International folkloristics: classic contributions by the founders of folklore

International folkloristics is a worldwide discipline in which scholars study various forms of folklore ranging from myth, folktale, and legend to custom and belief.

Twenty classic essays, beginning with a piece by Jacob Grimm, reveal the evolving theoretical underpinnings of folkloristics from its nineteenth century origins to its academic coming-of-age in the twentieth century.

Each piece is prefaced by extensive editorial introductions placing them in a historical and intellectual context.

The twenty essays presented here, including several never published previously in English, will be required reading for any serious student of folklore.