ST:  How does a folklorist discern between reality and fantasy in folklore research? It seems that this would be a very important lesson for anyone interested in doing folklore research.

MB: The short answer here is "research." Some forms of folk narrative are obviously fantasy--fairy tales, for example. Other forms, such as legends, occupy that shadowy region between fantastic and ordinary. So, in those instances, each case--each legend, for example--must be investigated on its own. Even so, one often arrives at a point where the reality remains open to question. For someone who is curious and questioning, such cases are simultaneously thrilling and frustrating. For me, that¼s probably the attraction. ST:   What characterizes a legend?

MB:   Legends are stories that are told as true and have many believable aspects to them: they are set in a time and place, often with named individuals, that give them an air of reality, like history. But usually there is an element that is not quite so plausible, so that the truth of the story is questionable and debatable. Supernatural stories are a favorite kind of legend that prods us to examine our beliefs and our view of the world.