Remembering Goq~ Mifsud Chircop (28.6.1951-18.12.2007). Author and folklorist. Member of the editorial board of Symposia Melitensia.

Born in Qormi, M ifsud Chircop studied at St Aloysius College and the University of Malta where he graduated BA (Hons) . MA, and Ph.D .. and obtained the PGCE. He taught in government schools (1972-95) , and in 1995 was appointed lecturer and later on senior lecturer with the Department of Maltese at the University of Malta Junior College, and with the Departments of Maltese Studies and of Anthropology, in the University of Malta.

He specialized in the theory and practice of Maltese folklore, particularly its narrative element. His 'Type Index of the Maltese Folktale within the Mediterranean Tradition Area' (1 978), was awarded the Karmen Mikallef-Buhagar Prize for the best MA thesi s. Ethnographic research and assiduous fieldwork in Malta and Gozo, narratology, riddles, paremiology, crafts, and folk singing were his special areas of study.

Mifsud Chircop has contributed material related to the Maltese language and folklore to radio and television programmes. He was instrumental in popularizing the traditional folktale among children and adults.

Mifsud Chircop was very active in publishing. His Fommu bil-Ghasel was a text-book for matriculation students, with Fommu bil-Gljasel IIfor advanced students. For the upper forms he published a series of notes dealing with major Maltese poets. For the primary schools he had a series of comprehension tests, readers, and examination booklets. He also edited various important publications.

In 1998 Mifsud-Chircop organized the first National Folk Singing Festival (Ghana). His involvement in Maltese folklore helped the Maltese to appreciate much more the folk singing as part of Maltese culture. He researched and presented papers in various conferences held both locally and abroad.

Mifsud Chircop was a very active member of the Editorial Board of Symposia M elitensia, the journal published by the University of Malta Junior College.

Publications All published in Malta , except where otherwise stated

1972. 'Motif-Index of Slejjer La' Niesna', Guie Cassar-PulJicino Folklorista, 287-346. 1978. Type-Index of the Maltese Folktale within the Mediterranean Tradition Area; 'Towards a Structural

Analysis of the Maltese Riddle on Maranda's Metaphoric Structures', Journal of Mililese Siudies, 12, 63- 9; JI-Leggendi La ' Guie Delia, S.l (also 1980, 1982, (990) .

1979 . 'The Three Stolen Princesses (AT 301) - A Maltese Marchen within the Mediterranean Tradition Area ' , Journal ofMaltese Studies, 67·-79.

1980. Grarnmatika Gharbija (with A. Talaat Suleiman); Grammatika Prattika w ' I-Gharbi. Ahmed Talaat Suleiman. Trans. ?).)

1980. Is-Serp tas-Sebal lrjus (also 1982). 1980. Il-Praspar fa' Gahan (also 1982, 1989). 1980. Torsinella (also 1982). 1981. Gahall u i-Gganl Guiija; 'The Dress of Stars, of Sea and of Earth (AT 510B) - An Analysis of the

Maltese Cinderella Marchen', Journal ofMaltese Studies, 48- 55; ll-Bewsa tas-Seher. 1981. Fommu bil-Glwsel (also 1985, 1991, 1993 , 1997). 1982. L-Ewwel Dizzjunmju ghat-Tfal (also 1985, 1987, 1992). 1982. Ciklemtilsa [Cinderella); Tahrig ghad-Dhul I7-Ewwel Klassi lal- 'Junior Lyceum '. 1983. Aklar mill-Praspm' la' Gahall; Il-Kotba ta ' Eric Hill g/jat-Tfal, L-Ewwel Harga ta ' Fido. Fido Jaghlaq

Zmienu. Fejn hu Fido? Il-Milied ta ' Fido. Fielo Jmur I-Iskola. 1983- 84. Arrow Guidelines. Malti, 3 vols. 1984- 86. Mis-Sillabu - Rivista ghall-lstude/lCi tas-Sekondmja. 2 vols. 1986. IDOl Tahrig bi Twegibiet Muelelli Mehtiega. 1986- 94 . Analii i - Rivisla ghall-[studenti tal-Matrikola. 8 vols. 1989. 'Il-Folklof Malti L1um: Fejn Sejjer?', Neo, 4/3 , 25- 7. 1989, 1992 JI-Qawi Iqul (with .l.S . Manduca) , (also (992). 1991. Balrnies; Leggendi Maltin tal-Milied; Denbublii; Il-Praspar Mikluba minn Dun Xand Cortis. 1991 - 92. 'Sehem Temi Zammit fil-Folklor Malti' , Anali zi 4/5, Malta. Jun.-Sep. , J8-19; 5/1 Oct.-Nov. 199 .1, 14­

15; 512 Dec. 1991-Jan. 1992, 20-2.

148 Bibliographical Notes about the Contributors

1992. Gahan u ffrejjefOhra. (also 1993). 1994. Man weI Magri - ffrejjef Missirijietna; 'll-Folklor: Bejn Tradizzjoni u l1ajja' , Kungress dwar I-Jdentitii

Maltija, 75-88; Temprinu u Temprina. Tahrig il-Fehem u ldjomi, 6 vols.; Mal-Fanal Hemm Harstek Tixghel . .1itkellem il-Poeta.

1995. Qawsalla. Referenza ghall-Kuntest; BUllettax; Tnei Farrug (Noti); Ragel bil-Ghaqal (NOli). 1996. 'Oreste Calleja: Kif Jafuh I-Istudenti tal-Flames Klassi fi Skola Sekondruja' , {r-Rabta bejn I-AwlUr u 5­

Socjeta. l/-LetteralUra Maltija mis-Snin Sittin IiI Hawn, Kungress imniedi mill-Ghaqda tal-Malti (Universita), 17 April 1993, Joseph Borg ed., Malta, 89-97.

