Collection of beliefs
Scope and Contents
Collection contains descriptions of individual, family, and group beliefs collected by students in folklore classes at Brigham Young University, Utah State University, and the University of Utah from 1955 to 2020.
Digital collections (2020-2021) 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
- 1955-2021
Conditions Governing Access
Open for public research.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the Wilson Folklore Archives must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Coordinating Committee.
Extent
6 boxes (3 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arranged in thirty-eight series: 1. Collection of beliefs about diseases, ailments, and remedies, 1964-1997. 2. Collection of general cure-alls, 1964-1992. 3. Collection of beliefs about emotional or mental conditions, 1970-1981. 4. Collection of signs and portents of sickness or ailment, 1969-1992. 5. Collection of beliefs in anatomical phenomena as signs and portents, 1968-1993. 6. Collection of beliefs about health, hygiene, and beauty, 1964-1993. 7. Collection of beliefs about love, courtship, marriage, and homosexuality, 1967-1998. 8. Collection of beliefs about pregnancy, birth, infancy, and childhood, 1961-1995. 9. Collection of beliefs about dying, death, and funeral customs, 1962. 10. Collection of beliefs about food preservation and preparation, 1960-1990 11. Collection of beliefs about food and eating, 1955-1993. 12. Collection of beliefs in and about the house, 1964-1992. 13. Collection of beliefs about cloth, clothing, sewing, and adornment, 1964-1993. 14. Collection of beliefs about prosperity and wealth, 1976-1992. 15. Collection of beliefs about work, trades, and professions, 1964-1993. 16. Collection of beliefs about friends and visitors, 1968-1990. 17. Collection of beliefs about enemies, thieves, liars, and murderers, 1970-1987. 18. Collection of religious beliefs, 1970-1992. 19. Collection of beliefs about recreation, sports, and games, 1969-1993. 20. Collection of beliefs about travel, 1970-1993. 21. Collection of beliefs about good luck and good fortune, 1969-1992. 22. Collection of beliefs about bad luck, 1924-1992. 23. Collection of beliefs about communication and language, 1968-1992. 24. Collection of beliefs about wishes, 1962-1989. 25. Collection of beliefs about sleep, dreams, and dreaming, 1968-1989. 26. Collection of beliefs about holidays and celebrations, 1970-1992. 27. Collection of beliefs about times and numbers, 1969-1998. 28. Collection of beliefs about major storms, floods, and physical disasters, 1971-1990. 29. Collection of beliefs about cosmic phenomena, 1972-1992. 30. Collection of beliefs about plants and plant husbandry, 1938-1990. 31. Collection of beliefs about animals and animal husbandry, 1938-1992. 32. Collection of beliefs about witchcraft, ghosts, magic, and evil spirits, 1949-1992. 33. Collection of beliefs about fortune telling and divination, 1940-1980. 34. Collection of beliefs about good spirits, 1975-1984. 35. Collection of beliefs about supernatural creatures, fairies, elves, leprechauns, etc., 1970-1993. 36. Collection of beliefs about technology, 1971-1990. 37. Collection of ethnic and racial beliefs, 1960-1992.
Digital collections (2020-2021) 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; 1960-2007
Appraisal
Student generated folklore (William A. Wilson Folklore Archives Collection Development Policy, 2009; IV, a, i , 4).
Processing Information
Updated; Jayna Gottenbos for Ryan Lee, curator; 2018.
- Title
- Register of the Collection of beliefs
- 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