White Unjust to Folk and Myth

It never ceases to amaze me that there are those who feel that they can ridicule the Folklore and Mythology department even though they have no clue what it does. Take, for example, Brad Edward White ("The Celtic Myth," Jan. 25, 1995). If Mr. White had actually read the course catalog, he would realize that the department currently offer no courses on fairy tales.

Ironically, he instead relies primarily on the Harvard folklore surrounding the Folklore department. I could just as easily deride the Philosophy department for studying turgid and archaic prose which may have been applicable centuries ago but has lost meaning in the modern world. But that would display a juvenile understanding of the subject.

Mr. White's assumption seems to be that exclusion defines academic worth. Since "everyone" can read fairy tales, they must not be important. What he fails to realize is that folktales touch a larger portion of people's lives than subjects such as philosophy. Not everyone has read Kant, but almost everyone is familiar with Cinderella. Analysis of these folktales can reveal a great deal about culture and beliefs which may not be immediately apparent because these stories are so prevalent. One might as well argue that the English department is useless because everyone has read Mark Twain. Clare Sammells '95