Folklore - what is it? Main characteristics

There is not a single person in the world who would notI liked folk tales, songs and dances. You can find everything in them - spontaneity, sparkling humor, the subtlest sadness and vivid joy. And, probably, the most important thing that attracts modern people in them is the unique charm of antiquity and a certain nostalgic aroma of deep antiquity. So, folklore - what is it and what are its main features?

Basic definition

Folklore is collective creativity.people expressing their worldview and ideals, as well as serving as a complete reflection of their mentality. Usually it is an oral creation - epic, tales, proverbs, conspiracies, riddles. Considering the question of whether folklore is what it is, not to mention the very meaning of the word. Translated "Folk-lore" - literally "popular wisdom" or "popular knowledge." In everyday life, this term was introduced in 1846 by the English researcher William Toms.

In our country, a huge contribution to the study of thisMany enlightened people contributed to the cultural field - M. Lomonosov, A.S. Pushkin, G. Derzhavin, N. Roerich, I.I. Shishkin and many other writers, artists, historians and scientists. After the revolution, Maxim Gorky devoted much attention to the question of whether folklore was what it was. It was thanks to this main proletarian writer that the main problems of Soviet folklore studies were developed.

Main characteristics

So folklore - what is it and what is itsigns? The main distinctive features of folk art can be called unwrittenness, verbality, of course, collectivity and deep traditionalism. This is, in fact, the only area of ​​culture on which the state and the government can have absolutely no influence. For centuries, from father to son, tales, epics and legends were transmitted. In addition to the literary sphere, mentality and traditionalism are also manifested in all other areas of folk art - in dance, music, etc.

Basic types and genres of folklore

The main genres of literary folk art include epic, riddle, proverb and lament.

Oral legend, dance, crafts and songs - the mainkinds of folklore itself. It is also worth highlighting its ceremonial views. This area of ​​art usually has pagan roots and manifests itself as a kind of opposition to the new religion. However, this is not always the case. For example, in the years of the USSR, when any cults were banned, it was Christian ritual folklore that manifested itself very strongly. In this light, folk art can be considered a reflection of even a certain confrontation between the common people and the authorities, and any.

The works of folklore reflect the experiencemillennia. And regardless of the level of social development at which a particular people stands, fairy tales and epics are one of the most valuable sources of knowledge of its history. Perhaps the Russian darling of fate Ivan the Fool, the beautiful Vasilisa, the villain Koschey the Immortal, the Greek Prometheus and Heracles, the German Freya, the Scandinavian trolls, etc. able to tell about what events occurred on earth in antiquity, much more than it might seem at first glance.