Folklore Elements Research Articles

Crafting Kuweni’s Legacy: Folklore-Inspired Responsible Dyeing Techniques and Textile Developments

Folklore, originating from the past, holds immense social and cultural significance, forging profound connections with communities’ roots. This study examines into the folklore of Kuweni in Sri Lanka, revealing its historical and geographical significance intertwined with myth. The story of Kuweni, a young native woman from diverse local communities, has spawned various place legends, with Thambappanni being particularly noteworthy in this folklore. The aim of this research is to explore the translation of folklore elements into a localized fashion products that honour the narrative, and connect past and present. By adopting a thematic approach to analyse folk literature and the folklore of Kuweni, this study takes a practice-led approach to fashion product development. In the conceptualization phase, it highlights the unique aspects of the place legend, Thambappanni, famous for its copper-coloured soil and Kuweni’s tale of spinning cotton for handloom weaving in this region. This led to experiments in handloom weaving using yarn dyed with a specific technique derived from Thambappanni soil, resulting in a distinct textile product deeply rooted in folklore and to ideas of fashion localism. The significance of these findings lies in the conceptual framework developed for transforming folklore into fashion products, bridging the preservation of socio-cultural values from folklore to contemporary society through fashion that speaks to the significance of place and story.

„Na o–bi–ad!”: słuchanie warszawskiej trąbizupki, czyli kuchni ruchomej (1901–1904), jako sygnału oraz praktyki akustemologicznej ludowej społeczności Warszawy

Trąbizupka – Warsaw’s mobile field kitchen – was a charitable initiative of the early years of the 20th century; a cart going around Warsaw sold nutritious and cheap soup, and its arrival was accompanied by the sound of a trumpet. This peculiar sound phenomenon existed in the city’s phonosphere for a short time – the residents had to learn to interpret it, but after a few years, trąbizupka’s activity was suspended. The functioning of trąbizupka (manifested through its sonicity – literally, in the sound of the trumpet, and figuratively, in the name itself) was coupled with a class discourse on charity – from admiration for the initiative to the feeling of shame of Warsaw’s folk classes, as reported “first-hand” by the positivist “Przegląd Tygodniowy” [Weekly Review], linked to eating a pauper’s meal “on the street.” At the same time, trąbizupka became an element of urban folklore, preserved in popular polkas for piano and as a sound characteristic of Warsaw. Trąbizupka, as a case study analyzed from the position of historical sound studies, allows us to ask questions about the sound signal as a vehicle of communication and about the acoustemology of the city’s residents, especially of the lower social classes, at the turn of the 20th century. Key-words: acoustemology, audiosphere, sound history, sound studies, Warsaw

Analysis of Intrinsic Elements in Folklore “The Golden Slug”

Analysis of Intrinsic Elements in Folklore “The Golden Slug”

PROVERBS AND SAYINGS REFLECTED IN GIBI BITHAI

Proverbs and sayings are a form of verbal art. They enhance the appeal of speakers, singers, and authors, making them more intriguing and relatable by facilitating a stronger connection with their audiences or readers. Proverbs and sayings are powerful tools for sharing knowledge due to their interesting, relatable, and culturally meaningful nature. Although they are different, most of them are similar. One of the only epic works of the Bodos, GibiBithai, has a large number of folklore elements. GibiBithai is a verse relating to Bathouism, and there are many good examples of proverbs and sayings in various chapters. These are closely related to Bathouism and Bodo society. The study has been done through descriptive analysis with a close reading method. In GibiBithai, the author BihuramBoro has used proverbs and sayings to enhance the quality of the epic or to make it attractive to the recipients or the reader. These are often said in a tricky or indirect way to make you think and help you understand. These are like wisdom puzzles that you have to think about to solve. The proverbs and sayings of the GibiBithai are collected and gathered from the Bodo society prevalent among them. These are mostly related to their daily conversations and different situations. They serve as timeless guidelines for navigating numerous elements of life and making ethical decisions. BihuramBoro has employed proverbs and sayings to improve the quality of his work by making it more appealing to the receivers or readers. Furthermore, by documenting these in the book, many forgotten and endangered proverbs and sayings have been brought back to life.

