IRISH FOLKTALES

The book needed is “Zimmerman, Georges Denis. The Irish Storyteller”
instructions

We have read a wide range of folklore in this course. For your final project, pick ONE tale type, begin with an example of the tale type covered in our textbook, find at least two similar examples of this tale type in The Schools Folklore Scheme archives (on-line www.duchas.ie) from the 1930s, and discuss similarities and differences among the three examples (the one from our textbook and the two new ones that you found). Your paper must use the techniques and practices taught throughout this course. Your paper should be about 600-800 words not including any appendices. You cannot use a tale that about which you have previously written in your essays, including the ‘Ship Sinking Witch’ and ‘Open Sesame’. Do not use the tale ‘Mirtn Mac Conraoi’ upon which our book focuses.

If you would prefer to use a tale not present in our textbook, research it in the duchas.ie database and when you find 3 examples of the same tale, e-mail me for approval. Keep in mind that you are comparing tale types. These include folktales, religious legends and other local legends that include the extraordinary (magic) [see page 247 in your textbook]. You should avoid local happenings, prayers, proverbs, games, riddles and so on. Remember, tales or legends that only share one motif are not of the same tale type. Three stories that mention the Devil with no other connection are not of the same tale type.

In either case, feel free to e-mail me with your tale type and chosen stories, if you want, before you complete writing your essay for early suggestions. For example, ‘I would like to write about Finn McCool hiding in a basket dressed in baby clothes to avoid fighting with the giant. Here are two of the versions of this tale that I want to compare in my paper, NFCS 333: 111 and NFCS 222: 333, but I can’t find a third tale. I would respond, ‘Take a look at NFCS 444:121’ for example.