Folk belief

Type of belief system

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In folkloristics, folk belief or folk-belief is a broad genre of folklore that is often expressed in narratives, customs, rituals, foodways, proverbs, and rhymes.[1] It also includes a wide variety of behaviors, expressions, and beliefs. Examples of concepts included in this genre are magic, popular belief, folk religion, planting signs, hoodoo, conjuration, charms, rootwork, taboos, old wives' tales, omens, portents, the supernatural and folk medicine.[2]

Folk belief and associated behaviors are strongly evidenced among all elements of society, regardless of education level or income. In turn, folk belief is found in an agricultural, suburban, and urban environments alike.[3]

## Terminology

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One of a variety of compounds extending from the coinage of the term folklore in 1846 (previously popular antiquities), the term folk-belief is first evidenced in use by British folklorist Laurence Gomme in 1892.[4]

Common parlance employs the word superstition for what folklorists generally refer to as folk belief.[5]

## See also

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* New religious movement – Religious community or spiritual group of modern origin
* Popular belief
* Pseudoreligion – Non-mainstream philosophical movement which functions like a religion
* Religion – Social-cultural system

* Religion portal

## Notes

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1. ^ McCormick, Charlie; White, Kim Kennedy (2011). Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art, Second Edition. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 211\. ISBN 9781598842418.
2. ^ Green (1997:89).
3. ^ Green (1997:97).
4. ^ "folk, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2016. Web. 3 November 2016. See also "folklore, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2016. Web. 3 November 2016.
5. ^ For example, see discussion in Georges & Jones (1995:122).

## References

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* Georges, Robert A. & Jones, Michael Owen. 1995. Folkloristics: An Introduction. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253329345.
* Green, Thomas A. 1997. Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO.

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Folklore genres and types

Narrative|

* Animal tale
* Fable
* Fairy tale
* list
* Legend
* Tall tales
* Parable
* Personal narrative
* Urban legend

Oral tradition|

* Folk etymology
* False
* Joke
* Nursery rhyme
* Proverb
* Repositories
* Riddle
* Saying
* Word game

Folk belief|

* Birthstone
* Folk religion
* Folk saint
* Ghostlore
* Legend tripping
* Luminous gemstones
* Mythology
* Old wives' tale
* Ritual
* Silver bullet
* Weather lore

Folk arts|

* Folk art
* Folk costume
* Folk epic
* Folk dance
* Folk instrument
* Folk music
* Folk play
* Folk poetry
* Folk wrestling
* Foodways

Society|

* Cunning folk
* Fakelore
* Folk devil
* Folk healer
* Folk hero

See also|

* Folklore studies
* Morphology (folkloristics)
* Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index
* Motif-Index of Folk-Literature
* Storytelling
* Tradition
* Knowledge
* Medicine
* Story
* Vernacular

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