Folklore is the study of culture, customs and beliefs based on the tradition of a society. In Victorian England an interest in folklore emerged with the official creation of The Folk-Lore Society, which published a journal and held meetings and lectures regularly. Although Thomas Hardy included folklore in his writing, there is no evidence of his affiliation w ith this society.
Thomas Hardy's preoccupation with folklore came from his life and experience with rural life. As Hardy scholar Herbert B. Grimsditch writes, Hardy was born in Dorsetshire, and, as has been said, has spent most of his life there, and so knows the rural nature well, and exhibits in the light of prevalent customs, folk-lore and superstitions in a way which shows the thorough mastery of medium rarely attained by any other than a native (Grimsditch 74-5). Grimsditch theorizes that the customs and folklore in Hardy's work exist as a means to idealize this Victorian landscape and its characters.
In The Return of the Native Thomas Hardy illustrates various folkways. He writes of the holidays, celebrations, superstitions and general life-ways of the heath-folk, and in so doing paints a picture of rural England in its most ancient form. Early in the story Hardy describes the residents of Egdon and the powerful influence the heath has over their lives. In rebellion against this natural force, Hardy illustrates the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. This traditional English holiday is celebrated by the lighting of a bonfire, which symbolizes man's opposition to the powerful forces of nature. Hardy presents the heath-folk as most traditional people, and the narration of Guy Fawkes Day exemplifies the way Hardy strives to recreate a picture of traditional England.
Another tradition that Hardy recreates in The Return of the Native is the celebration of May Day. Hardy's use of this holiday is interesting because survivals of May customs were found, however, no longer associated with May Day (Firor). In Victorian England and modern day England alike, the traditional celebration of this day, including the May-pole dance, and the crowning of the May Queen was obsolete. Yet Hardy revives these rites once again to show us his attention to the past, and to portray traditional, rural England in its most idyllic and primitive form.
Folk speech is still another example of the way that Hardy tries to idealize his traditional rural characters. In The Return of the Native and other novels, the peasant characters use a dialect which is more common than the speech of his upper-class, more refined characters. Rarely do characters speak out of the confines of their own social or demographic class. This is another attempt to complete his realistic image of rural culture.
Hardy's preoccupation with traditional rituals can again be seen in the mummers' play in which Eustacia disguises herself as a man. This play is of a type common in rural England dating back to the time of the Crusades. The development of these plays cannot be traced back to a single creator; the plays seem to have been improvised during the Christmas or New Years period by rural citizens throughout England. The Patron Saint George is used as a representation of resurrection which these rural citizens are celebrating. Ruth Firor explains, "The mummers' play is a carryall- a mixture which accurately represents folk-taste" (Firor 201). Hardy uses this hodgepodge drama to represent the culmination of various traditions in the rural lifestyle.
Hardy preserves traditional rural England in The Return of the Native. As Hardy and his contemporaries approached the fin de siecle, a strong sense of uncertainty prevailed. By recording folkways, Hardy fuses the past with the future.
Firor, Ruth. Folkways in Thomas Hardy . New York: Barnes & Company Inc., 1931.
Grimsditch, Herbert. Character and Environment in the Novels of Thomas Hardy. New York:Russell & Russell, 1925.
Hardy, Thomas. The Return of the Native. London: Penguin Books, 1978.