Theoretical Milestones

Lauri Honko (1932‒2002) developed in particular theories and concepts relating to folk belief, genre and epic. The present collection represents a selection of Honko's key articles. They relate to Honko's own research, to the debates and discussions he took part in. Honko's writings combine a typically strong empiricism with clear theoretical thought. His own theoretical framework was above all one of functionalism, within which he united other currents within folkloristics, such as 'composition in performance', 'ecology of tradition' and 'textualisation'. He was occupied by the question of how the individual performer used folklore, be he a teller of proverbs or jokes, a singer of oral poetry or a producer of written epic.