The Outsider-Within Representations in Zora Neale Hurston’s and Georgia Douglas Johnson’s Folk Drama

The study aims to explore the shared experiences of Georgia Douglas Johnson and Zora Neale Hurston, incorporating the elements of African-American folklore in American theatre to negotiate the circumstances of black women. In addition, it scrutinizes how Johnson and Hurston utilize folk drama to navigate the political and artistic conflicts in the early 20th century, delving into the intricate interplay of ethnicity, gender, politics, and aesthetics. The study examines two folk plays from the Harlem Renaissance era: Johnson’s Plumes (1927) and Hurston’s Color Struck (1926). Both plays illustrate that the African-American drama probes into the struggles of black women as outsiders-within, challenging the prevailing racism and classism faced by black women in the Southern states. By analyzing the construction of identity in the experiences of black women through Patricia Hill Collins’s Black feminist theory, the study shows how Hurston and Johnson successfully depicted the position of women as ‘outsiders’ in their literary works, with their folk drama centering on women’s experiences and culture, employing black folklore to highlight the social protest of Black feminist theatre.

Romances by Alexei Stârcea on the lyrics of Anatol Gujel: imaginary structure, musical language, interpretative tasks

Romances of Alexei Stârcea written on the lyrics of Anatol Gujel, are analyzed from the point of view of poetic content, the interaction of the music with the literary text, musical language, and vocal performance. The theme of the romances Noaptea pe lac, Iluzii and Te aștept is associated with love lyrics, which in the poetry of A. Gujel is closely related to images of nature. The romance Struguri de Moldova glorifies the beauty of the native land. All the four romances were written by A. Stârcea in the second period of his activity (1957–1968) and reflect some features specific to this decade, such as the interest in the work of Moldovan poets, the in-depth development of national themes, the reflection of folklore elements in the musical language, the emergence of a genre symbiosis of romances and songs, the further researches in the field of vocal expressiveness, the dialogic interaction between the vocal and piano parts.

Oblicza Andaluzji w twórczości Federica Garcíi Lorki

FACES OF ANDALUSIA IN THE WORKS OF FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA This article is dedicated to discussing the role of Andalusia in the works of Federico García Lorca in the context of intercultural dialogue. The research questions posed will focus on the image of Andalusia in Lorca’s works and the elements of folklore used to address universal themes. For this reason, a brief biography of the poet will be presented in the introduction, combined with an explanation of why he is the most important Spanish poet of the 20th century. The theoretical basis of the study will include the issue of the literature that has been published to date in relation to Lorca’s work, which will be followed by a brief discussion of the most important elements that make up Andalusian culture. The analysis carried out will allow the research to be developed in a practical way. In turn, the Arab and Roma influences and aspects related to the art of flamenco present in the artist’s work will be discussed. A further part of the research will be an analysis of how Lorca uses the aforementioned elements to address universal themes such as death, oppression, infertility or social realities. The study will conclude that Andalusia in Lorca’s work is a region with many ‘faces’ and a place of intercultural dialogue.

Interrogating the Algerian Folkloric Identity in Khadra’s What the Day Owes the Night

This paper is an attempt to explore Folkloric material in Yasmina Khadra’s What the Day Owes the Night, to reconsider folklore, not as a remnant of the past, but as an artistic vehicle to locate cultural belonging. It examines the different elements by which folklore shapes individual and collective identity in colonial Algerian literature. The novel of Yasmina Khadra represents material and spiritual folk constituents of the Algerian national and cultural identity during the French colonization, mainly the moral struggle of the protagonist between his Algerian cultural heritage and the French-acquired culture. The novel is rich in cultural, artistic, and folkloric elements of the Algerian individual and collective identity. It also exhibits the contrast between the local, and everyday French habits, causing a chasm between the two cultures the protagonist is struggling to bear and fill. This research indicates that the protagonist’s internal conflict reflects the larger struggle that nearly all Algerians went through during French colonization by imposing the colonial culture on their own. Research findings demonstrate that folklore is a popular material that springs out from recurrent situations of everyday life. Khadra’s What the Day Owes the Night expresses verbal art as academic parlance to encounter identity issues. Khadra effectively captures the essence of Algerian society and its diverse cultural fabric through vivid descriptions and storytelling, shedding light on the intricate nature of identity in a colonized nation.

