Myth, Legend, Folktale, Fable, & Fairy Tale

Myths, Legends, Folktales, Fables, & Fairy Tales

Myths, Legends, Folktales, Fables, & Fairy Tales

• Are part of a broader category of stories known as narrative folklore.

• Were all originally part of oral tradition

• Give us some insight into the peoples/cultures they came from

• Differ in content and intent

• Are fun to read!

Fairy Tale vs. Fable

• Both may contain talking animal.

• Both are stories in which there is a "right and a wrong."

• BUT fairy tales DO NOT emphasize a specific lesson

• AND fairy tales rely heavily on magical elements

What's the difference?

Fairy Tales You May Know

Fairy Tales

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

• A fairy tale is a story that has elements of the fantastic, including magic or creatures like witches, fairies, dragons, gnomes, etc. that we know don’t really exist.

• Fairy tales have a "good vs. evil" storyline, and good always triumphs with a happy ending.

Fables You May Know

The Three Brothers

Fables

• Fables are short tales that usually feature animals (real or mythical) given human-like qualities to deliver a specific moral or lesson.

• The listener/reader learns what one should or should not do.

• Some fables may feature humans rather than animals. The important thing is the lesson.

Myths vs. Legends vs. Folktale

• Legends, myths, and folktales are all used to transmit cultural values or social rules.

• But unlike myths, legends & folktales typically do not involve gods/goddesses.

• But unlike legends, folktales typically do not inolve historical characters.

Folktales

• A Folktale is a story about everyday people that contains some element of common sense instruction.

• These stories can involve the supernatural, but it will happen to a regular person.

• Every culture has unique folktales, but there can sometime be thematic overlap in folktales from one place to another.

Robin Hood

Legendary Characters You May Know

Legends

• A legend is a story that has some element of historical fact or accuracy.

• Legends are typically told about real people, places, or events from history, and then are embellished with the retelling.

Folklore

Folklore is " traditional art, literature, knowledge, and practices that are passed on in large part through oral communication and example."

Myths

• A myth is a story that can sometimes be rooted in historical fact, but more often deals with supernatural beings, gods, demigods, and the explanation of natural phenomenon.

Narrative folklore (the literature part of folklore) includes myths, legends, folktales, fables, and fairy tales, etc., which were originally passed down orally through generations.

Arachne

• Stories that explain religious beliefs are often myths; they explain the cultural and religious views of a society.

The stories of the Greek gods and heroes not only explain natural phenomena like the changing of the seasons, sunrise and sunset, and weather, but they also give insight into some of the things that were most important to the civilization as a whole.