Oral Tradition and the Brothers Grimm

Oral Tradition and the Brothers Grimm Author(s): Ruth Michaelis-Jena Source: Folklore, Vol. 82, No. 4 (Winter, 1971), pp. 265-275 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1260545 . Accessed: 16/06/2014 19:34 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . Folklore Enterprises, Ltd. and Taylor & Francis, Ltd. are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Folklore. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=taylorfrancis http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=fel http://www.jstor.org/stable/1260545?origin=JSTOR-pdf http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp FOLKLORE ? VOLUME 82 ? WINTER 1971 Oral Tradition and the Brothers Grimm by RUTH MICHAELIS-JENA WE are used to labelling people, to seeing their 'image', and it is perhaps not astonishing that our immediate response to 'the Brothers Grimm' should be 'fairytales'. Yet the more serious emphasis has always been on Jacob's and Wilhelm's work as philologists, as founders of the study of Germanic languages and literature, while their reputation as collectors of folklore material has fluctuated between praise and depreciation. Gradually a more balanced judgment is gaining ground, and the Grimms' remark- able work in the gathering of oral traditions is more fully appreci- ated. It may in time be remembered as their greatest achievement. They are the true begetters of Marchenforschung, pioneers and unique, seen in the context of their time. As we all know, the Grimms were born into an age which considered tales silly, even dangerous superstition, suitable for old women and the nursery. Dictactic tales, tales with a moral, were respectable and the 'embellished' tales of the Rococo had tamed folk tradition, and made it acceptable in the elegance of the salon. A somewhat changed attitude came about in Germany when a schoolmaster, Johann Karl August Musius, began collecting in Thuringia at the end of the eighteenth century. He noted tales from printed sources, but obtained many direct from peasants and soldiers, from 'journeymen', the goodwives of the spinning-rooms, and even children whom he paid for telling him stories. In the intro- duction to Volksmiidrchen der Deutschen (1782-86) Musius stressed his awareness of the significance of tales beyond their being an entertainment for the young and simple in mind. But the Weimar schoolmaster could not refrain from manipulating the language, and giving it a stiltedness alien to genuine tradition. A little later the early German Romantics began worshipping Volkspoesie as the only true poetry, embodying, they believed, senti- ments and wisdom of the common people. Adoration of a glorified T 265 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM past often provided welcome escape from a distressing present. The songs and tales the Romantic poets discovered - with the exception perhaps of Brentano's and von Arnim's collection of folksongs Des Knaben Wunderhorn - they used freely for their own fantastic creations. The Grimms' approach was different. Their legal training under Savigny had given them direction. Ardent, even emotional patriots, they did not seek mere escape from unpleasant realities. It was their stated aim to investigate ancient German literature, and the tales and legends, superstitions and law practices they collected with increasing eagerness, were to serve first and foremost as source material for their studies. The brothers were anxious that 'the buried gold' of oral tradition should be brought to light and preserved. Their early notations from printed sources and from the recording of friends and collaborators bear the stamp of being working documents, some just summaries of fading tradi- tions. The Urfassung of the Nursery and Household Tales supplies valuable information to the student of folk-narrative. Encouraged by Arnim and Brentano, Jacob and Wilhelm agreed to publishing some of their research material. The first volume of the Nursery and Household Tales appeared at Christmas 1812. The reception was cool. Far from finding the stories too 'polished' - the brothers had taken it upon themselves to make slight, and what they considered justified, changes - the Romantics, particularly Brentano, found the unimproved stories boring and shapeless. Arnim criticised the Grimms for having insisted on a preface and an appendix of