as someone who has studied folklore in university, i do have to say that this is an interesting point of discussion. folklore encompasses much more than what most people associate with the term.
Actually, in seeing the relatively slow progress of this thread, it just occurred to me that we can't see the forest for the trees. Folklore is exactly that. Folk Lore. The localized culture, customs and myths of regional groups of people.
You see Steampunk IS folklore by definition. (...)
This, this is a very good point. steampunk, in it's very nature encompasses many folkloric elements. pulling from a history, you will see the subculture has it's own, well, culture. folklore is in the tales we spin, the clothes we wear, the language we speak, the songs we sing (etc). and for many of us, steampunk is an intergral part of that.
though i have yet to see any steampunk folk medicine (folk medicine being unofficial treatments, like using flour to stelp blood, honey to sooth a sore throat or garlic to lessen a fever) and i hesitate to think what i'd be like with the crew of madmen i have met in this wonderful subculture.
in choosing do participate in this steampunk movement, we are adopting the folklore that comes with it. we have our own stories, annecdotes, jokes, music, clothing, names, terms and mannerisms.
calling a child a cogling is steampunk folklore, so is listening to a steampunk band of your choosing, wearing a hat, too, could be folklore.
