Women and Tradition - Hilda Ellis Davidson

Women and Tradition Hilda Ellis Davidson ISBN 9780890897393

Women and Tradition examines the lives, work, and enduring contributions of women who have collected, preserved, and studied traditional beliefs, stories, songs, and dances across the globe. Spanning from the eighteenth century onward, these pioneering women played a vital role in shaping the field of folklore studies. The book’s sixteen chapters, contributed by various scholars, chronicle the achievements and writings of these remarkable folklorists.

From gathering songs in the Appalachian Mountains to living among Romany gypsies, and from documenting British fairy tales to studying folklore in the American South, Jamaica, and Haiti, these women pursued their research during periods when such scholarship was often unconventional or socially challenging. In their introduction, editors Blacker and Davidson highlight the groundbreaking nature of this work, the obstacles these women faced, and their unwavering dedication to their unique scholarly paths.

Women and Tradition explores the contributions of figures such as Lady Gregory, collector of Irish myths and tales; Lady Gomme, founding member of the Folklore Society; Zora Neale Hurston, anthropologist and writer; and Margaret Murray, Egyptologist and scholar of witchcraft. Additional coverage includes the work of Anne MacVicar Grant, Charlotte Burne, Dora Yates, Violet Alford, Maud Karpeles, Christina Hole, Katharine Briggs, Ruth Tongue, Mona Douglas, Enid Porter, Theo Brown, Lady Charlotte Guest, Marie Trevelyan, and Mary Williams.

This volume offers not only a fascinating exploration of folklore across cultures but also a unique historical record of the lives, achievements, and scholarly perseverance of women folklorists from the mid-1700s through the late 1900s.

Women and Tradition Hilda Ellis Davidson ISBN 9780890897393, 978-0890897393 & 978-08908-97393

Editors
Hilda Ellis Davidson
Carmen Blacker