Folklore

Folklore

Fairy Tales, Tall Tales, Fables, Legends, Myths, and Folklore

What is an "oral tradition?"

before stories were written down, they were passed down through generations through storytelling

Instructive - warn readers about the dangers of certain types of behaviors or attitudes

Characters are stereotypes - example: the thief, the liar, the trickster, the clever young person, etc.

Structure is repetitive. Often times the same phrase, events, or ideas are repeated. This made it easier for people to memorize the stories and pass them down before the stories were ever written down.

• All of these stories have elements to them which have been exaggerated through the years of being passed down, but they are all totally believable.

The End

Tall Tales

a story that seems unbelievable, but is told in a way that makes you believe

often includes extreme exaggerations of actual events

No Magic

History Lesson

Johnny Appleseed

Paul Bunyan

John Henry

Davy Crockett

Legends

events could actually happen without the aid of magic

give a sort of history lesson about a civilization's history passed down in oral tradition

include things that can be perceived as actually being possible

Examples include:

The Fountain

of Youth

King Arthur

Legends

Can include miracles and wonders, but are overall realistic

Review:

Common Examples

Fairy Tales = magic

Fables = morals

Myths = gods

Legends = believable, history

Folk Tales = oral tradition

• stories about a person or a place
• can be a real person or a fictitious person

Robin Hood

Last Type!

Yay :)

Myths

another type of folklore

stories about how the world came to be

often feature characters who are "divine"

Examples of Myths:

How to Identify a Myth:

Hercules

Zeus

Fables

• characters are gods
• most common myths feature Greek or Roman gods
• stories are linked to spiritual things
• stories are considered to be true by those who believe the religion
• Ex: Greek people believed Greek myths to be the true story of how the world was formed

What makes a fable?

The End

Short story

ALWAYS has a moral

Fiction stories that have been passed down

teach a moral or a lesson

Ex: The Tortoise and the Hare -

lesson: slow and steady wins the race

most often have animals as main characters

Ex: The Lion and the Mouse,

The Raven and the Swan

most famous fable writer = Aesop

Greek author, lived around 600 B.C.

The Twelve Titans

Gross!

Fairy Tales

Like folk tales, many fairy tales began as gruesome stories that have been watered down for children.

Example: In the original Cinderella, the evil stepsisters cut off their toes in order to fit their feet into the glass slipper

Important Lesson

Fairy tales and folk tales involve one of the main characters learning an important lesson

How are they different from folk tales?

Very similar to folk tales, except fairy tales involve MAGIC!

When trying to think of fairy tales,

think Disney movies

Ex: Cinderella, Snow White,

Peter Pan, etc.

Characteristics of Folktales:

Folk Tales

A short story that comes from an oral tradition

Folklore consists of:

Examples:

"The Three Little Pigs"

"The Seventh Sister"

Why do we care?

Fairy Tales

Legends

history and tradition

Tall Tales

Folktales often feature stories about every day life.

Folk Tales

Fables

the basis for many new stories

Myths

stories help us understand our world