Nebraska Folklore

A distinguished scholar and writer who, in the words of H. L. Mencken, “put the study of American English on its legs,” Louise Pound (1872–1958) was always intensely interested in the folklore of her home state. Nebraska Folklore, first published in 1959, collects her best work in that rich vein.

Included are cave legends, snake superstitions, weather lore, tales of strong men who rival Paul Bunyan, stories of Indian lovers' leaps, hoaxes of a petrified man and a land-locked sea monster, and the legends of Weeping Water and Lincoln Salt Basin. A section on old Nebraska folk customs provides a wealth of information about holiday observances, literary and debating societies, political rallies, spelling contests, and various social traditions. Going beyond Nebraska, the book ends with studies of the origins of American cowboy and folk songs and of the use of dialect in folklore. Its wit and honesty will appeal to readers everywhere. Roger Welsch provides an introduction to this new Bison Books edition.

Louise Pound (1872-1958) was a distinguished literary scholar, folklorist, and professor of English at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for more than fifty years. Roger Welsch is a well-known folklorist and essayist. He is the author of nearly thirty books, including It's Not the End of the Earth, but You Can See It from Here and the coauthor of Cather's Kitchens: Foodways in Literature and Life, both available in Bison Books editions.