Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Folklore or Fakelore?
This is not specifically Kemetic related, but serves as a good warning about just how true to the source material some mythology books actually are.
Here is a very interesting article: Fakelore, Multiculturalism, and the Ethics of Children's Literature, by Eliot Singer. Really meaty reading, it explores how a lot of the folklore we read, particularly in children's books, has been stripped of its original cultural and religious context to appeal to middle class western values. Some myths have been edited for content, to remove elements like drunkenness, sexuality, farting, and murder to make the story "safe." (Never mind that such editing often renders such stories incomprehensible.) The article focuses mostly on Native American myths and legends, but touches of myths from around the world. The inevitable question follows: what then, is the point of teaching children about other cultures if the culture part of what you're teaching is gone and replaced with a standard childrens' book message about say, the importance sharing?
Here is a very interesting article: Fakelore, Multiculturalism, and the Ethics of Children's Literature, by Eliot Singer. Really meaty reading, it explores how a lot of the folklore we read, particularly in children's books, has been stripped of its original cultural and religious context to appeal to middle class western values. Some myths have been edited for content, to remove elements like drunkenness, sexuality, farting, and murder to make the story "safe." (Never mind that such editing often renders such stories incomprehensible.) The article focuses mostly on Native American myths and legends, but touches of myths from around the world. The inevitable question follows: what then, is the point of teaching children about other cultures if the culture part of what you're teaching is gone and replaced with a standard childrens' book message about say, the importance sharing?
