The Aesthetics of Rumor as Contemporary Legend: The Study of selected Tales in the south-east

Abstract

Rumors are part of the daily lives of a people within a particular geographical area. These tales make the rounds and exert some influences that condition the way a group of people live their lives. Many a times have one heard of such expressions like, “It’s just a story, ‘Oh it’s one of those gossips or it’s a sheer rumor”. This implies that people tend to disregard and neglect rumor. And do not pay any attention to it nor care to verify the authenticity and the validity of such tales, which invariably leave them apprehensive, worried, panic stricken and equally fearful. The study investigates rumour with the purpose of establishing their significance and relevance as contemporary legend. Thirteen tales which form the population of the study were selected and analysed using four theoretical frameworks – sociological, formalism, oral formulaic and contextual theories, The paper studies this by highlighting not just the text and the texture of the tales , but also the context that gives birth to the text . The study finds out that these tales are essentially products of the society and are aesthetic by the reason of the aesthetic undertones they possess, which condition man to either act or react in a particular way, even when their authenticity cannot be proved and when they are not even believed. The study recommends amongst others that the society should always tap from the cautionary, informative, alert consciousness, entertaining and educative undertones of this rare folklore genre.