Project Abstract
Your Specific Folklore Topic:
My specific Folklore topic is, pretty much superstitions. How they originated and why they were started.
How it relates to Folklore:
Superstitions are considered "Folk Beliefs" which means they are often thought of as naive popular beliefs, usually concerning chance, magic, or the supernatural, that are logically or scientifically untenable (Brunvand, p. 371). In other words, many folklore's start as a superstition and they continue to become tall tales and stories.
Why You Decided to do Your Research on the Topic:
I decided to do my research on Superstitions and their origins because it is something that has always intrigued me. I always wondered exactly why people started saying the things they did and still do today. It is also fascinating that different cultures and countries have some of the same sayings and yet they can mean something completely different. So I figured I would give the research into superstitions a try in order to see what I can learn along the way.
Exactly How You Did Your Course Project:
First off I wrote down all of the superstitions and sayings that I have personally heard and wrote down what I thought they meant. Next I contacted my mom and other family members to write down different ones they have heard and those meanings. After I compiled a list I began to look on the internet and in books to get an idea of different ones and see if my meanings were the same as others. Next, I began to outline my website and figure out how to determine the sayings and superstitions that I felt were the most common and incorporate those into my research project. Finally, I have my website up and running. I am currently adding more superstitions and sayings for the final reveal.
What I Learned by Doing the Project:
I learned that there are many superstitions and sayings from all different cultures and locations. Some of these have a long story behind them and others have just been said or acknowledge due to what the situation was about. I didn't realize that so many superstitions were brought about because of religion. I also didn't realize that many sayings we use today are because of the royal families and how they treated the peasants and their workers. I think this project has opened up many doors and has made me even more intrigued about our history and about different superstitions.
What Questions, if any, are still not answered by your research, and what you would have done differently if you did the course project over?
I don't think I have many questions about the project, my main problem is, some of the things I am looking for don't have specific times or locations on how they were started. I wish I could dig deeper to find out who started what and when. I think if I started this project over, I would probably have narrowed my topic down to maybe one genre or even one specific culture/location. Instead, I have a broad area to cover.
My specific Folklore topic is, pretty much superstitions. How they originated and why they were started.
How it relates to Folklore:
Superstitions are considered "Folk Beliefs" which means they are often thought of as naive popular beliefs, usually concerning chance, magic, or the supernatural, that are logically or scientifically untenable (Brunvand, p. 371). In other words, many folklore's start as a superstition and they continue to become tall tales and stories.
Why You Decided to do Your Research on the Topic:
I decided to do my research on Superstitions and their origins because it is something that has always intrigued me. I always wondered exactly why people started saying the things they did and still do today. It is also fascinating that different cultures and countries have some of the same sayings and yet they can mean something completely different. So I figured I would give the research into superstitions a try in order to see what I can learn along the way.
Exactly How You Did Your Course Project:
First off I wrote down all of the superstitions and sayings that I have personally heard and wrote down what I thought they meant. Next I contacted my mom and other family members to write down different ones they have heard and those meanings. After I compiled a list I began to look on the internet and in books to get an idea of different ones and see if my meanings were the same as others. Next, I began to outline my website and figure out how to determine the sayings and superstitions that I felt were the most common and incorporate those into my research project. Finally, I have my website up and running. I am currently adding more superstitions and sayings for the final reveal.
What I Learned by Doing the Project:
I learned that there are many superstitions and sayings from all different cultures and locations. Some of these have a long story behind them and others have just been said or acknowledge due to what the situation was about. I didn't realize that so many superstitions were brought about because of religion. I also didn't realize that many sayings we use today are because of the royal families and how they treated the peasants and their workers. I think this project has opened up many doors and has made me even more intrigued about our history and about different superstitions.
What Questions, if any, are still not answered by your research, and what you would have done differently if you did the course project over?
I don't think I have many questions about the project, my main problem is, some of the things I am looking for don't have specific times or locations on how they were started. I wish I could dig deeper to find out who started what and when. I think if I started this project over, I would probably have narrowed my topic down to maybe one genre or even one specific culture/location. Instead, I have a broad area to cover.