We explain what folklore is, its characteristics, and various examples. We also explain what folklore is in music and literature.
What is folklore?
Folklore, or folklore, is the set of traditional practices, knowledge, beliefs, and customs that belong to a specific culture or population. The discipline that studies it is also called folklore.
Folklore elements are considered to include expressions such as music, dances, religious festivals, rituals, legends, jokes, puns, crafts, folk tales, gastronomy, and all customs and expressions of peoples that are disseminated orally or through practice.
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In this sense, folklore is distinguished from the hierarchically organized knowledge of academic or scientific knowledge, as it encompasses ancestral practices that are passed down from generation to generation and that determine the identity of a region or community. Thus, there may be German, Chinese, Scandinavian, or Argentine folklore, for example, as well as folklore from a particular geographical area or a specific people.
The term folklore is of Anglo-Saxon origin and was coined in 1845 by the English writer and antiquarian William J. Thoms (1803-1885). Thoms proposed this word, a combination of the words folk (“people” or “popular”) and lore (“knowledge,” “traditions,” or “tales”), to replace the vague concept of popular antiquities.
However, before the word existed, the notion of folklore was already in use in the 19th century, as the nationalist intellectual and cultural movements that emerged in the wake of Romanticism had generated regionalist sentiments in Europe and a great interest in collecting and studying folk traditions and tales, which contrasted with the rationalist and cosmopolitan world of the Enlightenment. Thus emerged, for example, the great compilations of traditional tales by the Brothers Grimm or the Norse sagas of Viking gods and heroes.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the term folklore gained considerable prestige and academic interest in Europe and the United States, and from there it spread to the rest of the world, with its current use.
Since 1960, World Folklore Day has been celebrated every August 22nd to celebrate the diversity and cultural richness of peoples. This celebration was established by UNESCO, the international institution dedicated to the promotion and preservation of humanity’s cultural heritage, of which folklore is a central part.
World Folklore Day
Characteristics of Folklore
In general terms, folklore is characterized by the following:
It is collective in nature:
Folkloric expressions are the product of a shared creation among members of a community over time. It is a common cultural heritage that builds social ties.
It is popular knowledge:
It encompasses a set of practices, knowledge, and beliefs that belong to a specific human group and are transmitted from generation to generation orally or by example, that is, outside of academic institutions.
It reflects the cultural identity of peoples:
The set of expressions that make up the folklore of a given society provides a framework of common identity for the individuals who belong to it, unites them through its symbols, and transmits its values.
Its manifestations vary from place to place:
The traditions and expressions that comprise the folklore of a community are unique, as they reflect its particular cultural and historical traditions. Thus, for example, the folklore of a region may include culinary traditions but not religious ones, while in other cases the opposite may be true.
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Stages of Folklore
Four stages of folklore are commonly distinguished:
Emerging Folklore
This refers to folklore whose manifestations are recently created and are in the process of consolidation and adoption by a community. An example of nascent folklore is Andean tropical cumbia, better known as Peruvian chicha, which has been growing in recent decades and combines elements of traditional Andean music with cumbia and rock.
Living Folklore
This refers to traditions that are actively practiced in the daily life of a community and are part of its customs and identity. Examples of living folklore include tango in Argentina or patron saint festivals in Mexico.
Dying Folklore
This includes traditions that are on the verge of extinction, that is, those that are practiced very sporadically by small groups or by the oldest members of a community. These are usually customs that are abandoned because they no longer fit with new social values or because they are replaced by new practices. An example of dying folklore is the oral transmission of stories in indigenous communities in the Americas.
Dead Folklore
This refers to traditions that have permanently ceased to be practiced or that belonged to extinct cultures, so that they remain only in the collective memory or in historical records. An example of dead folklore is the ritual sacrifices practiced in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican regions.
Literary Folklore
Literary folklore includes folklore expressions that use words as a means of transmission. This includes stories, proverbs, riddles, songs, and popular poems. For example, the recitation of rhyming couplets with traditional stories in countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Other significant examples of literary folklore are legends, which are considered true events and are passed down orally from generation to generation, with exaggerations or fantastical additions. They can serve as explanations for historical events or natural phenomena. One of the most popular legends in Latin America is that of the hornero, a bird that builds its nest with mud and usually places it on the facades of houses. Legend has it that people who have an ovenbird’s nest in their home will be blessed with harmony and good fortune.
Folklore literature. Literary folklore should not be confused with folklore literature, which is a genre that uses traditions and popular cultural life as a source to create literary works by individual authors. For example, a novel inspired by the local traditions of a town, community, or country.
Folk Music
Folk music, also called popular music, is a musical genre characterized by its marked historical, communal, ethnic, or traditional character, and is therefore associated with a specific culture or population as a manifestation of its identity.
This type of music typically involves traditional instruments, popular rhythms, and even lyrics in the local dialect, and is passed down from generation to generation, usually orally. Examples of popular music include Andalusian flamenco, samba carioca, tango porteño, and the Mexican corrido.
Examples of National Folklore
Some examples of national folklore include Mexican, Brazilian, and Argentine folklore, among many others.
Mexican Folklore
Mexican folklore encompasses a diverse set of traditions and imagery, the result of the intense hybridization of colonial Spanish culture with the native Mesoamerican peoples. This confluence gave rise to a mestizo culture, in which Christianity and Catholic holidays are as important a presence as ancestral traditions, as is the case with the famous Day of the Dead.
This blend is also evident in linguistic traditions and wordplay such as “albures,” which reflect the coexistence of Spanish with local indigenous languages. Another good example is Talavera Puebla, a type of pottery originating in Spain that acquired its own uniqueness in Mexico and is distinguished by its bright colors in classic European-style designs.
Brazilian Folklore
Brazilian folklore reflects the heritage of Portuguese, African, and Native American cultures, creating a diverse melting pot of traditions with unique characteristics in each region of the country. For example, the folklore of the Amazon region emphasizes a greater connection with indigenous heritage, while the folklore of the coastal region reflects the connection with the African culture brought to the Americas by colonial slaves.
In fact, numerous legends (such as the Iara mermaid, the Curupira, and the Boitatá serpent, among others) and African religious practices (such as Umbanda) still survive in Brazil, coexisting with the dominant Portuguese culture, which is rooted in Catholicism.
Another traditional aspect in which African heritage is evident is music, strongly influenced by the presence of drums, as is the case with samba. However, there are regions where traditional dances tend more toward heel tapping and clapping, elements typical of dances from the Iberian region.
Argentine Folklore
Argentina is a vast country with great folkloric diversity. Although its predominantly Hispanic and Andean cultural heritage is often highlighted, with traditional instruments like the charango, it also has strong influences from Africa and many of the region’s native cultures.
The presence of the Quechua legacy can be seen in traditional instruments like the quena (a type of vertical flute). In turn, the syncretism between this culture and its Spanish heritage is evident during carnivals. During the celebrations, the Andean highlands become the stage for traditional processions and comparsas (comedies) with devil costumes and traditional music, such as the carnavalito.
In the Río de la Plata region, folklore has been inherited from Italian immigration, especially in the city of Buenos Aires. There, the tango and the bandoneon predominate among the traditional elements, and the language is heavily influenced by words of Italian origin.
References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Cortázar, A. R. (1954). What is Folklore? A Statement and Answer with Special Reference to Argentine and American Folklore. Lajouane.
- Sims, M. & Stephens, M. (2005). Living Folklore. An Introduction to the Study of People and Their Traditions. Utah State University Press.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024). Folklore. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
