Item Detail
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18582
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2
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6
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English
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The Folklore of Dixie -- Past and Present
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Utah Historical Quarterly
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2006
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74
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no.3
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197-219
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Folklore is essential to understanding other people, both past and present. There were no folklorists in Southern Utah (Dixie) during pioneer times so stories have had to be collected from journals and memoirs. Wilson first discusses folklore in general, and later narrows his study to Dixie folklore. He gives three categories of folklore: verbal lore includes tales and songs, material lore is considered traditional objects, and customary lore includes dances and town meetings. Wilson then dismisses a few myths about folklore; these include the fact that folklore is disappearing, that it always belongs to someone else, and it is always false. Dixie folklore began when LDS Saints were sent to establish a mission in Dixie. Although at first the Saints were not exactly happy to be in Dixie, they gradually toughened up and grew to love the area. These Saints were very much on their own. They had to be creative and industrious. Dancing was a huge part of Dixie folklore, as were odd medicinal practices. In addition, the people often looked for divine assistance when dealing with sickness, and dozens of stories exist regarding a healing or warning from one or more of the Three Nephites. Wilson includes several examples of stories from Dixie folklore, he shows how these tales relate to the present.