Traditional Folklore Research Articles

Folklore tradition of the Novgorod region: the problem of the area

The subject of the study is the folklore traditions that existed on the territory of the Novgorod region. Veliky Novgorod is an ancient city that played one of the main roles during the formation of Russian culture and art. Various forms and types of folklore developed on his lands, which had a huge impact on the development of folk music in the Russian North, the Urals and Siberia. The objectives of the article include: clarifying the nature of the relationship between the modern administrative borders of the Novgorod region and local folklore traditions spread on its territory; clarifying the areas of these traditions, taking into account the border areas; highlighting the territory of the spread of folklore traditions representing the Novgorod folklore system proper. The methodology of the work is based on the principles of systematic study of folklore, which have developed in Russian science. One of the leading methods is the areal research method. The allocation of musical and folklore areas is carried out taking into account historical and ethnographic factors. The characteristic of local traditions is given on the basis of the genre composition of musical folklore, its stylistic and structural properties. The article establishes the boundaries of the concept of "Novgorod folklore traditions". It can be applied to the folklore and ethnographic system that developed in the settlement zone of the Ilmen Slovene tribe in the early period of Russian history. There are three folklore and ethnographic complexes on the territory of the modern Novgorod region – southwestern, central and eastern. The Novgorod traditions themselves were formed in Priilmenye, but they were most systematically preserved in the eastern part of the region, which was mastered by immigrants from the central zone.

Baškortostani udmurtide folkloor: žanriline iseloomustus, kogumislugu, käibimise iseärasused tänapäeval

The article discusses the peculiarities of the folklore genres of the Udmurts living in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation, the history of the collection, publication and research of folklore, as well as its modern circulation. The folklore traditions of this ethnic group, separated from the motherland, have been subjected to Turkish influence, yet at the same time have preserved many archaic features. Loyalty to traditional folk beliefs adds uniqueness to their folklore. The folklore of this ethnic group has not been widely studied, and no collections or monographs have been published. Recently research into their folk prayers and ritual songs has started. Today, due to the shrinking of the authentic environment necessary for keeping it alive, folklore (mainly songs) has moved to the stage. Amateur ensembles, teachers of the Udmurt language and literature, staff of community centres, librarians, and local lore researchers play a significant role in the preservation of local folklore specimens.

PEDAGOGICAL CHALLENGES IN TEACHING FOLKLORE TO CHILDREN IN NON-FORMAL EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY FROM BULGARIA

This study analyzes data from a survey conducted among non-formal education teachers engaged in teaching folklore to children. It investigates effective practices and challenges these educators encounter in the transmission of folklore traditions to contemporary youth. Drawing on the collected data, the research proposes targeted strategies to enhance and optimize the teaching process, addressing the specific needs of both students and educators within this cultural and pedagogical context.

A Systematic Review of Cultural Values in Indonesian Folklore: Preserving Local Wisdom through Educational Integration

This systematic review examines the integration of cultural values from Indonesian folklore into educational practices, with a particular focus on the Merdeka Curriculum. The study aimed to analyze peer-reviewed articles published between 2019 and 2024 to assess the impact of folklore-based education on student learning, cultural awareness, and moral development. The research followed PRISMA guidelines, initially identifying 150 relevant articles. After applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, 50 articles were further analyzed, leading to the selection of 7 studies for in-depth review. The results reveal that incorporating folklore into the curriculum significantly enhances students' cultural identity, moral reasoning, and engagement in learning. However, challenges such as the adaptation of traditional folklore to modern educational contexts and the effective use of digital platforms were identified. The novelty of this study lies in its comprehensive synthesis of recent empirical evidence on the educational use of Indonesian folklore, providing insights into the potential of folklore-based education to preserve local wisdom. This review contributes to the broader discourse on cultural preservation and educational innovation, highlighting the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge into formal education to foster a culturally responsive learning environment.