notes. He deplored the lack of illustrations. But there were enthusiasts too, especially among children. The children of the Grimms' friend, Joseph von Gorres, demanded to have a few tales read to them every night, and they spread the knowledge of them in their native town, Koblenz. Their father predicted that the collection of tales would become a lasting monument to Jacob and Wilhelm, and that much more material would now turn up, inspired by the collection's example. He was proved right on both counts. In gradual revision over some fifty years, and with growing success from edition to edition, the Household Tales changed into Buchmdrchen, tales to be read. This undoubtedly meant a loss of 266 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM 'Echtheit', the genuineness the brothers had originally aimed at. The revision, however, made Grimms' fairytales into a world classic. After the 1819 edition, and with Jacob becoming more and more involved in his linguistic studies, Wilhelm devoted himself to the tales almost singlehanded. A master of simplicity with a perfect ear for the colloquial, he replaced indirect speech by dialogue, gave motivation to certain happenings, and when necessary pieced together variants, printed and oral ones, to make a better whole. He preserved the content of the original yet gave it new expression. His stern philologist brother did not always approve though he, too, allowed himself a certain freedom in transcription. Jacob was to talk about his brother's work in a speech given to the Berlin academy in July 1860 after Wilhelm's death. '. .. of all our books', he said, 'the fairytales were closest to his (Wilhelm's) heart, and he never lost sight of them .... Every time I now take up these fairytales, I am deeply moved, for on every page I see him before me, and recognise his mind at work...'.*1 Both brothers believed in the great antiquity of the tales, the debris of much older myths, and a memory of mankind's half- forgotten past. Collecting for the second volume went surprisingly quickly, helped mainly by the brothers' circle of friends in Westphalia, the von Haxthausens and the Droste-Hiilshoff sisters. In those remote parts storytelling was still a living tradition. There was also the discovery of Frau Katharina Dorothea Viehmann, the Fairytale-Wife from Niederzwehren near Cassel. From her the Grimms snatched a treasure trove of tales only a year or two before her death. The second volume of the Nursery and Household Tales was published late in December 1814 when Jacob, as secretary to the Hessian legation, was a reluctant participant in the Congress of Vienna. As a much-needed diversion from diplomatic life, Jacob spent one or two evenings a week among like-minded people when the subject of Volkspoesie in general and tales in particular was much under discussion. Jacob noted a few tales for possible inclusion in a third volume. In the introduction to the second volume Wilhelm had expressed ' Grimm, Jacob, Rede auf Wilhelm Grimm. Berliner Bibliophilen Abend z965 PP. 23-5. 267 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM the hope that more and more tales would be recorded in time, and that in this way a foundation might be laid for the study of the evolution of literature as a whole. He also described the ways of the Viehmdnnin, and the quality of her narration. '... it was one of those lucky chances through which we made the acquaintance of a peasant woman from the village of Zwehrn, near Cassel. From her we got a number of the genuinely Hessian Tales, published in this volume, as well as some supplements to our first volume. This woman, still vigorous, and not much over fifty, is called Viehmann. She has a strong and pleasant face, and a clear sharp look in her eyes. In her youth she must have been beautiful. She retains these old tales firmly in her mind, a gift, as she says, not possessed by every- one, as some cannot keep anything in their heads at all. She recounts her stories thoughtfully, accurately, with uncommon vividness and evident delight, first quite easily, but then, if required, over again, slowly, so that with some practice one can take them down. In this way much has been left exactly as it was told, and its genuine ring will be unmistakable. Those who believe that, as a rule, tradition is easily tampered with, that there is carelessness in preservation, and therefore tales cannot