William Motherwell (1797-1835), journalist, poet, man-of-letters, wit, civil servant, and outspoken conservative, published his anthology of ballads, Minstrelsy: Ancient and Modern, in 1827. His views on authenticity, editorial practice, the nature of oral transmission, and the importance of sung performance--acquired through field collecting--anticipate much later scholarly discourse.

Published after the death of Burns and the publication of Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, ballads such as those Motherwell collected were one focus of a loose-knit movement that might be designated, cultural nationalism. This interest in preserving relics that suggested a distinctly Scottish culture and nation was one response to the union of the Scottish and English Parliaments in 1707. Mary Ellen Brown's study provides a model for historical ethnography, focusing on an individual and illustrating the multiple ways he was richly embedded in his time and place.

About the Author
Mary Ellen Brown, professor of folklore and director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Indiana University Bloomington, is the editor of the Journal of Folklore Research.

Reviews
The only study to examine Motherwel personality and activities in sufficient detail. - James Moreira



Book Information
ISBN 9780813121888
Author Mary Ellen Brown
Format Hardback
Page Count 280
Imprint The University Press of Kentucky
Publisher The University Press of Kentucky