992 General Notes. [November, 
In Vol. 111 of the Folk-lore Journal (pp. 1-16), Mr. G. L. 
Gomme undertakes to answer these questions. He had pre- 
viously (in Vol. 11, pp. 285, 311) advocated a systematic effort of 
folk-lorists in the same direction, A few definitions are given be- 
low to indicate the mental drift of the gentlemen interested : 
“ Folk-lore is anthropology dealing with primitive man ” (Al- 
fred Nutt). 
“ Folk-lore is anthropology dealing with the psychological phe- 
nomena of uncivilized man (meaning unlettered as well as sav- 
age), and embraces both folk-thought and folk-wont (practice) ” 
(E. Sidney Hartland, Folk-l. J., 11, 340). 
“ That portion of anthropology which deals with the psycho- 
logical phenomena of primitive man” (C. Staniland Wake, Folk-l. 
J., 1, 345). 
“Folk-lore is the unwritten learning of the people. Folk-lore 
is not a science, it is the thing itself. One of the chief objects of 
the collection and arrangement of the facts of folk-lore is to gen- 
eralize and philosophize, but the generalizations which we arrive 
at will not be folk-lore ” (Henry B. Wheatley, Folk-l. J., 11, 347). 
“ Folk-lore deals primarily with the survival of primitive cus- 
toms and beliefs among civilized races, and is comparable with, 
age races. The sanction back of folk-lore is tradition. Folk- 
lore is the science which treats of the survivals of archaic beliefs 
and customs in modern ages” (G. L. Gomme, 1. c. 111, 14). 
“ Folk-lore, ‘ the folk’s learning, all that the folk believe or 
practice on the authority of inherited tradition, and not on the 
authority of written records ” (Charlotte S. Burne, Folk-I. J., 11, 
10 
individualized life, the life of the cultured classes; and the e 
eralizations arising from these two knowledges, or the sciences © 
folk-life and of culture-life are complementary and mutually cor- 
rective divisions of the same mental and moral sciences, the his- 
torical sciences, namely, or mental development and of civil prog- 
ress” (T. S. Stuart Glennie, Folk-l. J., 1v, 75): saa 
_ We come now to the second series of questions, the subject ° 
classific concepts, the study of “ What should go where,” as 
oe Charlotte S. Burne happily puts i 
: puts it. 
__ Mr. E. Sidney Hartland divides folk-lore into two doparimeti 
olk- hought and folk-practice, or still better folk-wont. I like fo p 
t better, for the reason that folk-lore does not so much inclu 
a 
i ; 
e 
4 
i 
