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Folklore H 1627
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BACKGROUND: The term folklore refers to those aspects of culture that are learned orally, by imitation, or by observation, including traditional beliefs, narratives (tales, legends, proverbs, etc.), folk medicine, and other aspects of the expressive performance and communication
involved in oral tradition. The subdivision B Social life and customs , in contrast, is broader
and includes not only folklore, but also manners, customs, ceremonies, popular traditions, etc.
This instruction sheet provides guidelines for assigning an array of headings to folkloric works. When possible, the following topics should be brought out: (a) the ethnic, national, or occupational group that originated the folklore, and/or its place of origin; (b) the theme of the folklore; (c) the folkloric emphasis or genre.
These instructions apply primarily to folklore in general. Where specific instructions exist for subdisciplines of folklore that are in conflict with these instructions, the guidelines for the more specific discipline take precedence. For example, for folk music, the instructions in H 1917 apply; for genres of folk literature, such as folk poetry, the standard provisions for literary works presented in H 1780-H 1800 take precedence over these instructions in case of conflict.
It should be noted that certain genre headings, such as Folk literature, Folk drama, Folk poetry , etc., are treated as literary form headings, while others, such as Tales , are treated as folklore headings. Literary genre headings may be qualified only by the types of adjectives appropriate to those headings (usually language), even when they are assigned to folkloric works. Conversely, folklore headings may be qualified only by adjectives designating ethnic groups, even when they are assigned to literary works.
For classification of folklore and folk literature, see F 590.
1. Assignment of headings.
a. General rule. Assign the appropriate combination of the following types of headings to folkloric works:
650 #0 $a [ ethnic, national, or occupational group ] $z [ place ] $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a [ theme ] $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a [ heading(s) for specific folklore genre(s) ] $z [ place ]. 650 #0 $a Folklore $z [ place ]. 651 #0 $a [ place ] $x Social life and customs. 650 #0 $a [ other topics, as applicable ]
Note: The subdivision B Folkore is free-floating.
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1. Assignment of headings. (Continued)
b. Special provisions.
(1) Collections. Assign to a collection of folklore texts, if possible, the first three categories of headings listed above. Assign other headings as appropriate for the work.
(2) Works that discuss folklore. Assign headings in the first three categories above to works limited to a specific genre, further subdividing the genre heading by B History and criticism (or by more specific subdivisions such as B Themes, motives or B Classification , if appropriate).
To works not limited to a specific genre, assign headings in the fourth and fifth categories instead of those in the third category. Do not use the subdivision B History and criticism under these headings.
2. Explanation of the categories of headings.
a. Ethnic, national, or occupational group.
(1) General rule. When possible, assign headings of the type [ ethnic, national, or occupational group ] B [ place, if appropriate ] B Folklore. Examples:
650 #0 $a African Americans $z Louisiana $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Jews $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Italians $z Austria $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Chimney sweeps $z Netherlands $x Folklore.
Do not assign headings of this type for individual nationalities within their own countries. Use instead Folklore B [ place ] or headings for individual genres with local subdivision, for example, Folklore B Italy [ not Italians B Folklore ].
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2. Explanation of the categories of headings. (Continued)
b. Special themes in folklore. If the work has a special theme, designate the theme by means of the free-floating subdivision B Folklore under topics. Examples:
650 #0 $a Stars $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Lizards $z Louisiana $x Folklore.
Do not use the subdivision B Folklore under topics that are inherently folkloric, such as Evil eye ; Ghosts ; Mermaids.
Do not confuse this use of the subdivision B Folklore under topics with the use of B Legends under topics. The latter subdivision is used under a few religious topics, for example, Grail B Legends , but only in connection with published medieval romances and legends. In all other instances the subdivision B Folklore is used both for folkloric texts and for criticism.
The use of the subdivision B Legends and stories under types of animals has been discontinued (see H 1720).
c. Headings for specific folklore genres. The following is a list of typical folklore genre headings, grouped according to treatment category:
Folklore (General) Musical Literary
Fairy tales Ballads Fables Legends Folk music Folk drama Tales Folk songs Folk literature Folk poetry Nursery rhymes Proverbs Riddles
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2. Explanation of the categories of headings.
c. Headings for specific folklore genres. (Continued)
(1) General provisions. To a collection of folkloric texts in one genre, assign the appropriate genre heading, subdividing it by place if appropriate. See the Back- ground statement on p. 1 for further information on the various treatments discussed below.
For works of criticism, subdivide the genre heading, or the genre heading with geographic subdivision, by the subdivision B History and criticism , for example, Tales B Arizona B History and criticism.
