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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:On the Areal Compatibility of Folklore
Author:Hurskainen, Arvi
Year:1992
Periodical:Nordic Journal of African Studies
Volume:1
Issue:2
Pages:17-44
Language:English
Geographic term:Tanzania
Subjects:folklore
oral literature
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
External link:https://njas.fi/njas/article/view/726/549
Abstract:This study compares folklore in Finland and Tanzania, focusing on two questions: 1) How has the collection and study of folklore been implemented in these societies, by whom and for what reasons? 2) What functions does folklore play in Tanzanian and Finnish society today? In Finland, the study of folklore played a vital role in the development of a national identity in the 19th century. A symbol of this new identity was the Kalevala, an epic poem compiled and adapted from older oral traditions. The folklore of Tanzania is still largely unknown and has not been systematically collected. Although there is ample evidence of the significance of various categories of folklore (Swahili proverbs, 'tenzi' poetry, stories, tales, legends, riddles) in Tanzania today, there are signs of an ambivalent attitude towards folklore. Folklore is sometimes seen as something belonging to the past, to times of ignorance. The author suggests that although Finland and Tanzania are ethnically and linguistically quite different, they have much in common in their struggle for national identity and cultural freedom, a struggle in which indigenous cultures and languages have a vital role to play. Bibliogr., notes, sum.
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