Does your community have a great piece of folklore that should be shared? Legends & Lore is designed to promote cultural tourism and commemorate legends and folklore as part of their heritage.
Donor Name: William G. Pomeroy Foundation
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/17/2022
Details:
Genres of Folklore
The most successful applications will likely include the following common genres of folklore:
- Myths — traditional stories that usually concern the nature of the cosmos; they often involve divine and supernatural beings.
- Legends — traditional stories that usually concern historical events; they often involve heroes, heroines, villains, and monsters, including ghosts or haunted places.
- Tall tales — traditional stories similar to legends that exaggerate the lives of local people.
- Folktales — traditional stories such as fables and fairy tales that occur “outside” of cosmic or human history; they often involve animals or symbolic creatures as the main characters.
- Place-name anecdotes — traditional stories that explain the reason for the name of a location.
- Folksongs and ballads — traditional stories told in song that often convey myths, legends, and related folklore.
- Superstitions — folk beliefs that may or may not have scientific accuracy but that are important to the community that believes in them.
- Festivals, holidays, parades, and rituals that represent a community.
- Certain dances, music, architecture, arts, crafts and similar performances can be folklore if they distinguish the community or region as the “home” of the item or activity.
Subjects which are not successful include:
- Historical events lacking a folkloric aspect
- Purely literary creations
- Personal/family folklore which does not extend to the greater community
Eligibility Criteria
- Legend & Lore grants are available to 501(c)(3) organizations, nonprofit academic institutions, and local, state and federal government entities within the United States. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact an eligible local organization, such as an applicable historical society or folklore-related nonprofit. They will often apply for the grant on behalf of the individual.
- Please note that Legends & Lore is currently available in the following 13 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia. Check back regularly for program availability in your state.
For more information, visit WGPF.
