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Archive of Idaho Folklore papers

 Collection
Identifier: MG 126

Content Description

The papers in the Archives of Idaho Folklore span the years 1963-1972, with the bulk of the material collected between 1962 and 1964. These include background papers for the project and background papers written by the students. The bulk of the material consists of folksongs, folktales, rhymes, recipes, games, folk cures, legends, etc. Also included are term papers on folklore.

Dates

  • Creation: 1963-1972

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

Noted folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand began teaching in the University of Idaho Humanities department in 1961. In 1963 he applied for a University grant to develop an Archive of Idaho Folklore. The project began during the 1963 summer session when the 25 students in American Folklore (English 174) began collecting songs, stories, jokes, rhymes and other similar materials. The project was continued by later classes and completed in December 1964. Between January and June 1965 when Dr. Brunvand left the University he and a student assistant organized the materials collected. Between 1969 and 1972 Professors Bacil Kirtley and Lynn Pugmire taught folklore classes and placed the term papers from those classes with the previous material.

Since 1966 Jan Harold Brunvand has been teaching English and Folklore at the University of Utah. He has written ten books and also writes a syndicated newspaper column.

Extent

7 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Folksongs, folkstories, tall tales, ghost stories, recipes, rhymes and riddles collected by University of Idaho students in English 104 classes directed by Jan Harold Brunvand, 1961-1965, and others; also short research papers on folklore.

Arrangement

The material in this record group retains its original order. A very complete outline of the collection prepared by Jan Harold Brunvand was included with the papers and all headings and subheadings used are those given in the outline; likewise all folder headings were retained.

The first series consists of the grant proposal for the project, a collecting guide, outline, and two items of correspondence.

The second series contains the background papers prepared by the students in the classes which contain their methods of collecting information, names of persons interviewed, and biographies of at least one interviewee. The third series consists of the foldered material. This generally contains the longer legends, stories, and songs, but occasionally 3x5 cards will be included in the folders. Among the many subjects covered are Idaho place name stories, Idaho lost and found mines, Chinese in the West, lore of special groups such as Indians, Mormons, and Basque, and occupational lore. This series also includes folksongs, tall tales, rhymes, games, and puzzles.

Shorter items were typed on 3x5 cards and filed in metal drawers. These include popular beliefs and superstitions, proverbs, riddles, jokes, rhymes including verses written in autograph books, toasts, and epitaphs.

The next series is composed of term papers written between 1969 and 1972 for Professors Bacil Kirtley and Lynn Pugmire. They were in no discernible order, so were organized alphabetically by author. These include items not associated with Idaho such as the Loch Ness Monster, African folktales, papers on Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed. Other topics include Shoshoni Indian Tales, the Coyote legends, the Lost Wheelbarrow mine, and superstitions of University of Idaho coeds.

The final series contains six reel to reel tape recordings of folk music and stories collected by several students in 1963 and 1964.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Archive of Idaho Folklore was donated to the University of Idaho Library by Jan Harold Brunvand in 1965. Professors Bacil Kirtley and Lynn Pugmire added to the collection from 1969 to 1972.

Title
Guide to Archive of Idaho Folklore papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Judith Nielsen; updated by Sara Szobody in 2022.
Date
1989
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Repository