A co-authored project from Professor Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrook, both of the University of Hertfordshire, Folklore is a book seeking to form a comprehensive guide to British folklore, new and old. The book has received glowing reviews for its success in this regard, and I was excited to see what the authors had to say about their work as folklorists, particularly within the context of an emerging craze.
The discussion began with how the authors found themselves interested in folklore. While Dr Houlbrook came at the subject from a personal point of view and is now a lecturer in history and folklore, Professor Davies entered the field through a more scholarly route by way of social history. Treating folklore as a subset of social history, the study of everyday life throughout time, was well supported by the wealth of expertise both speakers brought to the subject. The history of folklore study itself was seeded throughout the talk, and its twin origins with anthropology revealed much about how it has been kept out of the academy for too long.
Initially not including a definition of folklore in the book, both speakers were hesitant to pin down their own definitions. Houlbrook offered a vague but easily recalled quote, whereby folklore is “the customs we practice, the stories we tell, the beliefs we hold,” which captured well the intrinsically broad and inclusive nature of folklore. This became increasingly relevant when discussing modern attempts to reclaim or create folklore and mythology, particularly around nationalism. Davies was keen to warn of a path for folklore that was too prescriptive, excluding minorities or even majority demographics that don’t fit preconceived notions of ‘correct’ practice, a “forging of identity through the other.” Both Houlbrook and Davies saw a brighter path for folklore to follow: one of inclusivity and co-operative reclaiming of past traditions that isn’t afraid of a little inauthenticity. Houlbrook especially dismissed the idea of an “authentic” folkloric tradition, and I was pleased to see them touch on the fact that folklore and mythology has always been reinvented and readapted, and that this is how it stays alive.
Part of this open-mindedness towards what folklore could be allowed for novel and interesting conversations regarding topics like online folklore, and how the globalisation of folklore can create new and diverse ‘localities’ for folkloric tradition. Mentions of creepypastas like Slenderman and social media trends, including the life cycle of memes, demonstrated that Houlbrook and Davies had approached the topic of folklore with enthusiasm throughout the entire subject.
The talk was bookended by mentions of the National Folklore Survey, a soon to be released data set looking to enhance study of national views of folklore. With all three speakers of this event involved, including interviewer David Clarke, it was an excellent insight into what promises to be an exciting development in folklore scholarship, an increasingly respected and relevant topic. The audience were treated to some snippets of this upcoming survey, such as how age groups and religion have interesting links to folkloric belief.
Overall, the talk by Ceri Houlbrook and Owen Davies was an enlightening hour on the subject of folklore as a growing academic subject. While the masters program they administer at the University of Hertfordshire is as of yet the only one of its kind in the UK, growing interest promises big things for the subject in the future. While I wish we had heard more of the contents of the book itself, I left feeling better informed and excited for the burgeoning field of folkloric research.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
