Folklore studies is an exciting field. Stereotypical views of folklore as something rural, white, old and dead (or dying) have been systematically challenged. The digital humanities are now unlocking vast nineteenth- and twentieth-century newspaper archives, making folkloric themes electronically searchable and enabling fresh cross-cultural comparative research. There is a growing awareness too of the broader cultural significance of folklore, and online spaces have opened up an entirely new avenue for its development. Yet, despite all this energy and activity, the field still lacks a concerted space for in-depth exploration: not just of the storied traditions and oral and written histories of much loved lands, but also of the dynamic living nature of folklore – as well as the many novel ways in which folklore may now be accessed and transmitted.
The intent of this ambitious series is to provide that space. It will demonstrate that the study of folklore equips us with many of the keys to unlocking a world that is increasingly dominated by memes, ritualised behaviour, supernatural beliefs, conspiracist thinking, mutually affirming communities of thought, subcultures, and fandoms. It will furthermore enable and foster intercultural understanding at a more than superficial level in a multifaceted, globalised world. Cambridge Elements in Folklore – focused on the future as much as the myths and legends of the past – aims to show that folklore studies may be more important than ever before in enabling human beings to understand not just where they have come from but also where they are going.
Contact the Editors
If you are interested in publishing in this series, please contact the editors at:
Tabitha Stanmore (T.H.J.Stanmore@exeter.ac.uk) and Francis Young (drfrancisyoung@outlook.com).