Abstract
On May 26, 1930, the Literary Department of the Romanian Academy decided the foundation of The Folklore Archives of the Romanian Academy, in addition to the Museum of the Romanian Language in Cluj. Ion Muşlea, the director of the Archives, aimed at a research at two levels. At a first level, the purpose was collecting folklore by stipendiary, in the regions which had recently become part of Romania, and also in the regions inhabited by Romanians outside the country’s borders. At a second level, a network of correspondents was aimed at (the rural intellectuals: teachers, both men and women, priests, pupils at normal schools). For use by the network of permanent collaborators of the institution which he directed, Muşlea developed a series of working instruments, such as: fourteen questionnaires on specific issues, six circulars, as well as guidance booklets (Apel către intelectualii satelor – An Appeal to the Intellectuals of the Villages, Culegeţi folklor! – Collect Folklore!) The present article aims at recovering not only an entire methodological, theoretical and ideological context, but also the “voices” of those semi-professionals of folklore, rural intellectuals from Moldavia and Bukovina, who collaborated with Ion Muşlea to the indirect survey from 1930-1949.
Keywords: Ion Muşlea, Folklore Archives of the Romanian Academy, fieldwork, methodology, questionnaire, Moldavia, Bukovina.
Cuvinte-cheie: Ion Muşlea, Arhiva de Folklor a Academiei Române, cercetare de teren, metodologie, chestionare, Moldova, Bucovina.