Publisher's Synopsis
An invaluable work of cultural anthropology; a fascinating exploration of the vanishing oral traditions of Southern Appalachia; and the latest volume in the classic, million-copy-selling Foxfire series. An Anchor Original. Since 1972, the Foxfire books have preserved and celebrated the culture of Southern Appalachia for countless readers all around the world. In Foxfire Folkways, folklorist (and Foxfire director) T.J. Smith moves the series in a new direction, collecting some of his favorite stories from the archives to explore the oral traditions that have been part of the culture of the mountains for centuries. Here are instances of mountain speech, proverbs and sayings, legends, folktales, anecdotes, songs, and pranks and jests, along with ghost tales and accounts of folk belief, as well as stories from half a dozen of the region's finest storytellers. Smith digs deep into the role storytelling plays in his community, explaining the different traditions that can be found in Southern Appalachia and exploring how they convey a sense of place--and of identity.
