Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present

Subject: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:04 AM

As a folklorist it seems to me that hundreds of folklorists have had to struggle with the fact that all that remains of folk practice is faint weak memory that causes endless useless speculation concerning what actually happened. Should we repeat this mess or insist that a folklorist be present at all times at folk events?

At least shouldn't a record be made? The folklorist could be as ever present a fixture as the bar tender?

But then who would record what the folklorist is doing?

Are we leaving adequate sufficiently detailed records of what is happening or not happening in a regular sort of way- not just here and there.?

Conrad

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:18 AM

Why have I started thinking of Schroedinger's Cat?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: doc.tom
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 09:19 AM

I thought there always was!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 09:39 AM

Folk events? Hmmmm... Methinks the very nature of Folklore has moved on somewhat. See this thread Folklore: What is Folklore? for a general discussion on the nature of the beast.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 07:53 AM

Couldn't really say, but can we all club together and buy Peasant an old fashioned spacebar?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 07:58 AM

dont need space bar need longer subject window

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Young Buchan
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 08:33 AM

a) As I understand it, Doc Rowe actually IS present recording ALL folklore that occurs.

b) But the theory of Quantum Folklore states that the presence of a folklore observer distorts the nature of the folklore observed.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Morris-ey
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 10:07 AM

You can know that folk exists, but you cannot say where; you can know where folk is, but cannot say when.

And if you observe too long; it all becomes about Show of Hands...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: MartinRyan
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 10:53 AM

Bit like having an undertaker available at all times...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 01:52 PM

Any one of us who sings, plays or tells stories is a folklorist in addition to being a folkie. For who chooses a piece without giving thought to where it came from and what it means?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 02:07 PM

schroedingers cat? a catastrophe for the cat.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 02:13 PM

Which school of folklorists are you talking about?

C# shool, "horse" school or which one?

This has to be sorted out first...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Ernest
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 02:14 PM

Which school of folklorists are you talking about?

C# shool, "horse" school or which one?

This has to be sorted out first...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Snuffy
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 08:30 AM

schroedingers cat? a catastrophe for the cat.

But no apostrophe for poor old schroedinger?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 09:36 AM

He was German. Germans don't use apostrophes to show possession.

Das ist Schroedingers Katz.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 09:39 AM

The point being of course, that folklore only exists if there's a folklorist present, nicht wahhr.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: The Sandman
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 12:45 PM

the cat that belonged to schroedinger,or schroedinger`s cat.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 11:27 AM

Nein, Dave. You have it backwards. If a folklorist shows up, the folklore is driven out by logic, information, hypotheses, linguistics and other unfun stuff.

Soon ambiance goes to pot and people shove in saying things like "With all due respect, you must be senile..."

Then even if the thread is about 'Stodola Pumpa' or 'Ciribirbin,' somebody manages to drag in the potato famine, and from there it's all downhill.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Tradsinger
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 11:32 AM

Nineteenth Century folklorists filled performers' heads with a load of nonsense about Pagan roots and magic symbolism going back to the dark ages. I like to think that today's folklorists are more objective observers and notetakers rather than spreaders of theories.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist pre
From: Anglo
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 03:08 PM

I'm sorry. Tonight's concert has been cancelled as our folklorist has a headcold and can't make it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Shouldthere alwaysbea folklorist present
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 03:48 PM

Hi Leeneia.

I agree with you entirely. I was trying to understand the folklorist's perspective.

My own view is that the observer affects the observed, so that, if there is a folklorist present, that which is observed ceases to be folklore.