"The Insoluble Riddle of the Fairytale"
271 19th Ave S
Minneapolis,
MN
55455
About the Lecture
The European fairy tale emerged late, and its origin is unknown. Its male protagonist is a weakling, which is another surprise. The talk will address both problems. The character of the heroine needs special treatment.
About the Speaker
Anatoly Liberman is a professor in the UMN Department of German, Nordic, Slavic & Dutch. His main areas of specialization are historical linguistics and oral tradition. In language history, most of his works are devoted to phonetics and etymology. His recent book Take My Word for It (2023), published by the University of Minnesota Press, deals with the origin of English idioms. In medieval literature and folklore, Anatoly's contributions deal with Germanic myths and fairy tales. For many years, he has investigated the most prominent features of the medieval mentality as it differs from the post-Renaissance way of looking at the world.
Cosponsored by the Medieval Studies Fund.