Folk Culture

Abstract

In these islands we have been tardy in recognizing Folk Culture as an independent science. As the editor of Folkliv, Professor Sigurd Erixon, states in his Foreword: ‘It has long been leading a more or less dependent existence as an ambulating guest of certain related branches of science, which, thanks to the force of circumstances, were consolidated earlier. Generally it has been awarded a certain amount of space in archaeological, historical, artistic, geographical or philological publications. … The ethnologists of present times certainly recall that sponsorship and hospitableness with great gratitude. It is to be regretted however that there are far too many instances of ethnology not having attained such a development nor having become such a factor of education as it would appear entitled to’. This is regrettably true of the British Isles. As far as I am aware, there is no learned journal published here dealing exclusively with the problems of Folk Culture: with one exception, there is no department of Folk Culturein any of our national museums, nor is there a Chair of Folk Culture in any British university.