Item Detail
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11779
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2
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0
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English
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A Mirror Brought By Truth : A Study and Comparison of the Folklore of the Wandering Jew and the Folklore of the Three Nephites
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Brigham Young University
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Master's thesis
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"This study compares these two cycles of folklore ["The Wandering Jew" and the Three Nephites] in two main areas: the traditional form and the art form, discussing the origin and development of each.
The origin of the legend of the Three Nephites is neither vague nor European, as many have claimed. Once one realizes that not all wandering legends are outgrowths of that of the Wandering Jew, it is much easier to discuss this American legend. By comparing and contrasting these two legends, many similarities and differences can be seen. One such difference is that of the source of the legend. Another, and perhaps more interesting, is the type of God that each reveals: The Wandering Jew is a legend of medieval origin; it reveals an angry, vengeful God who calls out curses upon his children and punishes the unbelievers. The second legend is one popular among Mormons; it reveals a God who is loving, kind, and forgiving to his children. These two different Gods in the legends actually symbolize the two very different Gods revealed through different religious philosophies. While there are some very interesting similarities, the differences are so many and so extreme that one can only be led to believe that we have here two essentially separate folklore cycles, developed entirely independently of each other but later occasionally meeting and sometimes intertwining their branches together to produce a single fruit." [Author]