How children make sense of fear of the dark: a qualitative study of Russian preschoolers

ABSTRACT Fear of darkness is prevalent in childhood, yet how children explain it remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate how preschoolers make sense of fear of darkness. Semi-structured interviews were conducted through Zoom with 4- to 5-year-old Russian children (n = 31; 13 girls). Reflexive thematic analysis revealed that preschoolers made sense of fear of darkness by appealing to the various entities that inhabit it, the bad things that can occur while in it, and its inherent nature. Preschoolers also spoke to making darkness less scary through people, objects, actions, and qualities of the world, like light. These themes are discussed relative to Russian folklore tradition as well as children’s ability to differentiate fantasy from reality.

“СЕЙТЕК” ЭПОСУНДАГЫ МИФТИК-ЭПИКАЛЫК ОБРАЗДАР

The article is dedicated to the exploration of the mythical and epic images in the epic “Seytek,” which is the final chapter of the “Manas” trilogy. This epic is the most extensive and artistically refined piece of folk epic heritage. The Kyrgyz people can rightfully be proud of the richness and diversity of their oral poetic traditions. The epic “Seytek” is composed of a collection of mythological and epic images, including characters and narratives from various folklore traditions, such as those of the Scandinavians, Central European peoples, and others spanning from the west to the east and from the north to the south. It incorporates elements starting from ancient Greek folklore and extending across the literature of various cultures, containing valuable information about mythical and epic figures. The scientific article specifically notes that the Kyrgyz people are rich in heroic epics. The role of mythology in the development of world literature is invaluable. It is clear that the mysteries of natural phenomena and various amazing forces invented by people are best described in epic works. It is worth especially noting that the epics introduce the reader to the concept of the ideal, the way of life of the ancestors and create the opportunity to appreciate them.

Художественные особенности двустиший в творчестве чувашских поэтов

The aim of the research is to identify the features of the couplet genre in Chuvash poetry, influenced by Eastern classics and the use of folklore traditions. The spread of this genre became possible due to the existence of traditions of small genres in folklore, the influence of translations of relevant examples, and interest in the traditions of Eastern literatures. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first to consider couplets by Chuvash poets as a separate, independent genre. The article analyzes couplets by V. Turat (1913-1978), B. Borlen (1934-2013), V. Endip (1937-2017), Yu. Aidash (1938-2014), S. Azamat (1952), and others. The brevity of the form requires concentration of thought and expressive means. The poets create couplets based on antitheses, use homonyms for rhyme, their poems resemble extended metaphors. The small size allows for writing concise and ironic poems on topical issues, addressing current problems of the time. As a result of the research, it has been found that the poets create couplets based on the traditions of Chuvash proverbs, express deep thoughts about life, and rely on the features of their native language. Chuvash couplets exhibit typological similarities with the Eastern bayt, which manifest in the use of homonyms, cyclical structure, and the construction of the composition based on antitheses. The couplets that correspond to the traditions of the Russian, European elegy, and epigram have received less distribution in Chuvash poetry.

Особенности романтических произведений Александра Ширяевца

The study aims to reveal the features of the romantic works by A. V. Shiryaevets. The article analyzes the lyrical works of the author belonging to the “new peasant poets”, reflects his interest in folklore, closeness to folk singers and storytellers, shows how Shiryaevets interprets the plot in a special way, giving poetic sketches a social and everyday character. The issue of the influence of oral folklore on the poetics of Shiryaevets is covered in literature quite fully, but researchers pay attention mainly to the poet’s attitude to folklore, identifying forms of secondary folklorism in the poetics. The discussion of the facts of folklore is often descriptive, carried out through empirical analysis. However, in the works of Shiryaevets, folklorism is not initially secondary, but is based on a folklore worldview. The article is the first to note the connection between folklore and mythological consciousness in the poetics of Shiryaevets, which accounts for the novelty of the scientific work. The results of the study showed that mythopoetics and the folklore tradition closely interact in Shiryaevets’ poems. Along with this, the following features are distinguished in the poems: the reflection of heroic-historical events, an appeal to the time of Ivan the Terrible’s reign, the glorification of Stepan Razin and his freemen, who serve as folklore images. Folk heroes, extolled in epics and tales, are shown against the background of the picturesque panoramas of the Volga region and ancient Zhiguli, they are personified in poems and act as characters. Possessing historical memory, the nature of the Volga region in Shiryaevets’ poems is able to reproduce the events of the heroic time of his native land.

