Description
An examination of thirty-four tales told by, and of, the people of Gotham in Nottinghamshire, with reference both to published and oral versions of stories which tell of the foolishness and trickery of the villagers. Twenty tales were originally compiled, supposedly by Andrew Borde, and printed in 1630 under the title 'Merrie Tales of the Mad Men of Gotham'. The collector includes transcripts of these, along with fourteen further examples collected orally by others, and by herself during fieldwork interviews with nine local people. The study examines both the similarities between the tales told in Gotham and those told in/about other villages in England and abroad, and the theories put forward to explain their existence. Examples from thirteen other English localities are included. The study concludes with an examination of some of the many literary allusions to the Gotham tales, and consideration of the differences and similarities between the oral and published tales.
Metadata
Related Records
Sibling Records
A Phonological Survey of the Dialects of Durham The Phonology of the Dialect of North Wootton The Present Day Dialect of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire Inns and Inn Signs A Phonological Study of the Dialects of Northumberland The Phonology of the Dialect of Middleton, Lancashire: A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Dialect of Egerton, Lancashire The Phonology of the Dialect of Cradley, West Midlands: A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Phonology of the Dialect of Heriot A Comparison of the Dialects of Eyam and Pilsley, Derbyshire The Living Dialect of Walshaw The Rag-and-Bone Men of Leeds and their Carts The Phonology of the Dialect of Tideswell, in the County of Derbyshire A Historical and Descriptive Phonology of the Dialect of Cloughton Cheese-Making in Yorkshire The Dialect of Wigan: Its Descriptive and Historical Phonology The Living Dialect of Middlewich (Cheshire) Some Aspects of Folk Life in the West Riding Village of Westend [sic] in Washburndale Loughborough Market Sheep-Farming and Initial Preparation of Wool in Iceland A Descriptive and Historical Study of the Dialect of Cardiff Migrant Hop-Pickers in Kent Farming Traditions in South Shropshire A Phonology of the Dialect of Rainow in the County Palatine of Chester Phonology of the Dialect of Fleetwood, Lancashire A Description of the Dialect of New Hartley, Northumberland Sheep Farming in Eskdale, Cumberland A Phonology of the Dialect of Greyabbey, County Down Lead Mining in Nidderdale and Wharfedale, North Yorkshire Quarry Bank Mill: The Development of a Folk Museum Farming Past and Present: A Study Based in the Village of Terrington St. John and the Surrounding Areas of the Fens of North West Norfolk A Descriptive and Historical Study of the Dialect of Broadbottom, Cheshire The Newhaven Fishwives The Making of the Trawl Folk Songs of Northumberland and Durham Bewdley Brass Foundry: A Description of its History and the Techniques Used There The Handforging of Spring Knife Blades in Sheffield A Descriptive and Historical Survey of the Dialect of Lealholm The Living Dialect of Bilston A Descriptive Account of the Sounds of the Present Day Speech of Gateshead The Living Dialect of Walsden, Lancashire The Observance of Mothering Sunday The Phonology of the Dialect of Hoylake, Cheshire Rope and Rope-Making Salmon Fishing in the Teign Estuary, South Devon Blacksmiths and Farriers Up-Helly-Aa A Descriptive Account of the Dialect of Hartlepool The Dialect of Kirkby and Great Broughton - North Yorkshire: A Descriptive and Historical Survey A Descriptive Account of the Dialect of Shotesham, Norfolk The People of the City of Liverpool and their Second World War A Study of Certain Marriage Customs The Southport Shankers: A Study of the Shrimping Industry of Merseyside A Historical Description of the Living Dialect of Poynton, Cheshire A Survey of the Farm Houses and Their Yard Buildings in the Parish of Moretonhampstead, Devon The Living Dialect of Orrell, Lancashire The Dialect of South Shields (Tyne and Wear): A Descriptive and Historical Examination of the Phonology of the Dialect, Plus