Old Wives Tales of Appalachia, What Do You Believe?

Creator: Floyd, Sheena

: Ford, Billy

: Radcliffe, Karen

: Lemay, Loretta

: Radcliffe, Nadine

: Cullop, Shai

: Radcliffe, Georgia

: Radcliffe, David

: Radcliffe, Tiffany

: Ford, Kyla

: Floyd, Stephanie

In this project, Sheena Floyd interviewed several members of her family to learn more about old wives tales and their origins. After the interviews were over, she did not actually learn anything new about the origins of the tales, but she did record and discuss many that are held dear in her family. This interview is among projects created by students enrolled in English 446 (initially English 452), “Appalachian Folklore,” 1981-2019, and in graduate level counterparts English 548 and 648 “Appalachian Folk Culture(s)” offered 17 fall semesters between 1987 and 2009. Minimally contain collector’s introduction and analysis, transcribed informant interviews, and excerpted and labeled examples of oral, customary, and/or material folklore/folklife collected primarily within the Appalachian region. Most include also tables of contents, informant information, indexes (outlines) of interviews, photographs, miscellaneous paper items, and indexes of informants, genres, and geographic locations. Accompanying audio recordings (several minutes to 2+ hours). Transferred to McConnell Library Archives & Special Collections from Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center, Fall 2013.