Why did Johann Gottfried von Herder value folk songs and oral poetry?

Johann Gottfried von Herder valued folk songs and oral poetry because he believed they were the most authentic expressions of a nation's collective identity, or Volksseele (ethnic soul).1

Herder argued that poetry should not be viewed as a product of formal learning or mere amusement, but as an involuntary, natural reaction to one's historical and environmental context. He considered oral poetry (Volksdichtung) to be the "mother tongue of mankind," appearing in its greatest purity and power during the "uncivilized" periods of a nation's history.23

By studying these works, Herder sought to retrieve and preserve the authentic characteristics of the Volk, which he believed were essential for peoples who had not yet found or had forgotten their own national identities. For Herder, the sounds, stresses, and rhythms of this popular discourse provided a direct link between human nature and reality, serving as a model for poetry that could reconcile intellect and feeling.312