Esotericism and Folklore: Building Bridges, Developing Dialogue

One-day conference

Esotericism and folklore have a long, interweaving history. Occultists and other esotericists have regularly drawn concepts and imagery from folkloric contexts, whether regarding supernatural beings, legend narratives, or divinatory and spell-casting practices. Meanwhile, modern esoteric notions like astral traveling or ley lines have readily disseminated through broader oral cultures while tales of esoteric groups have proven a recurring trait of popular lore for centuries.

Scholars have not altogether ignored these relationships, with the likes of Bill Ellis, Sabina Magliocco, and Ronald Hutton having been active in highlighting aspects of this intersection since the 1990s. There has nevertheless been little in the way of a wider, deliberate dialogue between scholars of esotericism and scholars of folklore. This conference hopes to bridge that gap by facilitating the interaction of specialists in these two fields, collectively pushing forward understandings of the way that these areas interrelate.

Programme

8:30 - 9:00 Coffee and refreshments
9:00 - 9:15
Ethan Doyle White, Tim Rudbøg, and Kasper Opstrup, University of Copenhagen

Welcome Address: Studying Esotericism, Studying Folklore
9:15 - 9:40
Tommy Kuusela, The Institute for Language and Folklore, Uppsala

The Sources of Authority: How the Cunning Folk Acquired Magic in Swedish Folklore
9:40 - 10:05
Per Faxneld, Södertörn University

Swedish Black Books: Folk Grimoires in Context
10:05 - 10:30
Egil Asprem, University of Stockholm

Connecting Esotericism and Folklore with “Gypsy Magic”: Critical Junctures in Scholarly Category Formation, Emic Distinction Making, and the Agency of Subalterns
10:30 - 10:40
Discussion
10:40 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 11:25
Jenny Butler, University College Cork

Between Magic and Mystery: Wizard Figures at the Intersection of Esotericism and Folklore
11:25 - 11:50
Nemanja Radulovic, University of Belgrade

Esoteric Interpretations of Fairy Tales
11:50 - 12:15
Meret Fehlmann, University of Zurich

Sennentuntschi – From Legend to Folk Horror
12:15 - 12:25
Discussion
12:25 - 13:30
Lunch break
13:30 - 13:55
Kaarina Koski, University of Turku

Dialogue between Folklore and Esotericism in Early 20th Century Finland
13:55 - 14:20
Ethan Doyle White, University of Copenhagen

Herne the Hunter: A Modern Esoteric Transformation
14:20 - 14:45
Helen Cornish, University of Hertfordshire

Enchanting Ecologies? Folklore, Esotericism and the More-Than-Human
14:45 - 15:10
Ülo Valk, University of Tartu

UFOs and UAPs in Vernacular Experience Narratives: Evidence of the Unknown
15:10 - 15:20
Discussion
15:20 - 15:40
Break
15:40 - 17:00
Group discussions