Folklore Fables & Fairytales

What do you know about folklore already?

Folk + Lore Folk means the common people of a society or region. Ex., city folks; rich folk; “Folks around Austin are very friendly.” Lore means a body of knowledge and traditions on a subject. Ex., the lore of Vampires. Ergo, Folklore can be understood as a body of knowledge and traditions shared by a common group of people.

Folklore… is a blanket term for literary genres: Folktales Myths Fables Legends (and Urban Legends) Fairy Tales serves the purpose of generating cultural understanding

What is a Fable? What is a Fairy Tale?

A fable is tends to feature animals, mythical creatures, plants, etc A fable is tends to feature animals, mythical creatures, plants, etc. that are anthropomorphized (given human qualities like the ability to speak) and used to illustrate a moral lesson. A fairy tale also features mythical beings, like witches and elves and dragons, but also kings and queens, etc. They have evolved over time from traditional oral storytelling and are also used to illustrate a moral lesson. Let’s think about “Ayak and Her Lost Bridegroom” and “Different Times Have Different ‘Adans.’” What do you think these two stories fall under? Why?

Consider this image. What can you say about Disney adaptations of fairy tales and fables?

Writer’s Notebook Add another entry title to your writer’s notebook for today: “Folklore.” Think about what we’ve just discussed about folklore. How are folktales culturally significant? You may want to speak specifically about fables and fairy tales, and/or discuss the two stories you’ve read.