THE IMAGE OF JAZZ IN UKRAINIAN POPULAR MUSIC AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SUBCULTURES IN IT

The image of jazz in Ukrainian pop music is reproduced, the subcultures that dominate its modern manifestations are shown: African music, Irish-European melodies and rhythms, the interaction between pop music and folklore, a diametrically symmetrical structure, the appropriate composition of variable phrases (voice-instrument), various combinations of timbre acoustic electronics, a fusion of Ukrainian folklore and rock music. But, first of all, it is a harmonious combination of Afro-European traditions with Ukrainian folklore, its best examples. The article also talks about the leading masters of Ukrainian jazz who managed to do this - Leonid Goldshtein and Igor Zhuromskyi, for whom the processing of folklore materials - household and African) with a predominance of appeals to the traditional folkloric Ukrainian musical stratum is characteristic. The aim. To reveal the image of jazz in Ukrainian pop music and its significance in the subculture. The tasks of the research are the analysis of the constituent subcultures in the modern representation of the art of Ukraine and their significance for the world artistic treasury. Research methodology. The methodology of the author’s research is based on the paradigmatic method, which allows determining the priority of artistic paradigms, the ratio of traditionally established and non-traditional vision of Ukrainian jazz culture. Reconstruction was also used - to reproduce the main milestones of the development of art of the 20th century within the scope of the research. Also, the methodology is based on a transdisciplinary approach, thanks to which we can study jazz not only in an art-historical aspect, but as a structure of European life of the given period. Research results: The results are as follows - it is 1) a feature of rock music style, such as heavy metal, punk rock, rock and roll, instrumental composition, the use of distinctive fans and unique sounding productions and vocals Intonation technology. 2) Saxophone melodies are built according to the Hutsul system with a characteristic degree of saxophone. 3) Official use of colomous rhythm in the voice. 4) Application of antique blues harmonic sequence. 5) Use of bluesy principles of questions and answers when alternating statements and instrumental episodes. 6) For vocal improvisation. Conclusion.So, we analyzed the interaction of Ukrainian modern pop and real folklore and jazz. Jazz, rock and pop styles were found, which are ideal for interpenetration with various Ukrainian subcultures, jazz-rock, free jazz, alternative music, rock and roll, blues-rock, trip-hop, pop ballad, disco music . The characteristics of the processing of folklore materials (domestic and African) are, first of all, an appeal to the traditional folklore layer, the method of performance (expressed by a real saxophone), the use of folk instruments or their tones. Depending on the genre that created jazz, rock and pop groups, the composition can be divided into folk songs and original compositions based on folklore. Popular music quotes folk and jazz material from pop music.

Traditional folklore as a source of art national style in choreography of Pavlo Virskyi

Traditional folklore as a source of art national style in choreography of Pavlo Virskyi

Heroic Quests, Magical Helpers and Obstacles: An Exploration of Archetypal Patterns and Traditional Narrative in Modern Day Fairy Tales.

