This book is the result of almost a decade of paremiological research that has led to the realization that, as will be shown, proverbs are everywhere and, contrary to popular belief, they enjoy as good health as they ever have. What is more, with the appearance of new means of communication and entertainment, proverbs have become a never-ending source of inspiration for creators across a variety of media. In this book, we analyze how proverbs are used in some of the most popular forms of entertainment at present, from TV series to Internet memes, but also video games, popular music, or graphic literature, among others, to determine how these modern media employ pieces of traditional wisdom with different purposes. Furthermore, and in order to set the theoretical framework for the volume, a definition of "proverb" is provided, which revisits some of the most frequently quoted and most highly-regarded definition attempts provided by some of the most prestigious scholars in the field of Paremiology. Additionally, and apart from the specific chapters devoted to the analysis of the use of proverbs in the mentioned media, a brief review is made of the main outlets for paremiological research, both as scholarly publications and conferences. Finally, an overview of several tools that use artificial intelligence is presented to determine how these might benefit paremiological research but, also, how the inclusion of paremiology may be beneficial for the development of AI.
This book intends to be of relevance not only to readers, whether academic or not, with an interest in proverbs and traditional wisdom, but also to a readership from a variety of disciplines such as Discourse Analysis, Media Studies, or Literary Criticism, among others, who will find on its pages a well-documented account of how proverbs find their way into new forms of expression, developing new uses and purposes.
