What does a folklore tradition "do"? How does it shape its performers and the communities in which they perform? These questions guide a functional analysis.

Lynne McNeill listed four "classic" functions: Education, Entertainment, Social Control, and Validation of Culture. Seems simple enough. But out there in the real world, things get blurry. When you're analyzing a tradition, it's useful to consider each of those four, but this is not a "multiple-choice-only-one-answer-allowed" kind of analysis. And keep your eyes open for other, less obvious functions.

Reading

Lecture 11 Functions of Folklore— Estimated time to read: ~25 minutes

Henry Glassie (2013), "Boyle interviews" pages 38-49 and "Function" pages 122-142, in All Silver & No Brass
[Read before Lecture 11: Part 2]

This book is available only in paper format. In case your copy's delivery is late.... here's the interview, and here's the chapter about "Function".

Rationale: Follow Glassie's methodical analysis of folklore's function: First he reads the texts of mumming rhymes to see how they answer the question, "what did mumming do?"; then he considers Bascom's four functions (mentioned by McNeill in our textbook, page 30). Continuing our discussion from Lectures 8 and 9, observe how Glassie engages earlier arguments that mumming was a magic ritual.

Lecture

Part 1: Key concepts presented in this lecture:

Purpose vs Function of folklore.
Four functions of folklore, or more?
...what's the function of poetry (the words, not only the texture)?

Part 2:

What are the functions of the Lithuanian hay-cutting song? How is it like the mummers' rhymes, and how is it different?

Bonus

Listen to Lithuanian hay-cutting song, mentioned in the lecture :

text & translation pdf and audio

If you'd like a cutting-edge perspective on the origins and ancient functions of language, songs and music, read two chapters of Steven Mithen's 2006 book, The Singing Neanderthals:

Chapter 13, "The demands of parenthood," pages 192-204 [pdf copy]
Chapter 17, "A Mystery Explained, but not diminished," pages 266-278 [pdf copy]

Have some thoughts or questions? Why not join the conversation... Oral Poetry forum