Always wanted to know what it feels like to be Indiana Jones? This is your chance to take a dive into remote, obscure corners of the past, following a half-forgotten trail of folktales and legends! Researching traditional stories can be difficult, but it also leads to exciting, unexpected, and illuminating discoveries. This session, led by an archaeologist and storyteller offers insight into how to track down some of the most elusive tales.
By the end of the session, participants will be familiar with the
basics of storytelling research, as well as some less well-known
techniques for tracking down a tale. They will be aware of how classic folklore research tools (e.g. the ATU motif index) work together with modern media, and how stories can be tracked down above and beyond Google search. They will know about taking research across language barriers, and also will have learned some tips on how to organize and maintain one’s notes and findings.
About the facilitator
Csenge Virág Zalka, PhD., is a storyteller and researcher from
Hungary. She has a master's degree in Archaeology, a master's in Storytelling, and a PhD in Culture Studies. She primarily works with traditional stories - folktales, epics, and myths - and publishes thematic collections in English and Hungarian (Tales of SuperhumanPowers, McFarland 2013; Dancing on Blades,Parkhurst Brothers 2018.). When she is not performing at festivals around the world, she is the resident storyteller of the Világszép Foundation for Children in State Care.