Collection of etiological legends
Scope and Contents
Contains legends concerning the origin of people, animals, plants, practices, placenames, celestial phenomena, surnames, and names of products. Also, legends about the ways natural features, plants, animals, customary names of years, human skin color, and locations acquired attributes or names. Items were collected by students in folklore classes at Brigham Young University, Utah State University, and the University of Utah from 1960 to 2020.
Digital collections (2019-2021) can be accessed at https://lib.byu.edu/collections/wilson-folklore-archive/. Most of the items are typewritten, but a few of the older items are handwritten. Many of the items contain a description of how, when, and where they were collected as well as explanations of social and cultural contexts.
Dates
- Creation: 1960-2021
Conditions Governing Access
Open for public research.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Please direct any questions to Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.
Extent
2 boxes (1 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arranged in eleven series: 1. Collection of legends about celestial phenomena and meteorological events, 1967-2005. 2. Collection of legends about the origin of earth and geographic features, 1961-1995. 3. Collection of legends about the origin of animals and animal characteristics, 1961-2000. 4. Collection of legends about the origin of people and human characteristics, 1966-1997. 5. Collection of legends about the origin of plants, 1967-1998. 6. Collection of legends about the origin of beliefs, 1962-1994. 7. Collection of legends about origin customs, 1951-2005. 8. Collection of legends about place names, 1960-2005. 9. Collection of legends about the origin of product names and products, 2000-2004. 10. Collection of legends about surnames and genealogy, 2000-2004. 11. Collection of miscellaneous etiological legends, 1967-2001.
Digital collections (2019-2021) can be accessed at https://lib.byu.edu/collections/wilson-folklore-archive/. Digital collections are organized at collection rather than series level.
Custodial History
Personal narratives in the collection were generally collected from informants by students in Brigham Young University folklore classes. These narratives were submitted for class, then submitted to the William A. Wilson Folklore Archives at Brigham Young University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated; Various folklore students; 1960-2005.
Appraisal
The folklore of university students, families, religious life, Polynesia and the Intermountain West (William A. Wilson Folklore Archives collection development policy IV.a.i.4, October 2009.)
Processing Information
Updated; Jayna Gottenbos for Ryan Lee, curator; 2018.
- Title
- Register of the Collection of etiological legends
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Jayna Gottenbos
- Date
- 2018 August 9
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States