The folklore tells a lot about the nation, its history, culture, and mentality. The Australian folklore is especially interesting for studying as Australia is the country located on a separate continent. The geographic position explains the unique culture and traditions of the Australian aborigines.
The folklore of Australia is represented by the myths and fairytales which are especially interesting for discussion. It should be emphasized that the verbal creativity takes an important place in the traditional culture of the Australians. The research will examine the peculiarities of the Australian folklore, its artifacts, and describe the role of folklore in the study of the national culture.
Thesis statement: The Australian folklore has been a subject of study of many researchers all over the world. The folklore of Australia is interesting from both the point of view of its value in the study of the history of the country and from the standpoint of the study of its original culture and traditions.
The folk songs are an integral part of the national folklore. The Australian folk songs have been studied by many scholars as to the artifacts of the original Australian culture. A.L. Lloyd, the English folklorist, paid close attention to the folk songs as the artifacts of the national culture. A.L.Lloyd collected Australian folk songs and analyzed them.
The Australian fairy tales are other examples of its rich original folklore. The fairy tales describe the national mentality and traditions. They have been drawing the attention of many researchers. The mythology used in Australian fairy tales is unique. The isolation of the Australian continent influenced the development of the national folklore.
As a result, the mythological characters in the native Australian fairy tales are substantially different from those which the other cultures have. The fairy tales are interesting due to their rich plot. The fairy tales and myths are the sources of information about social relationships in traditional Australian society.
Bill Scott was one of the famous Australian folklore collectors. His work deserves special attention in the context of the study of the Australian culture. Bill Scott collected Australian folk songs and poems. The collections of Bill Scott represent the valuable sources of information about Australian folklore and culture.
Literature review
The articles reviewed are devoted to the Australian folklore and to the main contributors to its study and research. In particular, Bill Scott was one of the Australian folklore collectors who made a significant contribution to the systematization of the Australian folklore. Bill Scott collected the original folk songs in the Australian countryside and issued his collections which represented the literature value. He also collected the original poems which were, undoubtedly, the important artifacts of the national folklore (Bennett n.pag.).
Besides, the article devoted to the work of A.L. Lloyd has been reviewed. The contribution which A.L. Lloyd made to the study of the national folklore and the Australian one, in particular, deserves special attention in the context of the proposed topic of the research.
One of the reviewed articles is devoted to the fairy tales of Australia. The authors of the article touched upon the peculiarities of the cultures of the colonized countries and paid special attention to the fairy tales of the Australian aborigines (Do Rozario n.pag.).
Research methodology
In order to achieve the purpose of the research and to treat the proposed subject appropriately, the following methods will be used in the research: the method of dialectics, comparison, analogy, analysis, and systematization. Besides, the method of interviewing will be used. In particular, the interviews with the folklorists and culturologists will help in the achievement of the purpose of the research.
Works Cited
Bennett, Gillian “Bill Scott: 1923-2005.” Folklore. 117.3 (2006):n.pag. Questia. Web.
Do Rosario, Rebecca-Anne C. ” Australia’s Fairy Tales Illustrated in Print: Instances of Indigeneity, Colonization, and Suburbanization.” Marvels & Tales. 25.1 (2011):n.pag. Questia. Web.
Graham, Seal. “A.L. Lloyd in Australia: Some Conclusions.” Folk Music Journal. 9.1 (2006):n.pag. Questia. Web.