Folklore in the Debates of the Westernizers and Slavophiles

Authors

  • Linda Ivanits Russian and Comparative Literature, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17161/folklorica.v16i1.4210

Abstract

Russian folklore played an important role in the debates of the Slavophiles and Westernizers about national identity. Some Slavophiles adduced folksongs as evidence of the essential Christianity of the Russian people, while Westernizers, in good part, viewed folklore as a primitive stage in the development of a national literature that reflected the oppression and dejection of the masses. English-language studies of the Slavophile-Westernizer controversy contain at best passing mention of folklore. My essay hopes to partially remedy this situation by offering an overview of the role of folklore in the skirmishes between the early Slavophiles and Westernizers. 

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Published

2012-05-01

Issue

Vol. 16 (2011): Folklorica

Section

Articles

License

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication. Their work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Derivative License (CC BY ND) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. You can find more information about the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Derivative License (CC BY ND) here. 

How to Cite

Ivanits, Linda. 2012. “Folklore in the Debates of the Westernizers and Slavophiles”. FOLKLORICA - Journal of the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Folklore Association 16 (1). https://doi.org/10.17161/folklorica.v16i1.4210.