Kolm nädalat rekkakabiinis

Author(s): Asta Niinemets / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 30/2005

Long-distance drivers are a special kind of people. There are not many who find this kind of job acceptable or even agreeable. Still, thousands of road trains are daily racing along the roads, taking goods to the destination. A cursory glance at the work of truck drivers may suggest that their life is romantic and adventurous: they load on the cargo, enter the destination address in the computer and race to the destination, harassing smaller vehicles on the way. A better insight into the life on the road and the minds of truck drivers can be obtained from the truck drivers' log books. Two cargo travels on the highways of Europe (one from Sweden to France, and the other to Spain) offer an altogether different travel experience than can be obtained on a guided tourist trip.

Libamütoloogilised taevakaardid

Author(s): Andres Kuperjanov / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 30/2005

The aim of this artice is to observe the evolution of descriptions of the starry sky. The star chart is viewed as a mental composition, a collection of symbols that allows us to orient in the starry sky by following a complete narrative storyline. Different possibilities for the emergence of such stories and the astral mythological nature of these stories are discussed. The nature and refinement of different layers of folk astronomical constellations is studied in depth. The article will be published in English in issue 31 of "Folklore. An Electronic Journal of Folklore."

Kosmiline jaht. Põhja-Ameerika müüdi Siberi variandid

Author(s): Yuri E. Berezkin / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 30/2005

The mythological motif of the Cosmic Hunt (F59.2) is characteristic of northern and central Eurasia and the Americas but seems to be missing in other parts of the globe. Two distinct Eurasian versions demonstrate North-American parallels at the level of minor details which could be explained only by particular historic links between the corresponding traditions. According to the first variant, three stars of the handle of the Big Dipper are hunters and the dipper itself is an animal (elk in Siberia, bear in North America), while Alcor (a weak star near Mizar, which is the second star of the handle), occupies a special place in this picture. Its association with a dog (Orochon Evenk, Udeghe, Oroch, Lillooet, Coastal Salish, Wasco, Mohawks, Delaware, Fox) and especially with a cooking pot (Khakas, Khanty, Selkup, Ket, the northern and western groups of Evenk, Seneca, Cherokee) carried by the second hunter is highly specific and could not emerge independently in Asia and in the New World. According to the second variant of the Cosmic Hunt motif, the stars of the Orion's Belt represent three (sometimes one) deer, antelopes, mountain sheep or buffaloes. The hunter is Rigel or some other star or constellation below the Orion's Belt. Hunter's arrow has pierced the game and is seen either as the red star Betelgeuze (in Asia) or as the stars of Orion's Head (in America). Both in Asia (Hinduism, Tibetans, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Kirgiz, Tuva, Teleut, Altai, Telengit, Khakas, Tofa, Buryat, Mongol) and in North America (Gros Ventre, Cahuilla, Paviotso, Chemehuevi, Ute, Yavapai, Mohave, Maricopa, Kiliwa, Seri, Western Apache, Mescalero, Lipan), the second version of the Cosmic Hunt is localised further away from the Bering Strait than the first variant. It is an argument in favour of its slightly later introduction into the New World. Both episodes, however, probably date to the first settling of the New World; their absence in the circum-Beringian region excludes the possibility of their late spread. Unlike both these versions, the circum-Arctic one(s) (hunter or game are associated with Orion or the Pleiades) are represented by neighbouring traditions which form almost a continuous chain from the Lapps to the Polar Inuit. This version is not recorded among the Yupik Eskimo and could have been brought across the American Arctic with the spread of Tule Eskimo after 1000 AD.

