Abstract:
Many years ago as a graduate student studying William Langland’s Vision of Piers Plowman, I came upon what was evidently a popular scatological riddle pertaining to a profound theological teaching. Since that time I have continued to ruminate over the role of humor—especially sexual and scatological humor—arising from within vernacular Catholicism. In this talk, I will consider the serious play of such forms of expression and their significance for folklorists concerned with the nature of belief in the sacred.
