5 86 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



FOLK-LORE STUDY IN AMERICA. 



By LEE J. VANCE. 



IN the summer of 1887 a circular letter containing a proposal 

 for the formation of a Folk-lore Society in America was 

 quietly, perhaps timidly, sent to a faithful few. Again, in October 

 of the same year was issued a second letter, subscribed with a 

 hundred and four names, representing different parts of the United 

 States and Canada. Briefly stated, it was proposed to form a so- 

 ciety for the study of folk lore, of which the principal object shall 

 be to establish a journal of a scientific character designed — 



1. For the collection of the fast- vanishing remains of folk lore 

 in America — namely, (a) relics of old English folk lore (ballads, 

 tales, superstitions, etc.) ; (6) lore of negroes in the Southern 

 States ; (c) lore of the Indian tribes in North America (myths, 

 tales, etc.) ; (d) lore of French Canada, Mexico, etc. 



2. For the study of the general subject and publication of the 

 results of special students in this department. 



The outcome was that, on the 4th of January, 1888, a goodly 

 number of persons interested in folk-lore study assembled in 

 University Hall, Harvard University. Then and there The 

 American Folk-lore Society was born and baptized. Prof. 

 Francis J. Child was chosen president, an honor merited by his 

 long and splendid service in the field. Fourteen persons were 

 named as a council to conduct the affairs of the new society. Mr. 

 William Wells Newell was elected secretary. At the same time 

 a committee, consisting of Prof. T. Frederick Crane, Dr. Franz 

 Boas, Rev. J. Owen Dorsey, and the secretary, was appointed to 

 make arrangements for the publication of a journal. 



The first number of the Journal of American Folk Lore made 

 its appearance in April, 1888. The five volumes already issued are 

 ample evidences of the wealth of popular traditions in this coun- 

 try. They form a perfect mine of information for the study of folk 

 lore. The contributions which have been printed in the Journal 

 touch on almost every side of the subject. They include myths and 

 tales of the Indians, negroes, and Creoles, strange and curious cus- 

 toms, superstitions of all kinds and all shades, beliefs in witches 

 and goblins, queer practices, magic and divination, songs, dances, 

 games, nursery rhymes, riddles, wise saws, and dialect words. 



Few persons, even those who were directly interested in the 

 study, had any adequate idea of the body and bulk of folk-lore 

 materials extant in North America. First in quantity and quality 

 come the collections of the lore of the Indian tribes. This, of 

 course, was to be expected. The contributions by Prof. Hale, Dr. 

 Boas, Mr. Beauchamp, Rev. J. Owen Dorsey, Mr. Chamberlain, Dr. 



