Field Assignment 2: Legend and Belief
Assignment 2 (due November 13): Comparative analysis of a legend.
1. Document a variant of a legend similar to the legends we encountered in class (urban legends, ghosts, witches, faires/other supernatural creatures, historical heroes).
○ The assignment works best if you report your conversation with another person.
■ (Optional expansion for an outstanding grade: record and transcribe an interview that you quote, word for word, in the annotation, Part #2).
○ You may also write the story down from memory, or record yourself retelling it to a camera or audio recorded – but remember, you are studying somebody else’s beliefs about a legend they told, not you and your own beliefs.
○ Before annotating, write a short summary of the text, and how you documented it. (Optional addition for a great grade: record and transcribe an interview that you quote word for word in the annotation, Part #2.)
You can also write the story down from memory or record yourself telling it to a camera or an audio recorder. Just remember that you are studying someone else’s beliefs about a legend they told, not your own.
Write a short summary of the text and how you’re going to annotate it.
2. Annotate this variant (125-250 words):
○ Text: Point out significant motif numbers from the Motif-Index of Folk Literature
○ (Links to an external site.)
○ ; note how a motif is adapted to include people, places and things in the performer’s context.
○ Variants: Compare your text to variants encountered in class reading assignments, or in other chapters of our main “archive,” the e-book, Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend
○ (Links to an external site.)
○ . Online variants can also be useful, but remember that you do not know anything about the actual beliefs and worldviews of anonymous online legend-tellers.
○ Texture: Note traditional patterns; comment on performance style.
○ Context: connect the text to its tradition (the storytelling that happened before or after your text), its performer & performer’s repertoire, and audience & their beliefs.
○ You may include comparative notes, engaging examples from Module Three.
Privacy:
Only two people will see your work: Your teacher, and one student peer-reviewer. Your privacy and creative work is protected:
● It is illegal for anybody to download or share your work outside of this class, without your written permission.
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