712 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



DEPARTMENT 8— SOCIAL RELATIONS AND PUBLIC WELFARE. 



80. Folk-lore. 



Note. — For the arrangeuieut of this Division I am indebted to Prof. Otis T. 

 M.asou, whose judicions advice has also been of the jjjreatest service in connection 

 with the general plan. 



800. Folk-lore in Geneual. * 



Treatises upon the whole subject, encyclopedias, dictionaries. Systems of 

 nomenclature. 



Societies^ their scope, organization and methods. Their publications, peri- 

 odicals. 



Libraries of books devoted to this subject. 



Museums or collections of folk apparatus. 



801. Folk -Tales. 



Sagas, hero tales, place legends, and all folk-philosophy or belief embodied 

 in stories or in verse. In short, the method of accounting for natural 

 and historical phenomena. 



Books, toys and other illustrations. 



802. Folk-Wisdom. 



Weather-lore, predictions, signs, omens. Whatever the folk pretend to 



know about the future of natural phenomena. 

 Books and other illustrations. 



803. Folk-Saws. 



Proverbs, riddles. The gathered wisdom of the folk. 

 Rule of thumb, etc. 

 Illustrations and literature. 



804. Folk-Craft. 



Medicine, leechcraft, magic, hoo-doo prescriptions, whatever ignorant peo- 

 ple do to heal the sick. 



Amulets and talismans. 



Pocket pieces, such as the os mirahUis of the raccoon, the horse-chestnut, the 

 hare's foot, the nicker nut, etc. 

 80.">. Folk-Law (Practice, Trial, .Justice, etc.). 



All things and practices of the folk for administering justice. 



Lynch law, etc. 

 80G. Nursery Rhymes. 



Lore of and for children. Child-lore has two meanings: 1. What the folk 

 believe and practice about children. 2. Counting-out rhymes and other 

 lore of the children themselves. 



Books, toys, pictures, etc. 



807. Folk-Religion. 



What the folk believe and practice respecting tlie sjjirit world. Their 

 simple creeds .and (juaiut worship. 



808. Festivals. 



Public gatherings of all kinds for merry-making or celebrations. 



* Folk-lore is the beliefs and practices of the folk. By folk we mean all peoples 

 that are uncivilized, all unlettered people among the civilized, and even the most 

 enlightened persons when they are controlled by the beliefs of the unlettered or fall 

 into their practices. 



It will be readily seen that the materials of this science are embodied in what is 

 said, called folk-moot; and what is done, called folk-life or custom. In each divi- 

 sion of the subject will appear both kinds of material. 