THE APPEARANCE OF FOLKLORE ELEMENTS IN THE STRUCTURE OF MODERN STORIES IN THE FORM OF DETAILS AND CHARACTER

In the article, the peculiarities of the connection of literature and folklore in the history of the formation of the Kazakh story are distinguished in a synchronic sense. It is analyzed that the use of folklore motifs (dreams, longing for a child, ghosts, demons, relics, saints, mystical animals) in writers' stories is reflected as a continuation of tradition. It is intended to determine the characteristic features of oral literature in the stories of well-known representatives of modern Kazakh prose.Theaim of the article is to determine the appearance of folklore elements in the form of details and images in the stories of Kazakh writers.The scientific significance of the work lies in identifying a link between the works of contemporary Kazakh literature and folklore and using such motifs as dreaming, sacrifice of lovers, a hero's ideal friend, mythical beliefs, customs, animals, etc. in the details of folklore.The practical significance of the work is that it helps to find solutions to the practical problems of folkloristics and Kazakh prose by finding folklore motifs in modern Kazakh stories and comparing them with samples of oral literature.The methods of discourse analysis, comparison and exposition of the text of the work of fiction were used inthe research work.It was found in the works of M. Magauin "Kuyrshak", K. Tumenbai "Adam", T. Shapai "Aina Sara"that the details of dream and dreaminterpretation in the stories were used based on folklore symbols. The stories of "A million bees, a million snakes and me" by J. Korgasbek and "On the road" by M. Omarovawere are distinguished by archetypal motifs.Folklorisms such as saint and spiritual guardianin "Aigyrkisi" by N. Dautayuly are rationally used to clarify the creative space.The findings contribute to the development of ideas about folklore, literary studies, folk motifs and folklore elements in linguofolkloristics.

The Squirrel, Omelette, and the Truths: An Ethnographic Narrative Exploration of Philosophical Dialogue and Literacy with Young Learners

Abstract: This paper explores the innovative approach of engaging young learners in philosophical dialogue through creative storytelling. Employing an ethnographic narrative methodology, it examines storytelling sessions between the first author and her eight-year-old son, focusing on the emergent discussions about multifaceted truths inspired by the whimsical tale of “Omelette”, a fish that, according to the young storyteller, lays pre-cooked omelettes. By integrating narrative theory and elements of folklore and mythology, this paper reveals how such narratives can significantly enhance literacy and philosophical understanding in children. This research highlights the potential of storytelling as a dynamic educational tool, offering insights into the development of critical thinking and literacy skills.

Inspiring Repertoire for Enrichment

One of the enduring challenges for piano teachers is selecting appropriate repertoire to enrich a student’s piano education, which has foundations in leveled books. A response to the challenge is to select a collection from a composer’s works to immerse the student in the style and technical demands of that specific composer. In this study, Edvard Grieg’s Lyric Pieces Opus 12 were investigated for their effectiveness as pedagogical tools for intermediate piano students. The analysis included: (1) contextualizing the collectionhistorically through related literature; (2) identifying primary technical elements to determine an effective pedagogical approach for introducing the specific elements to students; and (3) identifying stylistic features and Norwegian cultural connections to provide meaningful insights for students’ interpretation of the pieces and lead to a set of guiding questions to pose to students. Historically, Grieg’s Lyric Pieces capture the Norwegian spirit by incorporating folkloric elements into classical compositions, and his intention in the compositions was to supply his music school with short, digestible instructional material. The Lyric Pieces are accessible piano pieces that allow students to discover complex technical elements such as melodic nature, varied approaches to the keys (touch), complex rhythms, and ornamentation. They also provide opportunities for students to grow their understanding of stylistic features through the titles and descriptive phrases, as well as connections to Norwegian culture, which allow them to develop their interpretation of the pieces. This study contributes to the professional learning of studio piano teachers and the application of Grieg’s Lyric Pieces in teaching intermediate students.

Reception of A. Varlamov's Creativity in Chinese Literary Studies and Criticism

The subject of the research is the reception of A.N. Varlamov in Chinese literary criticism. The object of the study is critical articles, literary works devoted to the work of A. Varlamov, and an interview with the author. The novelty of the article is determined by the fact that the works of Chinese researchers are analyzed in order to characterize critical judgments about the work of a modern Russian author, taking into account national specifics. The article highlights the main aspects in the field of studying the work of A. N. Varlamov by Chinese criticism and literary criticism. It is determined that Chinese researchers pay attention to the consideration of religious themes in the writer's prose, and also analyze Varlamov's creative method, defining it as neo-release. The main conclusions of the study are the definition of aspects of the study of religious themes in Varlamov's novels, such as eschatology, the level of morality and religiosity in Russian society, the spiritual salvation and rebirth of man, sectarianism. According to critics, Varlamov's work shows sectarianism as a viral idea of the Russian people, poisoning the collective consciousness and historical memory. The creative method of A. Varlamov is assessed by critics as neo-releaseism, the features of which are marginal heroes, a combination of mysticism and realism, artistic time-space. Chinese literary scholars also note mythological prototypes and folklore elements that are important for Varlamov's works. The main contribution of the author to the study of the topic is that the points of view of Chinese literary scholars and critics are considered, which expand the reception of Varlamov's work in world art, complementing a single receptive field, organizing a dialogue of cultures.

