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Phylogenetics meets folklore: bioinformatics approaches to the study of international folktales

Tehrani, J.J.; d'Huy, J.

Authors

J. d'Huy



Contributors

R. Kenna
Editor

M. McCarron
Editor

P. McCarron
Editor

Abstract

Traditional narratives, like genes, mutate as they are transmitted from generation to generation. Elements of a myth, legend or folktale may be added, substituted or forgotten, generating new variants that catch on and flourish, or vanish into extinction. Reconstructing these processes has been complicated by the fact that traditional narratives are transmitted via mainly oral means, leaving scant literary evidence to trace their development and diffusion. In this chapter we demonstrate how this problem can be addressed using phylogenetic methods developed by evolutionary biologists. We show how these methods can be used to identify cognate relationships among tales from different societies and eras, reconstruct their ancestral forms, and test hypotheses about how stories evolve. We illustrate how three kinds of phylogenetic analysis can be applied to these problems through two worked examples: Little Red Riding Hood and Polyphemus.

Citation

Tehrani, J., & d'Huy, J. (2017). Phylogenetics meets folklore: bioinformatics approaches to the study of international folktales. In R. Kenna, M. McCarron, & P. McCarron (Eds.), Maths meets myths : quantitative approaches to ancient narratives (91-114). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39445-9_6

Online Publication Date Sep 23, 2016
Publication Date Jan 1, 2017
Deposit Date Sep 30, 2016
Publisher Springer Verlag
Pages 91-114
Series Title Understanding complex systems
Book Title Maths meets myths : quantitative approaches to ancient narratives.
ISBN 9783319394435
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39445-9_6


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