Rahvuslikkus teiste silmades
Nationalism in the eyes of others

Summary/Abstract: Differences between the basics of modern folkloristics and the public image of folklore and folkloristics in Estonia are examined. While folkloristics has given up equating nation with ethnos, Estonian public opinion doggedly holds on to the image of folklore as a reflection of the national past and expects folklorists to mediate this past to the present. These stereotypes are reinforced in schools, where folklore tends to be interpreted as forefathers’ verbal creation, but also by the concept of intangible cultural heritage gaining popularity over recent years. The exultant discourse triggered by the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage echoes certain romanticising images of continuity and collectivity still associated with folklore. Sticking to an understanding of folklore as a separate analytical category enables folklorists not only to analyse folk culture in its diversity but also take a critical look at the impact of the Convention on grassroots level.

• Details
• Contents