Старообрядческие мотивы в творчестве поэта Николая Клюева и вехи его биографии

The paper considers the Old Believer roots of the work of the famous Russian poet of the XX century Nikolai Klyuev. The author pays special attention to archaic and folklore elements in Klyuev’s poetic speech. Of great interest are the author’s conclusions about the humanistic basis of this poet’s last verses and poems associated with his rejection of collectivization and the ruin of the Russian peasantry.

Folklore Elements in the Poetry of Ekaterina Kletnovaya

The article is devoted to one of the characteristic features of the poetic works of E.N. Kletnova (1869–1938), whose literary work is still not known to the general public and has not previously become the subject of a comprehensive philological study. Poems by E.N. Kletnova are filled with various folklore elements − syntactic constructions and language formulas, lexical means of expression, compositional elements (introduction to a song and song), epic images. The author especially actively resorts to folklore stylization when creating poems on general cultural and political topics, trying to give them a folk-epic sound. In the course of the study, the following methods were used: a comparative-stylistic method to establish the similarities and
 differences in the language design of E.N. Kletnova and folklore genres; a structural method for analyzing the specific structure of the text; a conceptual analysis to reveal the picture of the world of the author's linguistic personality; a descriptive method.
 It was concluded that folklore elements in the poetry of E.N. Kletnova, firstly, are a reflection of her scientific, primarily ethnographic studies; secondly, they are used to create a special native Russian flavor in the poetic disclosure of vital social topics;
 thirdly, they express the interest in mythological antiquities and folklore tradition characteristic of the Silver Age.

헝가리 민족의 문화적 정체성과 분리파 양식

During the late 19th century, the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy brought modern transformations to Hungary, as a result of political compromise. Hungary, which was primarily an agrarian and underdeveloped nation, rapidly evolved into an industrial and agricultural state during this era. This transformation significantly influenced Hungary’s social structure, culture, and art fields. Additionaly, during the Dual Monarchy, Hungary actively pursued cultural exchanges with major European cities. This period laid the foundation for internationalization and Europeanization, while emphasizing national characteristics and originality. The influx and expansion of diverse pan-European cultural and artistic trends in Hungary were prominent during this time. The Hungarian Secession style played a pivotal role in creating a unique style grounded in the nation’s traditional folk motifs, which was influenced by modernism and avant-garde tendencies. The Hungarian Secession style in architecture aimed to go beyond static societal, philosophical, scientific, and artistic positivism by showcasing intricate trends. Stylization and ornamentation were utilized as a response to naturalism and as a continuation of symbolism and artistic abstraction.
 This style is characterized by organic and curvilinear lines inspired by nature, which are present in both the exteriors and interior decorations of buildings. The architecture style of Hungary in the early 20th century was characterized by complex decorations and bright, diverse colors, especially in tile and glasswork. Buildings were not only functional spaces but also used to express cultural identity. In the field of art, Hungarian artists emphasized national identity by combining traditional folk art and patterns with contemporary styles in their works, often featuring plants, animals, and other natural elements. During this period, literature utilized metaphor and synesthesia as tools for stylization and ornamentation. The preferred genres were dramas, fairy tales, fantastical short stories, psychological novels, and lyric poetry. The focus was on expressing inner worlds and life's sentiments directly. The Secession style had a significant influence on the genre of short stories and played a crucial role in literary journalism of the time. This movement emphasized the cultural and national values of the economically prosperous liberal middle class, recognizing traditional Christian national values and the aesthetic tastes of the middle class. The new realism of writers such as Móricz Zsigmond and Babits Mihály would have been impossible without this style.
 The Hungarian Secession style originated from the attempts of Hungarian artists to combine national traditions and folk art with a contemporary style. The performance particularly highlighted national and folkloric elements, demonstrating a distinctive way of expressing regional characteristics and national identity in Hungary.

Frontier Space of Kyakhta and Amur Region in D. I. Stakheev’s Essays ‘Beyond Baikal and on Amur’ (1869)

The article presents the results of an analysis of D. I. Stakheev’s essays from the book “Beyond Baikal and on the Amur” (1869). The author focuses on the study of the essays “Kyakhta”, “Maimachen”, “From Kyakhta to Blagoveshchensk”, and “From Blagoveshchensk to the Sungari River”. Attention is given to the peculiarities of artistic recreation of the “frontier” space. The article discusses the problematic and thematic content of the essays, including the portrayal of Russian and Chinese cultures, issues of population migration to the Amur region, and depictions of nature, among others. The author argues that the character of Stakheev’s reflection is shaped by a frontier vision and a sense of borderland. The novelty of the research lies in the exploration of Stakheev’s lesser-known essays and the application of the frontier paradigm as a research tool. The article proposes a structure for the frontier image in Stakheev’s works, which includes geographical spatial images, ethno-poetics of Russian and Chinese cultures, and the image of the “frontier man”. It is shown that the writer employs a system of folk-poetic evaluations, draws on elements of folklore, and utilizes imagery and motifs from folk creativity. The study reveals the characteristics of the Far Eastern frontier as depicted by Stakheev and demonstrates that the essays serve as a unique literary material about the folk culture of Transbaikalia and the Amur region in the mid-19th century.

