Military/War Folklore

Introduction:

With the creation of individual states and political factions, some form of militant force or armed defense has been necessary to the survival and expansion of communities. Today, the population of many developed countries are split into two distinct categories: civilian and non-civilian. With the distinction came a unique set of standards and traditions that developed into folklore associated with military groups that were key to their effectiveness. For example, the singing of military cadences of battle and defeating enemies were used to allow an orderly movement of troops from one battle site to the next, as well as to boost troop morale and instill fear into enemies by projecting the strength of the force – much like howling wolves. Others genres of military folklore include myths, jokes, riddles, superstitions, and proverbs specific to warring communities. Collecting data from interviews with ROTC students, Dartmouth Undergraduate Veterans Association (DUVA), Dartmouth Posse Veterans, and students with military experience from other countries supplied information about diverse types of folklore, focusing particularly on rites of passage and superstitions.

Presentation:

Items:

Collectors:

      • Jonathan Kong
      • Jenna Shin
      • Cole Cable
      • Jeong Tae Bang
      • Matt Girouard

Tags/Keywords

    • Military, Veterans, folklore, rites of passage, rituals, traditions, Marines, army, navy, ceremony, deployment, United States, South Korea, boot camp, charms, tattoos, boot, doc, promotions, titles, shaving/grooming, farewell/death letters, pinning, blood stripes