Abrams, L. (2012) Storytelling, women's authority and the 'Old-Wife's Tale': 'The Story of the Bottle of Medicine'. History Workshop Journal, 73(1), pp. 95-117. (doi: 10.1093/hwj/dbr058)
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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hwj/dbr058
Abstract
The focus of this article is a single personal narrative – a Shetland woman’s telling of a story about two girls on a journey to fetch a cure for a sick relative from a wise woman. The story is treated as a cultural document which offers the historian a conduit to a past that is respectful of indigenous woman-centred interpretations of how that past was experienced and understood. The ‘story of the bottle of medicine’ is more than a skilful telling of a local tale; it is a memory practice that provides a path to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a culture. Applying perspectives from anthropology, oral history and narrative analysis, three sets of questions are addressed: the issue of authenticity; the significance of the narrative structure and storytelling strategies employed; and the nature of the female performance. Ultimately the article asks what this story can tell us about women’s interpretation of their own history.
Item Type: | Articles |
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Keywords: | Shetland, storytelling, oral history |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Abrams, Professor Lynn |
Authors: | Abrams, L. |
Subjects: | D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History |
College/School: | College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History |
Journal Name: | History Workshop Journal |
Journal Abbr.: | HWJ |
ISSN: | 1363-3554 |
ISSN (Online): | 1477-4569 |
Published Online: | 14 February 2012 |
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