Fish: Concerning Characters and Action

Author(s): Virve Sarapik / Language(s): English Issue: 14/2000

The Dagaaba-Frafra Joking Relationship

Author(s): Joseph Yelepuo Wegru / Language(s): English Issue: 14/2000

The Kind Tiger and the Truthful Cow: Folk Discourse in Oral and Written Literature

Author(s): Mahendra Kumar Mishra / Language(s): English Issue: 14/2000

Inventing the Text: A Critique of Folklore Editing

Author(s): David E. Gay / Language(s): English Issue: 14/2000

Some historical layers in the customs of St. Lawrence's Day

Author(s): Mall Hiiemäe / Language(s): English Issue: 3/1997

Oh, my pretty hair

Author(s): Kristi Salve / Language(s): English Issue: 3/1997

Time models in Estonian traditional and literary Ballads

Author(s): Arne Merilai / Language(s): English Issue: 3/1997

Little Mos'-woman: the story of a (fairy-)tale

Author(s): Aado Lintrop / Language(s): English Issue: 3/1997

Vokalna glazbena tradicija Kreševa, Fojnice i Busovače

Author(s): Dražan Milas,Lidija Vladić Mandarić / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 19/2015

The approach to the topic primarily relates to the research and gathering, and subsequent study of the vocal music tradition of the urban environments of Kreševo, Fojnica and Busovača. The culture of living in the said places used to be very rich and versatile, which is born out by the melodies that we came by thanks to the talks with still living inhabitants of these places, who told us about the customs and the rich music tradition they belonged to. In the talks with them we were anxious to come by the greatest number possible of the data that would give us a general picture of the life and customs in the central Bosnia. We especially point out the wealth of the vocal music tradition; generally we are anxious to retrieve from oblivion some melodies and customs, to remind of their beauty and of the place they occupied in the life of our ancestors.

Tradicijske mjere u zapadnoj Hercegovini

Author(s): Zorica Jurilj / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 19/2015

The paper deals with the traditional metrology, with popular measures in the Western Herzegovina; with how people measured their work and life, and what parameters they used. The measures are interesting and are viewed in the ethnological, anthropological, linguistic and Biblical context. A large number of measures have got lost in today’s metrological system, but they are worth as a remembrance of a time and as a witness of human ingenuity in technical impossibilities. Also pointed out is the ethic dimension of the measuring system which with its greatest part relied on God’s “arshins”.

ORALITY THEORY

Author(s): Eugen Petre Sandu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2012

TATAR GELENEKSEL ÇALGILARININ HALK EDEBİ YATINDAKİ GÖRÜNÜŞ LERİ

Author(s): Çulpan Zaripova Çetin / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 03/2009

The earliest evidence concerning the traditional instruments of Tatar Turks derives from the litereature such as mythological narrative, story and legend which renders the excellent information about the life style, traditions and the musical instruments of a society. Besides, this literature contains not only the names of the instruments but also the means of their production and its circumstances (when the heroes had troubles and longed for their contries and beloveds). It is because of the fact that most of the stories, myths and legends appeared during the nomadic life of Tatars, the instruments used by them represent the ones common for all the Turkic nomadic societies: kopuz, dombra, drum, saz, sornay, kuray (pipe). However, the musical instruments used by Tatar Turks modifies: ckripka (violin) and garmun (similar to accordion) becomes more popular than kopuz and ckripka (keman) and dombra. Both Dombra and kuray naturally do not lose their popularity. Both kuray and garmun are known in present days, which are played in the national festivals and traditional banquets of Tatar Turks and recall their nomadic life style. Garmun is mentioned in ballads and in traditional Turkish quatrain forms more than in stories.

Ucieczka z miasta

Author(s): Daniel Muzyczuk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2009

An attempt to characterize the reasons why artists abandon the city. Besides the straighjacket of social norms or conventions and specific cultural systems they are looking for artistic authenticity and a tool for fighting with a certain model of culture which is represented by big city life.

Lucim żyje!!!

Author(s): Monika Weychert Waluszko / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02/2009

The story of “Akcja Lucim” activities which initiated “Działania Lucimskie”. To dissociate themselves from the rhetorics of power and the aesthetic that was de rigueur in Polish art of the ‘70ties young artists were looking for an alternative place for their artistic activities. A small village located near Tuchola Forest became the space where they were able to react to tensions between the presence of various elements of broadly defined folk culture and mass culture.