possibly survive in the same form for long, should hear how exact this woman is in the telling of a story, anxious to keep it right. In repetition she never changes anything, and should she make a mistake, she will immediately correct it while still talking .... Emphasis on the storyteller, and the insistence on the tales' importance for the study of literature are typical for the Grimms' scientific method, much in advance of most of their contemporaries. During his stay in Vienna Jacob also realised a long-cherished plan, given some thought earlier in a proposed collaboration with Brentano: the founding of a Mdrchengesellschaft. This association was to concern itself with the regional recording of tales and other oral traditions. Jacob drafted his Mriichenbrief which was printed and widely distributed. The circular stresses the importance of oral tradition and its significance to the student of history, language and literature. It goes on to specify the material to be collected: '... (i) folksongs and rhymes, sung at different seasons, during holidays, in the spinning-rooms and dance halls, and while working in the fields .... 2 Briuder Grimm, Kinder-und Hausmirchen, Berlin I815, Vol. II. Preface III-XII. 268 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM (2) legends in prose, in particular the many nursery and children's tales about giants, dwarfs, monsters, princes and princesses, enchanted and redeemed, devils, treasures and wishing-caps. Also, local legends, remembered, and attached to certain places (mountains, rivers, lakes, marshes, ruined castles, towers, rocks and all monuments of the past) - animal fables, usually concer- ning the fox, wolf, cock, dog, cat, frog, mouse, sparrow etc., are of special interest. (3) jokes and anecdotes, tall stories; old fashioned puppet plays, featuring Hanswurst and the devil. (4) traditional festivals, customs, usages, and games; celebrations at births, weddings and funerals; old usages of the law, concerning strange tributes and rents, the purchasing of ground, the fixing of boundaries etc. (5) superstitions about ghosts, spectres, good and bad omens, apparitions and dreams. (6) proverbs, striking idioms, figures of speech and word compounds...'. Jacob emphasises that all material should be taken down faithfully, 'without embellishment or addition, from the mouth of the teller, and whenever possible in his own words.' Recordings in regional dialects are particularly valuable, and variants of the same tale should never be rejected because in com- paring them fresh and quite unexpected details may be found. Small towns, it is said, yield more material than big ones, and villages, specially remote ones, more again. Certain occupations are considered good 'sources': herdsmen, fishermen and miners, and in general the old and the very young.3 Though the circular letter does not appear to have produced much new material, it is a clear statement of the principles which guided the Grimms' work, and might still serve as an example for collectors now. A third volume of tales was never published as such. It turned into a volume of notes on origins, motifs, variants and theories on the diffusion of tales, a vast expansion of the appendix of the first volume of the Nursery and Household Tales. The 1856 edition of this, the last to be dealt with by Wilhelm, together with unpublished material, was in time handed over to Professor Johannes Bolte. He 3 Grimm, Jacob, Kleinere Schriften, Vol. VII, pp 593-5. 269 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM secured the collaboration of Georg Polivka of Prague, mainly for Slavonic traditions. With the Grimms' investigations as a nucleus, Bolte and Polivka published their five-volume Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-und Hausmiirchen der Briider Grimm (1910-1933). This is still one of the most valuable handbooks on questions concerning folk-narrative. In 1856 when surveying some forty years of collecting, Wilhelm wrote: '... how unique was our collection when it first appeared, and what a rich harvest has sprung up since! At that time people smiled indulgently when we asserted that thoughts and intuitions were preserved in these stories, the origin of which was to be sought for in the darkness of antiquity. Now this is hardly ever denied. Tales of this kind are looked for with full recognition of their scientific value, and with a dread of altering any part of their contents, whereas formerly they were only regarded as worthless amusements of fancy which might be manipulated at will .. .'