As part of the 16th ISFNR Congress, the Belief Narrative Committee is organizing a series of sessions exploring the boundaries of belief narratives.
Boundaries of Belief NarrativesEvolving through "legends" and "belief legends", the latest manifestation of "belief narratives" does not just signal an adjustment of the label granted to a certain kind of story, it also indicates the inclusion of stories such as "myths" and "saints legends" that have mainly been considered separate from "legends". Whereas the concept of "belief legends" (which some would consider as pleonastic) already constitutes one of the most problematic kind of story, these problems multiply when faced with "belief narratives". This also makes them extremely fascinating and a fertile ground for new research and discussions. Lively exchanges on the following, sometimes overlapping topics are anticipated:
Beliefs, Truths, and Disbeliefs
What for some is a "belief", is "truth" for others or "falsehood" for yet others. At the best beliefs are characterized by discussion, at worst by religious wars. This field of tension will be examined by focusing not just on the relationship between belief narratives and religion, it should also be illuminating to approach religion or "world view" as a particular set of belief narratives. This way the relationship becomes one between inside and outside narratives, or between particular and overarching narratives. This can be compounded by temporary shifts in opinion; one of the questions to ask then is: can "belief" be suspended as easily as "disbelief"? Another possible question is about gender hierarchies within religious systems and how these are reflected and sustained in inside and outside stories.
Defining Belief Narratives
As a label attached to a certain group of stories, "belief narratives" is clearly an academic construct. Yet each so-called "belief narrative" is also a genuine expression used by real-life people. What should be of concern is whether the academic label, and as such the categorization with other "belief narratives", facilitates communication and understanding or presses a narrative into a pre-conceived pigeonhole and thereby undermines its purpose and meaning. Matters of definition include indigenous classification, the question of "belief systems", but also situating the researcher and his or hers "beliefs" vis-à-vis those of the research subjects.
Old Figures in New Shapes
Relatively new media such as film, comics, television, internet and RPGs have contributed to a revival of legendary figures, ranging from angels to zombies. Folklore may offer fresh insights into these already well-studied phenomena. Are they to be considered as "literary", that is to say as primarily functioning within a fictional world? Or have they, through ostensive action, become part of the actions and rituals of at least some people? How have the new media reshaped these figures in comparison to their "folkloric" predecessors and are the new forms now predominant? Does the screen witch help or hinder awareness of the historical witch? Can superheroes still function as (mostly male) role models? How to understand the recent proliferation of female werewolves? Or has the appearance of these figures in a different universe contributed to their decline in daily-life?
Myths
Within the western context, myths (that is, narratives involving deities of all kinds), especially of the Greek, Roman, Celtic and Nordic variety, have long ceased to be part of a system of beliefs and have become integrated in a literary universe. As part of this development a second meaning of "myth" as something unproven, a fictitious narrative that at least some consider realistic, came into being. While this duality may be typical in a western setting, there are also situations in which myths are more fruitfully juxtaposed with rituals. Can monotheistic religious narratives be considered as "myths"? How do they relate to other "belief narratives"? This last question opens up a re-examination of folklore's historiography, ranging from the theory about survivals to the mythological interpretation of fairy tales.
The Issue of Eurocentricity
Like folklore itself, the study of legends arose in the context of western nationalism and is in several ways still defined by it. This has resulted in fierce criticism of which the exclamation by the French ethnographer Jeanne Favret that "folklorists have ignorance as their profession" is perhaps the most famous. But how does this whole complex of acts and counteracts translate to a non-western setting? While this question itself already displays a western perspective, it should also be concidered whether folklore's vices have been uncritically copied elsewhere. Can the concept of "belief narratives", in spite of its history, be applied to the analysis of what is taken as a universal practice, in case, the narrating of "beliefs"? Can the study of narrative practice in one place throw light on a presumably different narrative practice in another?
Prospects and Projects This session is envisioned as a working session in which both future research and collobarations can be discussed. Compared to the other sessions it is envisioned as primarily practical. Participants are encouraged to present their plans and ideas, have them scrutinized at an early stage, and in the process find discussion partners and perhaps co-workers. Projects which cross national boundaries are especially encouraged, for example the inventarisation of folklore archives throughout the world and finding sensible ways to deal with the collected texts. Or the writing of a volume of essays on he problems of belief narratives, which ideally should function as a future handbook of the subject.
The above themes are merely meant as guidelines. They are meant to be expanded and criticized. Please send your proposals for papers and/or other contributions to: Willem de Blécourt. Do not hesitate to get in touch when in doubt about the suitability of your subject. Deadline for final proposals: 1 October 2012.