Paper Short Abstract:

MUNFLA is a resource for understanding pregnancy folklore in Newfoundland. But the materials are limited, reflecting unequal emphasis given to women's histories. MUNFLA’s entries on pregnancy provide a record of experience, and a corresponding record of silence on this rite of passage.

Paper Abstract:

The Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA) is home to a wealth of traditional materials related to the folk culture of Newfoundland in various forms. Because so much of this archive was collected by students, there is material collected by women, and about women’s issues; at the same time, women’s traditional culture is still unclearly portrayed in the collection. This presentation will explore folklore surrounding one important aspect of women’s traditional culture, pregnancy, drawing on a series of questionnaires on pregnancy, particularly teen and unplanned pregnancy, and education surrounding reproductive health in Newfoundland and a collection of 25 student projects that include references to birth and pregnancy in Newfoundland collected between 1968 and 2017. Much of this material documents women's experiences of pregnancy and reproductive health as being undiscussed within their lives, making the archive a valuable resource for understanding this part of women's traditional culture. However, the available materials are limited and represent a small fraction of MUNFLA's collection of 16,000 manuscripts, reflecting the unequal emphasis given to women's histories in tradition archives. MUNFLA’s entries on pregnancy therefore provide both a written record of experience, and a corresponding record of silence on this integral rite of passage. This presentation explores both the written record and the silences in an attempt to understand the capabilities and limits of a tradition archive to house materials related to this visceral and highly traditionalized aspect of the human experience.