A History of Folklore: Online Course

Following our sold out course in January this year, A History of Folklore, run by The Folklore Society in partnership with Oxford Continuing Education, is running again in September 2025, January 2026 and April 2026.

The 10-week course traces the development of folklore studies in the British Isles, from 17th-century antiquarians and the coining of the term folklore in 1846, to the present day. Through lectures and seminars, you’ll explore how ideas about ‘the folk’ have evolved,  and how they continue to influence the discipline today.

Along the way, the course covers major movements and milestones: the 18th-century ballad revival, romantic nationalism, the impact of philology, and the rise of folklore as a distinct scholarly field. You’ll examine the influence of international approaches to classification and research, the tensions between local and national identities, and the revivalist energies of the folk song movement.

Finally, the course looks at how folklore scholarship was re-energised in the 20th century after a period of decline, and considers its role in the modern world, offering a fresh perspective on how stories, customs and everyday practices help shape who we are.