The book by Vladimir Propp, titled ‘Morphology of Folktale,’ discusses thirty-one narrative functions claimed to be present in every fairy tale. Propp’s seminal work on Russian folktales provides a comprehensive framework to analyze and unveil the underlying narrative structural patterns and functions which shape and connect present-day fairy tales with traditional folklore. The present research employs Propp’s Narrative Theory (1968) as lens to explore the narrative structures of ‘Frozen’ (2013) and ‘Brave’ (2012), two renowned Disney animated movies. The study focuses on the plot of both movies to investigate the narrative functions present in their original form and the ways in which they are modified and adapted. The findings conclude that majority of functions remain same as they were propagated by Propp; however, the changes observed in the functions were based on role-switch, strained and weekend family relations, and questioning traditional expectations of marriage. This article, through identifying recurring functions performed by dramatis personae, reveals the fundamental narrative components. These contribute to the developing of each plot, that is, protagonists’ quests, journeys, interactions and transformations in both films. To serve the purpose, the researcher has made use of qualitative approach. Secondly, a table of thirty-one narrative functions is constructed and filled up for both the movies which were watched 2-3 times. Similar to Propp, the analyst has adopted a syntagmatic approach to observe the degree to which these functions are still there in contemporary fairy tale movies. Lastly, this study would be beneficial for all those who want to conduct study in the fields of Fairy Tales, Structuralism and Narratology.

Особенности национального характера в романах М. А. Шолохова

The features of the national character in the prose of M. A. Sholokhov («Quiet Flows the Don», «Virgin soil upturned», «They Fought for Their Country») are considered. The main purpose of the study is to show the evolution of national character in the work of M. A. Sholokhov, to determine the content of the concept of «national character» and the criteria for its formation, the conditions for its change under the influence of historical events. The most vivid images of Cossack heroes are analyzed in connection with folk beliefs, folklore traditions, national life and the originality of the Don nature

Evaluation of in vitro anthelmintic activity of crude extract and synthesized green silver nanoparticles of the leaves of Mammea americana L.

One of the most severe parasite infections to ever plague animals, paramphistomosis is particularly devastating in tropical and subtropical areas and causes significant economic losses to the world's food industry and poor animal health. In the present study potency of the crude extract and green synthesized silver nanoparticles from fresh and matureMammea americanaL.leaves was evaluated on trematodeParamphistomum cervi, collected from the infected rumen of the cow(Bos indicus) in 0.9% phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The crude extract at five dose levels (1mL, 2mL, 3mL 4mL, and 5ml), and silver nanoparticles (AgNps) at the five dose levels (10mg/mL, 30mg/mL, 50mg/mL, 70 and 90mg/mL) were applied. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-VIS spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Characterization studies of AgNPs revealed the synthesis of stable, crystalline AgNPs measuring an average size of 20-50nm. The efficacy was evaluated based on the spontaneous movement reduction and death ofP. cervi. Maximum anthelmintic activity was found at the dose of 5mL of crude extract and 90mg/mL of AgNPs ofM. americanaleaves. The scanning electron micrograph study of treated helminths of crude and AgNps revealed conspicuous distortion on the surface architecture. It also showed shrinkage of the whole body and severe damage on both suckers (anterior and posterior). AgNPs caused more shredded and torn tegumental surfaces with loss of tegumental papillae compared to untreated. Thus, this study confirmed that theM. americanaleaves extract and synthesized AgNPs can be a potential alternative herbal drug in traditional folklore medicine against serious helminth infections in our livestock industry.

“The Twa Corbies”: рецепция народной шотландской баллады в русской и осетинской литературе (А. С. Пушкин, Г. М. Цаголов)

The aim of the work is to confirm the idea of the progressiveness of intercultural interactions in the system of full-fledged development of artistic thinking using the example of the transformation of the ideosphere of the Scottish folk ballad “The Twa Corbies” (“Two Ravens”) in Russian (A. S. Pushkin) and Ossetian (G. M. Tsagolov) literature. The article focuses on the similarities and differences in the interpretations of the original narrative by Pushkin and Tsagolov and the introduction by them of an additional semantic field into the traditional figurative structure of the original text. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the joint study of the Scottish ballad, the poems of A. S. Pushkin and G. M. Tsagolov, focusing on the identical value series and the convergence of folklore traditions in literary, author’s work. For the first time in the history of Ossetian scientific thought, Tsagolov’s work is highlighted in the context of interliterary connections and influences and becomes the subject of a comprehensive literary analysis. The presented texts reveal the need to preserve the main structural and figurative elements of the ballad and, in parallel, introduce additional nuances, both semantic and figurative, to enrich the ideosphere of the analyzed works. As a result of the research, the statement is presented that interest in folklore traditions in artistic creativity is one of the basic attitudes for the continuous development of both world literature and national literature; that eternal, archetypical themes raised in the presented poems (“treason/fidelity”) acquire additional connotative layers, are enriched with new symbols and acquire semantic depth, modernizing in the context of constantly changing cultural norms and traditions.

