The prime aim of this thesis has been to use the folklore of north east Scotland to attempt some degree of reconstruction of our rural past. 3his has been done by consulting collections of folk song and folklore, and then using these to understand rural society. Such a process is of a necessity two way; the folklore illuminates and enhances our understanding of the society and vice versa. Basically, the thesis consists of an examination of siAch folkloric phenomena as the big ballads, the bothy ballads, the horseman's word, the folklore of women especially with regard to reproduction, the bawdy tradition, and the effect on the folk tradition of such 'alien features' as professionalism and prints. I have used these artifacts in a manner which tries to relate folklore and changes in folklore to social structure and development. I have attempted to unearth some of the feeling of the past, trying to find out how folklore provided support, solace and advice to ordinary folk, and how it often relayed opposition to the domineering influences of official society. In effect I have tried to move away from the text and origin dominated approach of most folklorists to a more 'folklore in society' approach, I have also stressed the essentially pre-capitalist nature of the sociel structures where folklore plays such a vibrant role. Implicit in this is a belief in capitalism's destructive effect on the old culture. However I end on a fairly optimistic note, pointing out some folklore forms still survive.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:593188 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Creators | Munro, Robert W. |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU319114 |
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