What Goes Around Comes Around: The Circulation of Proverbs in Contemporary Life

In this collection of essays, prominent folklorists look at varied modern uses and contexts of proverbs and proverbial speech, some traditional and conventional, others new and unexpected. After the editors' introduction discussing the history and status of attempts to define proverbs, describing their contemporary circulation, and acknowledging the especially important work of paremiologist Wolfgang Meider, the contributions examine the continuing pervasiveness and idiomatic relevance of proverbs in modern culture

What Goes Around Comes Around: The Circulation of Proverbs in Contemporary Life

In this collection of essays, prominent folklorists look at varied modern uses and contexts of proverbs and proverbial speech, some traditional and conventional, others new and unexpected. After the editors\u27 introduction discussing the history and status of attempts to define proverbs, describing their contemporary circulation, and acknowledging the especially important work of paremiologist Wolfgang Meider, the contributions examine the continuing pervasiveness and idiomatic relevance of proverbs in modern culture.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usupress_pubs/1032/thumbnail.jp

The rules of fools: Carnival in southwest Germany

Throughout southwest Germany each year hundreds of towns and villages stage celebrations featuring costumed figures wearing grotesque wooden masks appearing in various parades and traditional dramatic performances. During the weeks of pre-Lenten celebration known as fasnet, locals also sponsor masquerade balls, visits to neighboring towns, and collecting activities to support different aspects of the festival. Previous research has identified the place of fasnet in the historical emergence of European carnival celebrations and shown the relationship of contemporary festival forms to other pre-Lenten customs, past and present. Few of these studies endow modern fasnet celebrations with the life and personality which make them so appealing to participants and spectators. This dissertation offers detailed descriptions of fasnet in two towns, Elzach (Baden) and Bad Waldsee (Wurttemberg), in an attempt depict the human element which constructs fasnet performances. Consideration of comparative materials situates these local performances within regional tradition. The second part of the dissertation recounts the political battles over the meaning and appearance of fasnet which have shaped the festival at least since outsiders became aware of it. The history of these struggles is filled with instances of invention and misrepresentation of tradition. Yet rather than standing by while scholars, popularizers, and tourists manipulate their festival, participants also engage these dialogues to benefit their own sense of tradition and locality

The rules of fools: Carnival in southwest Germany

Throughout southwest Germany each year hundreds of towns and villages stage celebrations featuring costumed figures wearing grotesque wooden masks appearing in various parades and traditional dramatic performances. During the weeks of pre-Lenten celebration known as fasnet, locals also sponsor masquerade balls, visits to neighboring towns, and collecting activities to support different aspects of the festival. Previous research has identified the place of fasnet in the historical emergence of European carnival celebrations and shown the relationship of contemporary festival forms to other pre-Lenten customs, past and present. Few of these studies endow modern fasnet celebrations with the life and personality which make them so appealing to participants and spectators. This dissertation offers detailed descriptions of fasnet in two towns, Elzach (Baden) and Bad Waldsee (Wurttemberg), in an attempt depict the human element which constructs fasnet performances. Consideration of comparative materials situates these local performances within regional tradition. The second part of the dissertation recounts the political battles over the meaning and appearance of fasnet which have shaped the festival at least since outsiders became aware of it. The history of these struggles is filled with instances of invention and misrepresentation of tradition. Yet rather than standing by while scholars, popularizers, and tourists manipulate their festival, participants also engage these dialogues to benefit their own sense of tradition and locality