A technical term for narratives describing how the speaker personally encountered a supernatural being or experienced a paranormal event, which he/she interpreted in terms of traditional beliefs. Some scholars, but not all, extend the term to cover those where it is a close relative or friend of the speaker who had the experience. Such accounts are excellent evidence for the currency of a belief and its emotional and social implications, but they have been less collected than legends.
Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.
- For discussion of English examples see Bennett, 1985: 87-97; 1989: 167-83; 1987
