ABSTRACT
Two of Smith’s dominant interests are the effect of technological change on folklore transmission and the interaction between so-called “folk-” and “popular-” culture. He has consistently argued that folklore cannot be defined in terms of oral transmission or kept separate from other cultural forms. In particular, he has explored the relationship between popular print and contemporary legends (see, for example, his “Contemporary Legend and the Photocopy Revolution.” In Perspectives on Contemporary Legend Volume II, eds. Gillian Bennett, Paul Smith and J.D.A. Widdowson. 177–202. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press/ CECTAL, 1987). Smith’s essay below is typical of his work in that it explores the value of a multi-media, multi-conduit approach to folklore. He analyses the flexible nature of contemporary legends by examining possible permutations of “fixed” vs “free” forms on the one hand, and media of transmission, contexts of performance, presentational forms, and functions on the other. The particular foci of this study are the legend of Robin Hood, and legends circulated in the UK during a long-running labor dispute. Finally, he assesses the relative influence of popular and traditional culture in the content and dissemination of the genre. The essay below is reprinted from The Questing Beast: Perspectives on Contemporary Legend IV, eds. Gillian Bennett and Paul Smith. 91–101. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1989.