.4 Wilhelm's words describe plainly what had actually happened: the position of the folktale had undergone a complete change, and tales and traditions were now recorded in many places. All regions of Germany, then Europe and eventually the whole world became involved. Among the steadily growing number of collectors there were men proud to be called their country's 'Grimm'. They often dedicated their compilations to the brothers, and referred to the Nursery and Household Tales and to Jacob's mythology. General interest started further inquiries into all aspects of the folktale: Mdrchenforschung was born. Discussion had become widespread after 1823 when Edgar Taylor's translations the German Popular Stories made at least a selection of the fairytales accessible to the English-speaking reader and equally important, the English edition, 2 vols. London 1823; 1826, formed the basis for translations into many other languages. Though aiming mainly at a young public, Edgar Taylor had become aware of the wider significance of tales and in the introduction to his translations he wrote: '... the amusement of the hour was not the translators' only object. The rich collection from which the following tales are selected, is very interesting in a literary point of view, as affording SBrilder Grimm. Kinder-und Hausmarchen. Berlin x856. Vol. III, pp. 283-4[4. 270 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM a new proof of the wide and early diffusion of these gay creations of the imagination, apparently flowing from some great and mysterious fountain head, whence Clamuck, Russian, Celt, Scandinavian and German, in their various ramifications, have imbibed earliest lessons of moral instruction...' 5 In his own interesting notes, too, Taylor regularly referred to the work of the Brothers Grimm. The German Popular Stories were followed by a selection of tales, called Gammer Grethel. The figure of 'old Grethel' was to represent the Grimms' Fairytale Wife, Frau Viehmann, who tells the stories on twelve successive evenings. After Edgar Taylor's early death, a relation, John Edward Taylor, continued his work. His entirely new selection of tales, The Fairy Ring, was for many years a great favourite of the English-speaking nursery. For the adult reader and student of the folktale Taylor's trans- lations were in time superseded by Margaret Hunt's full edition. She points out in the preface: '... they (the Brothers Grimm) were not providing amusement for children, but storing up material for students of folk-lore .. .', while Andrew Lang in his long introduction to the two volumes of tales discussed origin and diffusion according to his own concept of what was to become known as the anthropological school, in oppo- sition to the Grimms' theories. Country after country produced collections of traditional tales. There was an ardent response from Slavonic scholars, due chiefly to the success of Vuk Stefanovi6 Karadli6's Serbian tales. They were published in 1854, after many years of Jacob Grimm's promptings. He had met Vuk forty years earlier in Vienna through his contacts with Kopitar. He had then much admired the young Serb's collection of folksongs of his native country, considering them pure Naturpoesie. Writing an introduction to the German edition of Vuk's tales supplied Jacob with a platform for expounding his theories on origins and diffusion. It was natural that Czechs and Slovaks should welcome the Grimms' guidance in their own search for grass roots and for their peoples' past. Pavel Josef SGerman Popular Stories, translated from the Kinder-und Hausmadrchen collected by Grimm, 2 vols. London I823, i826, Preface pp. III-XII. 6 Grimms Household Tales with the authors' notes, translated from the German and edited by Margaret Hunt, London I884. Preface pp. III-V. 271 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM Safarik's Slavonic Antiquities was much influenced by Jacob Grimm whom in a letter to a friend he had called: '. .. a giant, an eagle..,. to whose heights it was hard to aspire. ..'