GC2Y test 2
What is a ballad? What is a lyric song? What is an epic? What is the difference?
ballad: sung narrative poem with a single episode lyric song: short, sung, most of our music: braided hair epic: sung, multi-episodic, , long poetry
Explain similarities and differences between oral and written poetry?
both contains lyrics and have the characteristics of poetry but one is said aloud (oral) while the other is meant to be written down. Oral poetry is often neglected
Be prepared to discuss the various examples of music and oral poetry listened to in class
braided hair, one giant leap: life is like braided hair , 9/11 poetry: Suheir hummad "First writing since"
What are the main characteristics of oral poetry?
circulated by word of mouth, often performed, reflects traditions and beliefs. Certain form: usually sung, chanted, or performed. Simple but powerful language
What is the appeal of folksongs?
comes from topic, singer, performance, structure, focus TOPICS: all human activity, but often human values and activities like work, love, religion, politics, parodies
Tradition
dynamic processes; connected to community and creativity; not always like it was in the past...There is continuity, but is also allowed to change.
What is ethnomusicology?
field that explores human music making activities all over the world, in all styles, from the immediate present to the distant past. The study of the people who make the music, the instruments they use, and the complex of ideas, behaviors, and processes that are involved in production. sometimes called WORLD MUSIC
What are the typical proofs offered in all kinds of legends?
footprints, skeletons, and most of the time an individual telling about an encounter is talked about
Which is (are) the most common genre(s) of narrative in our culture?
lyric poetry (songs)
Why do people tell riddles?
to entertain and test knowledge
What is a likely function of disaster jokes?
to make light of a bad situation (9/11 jokes), rebel against a world defined by media
What is the purpose of legends?
to teach, warm, enlighten, and caution
Be prepared to discuss the various examples of several TYPES of jokes (see website).
types of jokes: narratives, one-liners, puns, jests, practical, question and answer
What are some kind of legends and their functions (teenage, food contamination, etc.)
urban, local, historical, supernatural: UFO sightings, walmart abduction: used to warn and teach a lesson
Folklore
vital and present in all our lives; broad, common, contemporary, and ancient; in everyday English: falsehood, nonsense, childish, and old-fashioned
What are the answers to the riddles from class (for instance the 2 doors, 2 guards, one question)?
you would ask what door the other guard would say (either way it would be a lie)
What does it mean to "steal carve"?
"Steal" other carvers' techniques of carving and develop your own carving style.
two methods of steel carving?
"Steal" other carvers' techniques of carving and develop your own carving style. "Free hand" carving (the stone carver is relatively free to express his own imagination) and "working the model" carving (the stone carver exactly translates a sculptor's clay model into stone)
How can stories from long ago still be considered "legends"?
Because they are stories that are still talked about and used for entertainment.
How studying folklore can be considered political
In the past, only white men were considered to be artists. However, in folk art, anybody can be considered an artist. (Muslims, Asians, Africans, people of color, poor people, communities of women)
What is quilting?
The combination of different fabrics with varying colors, patterns, and texture.
Why do folklorists study the stories of other cultures?
To learn about other cultures and bring a piece of other cultures into their own writing and stories.
What is Unstandardized Multiple Variation? To which examples from this section does it apply?
Unstandardized Multiple Variations: Retain fixed central core but constantly change as transmitted variants differing in length, detail, style, performance technique. 3 essential elements- 1. strong basic story appeal 2. foundation in actual belief 3. meaningful message or "moral"
How are urban legends different from local legends?
Urban legends are more widely known where as local legends will have things you are familiar with (characters, setting)
What are characteristics of folksongs?
- usually modified, shortened, lengthened, words changed, details personalized or localized, combined with other songs, etc. - articulates shared attitudes or feelings. - seldom memorized - comprehended and continually recomposed - not ancient, rural, backward, quaint - constantly used and modified by singers - structure- arranged in verses and choruses which help to organize
What are the three main classes of musical instruments (from class) and know some variations of each.
1. String 2. Wind 3. Percussion Could come in combinations- for dance, celebrations, rituals, etc.
suheir hammad
9/11 oral poet
Be familiar with these names in the study of folklore (and their contributions): Jan Brunvand, Elliot Oring, Ruth Finnegan
Elliot Oring: humor depends on perception- appropriate incongruity Ruth Finnegan:study and composition of oral african literature Jan Brunvand: view of folklore is that it is most stories have the same plots but have different characters, settings, and length (unstandardized multiple variation)
How when studying folklore, context is important.
Example: When one woman of Gee's bend made a quilt of her deceased husband's clothes (Ms. petway), it gives insight on the meaning of the quilt. It makes you have emotion for the woman and the fact that the one little quilt that she made was all of the clothes that her husband had.
What is the difference (and similarity) between folk art and folk craft?
Folk Art: decorative in form, proportion, and detail Folk Craft: made to serve a specific and important function- to be used in everyday life (function primary); examples: furniture, tools, caned chairs, quilts, pots, baskets, etc.
Dynamism
Folklore is dynamic, constantly changing
What do monster legends reveal about human nature?
Humans tend to create scenarios from their imagination. The legends are not very realistic and contain false evidence. (ex. bigfoot's footprints). Humans like to dwell on their fears.
