Singers and Storytellers Page: 59
v, 298 p. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
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FOLKLORE AND HISTORY
in some respects is not quite as enlightened as Herodotus.
Where the Greek is skeptical, the Englishman is full of petty
contempt toward that which does not fit his own particular
scheme of things. Yet, when Gibbon is not dealing with
churchly miracles or saints' legends, his skepticism is much
less vigilant. Cruelly rewarded faithful servants, heroes with
seven fathers, and warrior maidens march through his pages
untouched by the merciless shafts of reason.
And what about more recent times? Let me mention one
example, from my own native state of Texas, about the Mission
of the Alamo in San Antonio. The defense to the death of the
Alamo by a handful of Texas Federalists against Santa Anna's
Centralist forces occupies much the same position in the
emotions of Texans as the defense of the Castle of Chapultepec
by the Nifios H6roes in the feelings of Mexicans. Hundreds
of books have been written about the Alamo, and they are still
being turned out today. One thing they all have in common
is their dependence on folklore for their color and detail. It
is impossible really to know what the last moments of the
defenders of the Alamo were like, since the defenders died to
the last man, while the attackers were too occupied to note
the drama of their last moments, nor did they know the
identities of the men they finally overcame. Still, detailed
accounts of the last moments of the Alamo are passed off
as history.
One interesting detail concerns the Lone Star flag, which
is mentioned as flying over the Alamo during the siege. I have
met Texas college students, and college graduates, who were
not aware to this day that the flag defended at the Alamo was
the Mexican flag, with "1824" (for the Federalist constitution
of that year) inscribed upon it. And this after the Walt Disney
movie about David Crockett, which though it uses much folk-
lore does stick to history in this instance. Apparently the history
which these people imbibed in the public schools had some
distinct elements of folklore, and its effects were lasting.59
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Singers and Storytellers (Book)
Collection of popular folklore of Texas, including personal anecdotes about storytellers and singers, as well as folk songs, myths, and ghost stories. The index begins on page 295.
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Boatright, Mody C. Singers and Storytellers, book, 1961; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc67655/m1/65/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.