Article

Name: Conceptions of Non-tale Prose Genres in American Folkloristics

Authors: J. Rouhier-Willoughby

In the section Прозаический фольклор

Abstract: This article provides an overview of non-tale prose, with an emphasis on legend, memorate and fabulate, in Ameri-can and Western European folkloristics. It addresses the complexity of defining these genres in general and how that fact has complicated their study in the scholarly tradition. It traces the development of approaches to non-tale prose from the 1960s on and examines how North American and European specialists have approached it. The approach to legend shifted considerably when the Hungarian scholars Linda Dégh and Andrew Vásonyí immigrated to the United States and began researching legend in the American context. They argue that legend is not primarily a textual genre, but a process designed to foster debate about belief, the nature of reality, and contentious social issues. They were the first to study the important role of ostension in these narratives, e.g., how legend (and its subgenres) promotes taking action among listeners. Legend prompts people to take ostensive actions of various kinds, from engaging in the so-called “legend trip” as well as protective measures to guard against dangers described in legends, even when the legends are not believed by the tellers. That is, many today dismiss the stories as “urban legends” or “urban myths,” to indicate their status as untrue. Nevertheless, they behave differently as a result of the stories. Therefore, non-tale prose (broadly described as legend in Western Europe and North America) not only provides the context for an exploration of belief, but fosters the creation of reality and how people understand it. While the process of legendry is intimately connected to narratives, this process cannot be divorced from the text if one is to have a complete understanding of the genres, their content, and social functions. The article provides an example from Frank de Caro’s analysis of a popular New Orleans legend to illustrate this approach. The social history and relationships revealed by this supernatural legend are more than just a debate about ghosts and their existence, although that plays a part in the popularity of the legend. Rather, the legend provides an op-portunity, in the New Orleans’ context, to debate about the legacy of slavery and inequality in the city. As a result, this narrative opens the door to discussion of a sensitive topic from various perspectives, and teller chooses which aspect of the story to emphasize to communicate their opinions on this shameful period in US history.

Keywords: North American and Western European folkloristics, сontemporary approaches, conceptions of non-tale prose

Bibliography:

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Dégh L. Legend and Belief. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001.

Dégh L., Vásonyi A. Does the Word ‘Dog’ Bite? Ostensive Action: A Means of Legend Telling. Journal of Folklore Research, 1983, no. 20 (iss.1), pp. 5–34.

Tucker E. Haunted Halls: Ghostlore of American College Campuses. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2007.