Mõningaid mõtteid kunstist, Kristjan Rauast ja vanavara kogumisest

Author(s): Kärt Summatavet / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 37/2007

The article explores the problems which emerged in professional art education during the 20th century in order to explain the reasons for the unpopularity of artistic creation dealing with local visual identity in Estonia in the last decade of the century. The article also investigates the activities of artists who worked at interpreting and collecting tangible heritage at the beginning of the 20th century. The application of empirical experience and artistic categories in linking folk art and professional art is examined in the folklore-related creative and pedagogical work of Kristjan Raud. The methods and goals of interpreting folklore that dominated professional art education at the beginning of and in the second half of the 20th century are compared. The possibilities of fieldwork methods available for examining the repertoires of the authors of artefacts in traditional communities and for their use in the search for sources of inspiration are explained. While in the last few years, elements of ethnology and folklore have experienced a rising trend in the world’s high fashion, design and contemporary arts, Estonia has devoted little attention to its own traditions in the 21st century. The deeper roots of the problem lie in the limited understanding of culture and history among the younger generation and the lukewarm interest of art politicians in artistic creation that deals with the local identity. Estonian artists working at the beginning of the 20th century were transmitters of tradition and had more direct ties to folklore as a source of inspiration. Kristjan Raud encouraged his young colleagues and art students to participate in the collection of folklore and traditional objects in villages and most of the prominent artists of that period made at least one fieldtrip to collect tangible heritage for the Estonian National Museum. Raud emphasized that the artefacts decorated with the patterns of previous generations were inspired by profound ideas and were not arranged randomly. He was convinced that the previous generations expressed in their creative work old spiritual values, profound feelings and the experience of everyday life, they had great artistic talent; Raud also pointed out the educational, developmental and artistically directing influence of tangible heritage.

Kuradite vägitegudest Äänisjärve idarannikul

Author(s): Enn Ernits / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 37/2007

The article discusses the link between rock-carvings of Lake Onega in one of their locations, Cape Besov Nos, and five legends about devils. These are mostly new interpretations of etiological legends. The stories describe the origin of a rock island near the cape and the birth of some petroglyphs (the giant anthropomorphic figure of Cape Besov Nos, and representations resembling sun and staff). The legends discuss the devils’ conflict with Christianity, their flight and perdition. One legend contains the motif of how the devil may crawl into a vessel if it does not have a lid or a cross-sign made on it. The weakening of the association of the local population with petroglyphs and the influence of Christianity led to the identification of the giant anthropomorphic figure with devil and the belief that smaller figures were made by devils. The motif of a devil in a kvass vessel seems to share common elements with the hagiography of the first bishop of Novgorod (12th century), which was probably known also in the areas beyond Lake Onega. The article attempts to refute the chrestomatic view that the cross-sign on the anthropomorphic figure and a swan representation at Cape Besov Nos has been carved by monks of the Saviour Monastery of Murom in the 14th century or later, because the Besov village remained outside the sphere of influence of the said monastery. It is more likely that it was carved in the 16th century or later by the clergy of Shala and Nigizhma.

Naiskangelased korea müütides

Author(s): Jinseok Seo / Language(s): Estonian Issue: 37/2007

The article discusses the structure of Korean legends as representative of female heroism, the purpose of which was to instil courage and hope in women at the time, and thereby proves that Korean legends are not merely a passive reflection of the social situation but serve an active function of influencing the society in a particular way and arranging the illogical social organisation. In addition, the article studies the heroism of Korean women in legends glorifying their beauty and dignity. In Korean legends, women are mostly perceived as passive mediators whose function is to give birth to heroes. But there are also other legends, which have been passed on throughout the long history, the nature and structure of which is analogous to European legends. Perhaps there have been other such legends, but they have not been preserved owing to the fact that the Korean society has been long dominated by men or nobility. The myths and legends are not merely simple representations of Korean society at the time, but serve as antisocial messages by shamans of the lowest social stratum, who lived under double pressure. Their message was that all people are born equal and share equal human rights, and they ridiculed the hypocrisy of the nobility, who harshly criticised shamans but eventually followed their advice.