Give an example of an oral poem.
John Henry
Define joke and riddle. Be aware of their function and circumstances in which they are used. Give examples of each.
Joke:form of humor, intended to make us laugh, smile, enjoy, groan, shudder, or contemplate. : Jokes can have complex or similar structures and many are inappropriate. (blonde jokes) Riddle: problems expressed in metaphorical language. They are used during leisure time, folk narratives, greetings, and rituals. (what came first? the chicken or the egg?) - leisure time, courting, educational situation, ceremony/ritual, folk narrative, greeting
What does our reading explain about jokes?
Jokes are meant to be amusing but they are used to achieve particular social benefits.
What is the difference between a rumor and a legend?
Legends are believed to be true with real characters, settings and events. Also, a legend must be a narrative. Rumors do not necessarily have to be a narrative and they are generally not depicted as true.
Be prepared to discuss the various examples of material culture we studied: Acoma pottery, French stonemasonry and Gee's Bend quilts.
Material Culture= folk art and craft
How does music connect to poetry?
Meter and rhyme are present in both of these things.
How does any of the art from folk artists you have seen reflect both the personality/individuality and the community of the artist?
Most of the artists we have seen are in a community in which a lot of its inhabitants partake in some kind of folk art, whether it be pottery or quilts or some other folk art. However, each person of the community is able to express him/herself creatively through the way that they make the art. (different designs, colors, shapes, etc.
What is the consensus of scientists about these monsters?
Most scientists believe that most of these monsters do not exist due to the pseudo-proof found within the stories.
Be prepared to describe some influences on American music from around the world.
Native American- Often religious (or ritually based), highly varied styles. Instruments: flutes, drums, voice European- choirs, notations, broadsides (printed lyrics), ballads; Instruments: wind, string, percussion, voice British Isles- Child ballads, fiddling, bagpipes, dancing Ireland- ensembles, sets, reels, jigs, fiddles, whistles, harps African- (Through slaves) polyrhythms and call-&-response style vocals; Instruments: drums, strings (guitar, banjo) Cajun/Creole (Louisiana)- Zydeco, 2 step, swmp pop rhythm Polynesian(Hawaii)- Hula, steel and slack key guitar, ukulele Tex-Mex (Tejano)- Corrido, accordion, guitar, bass, drum Eastern Europe- polk, fiddle, klezmer, "gypsy" lively styles Russia- classical opera, ballet, many instruments, protest Chinese/Japenese- Instruments (bamboo, bowed strings, percussion), orchestras, new scales, styles Arab- tonal system, rhythms, new chords, virtuoso singers`
Name some specific Gee's Bend quilters and the quilts they make and discuss what you (or others) like about them.
Nettie Young, Arlonzia Pettway, and Mary Lee Bendolph. Their quilts are all abstract patterns and have a combination of a lot of different fabrics.
Where is Acoma? What is their main form of art?
New Mexico, pottery (tan, brown, and black)
What kind of examples of folk art did we study in class?
Pots, quilts, etc. Also, yard art, food art, and food markets.
Culture
The way of life of a society and human expressions of individuals within a society; learned through family, religion, politics, and daily interactions; generally refers to patterns of human acitivity and the symbolic structure that give such an activity significance; Processes of symbolically tinged interactions and their artifacts. Indicates artifacts in music, literature, painting, sculpture, theater and film (distinction between society and culture)
Why is it remarkable that the Gee's Bend quilters are now being considered as great artists?
The women did not make the quilts to get attention. They did not expect people to be interested in the quilts. They did not think of themselves as artists.
How do the stone carvers (from Italy) in our film feel about their work? (Give examples)
They feel proud of their work; they feel as if they accomplished something. They can see their work whenever they want and remember the hard work they put into it. Feel like they accomplish something new everyday ***Vincent Palumbo (video)
What are some reasons people believe in monsters or continue to circulate stories about them?
They provide entertainment for use and often provoke our fears of supernatural elements.
How is music connected to ritual, dance, story, and poetry?
We can express ourselves artistically in various ways - music, dance, poetry, painting, etc. These artistic expressions can be related, connected or inspired by the other. For example, a music piece can inspire a choreographer to come up with new dance moves, or a painting can inspire someone to write poetry. Through the years we've heard songs that have been partly or greatly inspired by poems.
What are the two main types of riddles (enigma and conundrum)? And how do they differ?
a conundrum relies on puns
What does mnemonic mean? How does it apply to oral poetry?
a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something. : it is used in oral poetry to help the poet remember the lines (rhyme scheme)
What is a metaphor and how does it relate to various examples from this section?
metaphor is a comparison saying that one thing is another. This is used within riddles because the problems are expressed through the use of metaphors.
What are some distinguishing features of poetry? What is metaphor, alliteration, rhythm, etc.?
metaphor: comparison stating that something is another alliteration: the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. rhythm: a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.
What's the difference between a malevolent and benevolent practical joke (examples?)?
one has good intentions, victim can joke back(benevolent) and one has bad intentions , victim is excluded (malevolent)
What pseudo proofs are offered for legends and why are they "pseudo"? (What is FoaF?)
pseudo proofs are false evidence (fake footprints, inaccurate eye witness accounts) Friend of a friend
