The sun., 1888-05-13
The Folklore of America.

The establishment Of tho American Folk
Lore Society, under the efficient Presidency
OF Professor FRANCIS j. CHILD OF Harvard
College, indicates that the study Of our ma
tive rural tales, legends, and superstitions,
hitherto conducted after q desultory and fit
full fashion, Is about to be undertaken on a
scientific basis. From a careful examination
OF the first number Of the society's Journal
OF American FOLKLORE we are con-
vinced that the enterprise has been con-
dded to men whose scholarship keeps
pace with their enthusiasm and thorough
method Of research. Had this periodical
been founded half a century ago. the results
would have been more satisfactory than we
can now hopo for. Owing to inevitable
changes in tho character of the earlier set,
tied portions Of the country the relics Of Old
English Folk Lore comprising ballads
tales, superstitions, dialect, and the like
are disappearing 80 rapidly that by
the commencement of the next century
there may be little left worth collecting
and preserving. The Same remissness has
been noticeable In the Old World, and it was
not until 1912 that the GRIMM brothers, by
publishing their kinder und Haus-
miirchen" laid the foundation OF the present
scientific study Of popular tales. The very
phrase folklore is scarcely forty years old
But as 1t is never too late to mend, or
scarcely ever, we are led to hope that the in
vestigations Of the American Folklore
Society may materially assist tho develop
ment OF this long neglected but very i'm
por tant branch of study.
And the undertaking has been commenced
NJ av,tf fr.-
brought to America by the English colonists,
and to which they tenaciously clung for gen.
erations, have been well-nigh forgotten, and
the same may be said Of the ballads they used
to recite, although of these q few have been
recorded and are still available. OF nursery
tales scarcely ono has been recorded al
though century ago they were familiar by
scores to mothers and nurses. As to SUPER
stitions, there is more hope. They linger in
the agricultural districts. and are not un-
common In the neighborhood OF large cities.
An otherwise intelligent New England
farmer will pin his faith on the signs
of the zodiac or on the necessity of planting
his peas In the first quarter Of tho MOON
What may be called the minor elements of
folklore still exist In considerable abundance.
They are observable in childrens games, at
tended by song and rhyme, and particularly
In what are known as contingent rhymes.
The game OF marbles still retains the phrase
ology attaching to 1t In SHAKEsPEAREs
time. Finally. In many parts of the States
which form our Eastern seaboard. there are
enough quaint expressions and archaic
words In use to indicate from what part of
the fatherland the original colonists came.
The rescue from oblivion OF our Old English
folklore is by no means hopeless task, but
1t is obvious that tho work should bo COM
menced without further delay.
With the negro dialect tales, songs, and
superstitions. the case is very different
Thanks to the labors and foresight of Mr..
JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS, Col. CHARLES @.
JONES, Jr., OF Georgia, Mr.. THOMAS NELSON
PAGE and others, We have q fairly good
foundation for systematic inquiry The
Southern negroes are still In a compare
lively primitive state, and their retentive
memories and delight In singing have aided
In preserving such mass Of material as to
render comparatively easy the labors of tho
ethnologist or NEUROLOGICAL Investigator.
moro promising field Of folklore explora-
ton could scarcely be desired.
lho cohoc1ioh VI tho iolk-iOro OF the Amer
lean Indians may be regarded as perhaps
the most important, as it is the most pic
turesque, Of the subjects TO be considered by
the society. Unfortunately the hard -headed
and unimaginative settlers of New England
and the Atlantic States in general made no
record of the Indian legends which were
once associated with every valley, lake. or
stream and the raoe melted away befoss
than with little snOush Of tts fsIk-loss 10