Lietuvos istorijos institutas

The article explores the reflection of gossip in the life stories of folk singers born at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century and in Lithuanian folk songs about love. It examines how the practice of gossiping shaped the emotional community of the village: what emotional expression it encouraged (or discouraged), and what norms for expressing feelings it reveals. The life stories of singers are analysed, highlighting the importance of gossip and its function of social control in the traditional rural community, as well as the singers’ personal experiences and attitudes towards it. The gossip motifs in love songs are discussed, reflecting the community’s prohibitions relating to extramarital relationships and the complex emotional reactions of the young people being gossiped about.