This volume is about North American M rchen, a vernacular art form thatis often strangely ignored or misconstrued. At the same time, the vitality andappeal of the genre are evidenced by its persistent presentation as writtenliterature. The essays in this volume reexamine common assumptions about"magic" tales and their tellers, reconsidering the performance, collection, transcription, publication, and interpretation of narratives thatcontinue to live orally -- especially in the private realm -- as one mechanism ofintergenerational communication or as a symbolic expression of worldview.
In addition to four interpretive essays, six segments focus onstorytellers and their transcribed narratives, accompanied by introductions thatplace them in context. Some segments compare editing practices or narrative styles;others represent the first publication of contemporary narratives or tales that havelong lain in archives, unheard and unavailable. All attest to the skill of thetellers and the artistry of their creations.