a Survey of the Characteristic Rhythm and Intonation Features of the Speech The Phonology of the Dialect of Shaw (Lancashire): A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Dialect of Leytonstone, East London The Phonology of the Dialect of North Shields The Folklore of Plants: An Analysis of its Function with Reference to Patterns of Expression Twentieth Century Attitudes to Death Folk Medicine in Lancashire The Uttoxeter Feather Guizers' Christmas Mumming Play The Dialect of Plympton The Sound System of the Dialect of Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear Boatbuilding on the Thames Between Richmond and Kingston: An Approach to the Study of Material Culture in an Urban Environment The Making of a Cricket Bat The Phonology of the Dialect of Sutton in Ashfield (Nottinghamshire) "Eli Frankham: A Study of a Modern British Gypsy" A Study of the Hat-Making Craft Some Aspects of Folk Life in Whitehaven Children's Playground Games A Descriptive Account of the Living Dialect of Harrow in North-West London The Puck Fair of Killorglin A Descriptive Phonology of Liverpool Speech Stevenage Fair The Phonology of the Dialect of Sampford Peverell, in Devon A Descriptive Account of the Dialect of Trawden, Lancashire The Living Dialect of Donisthorpe in Leicestershire The Hand-Made Nail Industry of Birmingham and the Midlands The Living Dialect of Halewood, Lancashire Children's Games and Lore. Leeds and Liverpool The Lore and Language of the Children at the Herman Junior School, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth The Customs and Superstitions of Horseracing The Living Dialect of Bury, Lancashire The Phonology of the Dialect of Herriard, North Hampshire: A Descriptive and Historical Survey 69 + 55 Ways to Aural Stimulation and Entertainment. A Look at the Joke John Askham of Wellingborough: The Work of a Local Working-Class Author in the Nineteenth Century Wheelwrighting: A Study of the Craft as Observed in a Shop in South Leeds Darach Ó Catháin: Traditional Irish Singer The Phonology of the Living Dialect of Mansfield, and its District: A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Living Dialect of Burtonwood, Lancashire The Living Dialect of Mossley, Lancashire A Collection of Children's Games, Rhymes and Songs Children's Games, Rhymes and Songs The Phonology of the Dialect of Biddulph Moor, in the County of Staffordshire A Popular Singing Tradition of an Area of South-East London Lowry's Town has Gone The Phonology of the Dialect of Fillongley in the County of Warwickshire Student Traditions at Leeds University A Historical and Descriptive Phonology of the Dialect of Hackney The Phonology of the Dialect of Norwich The Dialect of Medomsley in the County of Durham Canal Culture: Life and Traditions on the Midlands Canal System A Synchronic Study of the Dialect of Delph, West Riding of Yorkshire It's Only a Game? An Account of the Leisure Time Activities of Some Children in Grimsby, Lincolnshire Children's Games and Rhymes The Mantelpiece The Living Dialect of Leeds in the West Riding of Yorkshire The Living Dialect of Walton, Liverpool A Survey of Urban Terrace Housing in Harehills, Leeds The Leeds Wash-Houses: A Study of Urban Folk Life A Thesis on Children's Games Observed and Recorded in the London Area The Games of Junior School Children An Account of the Phonology of the Dialect of High Coniscliffe Hedge Building in Mid and West Cornwall The Aire and Calder and Calder and Hebble Navigations, Past and Present A Comparison of the Living Dialects of Haydock and St. Helens, Lancashire The Goldsmith or Jeweller and Associated Customs in the Tamil Speaking Community of South Africa A Comparison of the Living Dialects of Davenham and Whitegate (Cheshire) Thatching in Warwickshire A Synchronic Study of the Dialect of Thorney, Cambridgeshire Folklore of Worsley: A Miscellaneous Collection of Tradition and Belief From the Area of Worsley, Salford Metropolitan District The Living Dialect of Rolleston on Dove The Living Dialect of Stilton (Huntingdonshire): A Descriptive and Historical Survey A Study of the Dialect of Wombwell, South Yorkshire: An Historical and Descriptive Phonology