The Psychological Basis of the Interaction of Elements of Chinese Culture and Culture of Islamic Peoples in China

The article attempts to describe Islam in China in terms of Chinese psychology and the Chinese culture’s style of adding new cultural material. The article highlights some elements of the cultural configuration thanks to which it is possible to observe interpenetration of two cultural complexes as the natural from the psychological point of interpenetration. Such elements include, for example, folklore and martial arts. Both folklore and martial arts as part of the cultural system in China play a significant role in the functioning of folk culture, used as “soft power” in the intercultural and interreligious dialogue within the People’s Republic of China and beyond its borders. The reason why the folklore elements and martial arts are considered as important in the given context hides in their role in Chinese cultural history. It is obvious that folklore is one of the basics of ethnic group genesis and identification. Chinese and Islam culture co-existence leads to the rejuvenation of folk tradition by means of introducing a new character recognizable for the domestic population. As for martial arts – it is a kind of way of narrating Chinese culture, natural and essential for people inside country and, in its turn, recognizable for external viewers. The methodology used in the analysis of materials is interdisciplinary. In the general framework of Cultural Studies the methods of Cross Cultural Psychology, Cultural Anthropology, and the Psychology of Religion are applied. The mixed methodology, based on the concept of cultural configuration, gives a focus on the combination of Chinese traditional and Islamic culture as objectively existing, living and natural.

OBLIK TUGE: DUHOVNO-ESTETSKI AGONI U KNjIZI „NEBO, TAKO DUBOKO“

Vesna Kapor’s novel Nebo, tako duboko thematizes the origins, emotional and spiritual implications of the premature death of the nineteen-year-old girl Tara Senica. Given the thematic-motive scope of the novel, in which the interference of life and death is elaborated, the paper, from the point of view of religious philosophy, affective narratology and metapoetic studies, identifies and analyzes forms of religious and aesthetic spirituality and explicates formulas for deciphering human Destiny. Different models of religious spir- ituality are considered: Orthodox Christianity, mythical-symbolic and folklore elements, as well as the contemporary concept of the world which is immanently antagonistic. Finally, in the aesthetic layer of the novel two domains of spirituality can be distinguished. The first one ‒ Sumatraism ‒ can be recognized in previous Kapor’s novels, although altered and reshaped. The second domain is reflected in Kapor’s poetic self-awareness ‒ the story itself is a formative force, a testimony and a mnemotechnic that puts life before death. It can be concluded that in this novel religious spirituality is replaced by aesthetic spirituality and crowned with the life-giving principle of the story.

«Слово Даниила Заточника»: проблемы изучения и пути их решения

The article examines the main problems of studying the monument of Russian literature of the late 12th – early 13th centuries The Word of Daniil Zatochnik. It should be distinguished from the closely related The Prayer of Daniil Zatochnik, which is considered to be a late revision of The Word. Until the 16th century, both monuments were very popular and were distributed in numerous copies. The study of The Word began in the 19th century, and a number of problems were identified at that period: it was impossible to unambiguously establish where and when it was written, who its author and addressee were. A considerable problem lies in numerous semantic contradictions, where one judgment is canceled by another. It is generally believed that the reason behind these contradictions is late inserts into the original text. It is not known by whom, when, and why they were made, but thanks to them there is every reason to say that the version of The Word known to us had not one, but at least two authors – one wrote the message to the prince, while the other edited it. A separate problem is the combination of quotations from the Holy Scriptures and folklore elements, which is not typical of the period when The Word was written, and also the open opposition between some of the author's ideas and the Christian teaching. According to the author of the article, the inserts were commenting in nature and were made in order to emphasize the traits of The Word protograph’s author such as pride, vanity, and rationalism. At the same time, the editor of the protograph treated its author not as a private person, but as a representative of an emerging spiritual and moral type that significantly departed from the norms of Christian life. To solve the identified problems, the author of the article suggests using the resources of fideistic literary criticism, making it possible to look at The Word from a religious-and-social perspective, as well as to trace its connections with other literary monuments of the period in question.

Archaic ritual elements in Azerbaijani folklore

Archaic ritual elements in Azerbaijani folklore