SLFK 211, Thursday, November 7, 2002
Zipes paints a very negative picture
Almost anything that an individual works with will bear the "taint" of that individual
Be it folklore
Or written stories that have become traditional
Or even tales that purport to be collected rather than written
The taint esp. noticeable in today's American culture with its commercial intent
The CULTURE INDUSTRY
His picture is perhaps over pessimistic
To an extent this testifies to the power of the unconscious
To an extent it testifies to the power of culture
When Zipes first became a critic, deconstructionism was in vogue
Finding hidden agendas or hidden motives in the works of various writers, scholars, film makers, etc.
Thus Zipes is actually fulfilling the cultural imperative of his time
Finding all sorts of hidden agendas works esp. well for folklore because folklore is multifunctional
Always has many agendas
Many of which are at least half beneath the surface &endash; on the verge of the conscious
This does not necessarily make them bad, evil, or seditious
We tend to think bad, evil, sedition when it comes to
Cultural industry with its commercial intent and profit motvie
We think bad, evil, seditious when it comes to something like the Soviet regime
Acculturation intent
Teaching people to be good Soviet citizens
But to what extent is there any intent there?
With commercial culture industry
There are all sorts of attempts at effectiveness
Like focus groups
Which at least imply intent
With Soviet Union &endash; there was a Ministry of Culture which tried to promote Soviet everything
Including things that are normally in the realm of culture, like ritual
Soviet ritual book
When a product of the American culture industry works well, we think that it is a work of art, even though it sells well
And sells spin-offs like DVD's, toys, books, garments
Issue of product placement
When it is less successful &endash; Oh, they were just trying to sell X
So, Zipes is upholding the cultural norm rather than going against it
Lets look at something that is truly spontaneous
Not part of the culture industry
A TRUE folklore form &endash; and that is legends, urban and other
These too, uphold the culture rather than subverting it
And, like all folklore
They point to the problem areas
And express them
Offer psychological help by providing the opportunity for expression
Legends
These are short adult narratives (and teenage too)
True versus make-believe stories
Make-believe is folktale - which has its own kind of truth
True &endash; myth: stories of origins
Legends &endash; historical
Contemporary
Myth &endash; beginning of time
Historical legend &endash; distant past
Sten'ka Razin as a historical legend
Contemporary legends &endash; happen in the same time frame as the one in which the teller lives
May have happened to a parent, but basically contemporaneous, not centuries old
Collection in the 19th century &endash; same time as Afanas'ev
Collection now
Different attitude on the part of collectors
Current scholars have hard time taking current legends seriously
Time
beginning of the universe
several centuries ago
now, or time of parents
Genre
myth
historical legend
contemporary legend
urban legend
Place of collection
everywhere
in villages
in cities
in villages
in cities
Time of collection
always
19th century on
19th century on
only from the 1970's
Different attitude toward stories collected in the 19th century (same time as Afanas'ev) and those collected now, unless they are collected in villages and have subject matter similar to old stories
The terms we are using are only one set of possible terms - others are used, but the terms above will do for our purposes
Jan Harold Brunvand: he was the first person to make a big public splash with urban legends &endash; others had worked on this material before, but Brunvand first to get lots of media attention
Term urban legend comes from him
Folklorist who are being purists would probably prefer another term, but be that as it may
One of his contributions: structural devices - FOF
Validation &endash; contrast to distancing opening &endash; 3X9 kingdoms away, once upon a time
Implied interdiction
Interdiction violated
Consequences &endash; rather than resolution
Implied resolution in the sense that existing mores confirmed, status quo upheld
Possible validation, authentication again - and you can see ... etc.
Function &endash; multifunctional, just like tales
Not one function, but many
Perennial issues &endash; like relationship with parents, spouse
Issues connected to a certain time and place
Cars, new (and seemingly mysterious) technologies, like microwave, Pop Rocks
New issues &endash; fast food, trafficking in women, imported goods
Each narrative reflects not just one issue, but several
Has not just one "reading," but many
Connection to reality &endash; MAY have happened
Whether or not they did, they should have
Perhaps not real event, but real issue
My brother and the poison ivy
Recent baby in the microwave in Richmond
Run-over cat in Richmond
Alligators in the sewers - woman claims she saw one
Goldfish and "whitefish" in the Charles River
Before we do more urban legends &endash; some background
Relationship of legend to tale
Tale:
Once upon a time, 3X9 kingdoms away &endash; it is fiction
Secular
Actors are human or non-human
Tends to be told at night, told in the home
Audience is unrestricted (child as well as adult)
Opposite extreme is myth
Believed to be true, in fact a greater truth, a sacred truth
Sacred rather than secular
Happened a LONG time ago, in the beginning of time
Often are cosmogonic &endash; tell how the world came to be
Actors are NOT human &endash; they are gods
Told under very special, ritual circumstances
Audience is restricted &endash; told at coming of age
American examples of myth might be religious materials
At UVA, material related to Jefferson
Russian &endash; religious
And there are also a set of folk creation stories
Earth Diver
How the Nechist' came into the world
Various stories about death: why people have to die
About knowing the hour of death
Why men should dominate over women in the household
The somewhat tangential one about devils and the all-seeing eye
Legends in between
Believed to be true &endash; and to a certain extent they tap on greater truths, or at least seek to uphold social norms
But &endash; they are secular, no sacred
Actors are human and non-human
Told virtually any time and any place
Day as well as night, no special setting
Audience is restricted, children are often excluded
Urban legend and historical legend contrast
Historical &endash; sacred figures or figures of almost mythological stature
Virgin Mary, St. Peter, George Washington, General Custer
Urban legends happen NOW, to a friend of a friend, in the dorm on the other side of campus, in the town down the road
In Richmond rather than Charlottesville
At Fashion Square Mall rather than U Va
The material done last time was all urban legend and all American
Today look at some historical legends, American and Russian
Then some urban legends, again American and Russian
Lots of American historical legends you know
Often you know these better than American history
George Washington and the cherry tree
GW throwing silver dollar across the Potomac
George Custer and the massacre at Little Big Horn
Either his body is left in tact while the bodies of his soldiers are scalped or otherwise violated
Or &endash; his body is horribly mutilated
Custer's hubris (he refuses to heed a warning, often one given by an old woman)
Old woman stories connected with Robin Hood, Koroglu, Volga, the Russian hero
Here the mythic basis is quite apparent
The old woman is likely based on a mythic portrayal of time and no hero, however strong, can overcome time and the ravages of age
Usually hubris of hero, his exceeding pride leads to his downfall
The old woman defeats the hero in a rather unpleasant and insulting manner &endash; she bleeds Robin Hood to death
Slow death is indicative of the ravages of time