Feb
3
Popular culture as Folk culture
Posted by: Brian | February 3, 2009 | Comments Off on Popular culture as Folk culture
I enjoyed reading these legends. I’ve already read this kind of mythology last term more precisely the Popol Vuh which is the Mayan book telling us about the creation of the world. Moreover I had the same difficulties reading these stories than reading the Popol Vuh. I’m not an native english-speaker so I was not used to some magic and fantastic words.
I think folk culture is definitely a part of popular culture. Folk culture has different function to fulfill: a function of education, of protection of the ancient culture but also a function of « demand ».
Myths and legends always have a message. They teach how human beings act and how they should react in front of the events they have to face in life. It’s a kind of philosophy of life. They analyze the men’s qualities and flaws.
To perpetuate folk culture is also a way to protect the roots of Latin American culture, the particularities of its history. Indigenous culture has been threatened by colonization so folk culture is a way to perpetuate the indigenous identity the colonizers tried to destroy. As we saw in class popular culture in Latin America is also mass culture so folk culture could appear like a more authentic legacy because it doesn‘t depend on the art market. Even if culture evolves through the years, each culture has it own roots. Folk culture means that Latin American people have their own history, their own past so folk culture is an important marker of itheir dentity.
Finally, what I mean by function of « demand » it’s that through the lecture of those myths and legends one’s could feel the indigenous’ resistance. For instance in the Pongo’s dream the frst character represent one particular group and is oppressed and humiliated. This oppression refers to the white men’s one. Those ideas of oppression, domination, stratification could describe the colonization. However, despite this cruel environment, the story shows that people could stand up for defend their rights. They can do something even if they are not supported by a large number of people, indeed, the other servants never help the first character to struggle. I enjoyed reading this text because it was quite optimistic: nothing is rigid and fixed but everything could change. Through this reading one’s could see the indigenous’ will to overthrow their oppressors.
