Indiana University’s Folklore and Ethnomusicology Department is celebrating 100 years with an all-day symposium and a specially curated exhibit this Friday.

The department dates to 1926, when six graduate students completed their MA theses under the supervision of Professor of English and Folklore, Stith Thompson.

Thompson was an influential figure in folklore studies. He first produced the motif index of folk literature in the 1930’s, which includes over 40,000 motifs told in folk stories around the world. Researchers using the index look for similar themes across cultures.

Brandon Barker, an Associate Professor in Folklore, says the motif index’s influence spans beyond the Folklore field itself.

“In fact, scholars in informatics, in computational studies, in computational humanities, and in other fields continue to use the motif index really around the world.” Barker said.

The symposium will have panels featuring longtime scholars and professors from the field. Some panels will touch on Indiana folklore research such as Mabel Evangeline Neal’s “Brown County Songs and Ballads” and Richard M. Dorson’s “Gary Project.”

Barker says he hopes attendees understand folklore as a global phenomenon that points up to the quintessential aspects of what it is to be human.

“The kinds of music that we play and the kind of stories that we tell is an interesting and intriguing, and I think important way to consider our own humanity,” he said.

The pop-up exhibit and symposium will be at the Lilly Library and Shreve Auditorium on campus from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The full event schedule can be found online.