The 15th Conference of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research (ISFNR), organized by the Center for Research of Greek Folklore of the Academy of Athens, gathered many distinguished scholars from various countries in Athens (June 21-27, 2009). It was characterized as particularly successful according to the statements of the participants during their stay in Athens and from the scientific community through publications in reputable scientific journals (Fabula, ISFNR Bulletin), some of which are reproduced with the permission of the publishers in the Proceedings (vol. III, pp. 665-682).
The publication of the Proceedings in the series of Publications of the Center for Folklore under the title Narratives Across Space and Time: Transmissions and Adaptations in three substantial volumes (a total of 2184 pages) presents the results of the Conference's work and contributes to international mythological and narrative research. The texts of the publication (129 in total) are written in three languages but predominantly in English, as during the Conference. Specifically, there are 2 texts published in Greek, 124 in English, and 3 in German.
At the beginning of Volume I, there is an introductory text by the then Director of the Center, Aikaterini Polymero-Kamilaki, Chair of the Scientific and Organizing Committee of the Conference and scientific responsible for the publication, and the welcoming remarks of the then President of the Academy of Athens (2009), Panos Ligomenidis, and the then President of ISFNR, Ulo Valk. This is followed by three texts presented at the plenary sessions of the Conference (by the academic and Supervisor of the Center for Folklore, Stef. D. Imellou, the emeritus professor of Folklore and President of the Greek Folklore Society, Michalis Meraklis, and the Canadian researcher, Vivian Laubrie), which precede the body of the announcement texts.
The texts of the announcements are published in alphabetical order and belong to all thematic units of the conference: history and prospects of narrative research (History and Future of Folk Narrative Research), ecological and environmental dimension (Mythologies, Ecology and Environmental Representations), transformations on a global level due to migration and the dispersion of cultural communities (Migrant and Diaspora Communities: Adaptation and Memory), practical application of narrative research (Social Strategies and Collective Identities), storytellers and the act of storytelling in both traditional and contemporary aspects (Storytelling and Storytellers), folk narratives and modern media (Folk Narrative in the Modern Media), narratives and Art (Folk Narratives and Art Representations).
At the end of Volume III of the publication, summaries of the announcements, the program of the Conference, a resolution for the protection of cultural heritage and the return of displaced monuments, including the sculptures of the Acropolis, as well as photographic material from the speeches and the rich parallel events are published.
During the Conference activities and the two special Symposiums held within its framework (i.e., that of the Special Committee for the research of charms and charmers - Committee on Charms, Charmers, and Charming - and the Symposium themed Belief Tales), it was particularly emphasized that narrative research systematically monitors contemporary social and cultural developments and constitutes a dynamic branch of modern global folkloristic scientific research.
The presentation of the publication in the current year 2014 coincides with the anniversary of fifty years since the 4th ISFNR Conference in Athens in 1964, the proceedings of which were published under the care of the late President of the Greek Folklore Society, Director of the Folklore Archive, professor, and academic, G. A. Megas. That Conference, which remained in the memory of the scientific community, according to the expression of the evergreen researcher Vilmos Voigt, constituted a significant milestone for the ISFNR as well as for folkloristic and ethnological studies in general.
Moreover, on the sidelines of the activities, the Societe Internationale d’Ethnologie et de Folklore (SIEF) was founded as the successor to the Commission Internationale des Arts Populaires (CIAP), fifty years of which are being celebrated this year with a series of events in the European sphere.
With the completion of the publication of the Proceedings of the 15th ISFNR Conference, the Center for Folklore plays a significant role in modern mythological and narrative research and continues the scientific tradition cultivated for almost a century within its walls, as well as its collaboration with counterpart scientific Institutions and Societies internationally.
