though this has become more complex and controversial in an era of mass migration and multiculturalism.
In this seminar we will examine the links between folklore and nationalism and the ways in which folklore has been used and abused in the development and articulation of European national identities.
Seminar Questions
- Why was folklore so important to the Romantic nationalists of 19th century Europe?
- What is the relationship between folklore and the nation today?
Required Reading
Baycroft, Timothy, 'Introduction' in Timothy Baycroft and David Hopkin, eds, (Leiden, 2012)
Davies, Owen, and Ceri Houlbrook, (Manchester, 2025), Chapter 13.
Gunnell, Terry, 'Grimm Ripples: The Role of the Grimms' Deutsche Sagen in the Collection and Creation of National Folk Narratives in Northern Europe', in Matthew Cheeseman and Carina Hart, eds, , (London, 2022), 22-47
Further Reading
- Alessio, Dominic, and Robert Wallis (Manchester, 2025)
Bendix, Regina, In Search of Authenticity: The Formation of Folklore Studies (Madison, WI, 1997)
Davies, Norman, 'Polish National Mythologies' in Hosking, G. and Sch枚pflin, G. (eds.) Myths and nationhood (London, 1997)
Fulbrook, Mary, 'Myth-Making and National Identity: The Case of the GDR' in Hosking, G. and Sch枚pflin, G. (eds.) Myths and nationhood (London, 1997)
Mandler, Peter, 鈥樷�淩ace鈥� and 鈥淣ation鈥� in mid-Victorian Thought鈥� in Stefan Collini; Richard Whatmore; B. W. Young (eds.), History, religion, and culture: British intellectual history 1750-1950 (London, 2000)
Wilson, William A., 'Folklore, Nationalism and the Challenge of the Future' in William A. Wilson, (Logan, UT, 2006)
Wilson, Andrew, 'Myths of National History in Belarus and Ukraine' in Hosking, G. and Sch枚pflin, G. (eds.) Myths and nationhood (London, 1997)
Electronic Resources
, dir. by James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty (Mountain View Productions, et al., 2006)