Hazel, Willow and Elder - Three British Trees, Their Uses and Folklore, with Special Reference to the Survey of English Dialects The Sussex Trug: An Investigation into the Production of Trugs The Terminology of the Artificial Field Boundary: Being a Study of Words Relating to Dry Stone Walling and Hedging, Based Upon a Survey Made in Certain Parts of South Westmorland The Living Dialect of Ashington (Northumberland): A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Living Dialect of Styal (Cheshire): A Descriptive and Historical Survey A Phonology of the Living Dialect of Ilkeston, Derbyshire Autograph Albums 1900-1935: A Classified Collection An Investigation of Popular Belief in Luck, with Special Reference to the Whitby Lucky Ducks Ghost Stories of Salford and District Folk Museums of the British Isles Sure and Steadfast: A Study of Tradition in The Boys' Brigade The Nelson Hospital Gala: A Study of its Origins, Development and Contemporary Form The Staffordshire Bull Terrier A Study of Graffiti The Traditional Cookery of a Yorkshire Housewife Devils, Saints and Heroes: A Collection of Stories, Customs and Beliefs from Bute, Arran and the Cumbraes A General Survey of the Folklore Collected in the Area Between and Including Lichfield and Walsall Some Aspects of the Oral Folk-Lore of Macclesfield and its District The Coopers' Company, the Craft, and Gauging Casks Domestic Life in Rural Suffolk The Dialect of Upper Coquetdale Yorkshire Proverbial Sayings Traditional Fiddle Playing in West Clare: Junior Crehan and Michael Downes Birth, Marriage and Death: Beliefs and Customs Staithes Clogs. Their Social Aspects, with Particular Reference to Fighting and Dancing The Dialect of Miners in Ashington, Northumberland Examples of Vernacular Architecture in the Parish of Dethick, Lea and Holloway, Derbyshire A Comparison of the Living Dialects of Tettenhall and Bilston (Staffordshire) An Examination of the Trials of the Lancashire Witches 1612 The Shrimping Industry in the Southport Area of Lancashire The Phonology of the Burbage Dialect The Art of Tattooing Street Cries of London Some Techniques and Traditions in a Midlands Iron Foundry The Living Dialect of Cardington, Shropshire Fifty Years of Wragby Life The Phonology of the Dialect of Drybrook, The Forest of Dean: A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Effect of Tourism on a Highland Culture: A Study of Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan Changes in the Transmission of the Story of Pocahontas in England from 1625 to the Present Day The Rites of Passage of Baptism, Marriage and Death in Shotton Colliery Folk Medicine in the Wirral Area The Phonology of the Living Dialect of Hargrave Essex Witchcraft - A Review The Media and the Traditions of Modern Children A Phonology of the Dialect of Merriott in Somerset Superstitions Concerning Luck: A Structural Analysis Walking Day: A Study of Church and Sunday School Processions in the North West Studies in the Phonology of the Living Dialects of Lancashire The Legend of Lady Godiva The Living Dialect of Kettlewell The Living Dialect of Bishop Monkton: An Historical and Descriptive Phonology The Language of Storytelling The Living Dialect of Litton in the West Riding of Yorkshire Written Dialect Tradition in the West Riding of Yorkshire The Wise Men of Gotham Change-Ringing: The Development of Bells and Change-Ringing with Particular Reference to the Ringers of Send Church in Surrey The Smoking Pipe The Phonology of the Dialect of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire: A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Living Dialect of Farnley in the West Riding of Yorkshire The Living Dialect of Eskdale (Cumbria): A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Phonology of the Dialect of Wedmore, Somerset The Living Dialect of Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire The Living Dialect of Great Hale, Lincolnshire The Living Dialect of the Village of Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire The Living Dialect of the Quarries at Crosland Hill, Near Huddersfield Gloucestershire Cheese Making The Phonology of the Dialect of Hemyock in