Helen Creighton
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Helen Creighton (September 5, 1899 - December 12, 1989) was a prominent Canadian folklorist. Born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, she became fascinated with the myths and stories of the varied peoples of her home province. In 1928, she began to travel around Nova Scotia, collecting tales and customs of Gaelic, English, German, Mi'kmaq, African and Acadian origin. Frequently, she had to walk or sail to remote regions to satisfy her interest, all the while pushing a meter long melodeon in a wheelbarrow. Over her lifetime, she collected over 16,000 stories. She made rare excursions outside of Nova Scotia, notably to New Brunswick from 1954 to 1960 (Folksongs from Southern New Brunswick contains material from that period), however, she preferred not to tread on the grounds of fellow researchers such as Louise Manny. Among Creighton's many contributions was the discovery of the traditional "Nova Scotia Song", widely called "Farewell to Nova Scotia", which has become a sort of provincial anthem.
[edit] Bibliography
- Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia (1932, republished 1966)
- Folklore of Lunenburg County (1950)
- Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia (1950)
- Bluenose Ghosts (1957)
- Maritime Folk Songs (1962, republished 1972)
- Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia (1964)
- Bluenose Magic (1968)
- Folksongs from Southern New Brunswick (1971)
- A Life in Folklore (1975)
- Eight Ethnic Songs for Young Children (1977)
- Nine Ethnic songs for Older Children (1977)
- With a Heigh-Heigh-Ho (1986)
- Fleur de Rosier (1989)