.7 A younger scholar, Karel Jaromir Erben collected tales, and in recording them, followed Wilhelm Grimm's style. He helped to lay the foundations for research into the Czech tale. Among collectors in Austria were Franz Ziska and Vernaleken; Hungary produced Andras Dugonics, Gyorgy GaMl, Jinos Majlath, and her poet, Jinos Arany, greatly interested in oral tradition, acknowledged his debt to the Grimms. So did Oskar Kolberg in Poland, and in Russia Aleksander Nikolaevii Afanes'ev became 'the Russian Grimm'. In 1914 Zivaja Starina, the folklore journal of the Russian Geographical Society devoted a whole volume to the Grimms' work. Mathiaus Winther, Svend Grundtvig in Denmark, Arvid August Afzelius and Gunnar Hyltin-Cavallius in Sweden, were all keen disciples. Jacob and Wilhelm maintained specially close and pleasant contacts with Peter Christen Asbjornson and Jorgen Moe. Their great collection of Norwegian tales, Norske Folkeeventyr, the brothers considered one of the finest. The translator into English of these tales - Popular Tales from the Norse--, Sir George Webbe Dasent, met Jacob Grimm in Scandinavia, and the two men found much common ground. The introduction to Dasent's translations is an exposition of the Grimms' ideas on origins and diffusion. It was Dasent who encouraged John Francis Campbell of Islay into collecting and then publishing his Popular Tales of the West Highlands. Campbell himself greatly interested in the new science which he called 'Storyology' felt indebted to the Brothers Grimm, and in the introduction to his tales mentioned them, and the fact that through their example: '. .. Men have now collected stories from most parts of the world. They have taken them from the dictation of American Indians, South Sea Islanders, Lapps and Samoydes, Germans and Russians. Missionaries have published the fables of African savages; learned men have translated Arabic, Sanscrit and Chinese manuscripts; even Egyptian papyri have been dug up, and forced to yield their meaning, and all alike have SHorak, J. Jacob Grimm und die slawische Volkskunde. In: Jacob Grimm. Zur hundertsten Wiederkehr seines Todestages, ed. W. Fraenger and W. Steinitz, Berlin 1963, p. 27. 272 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM furnished tales, very similar to stories now told by word of mouth.. .'.8 In Finland where Jacob's occupation with the Kalevala had created a favourite climate, interest in collecting grew, and at the same time the desire to investigate origin, significance and diffusion of tales. This led to the rise of the Finnish school of folklorists, and systematic research into the folktale on a chronological and geographical basis. Out of this work as we know came Stith Thompson's vast Motif-Index of Folk Literature and Aarne and Thompson's The Types of the Folktale, both indispensable hand- books to the folklorist. All over the British Isles collecting was stimulated by the Grimms' work. One may remember Addy, Baring-Gould, Hartland, Hunt, even Jacobs, and eventually the many volumes of county folklore. Thomas Croften Croker, in Ireland, began collecting about the time of the first publication of the Kinder-und Hausmairchen. His Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland were published in 1825, and were actually translated into German by the Grimms, who recognised the genuineness of the tales. They gave the book a lengthy introduction on fairy lore. Here was an interesting case of cross fertilisation. The Irish tales were enthusiastically received in Germany where for many readers they were the first bridge from Germanic to Celtic - Scottish-Irish - tradition while in return the I828 English volume repaid the compliments by carrying a translation of the Grimms' introduction. Patrick Kennedy, Dublin bookseller, who published three volumes of tales between 1866 and I871, was called the 'Irish Grimm'. The Low Countries, and the countries on the Baltic, all became aware of the need to collect while traditions were still common among the country people in particular. There were also many collectors in France where there had been a lull after Perrault and the many volumes of the Cabinet des Fees. Emmanuel Cosquin, one of the French collectors began by being an admirer of the brothers' zeal, but later on furiously attacked their theories. The south of Europe started collecting, and only recently has Italo Calvino been 8 Campbell, J. F. Popular Tales of the West Highlands. 4 vols. London 1860- 62. Volume I Introduction I-CXXXIII. 