Malta's folk culture

Abstract

Folk material, spun out by the progress of time, has, after much assimilation and adaptation of cultural features issuing forth from various sources, been absorbed into the Maltese community's living traditions to form a unique folklore that may be taken as a fusion of several elements relating to different aspects of Mediterranean civilisation. The blend, communally moulded to suit the prevailing climate of the Islands during the process of oral transmission, ensured a genuine folk character. The collection of folk material, essential for the ethno-history of a people, aims largely at reconstructing and establishing Malta's cultural and national identity. Interest in Maltese folklore has existed long before the subject acquired its modern form, since several early writers gave lively descriptions of traditions and beliefs, and included references to popular practices and customs. [excerpt]