Awards

• Short-listed for The Folklore Society Katharine Briggs Award 2025 (UK)

Overview

This book unravels the complexities of traditional storytelling and uses creative analytical techniques to uncover the meanings of the stories we tell. The reader is first acquainted with conceptualisations of how stories make meaning in our lives, then guided through a selection of stories from the rich traditions of Scotland's Traveller and Nawken/Nacken communities. Beginning with a nuanced historical overview of the communities, Traveller Storytelling in Scotland: Folklore, Ideology and Cultural Identity then draws on archives, texts and interviews to introduce readers to the unique and vibrant folklore of Scotland's Travellers and Nawken/Nacken. It connects ethnology and literary criticism to contextualise folklore and reveal how its ideological priorities underpin cultural identity. Utilising diverse analytical techniques, this book is a timely examination of a folkloric idiom that has, until now, been sorely in need of further scrutiny. It showcases the sophistication and enduring relevance of folkloric expressions to contemporary Scottish culture.

Full Product Details

9781399526357

Table of Contents

Reviews

An essential contribution to our understanding of the Scottish Travellers: their lore and language, their ancient heritage, their fraught relations with mainstream society, and their stories, which are so deeply imbued with humane values. -- John D. Niles, University of Wisconsin, Madison A fascinating insight into the oral narrative traditions of Scottish Travellers and into how stories work. Drawing on Travellers' own interpretations and working collaboratively with them, Robert Fell reveals the multilayered nature of Traveller storytelling as a vehicle for cultural identity and as a collective expression of values, worldviews and aesthetic sensibilities. A richly rewarding read. -- Bairbre Ní Fhloinn, University College Dublin

A fascinating insight into the oral narrative traditions of Scottish Travellers and into how stories work. Drawing on Travellers' own interpretations and working collaboratively with them, Robert Fell reveals the multilayered nature of Traveller storytelling as a vehicle for cultural identity and as a collective expression of values, worldviews and aesthetic sensibilities. A richly rewarding read.--Bairbre Ní Fhloinn, University College Dublin An essential contribution to our understanding of the Scottish Travellers: their lore and language, their ancient heritage, their fraught relations with mainstream society, and their stories, which are so deeply imbued with humane values. --John D. Niles, University of Wisconsin, Madison

An essential contribution to our understanding of the Scottish Travellers: their lore and language, their ancient heritage, their fraught relations with mainstream society, and their stories, which are so deeply imbued with humane values. -- John D. Niles, University of Wisconsin, Madison A fascinating insight into the oral narrative traditions of Scottish Travellers and into how stories work. Drawing on Travellers' own interpretations and working collaboratively with them, Robert Fell reveals the multilayered nature of Traveller storytelling as a vehicle for cultural identity and as a collective expression of values, worldviews and aesthetic sensibilities. A richly rewarding read. -- Bairbre Ní Fhloinn, University College Dublin Both intellectual and impassioned, this rigorous monograph examines the importance of storytelling for Traveller/Gypsy self-identification. Grounded in the latest theoretical work in folklore studies yet also imbued with respect and compassion, Fell’s book is a rich academic study that adds a great deal to our understanding of a much-marginalised people. -- Judges * Shortlisted, The Katharine Briggs Award *

Author Information

Robert Fell gained his PhD in Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He continues to research various aspects of the intangible cultural heritages of Scotland's Traveller and Nawken/Nacken communities.

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