A History of Folklore



Overview

What is folklore, and how have ideas about ‘the folk’ shaped its study over time?

This course explores the development of folklore studies in the British Isles, from the work of seventeenth-century antiquarians and the coining of the term ‘folklore’ in 1846 to the present day.

Through lectures and seminars, students will examine the changing meanings of ‘the folk’ and folklore that have shaped the discipline and continue to influence it today. Topics covered include the eighteenth-century ballad revival; romantic nationalism; the role of philology in the emergence of folklore as a distinct field of study; the anthropological approaches that marked the discipline’s first flourishing; the influence of international scholarship, especially classificatory approaches to folklore research; the challenges posed by different forms of nationalism; revivalist movements, particularly within the folk song tradition; the twentieth-century revitalisation of folklore scholarship after a period of decline; and the current state of folklore studies in Britain.

This course combines online study with a weekly 1-hour live webinar led by your tutor. Find out more about how our short online courses are taught.

Programme details

This course begins on the 17 Sep 2026, which is when the course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 24 Sep 2026, 14:00-15:00 (UK time).

  • Week 1: What Is Folklore? This general introduction to the language and topics of the discipline will outline broad definitions as a way of highlighting the history to be studied. It will locate British history in the context of American and European scholarship.
  • Week 2: Popular Antiquities. Early influences on the formation of folklore in the work of antiquarians like John Aubrey, Henry Bourne, John Brand, and Thomas Percy's ballad collection.
  • Week 3: Romanticism and Enlightenment. The Romantic nationalism of James Macpherson's 'Ossian', and Johann Gottfried Herder.
  • Week 4: Philology. The Brothers Grimm, combining narrative research with philological study, paved the way to William John Thoms's neologism 'folklore' (1846).
  • Week 5: Anthropological Theories. The first flourishing of folklore as a discipline, with the early anthropological reflections of Edward Burnett Tylor, Max Müller and Richard Dorson's 'Great Team' of Folklore Society pioneers.
  • Week 6: International Folkloristics. Setting British folklore in its international context, above all, the classificatory systems of, e.g., Kaarle Krohn.
  • Week 7: National Causes. Looks at later nationalist developments, particularly in Ireland, with the work of Douglas Hyde, Lady Augusta Gregory and WB Yeats.
  • Week 8: Revivalism. The folk song movement of the early twentieth century adopted a very specific approach to folklore materials and their use, typified above all by Cecil Sharp.
  • Week 9: Decline and Resurgence. After a period of stagnation, folklore studies revived under various impulses, including the work of the Opies, Hamish Henderson, and George Ewart Evans.
  • Week 10: Salvaged or Renewed? Recent developments, including where we are today.

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework. All those enrolled on an online course are registered for credit and will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

See more information on CATS points

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £430.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutors

Dr Paul Cowdell

Paul Cowdell has published on various aspects of folklore research and disciplinary history. After studying Classics at Magdalene College, Cambridge he took an MA in Folklore at the University of Sheffield and completed a PhD on contemporary belief in ghosts at the University of Hertfordshire. A member of the Council of the Folklore Society, he serves as Associate Editor of its journal Folklore and sits on the editorial board of the Folk Music Journal.

Prof David Hopkin

Course aims

  • To provide an overview of the study of folklore, and approaches to folklore, as it developed historically in Britain, from its seventeenth-century precursors up to the current period.
  • By conducting an historical and thematic examination of the development of folklore studies and approaches to folklore in Britain, from its inception to the modern day, to familiarise students with the key concepts and arguments in the discipline.

Teaching methods

This course takes place over 10 weeks, with a weekly learning schedule and weekly live webinar held on Microsoft Teams. Shortly before a course commences, students are provided with access to an online virtual learning environment, which houses the course content, including video lectures, complemented by readings or other study materials. Any standard web browser can be used to access these materials, but we recommend Google Chrome. Working through these materials over the course of the week will prepare students for a weekly 1-hour live webinar you will share with your expert tutor and fellow students. All courses are structured to amount to 100 study hours, so that on average, you should set aside 10 hours a week for study. Although the course finishes after 10 weeks, all learning materials remain available to all students for 12 months after the course has finished.

All courses are led by an expert tutor. Tutors guide students through the course materials as part of the live interactions during the weekly webinars. Tutors will also provide individualised feedback on your assignments. All online courses are taught in small student cohorts so that you and your peers will form a mutually supportive and vibrant learning community for the duration of the course. You will learn from your fellow students as well as from your tutor, and they will learn from you.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be expected to have gained an overview of the development of folklore studies, its theory and history, particularly in Britain, through acquaintance with key works in the literature; appreciate the application of this history to contemporary folklore studies; and have gained knowledge of a specific theory, scholar or approach.

Assessment methods

You will be set independent formative and summative work for this course. Formative work will be submitted for informal assessment and feedback from your tutor, but has no impact on your final grade. The summative work will be formally assessed as pass or fail.

Application

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

Level and demands

This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.

This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.

IT requirements

Any standard web browser can be used to access course materials on our virtual learning environment, but we recommend Google Chrome. We also recommend that students join the live webinars on Microsoft Teams using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a phone or tablet due to the limited functionality of the app on these devices. Students will need a reliable internet connection and a computer that meets our recommended minimum computer specification.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support