Elli Köngäs-Maranda facts for kids

Elli-Kaija Köngäs-Maranda (born January 11, 1932, in Tervola, Finland – died November 1, 1982, in Québec City, Canada) was a famous anthropologist and folklorist. She studied people, their cultures, and their traditions. She was also interested in how women's roles and stories fit into folklore.

Elli-Kaija went to the University of Helsinki in Finland. There, she studied the Finnish language and its folklore. She earned her first university degrees in 1954 and 1955. Later, she continued her studies in the United States. She finished her big research project, called a doctoral dissertation, in 1963 at Indiana University. She also taught at important universities like Columbia University and was a special researcher at Harvard University.

She became a respected member of the American Folklore Society. After she passed away, the women's section of this society created two special awards in her memory in 1983.

What She Studied

Elli-Kaija Köngäs-Maranda wrote several books. Her work explored many interesting topics about folklore.

Understanding Folklore

She wrote about the stories and traditions of Finns who lived in America. She also looked at how to understand and study riddles. She explored how old stories, called myths, and art can be used to teach us things. She also studied the patterns and structures found in different types of folklore.

Her Family Life

Elli-Kaija Köngäs-Maranda was married to Pierre Maranda, who was also an anthropologist from Canada. They had two sons together. Their oldest son is Erik, and their youngest son is the musician Nicolas Maranda.