273 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM called 'the Italian Grimm' for his Fiabe Italiane where he acknow- ledged his indebtedness to the Grimms' working methods. It is natural perhaps that first and foremost we should associate the Grimms' collecting with that of their tales. It is worth remem- bering, however, that they cast their nets wide to include ballads and songs, riddles and proverbs, and even children's games. Many of their papers and essays, published in such abundance testify to their interests. Then there is Deutsche Sagen (1i816-19), a collection of legends which never had the popular appeal of the tales, yet influenced the gathering and study of traditions. Jacob's extending his investigations into the German past to research into ancient law practices and beliefs, led to the appearance in 1828 of Deutsche Rechtsaltertiimer which stimulated similar publications in a number of countries. His Deutsche Mythologie had successors in many parts of the globe, and is useful to this day. To conclude then: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm vitally changed the approach to oral tradition, and in particular gave a new status to the folktale. Sir George Webbe Dasent summed up this develop- ment, when, in the introduction to his translations from Asbjornson's and Moe's Norwegian tales, he stated that through their labours the Grimms had raised '. .. what had come to be looked on as mere nursery fictions and old wives' fables . . . to a study fit for the energies of grown men, and to all the dignity of a science.. .'.9 ' Dasent, George W., Popular Tales from the Norse. Edinburgh I859. Intro- duction pp. IX-LXXXVIII. 274 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp ORAL TRADITION AND THE BROTHERS GRIMM BOOKS CONSULTED Campbell, J. F. Popular Tales of the West Highlands. 4 vols. London 1860o-62. Dasent, G. W. Popular Tales from the Norse. Edinburgh I859. Denecke, L. & Greverus, I. M. (ed.), Briider Grimm Gedenken 1963. Marburg 1963. Fraenger, W. & Steinitz W. (ed), Jacob Grimm. Zur hundertsten Wieder- kehr seines Todestages. Berlin 1963. German Popular Stories. 2 vols. London 1823: 1826. Garres, J. von, Ausgewdhlte Werke und Briefe (ed W. Schellenberg) 2 vols. in I. Kempten and Munich 1911. Grimm, Briider, Kinder-und Hausmdrchen. Band I. Berlin 1812; Band II. Berlin 1815; Band III. second ed. G6ttingen 1856 Grimm, Jacob, Kleinere Schriften 8 vols. Berlin I864-1890. Grimm, Jacob, Rede auf Wilhelm Grimm. Berlin 1965. Grimms Household Tales ed. Marg. Hunt. 2 vols. London 1884. Krogvic, A. Jacob og Wilhelm Grimm's brev til P. Chr. Asbjrnson og Jorgen Moe In: Festskrift til Gerh. Gran. Christiania 1916. Lefftz, J. (ed), Die Mdrchen der Briider Grimm. Urfassung nach der Originalhandschrift der Abtei Oelenberg im Elsass. Heidelberg 1927. Musius, J. A. Volksmirchen der Deutschen (ed J. E. Poritzky). 2 vols. Berlin 1920. Sauer, A. Briefwechsel der Briider Grimm mit slawischen Gelehrten. In: Deutsche Studien, No. 8, Partl. Prague 1908. Schmidt, E. (ed), Briefwechesel der Briider Grimm mit nordischen Gelehrten. Berlin 1885. Schoof, W. Zur Entstehungsgeschichte der Grimmschen Mdrchen. Hamburg 1959. Steig, R. Achim von Arnim und die Briider Grimm. Stuttgart and Berlin 190o4. Steig, R. Clemens Brentano und die Briider Grimm. Stuttgart and Berlin I914. 275 This content downloaded from 62.122.76.54 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 19:34:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp Article Contents p. 265 p. 266 p. 267 p. 268 p. 269 p. 270 p. 271 p. 272 p. 273 p. 274 p. 275 Issue Table of Contents Folklore, Vol. 82, No. 4 (Winter, 1971), pp. 265-360+i-vi Volume Information [pp. 353-vi] Front Matter Oral Tradition and the Brothers Grimm [pp. 265-275] The Swimming Prowess of Beowulf [pp. 276-280] Some Notes on Wassailing and Ashen Faggots in South and West Somerset [pp. 281-291] Some Thoughts on Weather Lore [pp. 292-303] A Fisherman's Festival at Cape Finisterre, Spain [pp. 304-313] A Note on Wedding Customs in Industry Today [pp. 314-316] Letter to the Editor A Minoan Altar in Present-Day Use? [pp. 317-318] Obituaries Professor S. G. F. Brandon [pp. 319-320] Miss Sona Rosa Burstein [pp. 320-321] Museum News [pp. 322-335] Reviews Review: untitled [pp. 336-337] Review: untitled [p. 337] Review: untitled [pp. 337-339] Review: untitled [pp. 339-340] Review: untitled [pp. 340-341] Review: untitled [pp. 341-343] Violet Alford: An Appreciation [pp. 344-350] Society Meetings [pp. 350-352] Back Matter