Emigrant Songs of Ukrainians in the Context of Scientific Research of Robert Klymasz (Canada)

The purpose of the research is to analyse the genre and thematic, musical component and peculiarities of the transformation of emigrant songs from the collections of folk songs Introduction to the Ukrainian-Canadian Immigrant Folklore Cycle and Ukrainian Folk Songs from the Prairies by R. Klimasz (Canada). The research methodology is based on the principles of objectivity, systematicity and historicism, which is supported by the historical and cultural approach. The musicological, textual, stylistic, and contextual analyses are applied, which reveal the musical, literary, historical and cultural dimensions of the evolution of emigrant songs, and also allow us to identify the transformation of emigrant songs in new socio-cultural conditions. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the introduction into scientific circulation of the collections of sheet music of the Canadian-Ukrainian folklorist R. Klymasz, which contain samples of emigrant songs of Ukrainians in Canada as authentic musical folklore of Ukrainian immigrants in the context of studying the transformation of the musical folklore tradition of Ukrainians in the North American diaspora. Conclusions. The emigrant songs collected and published by R. Klymash, created among overseas emigrants, are part of the cultural heritage of the Ukrainian diaspora in North America, which consists of epic stories, song lyrics, and humorous and satirical dance songs. The folk song materials clearly demonstrate the current themes, melodic, rhythmic and harmonic aspects of the musical component, and the contexts of performance. The musical and poetic style of the songs expresses the peculiarities of the music of the western region of Ukraine with its respective linguistic dialects. Examples of emigrant folklore reflect the diachronic development of the song culture of Ukrainians in the diaspora from the creation of emigrant songs as authentic examples of immigrant folklore with gradual modification to complete assimilation into another cultural environment, which is expressed in the change of content of the works, the use of macaronic elements in the texts, and later – melodic borrowings.

Folklore motifs in the stage interpretation of Zainab Biisheva's novel "The Humiliated"

The subject of the study is the play "Humiliated" based on the novel of the same name by Z. Biisheva. Staging a literary work always requires a specific approach of the playwright and director to the artistic material. In this regard, the potential of the National Youth Theater of the Republic of Bashkortostan named after Mustaya Karim exactly meets these requirements for the production of the novel "The Humiliated" by Zainab Biisheva (director M.Kulbaev, 2019). The purpose of the study is to analyze the preservation of folklore motifs abounding in the author's work in its stage transformation. Methods used: ideological-thematic, ideological-aesthetic, comparative-historical. The work "The Humiliated" (1956-1959) by Z. Biisheva is part of a trilogy, the rest of which are called "At the Big Ica" (1965-1967) and "Emesh" (1967-1969). The play is staged according to the first part of the trilogy and captures the life story of Emesh during the Civil War with abundant depiction, artistic use of folklore material. The production director managed to reflect in two actions the main ideological and thematic, ideological and aesthetic peculiarities of the novel, to solve the main problem of the work by using the possibilities of theatrical art. The results of the conducted research can be used when writing a monograph on the history of scenic reinterpretation of the works of Bashkir writers of different years, the problem of staging an epic canvas to embody the national "epic theater" (the term Skorokhodova N.S.). The article concludes that the folklore traditions that permeate the body of the performance become that connecting thread with a bygone era, phrases in the Bashkir language used by the characters add authenticity to the theater performance.

