[Hardy-l] Findon Sheep Fair

[Rosemarie Morgan]

Keith

  I've just re-read this at greater leisure and you are absolutely right. I 
would certainly not apply the same standards of semi-literacy to any 
scholarly review I might write...

But you know, I am humbled by the many emails I get from Dorset folk who 
still write their J's or is it their "S's (also) backwards- (whatever it is 
that Hardy humorously records in FFMC)-- & they are oftentimes valuable 
letters.  One such I have just published in the *Hardy Review Vol Xii *(out 
in the Fall).  I edited it of course (it was only partly illiterate) but 
still value the original piece unrevised as I feel TH would also have 
done   I don't personally hold semi-literacy or even illiteracy against any 
one who has a story to tell (and I'm most interested to note that the 
Library of Congress Story-Core division does not either)

We can agree to disagree on this -- of course. But I would venture to say 
that many if not most of Hardy's folkloric tales originated in an 
illiterate culture that could neither read nor write

That also applies to bible stories handed down orally through the ages. 
This includes much of the New Testament of which, I understand Mark was the 
only skilled scribe (ie literate).

That's all I had in mind-actually.
Best

Rosemarie



that Hardy's family made mistakes and therefore we can't condemn this 
writer for misspelling and misplaced details (aka factual inaccuracy).
>.   .
>Best,
>Keith