Folklore in the Nordic World

Folklore, defined as the informal customs, beliefs, verbal art, and vernacular crafts of any particular folk group, is an indelible part of human culture. The study of it emerged out of the romantic nationalist movement of nineteenth-century Europe and rooted strongly in the Nordic region. As a result, Nordic folklore is some of the best documented in the world. Thomas A. DuBois here summarizes and presents folklore from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Sápmi. Employing contemporary observation with archival research, he provides insights into both the immense transformations and the extent of cultural continuity.
Thomas A. DuBois is Halls-Bascom professor of Scandinavian Studies, Folklore, and Religious Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Umeå, Sweden.