Otfried Preussler’s Fairy Tales and Their Russian Illustrators

The article is devoted to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the German writer O. Preussler (1923—2013), whose works have gained popularity among children in many countries and have been repeatedly translated into different languages, including the language of fine arts. The most important facts of the jubilee’s biography are listed, the peculiarities of his approach to the genre of fairy tales, to folklore images and plots are characterized, and the master’s statements about children’s literature and his own work are given. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the most significant and successful illustrations by Russian artists for the writer’s works. The main task is to compare them on the basis of book studies, art history and source research methods. This task, which has not yet been set in Russian book science, seems to be topical, since O. Preussler’s works are still popular among domestic readers and are constantly republished, but the visual range of these publications often leaves much to be desired.Graphic interpretations of a particularly favorite fairy tale trilogy in Russia — “The Little Water Sprite”, “The Little Witch”, “The Little Ghost” — are considered. The author of the article concludes that the images of the Little Witch and the Little Ghost (whose appearance is not described in the text) are difficult for artists, so their convincing pictorial interpretations are rare. I.I. Kabakov, N.G. Golts, B.A. Diodorov, D.A. Trubin, and E.A. Silina are among the best illustrators of the tales that make up the trilogy. Among the pictorial interpretations of other works by O. Preussler the drawings by L.A. Tokmakov and S.A. Krestovsky for the story “Krabat and the Sorcere’s Mill”, G.K. Spirin for “The Tale of the Unicorn”, V.N. Zuikov and V.S. Lubarov for the book “The Hörbe and His Friend Zwottel” stand out. It is shown how these art works reflect the peculiarities of the author’s intonation and reveal the hidden meaning of O. Preussler’s works. In them, as well as in the writer’s texts, there is no boring edification, but there is a game of liberated imagination, life-affirming humor, sincere empathy with the heroes. Following the author, the illustrators reinterpret traditional folklore motifs, discovering new qualities in them.

Borrowing and Historical Evolution of Tales and Fables about the Wonderful Hero in the Folklore Traditions of Vietnamese Peoples

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the fairy-tale plot about a wonderful child in the form of a theriomorphic or phytomorphic creature in the folklore of the Viet, Hmong, Cham, Sedang, Stieng, Thai ethnic groups inhabiting the territory of modern Vietnam, as well as in folklore of other peoples of the Far East. Through the study, the methods of structural, typological and comparative analysis of plots, motives and heroes of folklore narratives are used. Hopefully, this approach will help to make assumptions about the ways of borrowing and transforming significant elements of fairy tales in the region. The article examines three Vietnamese fairy-tale texts – “Man Round as a Coconut”, “Magic Turtle” and “Little Turtle”, each of which is compared with both geographically close and distant versions of the narratives.

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.

Resistance, Conformity, and Negotiation to Socio-cultural Anxieties: A Semiotic Reading of Female Aswang Characters in Selected Philippine Horror Films

The Philippines has a rich tradition of folklore, often portrayed in horror films to reflect cultural anxieties and hegemonic ideologies to circumvent political censorship. Among the most popular horror genres in the country is Aswang. This study examines the depictions of female Aswang in Aswang (2011), Corazon ang Unang Aswang (2012), and Maria Labo (2015) through Barthesian Semiology. Female aswang characters and their narrative exposition were analyzed on a micro, meso, and macro level. In the micro level, the Filipina aswang as a cultural reject tries to resist male chauvinism through her transformation towards her true nature, gaining control over her life, and divergence from the societal norms. On the other hand, she is represented in aswang films as someone who is being boxed with societal prescriptions, depicted as the weaker one, and is governed by her emotion. The meso level discusses how the female aswang is viewed in the context of her community, and how the latter affects her perception of herself and her decisions in life. The three films underscore the expectation on women to be domesticated, and the lead characters portrayed how women respond to these societal standards. Additionally, the macro level investigated how female aswang characters are discursively positioned in relation to socio-cultural struggles in the past and present to uncover their hegemonic constructs on poverty, injustices, mental health, and historical distortion. Keywords: Aswang, horror films, Philippine folklore, semiotics, socio-cultural anxieties.