Almost every nation has its own heritage. One of the main tools for its transmission is folk culture (folklore). Further in the article, we will consider this concept in more detail, compare it with modern trends.
general information
In the history of each nation there is both a popular and a mass culture. The latter is a more modern phenomenon. An example of popular culture: a company of young people sings the songs of some famous artist, walking around the streets. Another view has significant differences. Folk culture is to study sources about folk festivals or parables, legends and other works. Based on this, it becomes clear that in the first case we are dealing with modern mores. And folklore - folk culture - describes the life of the last century. All genres of folklore were created long ago and today are considered a historical heritage. A small part of the works of past centuries has become an integral part of the modern world.
Degrees of development
There are two levels of folk culture - high and low. The first includes tales, traditions, ancient dances, epics, etc. The lowered one is considered a manifestation of pop culture. Basically, works that have come down to us from the depths of centuries have anonymous creators. Tales, epics, dances, songs, myths and legends are among the most valuable highly artistic works. They are not related to elitist manifestations. It is considered that folk culture came to the modern world from ancient times. Its subject is the nation as a whole. There are no separate creators and professional masters who are valued each separately. Such a culture is part of the life and work of people. All works were inherited orally and had several options. Reproduction of folk culture can be individual (this is a story, a legend), mass (carnivals), group (dance or sing a song).
Lecture hall
Society has always shown interest in folk culture, as is customary in industrial and traditional societies. However, in a post-industrial environment, the situation is slightly different. If we talk about the differences in folk and high culture, then they are similar to differences in ethnic and national. What is the difference? National and high culture is transmitted only in writing. At the same time, folk and ethnic - in different (oral, written and others). An elitist culture is created by an educated population, and an ethnic one is created by poorly educated citizens. Recently, a modern audience has become interested in folk culture and traditions.
Aesthetic component
What it is? Folk art culture is that a person who is a master, thanks to his ability to focus on a certain thing, as well as formulate all this in a significant fragment, can convey all this in the form of a song, dance or poem. Thanks to this, the aesthetic development of the individual in particular and of society as a whole takes place. Artistic culture can attract the bulk of the population. All works are created by both professionals and amateurs. All compositions, songs, poems that are worthy of attention pass by inheritance and become art. A person who knows how to convey his thoughts in poems, songs or dances, is spiritually rich, he has an open soul and sincerely shares his impressions. Thanks to such artists, people from year to year had the opportunity to enrich their inner world, fill the void of the soul.
Russian folk culture
This phenomenon studies many sciences. Each discipline has its own view on the subject and its methods of research. The volume of updated information is so large that scientists do not have time to follow it and master it for scientific enrichment and personal knowledge. The heritage of folk culture is growing every day. In addition, each item claims to be the main place in which the whole meaning of the world is stored. This means that each discipline presents its knowledge as the most extensive in the field of spiritual values: folklore, literary criticism, art history - from icon painting to musicology and architecture. Each person who is interested in the folk culture of Russia knows about all the successes of these cultures, since they are all audible, readable and put on public display. Their number and namelessness speak of the birth of a folk element. And in the symbols of which they tirelessly reiterate that they became masterpieces of Russian culture, the artistic image of the Russian people was expressed.
Understanding
There are different ideas about the term "folk culture". The following are the main points of view:
- enlightenment of the lower classes of society;
- enlightenment of the "illiterate" society;
- a culture that was created by the elite, but was "lowered" down.
Such definitions carry a cognitive purpose in the case of considering them in a specific historical passage.
Traditional folk culture of peasants
It was formed on the basis of religious understanding. It was not so much a spiritual foundation as the main content of spiritual life. Peasant culture had at its disposal various tools that allowed it to perceive and correctly see the world, helped to master the perception of the sensual and supersensible. In accordance with the opinion of a number of authors, the concepts of “religiosity” and “folk culture” can be put on one level. The development of the spirituality of peasants is an important source of subsequent progress in society during the Middle Ages. At the same time, the number of cities in Europe is growing rapidly. The most determined people settled there - they were serfs, feudal lords who wanted to change their lives. New activities appeared: craft, trade.
Annals
In ancient times, classical education in Russia was not very good. Then the distrust of "pagan" science triumphed. There were a number of the most popular destinations. Among them, it is worth noting icon painting, church architecture, liturgical singing and annals. The Russian chronicler could tell contemporaries the whole meaning of history; he was a historiosophist, philosopher and chronicler. Such “teachings”, “words” were very popular. At that time, the first written code of laws was created. Russian folk culture had all the features of the European. And subsequently there was practically no difference from the folklore of Christians.
Religion
The folk religion in Russia had two names in the church and scientific circles of the 19th century. They defined its nature as a synthesis of the teachings of Christians and "pagan" beliefs. The first name was “dual faith, ” the second was “everyday Orthodoxy.” The first is used in scientific everyday life and in the modern world, it is perceived by scientists formally. In the literal sense, this term should be understood as a combination of two faiths in a folk religion. In numerous studies of the beliefs of the Slavs of the East (as well as Russians), the ethnographers' main interest is focused on "pagan experiences", reconstruction of archaic models, and interpretation. In the Middle Ages in Russia and in the West there was a gap between the traditional consciousness of many and the book culture of a smaller number of people. Intellectuals of Russia, who had a desire to speak Greek, studied it under Prince Yaroslav the Wise: their translators were present in Kiev. A connection arose between the Middle Eastern centers of Christians and Russia, and over time, in spite of any events, it was no longer interrupted.
Value
How did the formation of moral values take place? Mass culture is a spiritual product of art, which is created in a wide circulation. It is designed for a large audience, for a significant number of viewers. Its main advantage is that it is intended not only to entertain a large number of people, but also to enrich their thoughts. Popular culture, examples of which are given above, is quite relevant in modern society. Today, there are few people who are not interested in the spiritual heritage of their ancestors. Almost every person of any age and any level of education can recognize a folk culture. Its main feature is simplicity (texts, movements, sounds are easily perceived by people). Culture is for people of the emotional type.
