Date of Award
5-2024
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Library and Information Science BS
Department
Library and Information Science
First Advisor
Jeffery Hirschy, Ph.D.
Advisor Department
Library and Information Science
Abstract
The development of modern legend is widely researched, and there are many theories on the involvement of rumor and truth in the creation of folk stories. However, there are often few opportunities to look at the development of a modern legend in detail from beginning to end. The legend of Luther Musselwhite is unique in that it begins at a relatively fixed time, and the generations present during that time are still available to interview. This case study traces the development of this modern legend in Mississippi and analyzes the possible motivations for the spread and development of modern legends in the American South. The analysis concludes that modern legend reflects community and societal issues, and that the boundary between rumor and legend lies where the story began to be used for a specific purpose separate from rational warning.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Lauderdale, Ella J., "Musselwhite: A Case Study in the Development of Modern Legend in the American South" (2024). Honors Theses. 952.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/952