Alan Dundes

“The Brothers Grimm are not the source of the fairy tales. They are the collectors.”

“Myths are sacred narratives, essential to the society that tells them.”

“From a psychoanalytic point of view, fairy tales are the dreams of the culture.”

“No piece of folklore is ever insignificant.”

“Americans have a future-oriented mentality, which is why we have science fiction.”

“Folklore is the autobiographical ethnography of the folk.”

“To study folklore is to study humanity.”

“A joke is a way of dealing with anxiety.”

“Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”

“Football is a ritualized form of combat, a socially sanctioned outlet for male aggression.”

“If a C student can run the country, I can certainly teach a course in it.”

“Life is like a B-movie. You don't want to leave in the middle of it but you don't really need to see it again.”

“Without a sense of humor, you're at the mercy of everyone else.”