East Devon Commercial Basketmaking in the West Riding: A Study of the Craft of Basketmaking with Especial Reference to the Present-Day Basketmaking Industry in the West Riding of Yorkshire A Historical and Descriptive Account of the Dialect of Golcar The Decline of the Pit Village: A Study of Burradon, Northumberland The Living Dialect of Barton in South Nottinghamshire The Welsh Love Spoon The Phonology of the Living Dialect of Pilling, Lancashire Folk Medicine Devonshire Cream and Butter The Living Dialect of Hutton Rudby, Cleveland in the North Riding of Yorkshire Lace: An Enquiry into the Art of Making Lace Either by Hand or Machine with Particular Reference to the Vocabulary and Folklore of both Industries A Phonology of the Living Dialect of Wellow in Somerset Folk Medicine Folk Medicine Oatcake. With Special Reference to the Yorkshire and Lancashire Area The Living Dialect of Windhill Near Bradford Yorkshire W.R. Sussex Recipes The Phonology of the Dialect of Harbury in the County of Warwickshire The Domestic Sewing Needle: An Enquiry into the Vocabulary and Folklore Associated with its Manufacturing Processes Aspects of Selected Public Houses in Leicester and Ratby, with Particular Reference to Games and Associated Customs The Present Day Dialect of Crayke, North Yorkshire The Tradition of Pub Singing in the Villages of East Suffolk, with Songs from Bob Hart of Snape and Percy Webb of Tunstall The Concept of the Outlaw An Account of the Phonology of the Dialect of Dinnington, Northumberland An Account of the Home Life, Leisure-Time Activities and Community Traditions of the Northumbrian Coal Miner, Dealing Mainly with the Period 1900 to 1930 Vernacular Architecture in the Parish of Richards Castle The Phonology of the Living Dialect of Neston in Cheshire The Pasche Egg Rochdale Market: Its History and Customs The Living Dialect of Delph in the West Riding of Yorkshire A Study of Yorkshire Parkin and Gingerbread Folk Medicine from Leicestershire Bread and Bread-Making (with Special Reference to the Vale of Pickering Area) The Living Dialect of Whittle-le-Woods Folk Traditions Among the Employees of the Railway Industry at Crewe An Account of the Phonology of the Living Dialect of Warley in the West Riding of Yorkshire A Bibliography of Books in English on Witchcraft to Which is Appended a Chronological List of Some Yorkshire Witchcraft Trials The Dialect of Eccup in the West Riding of Yorkshire An Investigation into the Boat-Building Industry in Hartlepool The Phonology of the Dialect of Lisvane, near Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan. Being a Preliminary Survey A Historical Survey of the Modern Dialect of Catforth French Polishing The Dialect of Dalby and Glen Maye Making and Playing the Northumbrian Small-Pipes: A Study of Joe Hutton and Archie Dagg The Phonology of the Dialect of Rippingale, Lincolnshire Songs of the Pit Communities of Northumberland and Durham Priston Mill: A Study of a Working Corn Mill The Living Dialect of Farndon Thatching in Wiltshire The Living Dialect of Midgley in the West Riding of Yorkshire The Goathland Sword Dance Tartan: The Origin and Development of the Cloth and its Characteristic Form, the Kilt The Living Dialect of White Coppice The Living Dialect of Brigstock in Northamptonshire The Phonology of the Living Dialect of Darwen, Lancashire The Living Dialects of Oxfordshire A Historical Survey of the Modern Dialect of Crawshawbooth The History and Folk Life of the Somerset Coalfield Weatherlore in Rothwell, West Riding The Art and Craft of Glass-Blowing by Hand The Textile Industry in Meltham Fifty Years Ago A Phonological Analysis of a Dialect Recording of Withypool (Somerset) The Iconography of Gravestones: A Study of Gravestones in the Churchyards and Cemeteries of the North London Area A Descriptive and Historical Study of the Dialect of Netherton Two Generations of the Dialect of Kibblesworth, County Durham: A Synchronic Comparison Custom and Tradition in the Black Country The Life and Legends of Saint Brannoc: A Study in the Traditions of an Obscure Celtic Saint Tradition and Belief in Industrial Communities: A Comparative Study of Middlesbrough and Some Durham Mining Villages A Diachronic Study of Aspects of the Celebration of Passover in England. 