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Author
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Comment
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kristiw
Unregistered User
(9/19/05 12:04 pm)
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tantalizing question
If you had $22,000 and exactly one year in which you couldn't set foot in the U.S., what countries would you visit and what would you study there?
This isn't a rhetorical qestion, actually. I'm applying for a Watson Fellowship, which would fund exactly what I described above... if I have an interesting enough idea. Since I'm frankly dazzled by options (aside from a decided desire to study folklore and narrative) and I thought this would make an interesting thread, I'm putting it out there.
... ?
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Helen J Pilinovsky
Registered User
(9/19/05 12:07 pm)
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Re: tantalizing question
Oh, the many splendiferous possibilities! Before going into the myriad options, a question: are there any linguistic barriers?
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kristiw
Unregistered User
(9/19/05 12:18 pm)
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re: linguistic barriers
Well, its a real-world question with a real-world answer: yes.
But there are such things as translators, recordings, phonetic transcriptions, and being a quick study! :-P
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Writerpatrick
Registered User
(9/20/05 9:40 am)
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Re: re: linguistic barriers
One could study the appearance of a country and how it would affect their folklore. For instance, how does the climate, geology and nature of Ireland affect it's folk tales? Since it lies closer to the North Pole than the Equator, the light is dimmer than most of the US and night can fall quickly.
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rosyelf
Registered User
(9/21/05 5:02 am)
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fellowship
In the same vein as Writerpatrick, I would mention Iceland-a study of how its proximity to the North Pole, its volcanoes, etc. has influenced its folklore.
True, Icelandic isn't a well-known language outside Iceland, but English is taught in schools and the few Icelanders I have seen on television speak English wonderfully-so I don't think interpreters would be hard to find. Also, various surveys suggest that a large number of Icelanders, while being well-read and highly-educated, still really do believe in fairies, trolls, and so on. I don't think there would be a shortage of people to aid you in a folklore project.
Keep us posted-this sounds fascinating. No, I haven't (yet) been to Iceland. Maybe I should apply for a grant ;) |
kristiw
Unregistered User
(9/21/05 11:05 pm)
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Iceland
Spooky, Iceland is actually at the top of the list of countries I want to visit :D... along with New Zealand and Basque regions of Spain and France. I've actually written a little bit about folklore and environment (anyone know Basso's book, Wisdom Sits in Places?), too. I am trying to think specifically, though... maybe looking at a particular story-type, like the Demon Lover. Could I encorporate an emphasis on landscape into specific analysis of a type of story, do you think?
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