article

Some sources of variability in Klamath mythology

Journal of American folklore • Boston • Published In 1956 • Pages: 1-12, 135-146, 377-386

By: Stern, Theodore.

Abstract

This three-part article is an examination of the principal sources of variability in the elements, episodes, plots and characters of Klamath myths. The author compares the myths recorded by the linguist, Albert S. Gatschet in 1877, with those he himself recorded in the 1950s and discovers variations among them both within and between the different periods. Traditionally, myths varied by setting: the multiple-family winter lodge where complete epochs were recounted, women work groups where more ribald and personally-spiced mythic episodes were exchanged, and children's bedtime where stories served to inculcate moral standards. Changes due to acculturation have also altered the cultural context in which myths found their meaning. For example, the more obscene and repetitive elements of myths have been dropped. Stern attributes some differences to the stylistic idiosyncracies of narrators based on their differences in sex, age and life experiences. While narrators were held by the audience to certain standards, they were also praised for their personal stylistic embellishments.

HRAF PubDate

1998

Region

North America

Sub Region

Plains and Plateau

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 1996

Field Date

1950-51

Coverage Date

1877-1951

Coverage Place

Klamath County, Oregon, United States

Notes

by Theodore Stern

Includes bibliograhical references

LCCN

17028737

LCSH

Klamath Indians