In this groundbreaking work of anthropology, Walter Johnson explores the role of memory and tradition in shaping the culture of rural England. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and historical research, he reveals how the folk-memory - the collective cultural inheritance of a community - serves as a powerful force for social cohesion and resilience, and how it shapes the way that people understand and interact with the world around them. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.