Qualify literary genre headings, that is, headings in the third column above, by language or nationality in accordance with normal literary form heading practice. For translations, subdivide these literary genre headings by the appropriate translation subdivisions, for example, B Translations or B Translations into [... ] (cf. H 2220).
Do not qualify headings in the first column above by language or nationality. For the special rules for qualifying musical genre headings, and use of the subdivision B Texts , see H 1917. Do not use translation subdivisions under headings in either of the first two columns above.
Guidelines applicable to specific genre headings are given below.
(2) Fairy tales. Assign this heading to collections of traditional narratives that typically deal with supernatural beings (such as fairies, ogres, dragons) or supernatural events, and which are often created for the amusement of children. If in doubt as to whether to assign the heading Tales , which represents the blanket term for traditional narratives, or Fairy tales , prefer Tales.
(3) Folk literature. Assign this heading to collections containing three or more folklore genres. For collections of two genres, assign the appropriate headings for the genres.
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2. Explanation of the categories of headings.
c. Headings for specific genres. (Continued)
(5) Tales. Assign this heading to collections of traditional narratives that are for the most part fictitious and are told primarily for entertainment. Example:
Title: Yankee yarns. 650 #0 $a Tales $z New England.
For works that are collections of a single tale type, assign a heading of the type [ tale name ] (Tale) , for example, Dragon slayer (Tale). For works that discuss the type, subdivide by B History and criticism. Some headings of this type may also be represented by a similar uniform title heading that is used for added entries. Do not use the uniform title in assigning subject headings. For example, use Puss in Boots (Tale) instead of the uniform title Puss in boots.
For tales of American Indian groups, use the subdivision B Folklore under individual tribes and major groups. Assign the additional heading Tales B [ place ].
d. Folklore. Assign this heading, with geographic subdivision if appropriate, to works that discuss folklore in general or that discuss folklore as a discipline.
Do not assign this heading to a work that deals only with one or more specific folklore genres. Instead, assign headings for the specific genres with the subdivision B History and criticism or the heading Folk literature with the subdivision B History and criticism , as described in sec. 3, above.
Do not use the subdivision B History and criticism under this heading.
When the heading is subdivided by place, assign an additional heading of the type [ place ] B Social life and customs.
In the case of national groups in countries other than their own (but not American ethnic groups), assign a folklore heading to bring out the place of origin and another to bring out the present location. Example:
650 #0 $a Germans $z Romania $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Folklore $z Romania. 650 #0 $a Folklore $z Germany.
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2. Explanation of the categories of headings. (Continued)
e. Other topics. Assign other headings as needed. Examples:
650 #0 $a Traditional medicine. 650 #0 $a Literature and folklore. 650 #0 $a Folk dentistry. 650 #0 $a Psychoanalysis and folklore. 650 #0 $a Oral tradition. 650 #0 $a Folklore and history. 650 #0 $a Storytelling.
3. Examples.
Note: Titles are provided in the following examples only to demonstrate a principle of subject assignment, and are not the titles of real works. The subject headings are listed in the order of the categories given in sec. 1.a. The actual order of assignment of these headings is determined by the principles described in H 80.
Title: A classification of American folk tales. 650 #0 $a Tales $z United States $v Classification.
Title: Folklore of Tunisian potters. 650 #0 $a Potters $z Tunisia $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Folklore $z Tunisia. 651 #0 $a Tunisia $x Social life and customs.
Title: Legends collected among the preliterate peoples of Nigeria. 650 #0 $a Legends $z Nigeria.
Title: Scottish tales and legends. 650 #0 $a Tales $z Scotland. 650 #0 $a Legends $z Scotland.
Title: Mexican American folk medicine traditions from Texas. 650 #0 $a Mexican Americans $z Texas $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Mexican Americans $x Medicine $z Texas. 650 #0 $a Traditional medicine $z Texas. 651 #0 $a Texas $x Social life and customs.
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3. Examples. (Continued)
Title: Folklore of the Berber weavers of Morocco. 650 #0 $a Berbers $z Morocco $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Weavers $z Morocco $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Folklore $z Morocco. 651 #0 $a Morocco $x Social life and customs.
Title: Iban tales, legends, proverbs collected in Sarawak. 650 #0 $a Iban (Bornean people) $v Folklore. 650 #0 $a Folk literature, Iban $z Malaysia $z Sarawak.
Title: A collection of tales, songs and poems obtained among the Tuaregs and translated into English. 650 #0 $a Tuaregs $v Folklore. 650 #0 $a Folk literature, Tamashek $v Translations into English.
Title: The folklore of garlic among Italian Americans in Massachusetts. 650 #0 $a Italian Americans $z Massachusetts $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Garlic $z Massachusetts $x Folklore. 650 #0 $a Folklore $z Massachusetts. 651 #0 $a Massachusetts $x Social life and customs.