1920s and 1980s Compared Military Humour The Living Dialect of Nangreaves near Bury, Lancashire The Norfolk Crab Fisheries: An Investigation into the Methods, History, Customs, Superstitions and Beliefs Spring Custom in a North-Western Town: March to June in Salford The Irish in Manchester The Phonology of the Dialect of Spitalfields in the London Borough of Stepney An Account of the Phonology of the Dialect of Repton, Derbyshire The Living Dialect of Borwick (Lancashire): A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Terminology of Walling in Craven The Phonology of the Dialect of Withnell Fold: A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Living Dialect of Steeple, Essex: A Descriptive and Historical Survey The Phonology of the Dialect of Biddenden in the County of Kent North-West Shropshire: Agricultural Custom and Belief Weather Lore as Observed in Disley and Surrounding Districts The Phonology of the Dialect of Minster-in-Thanet in the County of Kent The Folklore of the Northumbrian Fishing Communities The Living Dialect of Groby in Leicestershire Corn Dollies The Living Dialect of Beckingham, Lincolnshire The Fishermen of Newhaven A Description of the Dialect of Timperley, Cheshire Farmhouse Cheshire Cheese An Account of the Phonology of the Dialect of Gosforth in the County of Cumberland The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance The Customs and Traditions of the Staffordshire Regiment The Phonology of the Dialect of Himley, in South Staffordshire Belief and Superstition in the Area of Runcorn and Widnes Some Aspects of Mothering Sunday (With Particular Reference to Nottingham) Tradition and Superstition in the Theatre The Role of the Public House in an Urban Environment Innovation and Change in the Celebration of Christmas in the Ukrainian Community of Lower Hurst The Farmer Cider-Maker in North and Central Somerset The Derbyshire Well Dressings Ayton Past and Present The Craft of Hand Bookbinding: A Short History and Account of the Present State of the Craft. Its Traditions and Prospects Together with a Glossary of Terms Used by Binders The Phonology of the Living Dialect of Edstaston in Shropshire Mining in the Worsley Area of Lancashire The Folk Lore of Wild Flowers in the Parish of Leckhampton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Collected in the Summer of 1970 The Oral History and Traditions of the Lancashire Textile Workers Lore and Legend of the Western Fen Borderland Wood-Turning in the West Pennines The Phonology of the Dialect of Bubwith in the East Riding of Yorkshire Proverbs, Maxims, Idioms, Colloquialisms ... and Others in Daily Speech Angels and Men: A Christmas Singing Tradition in the Pubs of South Yorkshire Farming Folklore in the Area of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire Popular Belief in Leicester A Phonology of the Dialect of Woburn, Milton Keynes A Survey of the Dialect of Easington Colliery The Dialects of Bensham and Sunderland Herbert Edward Plunkett Pelham-Jones, Esquire: Joke Teller and Joke Maker The Folk Songs of Bedfordshire The Living Dialect of Queensbury, Near Bradford, Yorkshire West Riding A Description of the Dialect of Normacot, Staffordshire A Study of the Musical Ornamentation in the Traditional Singing Style of Darach Ó Catháin The Life and Work of A. R. Randell - A Fenland Molecatcher Folk Medicine: A Bibliography Cockle Fishing at Leigh-on-Sea Smithfield Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, Manchester Holmewood. Portrait of a Village: A Survey of the Customs, Traditions and Beliefs in a Derbyshire Mining Village Preston Guild Merchant: A Study of Traditional Involvement in a Civic Ceremony The Phonology of the Dialect of Randwick in the County of Gloucestershire Somerset Cider Making A Survey of the Dialect Spoken at the Present Day in and Around the Village of Grindleton in the West Riding of Yorkshire The Dialect of Immingham Glimpses of Industrial Bradford Some of the Festivals Celebrated in Mauritius The Coal Mining Community of Abram, Lancashire The Living Dialect of Rillington