SOURCE: "Folkloric Elements in Margaret Walker's Poetry," in CLA Journal, Vol. XXXIII, No. 3, March 1990, pp. 367-77.

In the following excerpt, Buckner defines folklore and explores the manner in which Walker uses it in her ballads.

Since, quite often, there are misconceptions about the definition of folklore or "fakelore" (a term coined by Richard Dorson [in American Folklore] in 1950, which means the falsifying of the raw data for capitalistic gain rather than totalitarian conquest), it is necessary to establish some ground rules for exploring folklore in literature. Three tests that can be used to see if an author has used folklore follow:

1. There must be biographical evidence; we should be able to establish that the author knew of and was part of the oral tradition.

2. From reading the story, we should be able to establish that the author gives an accurate description of the folk group and their customs...