1997. 'Malta' , Enzyklopiidie des Miirchens , Handworterbuch zur historischen lind vergleichenden Erzahlforschllng, Berlin. 95-9 (with G. Cassru·-Pullicino).

1998. 'Proverbia lity and Worldview in Maltese and Arabic Proverbs ' , Proceedings of the Third International IConference ofAida, Associationlnlemationale de Dialectologie Arabe, Paris, Malta. 29 March- 2 April. 1998, Malta, 229-34; 'll-Bambin u l-Annimali' , Tuiiana. Stejjer ghat- Ttill minn 12-il Kiltieb, Gorg Mallia and Trevor Zahra eds., 177- 95.

1999. 'Ghana: una tradizione maltese sempre viva' . AI'idi Lumi, 3/6, Palerl11o, 35-40, 84-7 . • 2000. 'll-Kultura u I-Etnografija' , Snajja' u Xoghol ii-Mallin, P.P. Borg, 559-95. 2000. 'Ghana: A Living Culture in Malta', Proceedings of an International Conference on Middle Eastern

Popular CullUre, Oxford, 104-1 2. 2001. Mill-Praspar ta' Gahan u Stejjer Tr;ldizzjonali Ohra; 'Musica folklorica maltese: la Bormliia· . Avidi

Lumi, 4111 , Palermo, 44-7; The Maltese Heroic Fairy Tale. 'Folk Narrative Research in Malta', Archivio Ant.ropologico Mediterraneo, iii-iv, Palermo, 157- 72 .

2002. . A Look at Some Legends', Mellieha Throughout the Tides of Time, 197- 203. 2003. Cosolina: L-Irjieh u I-Lampa tas-Seller; /I-Folk lor Malti. Analiii u KUllllllellli fuq xi Aspetti tal-Folklor

Kontemporanju Malti, 2 vols. ; 'Islands in Maltese Folk NruTative'. Proceedings of the Interim Conference of the International Society for Folk Nan'ative Research, Vi sby, .1ournal oflndian Folkl06stics, Special Issue: Islands and Narratives, 5, 1/2. January-December 2003, 13-28.

2004. 'Lejn id-Diskursivita to.' Kopjun tas-Seklu Tmintax' , Fora Melitensia, 1, 61-8; 'Malta at a Mediterranean Folk Festival' , Kultura 21. no. 6, 8- 9; 'II-Hrafa MaJtija "Js-Seba' TrongietMewwija" (AT 408), Sy mposia Melitensia. i. 43-58.

2005 . 'EI ghallil , can~6 popular maltesa. La musica popular dels maltesos ', Formes d'Expressi6 Ora (Notes per u J'eslUdi de Japoesia oral improvisada), Felip Munar i Munar, ed., Manacor, 82-90; 'Gahan fid -Dramm ta' Ebejer 1I n-Narrattiva Folkloristika', Fora Melitensia, 2, 26-38; It-8 Edizzjoni tal-Festival Nazzjonali til ' J-Ghilna / 8'" Edition of the National Folk Singing Festival: 'Maltese Folk Musicians at International Bagpipe Festival' , Kultura 21 , n. 7.15-16.

2006. {d-9 Edizzjoni tal-FestiVill Nazzjonali ta' I-Ghana /9" Edition ofthe National Folk Singing Festil'al. 'Ritual and Drama in Malta's Past Carnival' in FirstInternational Conference ofthe SIEF Working on the Ritual Year - Proceedings. Malta March 20-24, 2005, (Gorg Mifsud-Chircop. editor), Malta. 2006.

Bibliography 'Death of an author' , The Malta Independent (20.xii .2007 ). 'George Mifsud-Chircop' , University Page, The Sunday Times (ofMalta] (20.i.200S). 'Gorg Mifsud-Chircop - Telfa ghall-folklor Malti', In-Nazzjon, (20.xii.2007). 'Leading folklorist Gorg Mifsud-Chircop dies', The Times [of Maltaf(20.xii .2007). ' Miet Dr Gorg Mifsud-Chi rcop ' . Orizzont (20.xii.2007). 'Special programmes in honour of Gorg Mifsud-Chircop' , The Times [or Malta] (21.xii.2007) . Agius Muscat, D., 'Dr Gorg Mifsud-Chircop - Flabib u kollega', ll-Mument (13.i .2008). Attard, A.J ., ' A dedicated folklore scholar' , The Sunday Times [ofMaltal (30.xii .2007). Curmi, lIeana, 'Appreciation - Dr Gorg Mifsud-Chircop', The Sundux Times [of Ma/ta/, (20.i.20008). Pulis, F.. 'Gorg Mifsud-Chircop - tinghalaq pagna tal-folkor modern', illumi, (23.xii.2007). Sant Cassia, P., 'Obituary - George Mifsud-Chircop' , The Times [ofMaltll] (24.xii.2007).

What colleagues have said about Gorg; Mario Cassar: 'Gorg was an exemplary man. a devout father, an assiduous scholar, a seri ous linguist, and a very

clever folklorist.' Adrian Grima: 'Gorg believed that the knowledge of different aspects of our popular culture and of the peoples who

live around us in the Mediterranean would help us appreciate and understand the qualities of each individual and every community.'

Bernard Micallef: 'Gorg ... a man who used his talents to show that the cultura l values of talents , trades. and pastimes of Olhers. With his incessant work he built a national respect towards the endeavours wh ich embody the characteristics of our (Maltese) society.'