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Paper short abstract:

Drawing on the decolonial perspective, I explore the connections between the emergence of bawdy folklore and the establishment of modern regimes of sexuality in the wake of European colonialism. Although I focus on the history of Ukrainian bawdy folklore, other cultural contexts are considered too.

Paper long abstract:

Under the influence of romantic nationalism, the 19th-century intelligentsia and middle class declared their commitment to preserving folklore in all its diversity and complexity. However, while collecting and publishing a wide variety of folklore genres, folklorists were tireless in their persistent efforts towards erasing some of these texts, particularly those perceived as indecent and threatening public mores. These processes of elimination led to the establishment of a new group of folklore and, subsequently, the appearance of bawdy folklore collections. Since the 19th century, bawdy folklore, for the first time in history, was strictly controlled by state institutions, barred from public dissemination, and intended solely for academics.

Drawing on the decolonial perspective (Anibal Quijano, Sylvia Wynter, and Maria Lugones), I seek to explore the connections between the emergence of bawdy folklore and the establishment of modern regimes of sexuality in the wake of European colonialism. While folklore and sexuality are typically studied separately, their juxtaposition allows us to reveal the workings of coloniality. In my research, I ask: Why did texts circulating freely among peasants and nobility for centuries in various cultures start being perceived as a threat so severe that modern societies needed new laws and institutions to control these texts? What motivated the Ukrainian elites (and the middle classes all over the globe) to eliminate a considerable part of their native culture while otherwise struggling to preserve folklore and vernacular knowledge?