The Genre of Trolls - Doria

not say this explicitly, but it is the logical and methodological consequence
of the theory, and in her own research, she abides by this rule.
I have chosen Tarkka’s theory since it is one of the few extensive elaborations
of intertextuality in Nordic folklore research, and because it is particularly
adapted to the needs of folkloristic scholarship. It is also a moderate
approach, respecting the research traditions of folkloristics as well as those
of literary theory. In other words, it is a balanced view of folkloristic intertextuality,
but nevertheless with some in-built deviations from earlier praxis.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Tarkka’s theory is her conception
of metaphor and metonymy. Metaphor links two separate spheres, likened
because of their similarities and contrasted due to their differences, while
metonymy mediates between the oppositions of the metaphor (Tarkka
1994: 293–294); Tarkka’s use of these terms differs from the conventional
one, even though it does have an affinity with established definitions.
Metaphor usually denotes a word or phrase employed instead of another, as
a comparison intended to achieve a more striking effect, while metonymy
commonly implies the substitution of a word for another that is intimately
connected with it, such as the use of the crown to refer to the monarchy.
Tarkka’s notion of metaphor is an extension of the common usage, but that
of metonymy represents a significant reworking of the concept. The link
to common usage is nevertheless present in a similar stress on the proximity
created between the poles of the metaphor through metonymy.
Through the use of common themes and epithets, a series of metaphors is
created, constituting levels of world view (ibid.). In my analysis, I will apply
the notion of levels of metaphorical relations to two groups of texts on
abduction and the exorcism of trolls, collected in the parish of Vörå in
Ostrobothnia.
In my view, the singular achievement of Tarkka in devising her theory is
that she is able to provide the researcher with a powerful tool for investigating
the narrators’ network of mental associations. I will use it to gain
new and exciting insights into Swedish-language folk culture in Finland at
the turn of the last century. Intertextual relations will be examined in terms
of agreement, inversion or reversal, and negation of the intertext.
On the second level, dealt with in chapter 6, I intend to investigate the
generic components out of which the image of the troll might be constructed,
and how the manipulation of these elements can change the
Statement of Purpose 3