Legend                                                                                                               Lloyd Mary

“John Ledyard” Verbal                                                                                            Hanover

5/07/2016

 

Informant Info: Lloyd May is from Carletonville, South Africa and is a student at Dartmouth in the Class of 2018. Lloyd is an engineering and economic double major . Outside of the classroom, Lloyd is a sprinter on the Dartmouth Track and Field Team and a member of Chi Gamma Epsilon.

 

Contextual Data:

Lloyd is a member of the Dartmouth Outing Club and is a member of the Ledyard Canoe Club. In his freetime, Lloyd loves going to the river and exploring the Connecticut by kayaking or canoeing with friends. This legend is passed down from orally through the Ledyard Canoe Club and was retold from personal memory. This video was taken in the brother’s room in Chi Gamma Epsilon and conducted in English.

 

Type of Lore- Verbal, Legend

 

Country of Origin- South Africa

 

Social/Cultural Context: This video was taken in the brother’s room in Chi Gamma Epsilon in a relaxed setting and conducted in English.

 

Transcript/Informer’s comments: The Legend of John Ledyard

When John Ledyard was a student at Dartmouth he founded the Dartmouth Ledyard Canoe Club. As the legend goes, he cut down a tree on the bank of the Connecticut near Dartmouth and carved out a canoe. With this canoe, he paddled the whole way down to the mouth of the Connecticut River.

 

Collector’s Comments: This legend is very significant for the Dartmouth Ledyard Canoe Club today because every year, students replicate this legend by canoeing from Dartmouth, down the Connecticut River to the mouth of the river. Verbal folklore has turned into customary folklore!

 

Tags: Ledyard, Canoe Club, Connecticut River