Folklore Or Popular Antiquity

Pop Culture, Fine Culture, Folk Culture These are the three types of culture used in the world today. Can you tell which picture belongs to which culture?

Pop culture The media passes it down Short life span Author is traceable

Fine Culture Media passes down Author is known Long Life span

Folk Culture Roots of the other two Passed along orally, rarely by media Usually told among friends Difficult to trace author Lives basically forever

Elements of Folklore Folklore is the traditional beliefs, customs, stories, songs and dances of a culture. It is an oral tradition and is based on the lives of the common people. The following are examples of folklore that is used in modern day literature. Fairy Tales (think “Once Upon A Time” or “Grimm”) Proverbs Folk tales Tall Tales/Legends Urban legends Superstitions

Fairy Tales Fairies are like myths. They were once believed in and were used to explain the unexplainable things that happen to people. For example: If two dark haired parents have a child that is blond, we understand that genetically that can happen. The people of old believed the fairies came and switched their real child with a fairy child (a changling).

Fairy Tales Features fantasy characters (fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, mermaids) Can include magic and enchantment Usually have a “fairy tale ending” or a happy ending Take place “once upon a time” rather than a point in actual time

Fairy tales continued Fairies were used to explain negative things as well. If a young person got thin and quit eating, the people of old claimed he or she must have eaten fairy food and will now waste away. The truth? It was probably some form of cancer or other disease. Milk soured? Kobolds did it! Water in a pan by the fire disappear? The pixies drank it! Mushrooms grow in a circle in your yard? Fairies danced there the night before. That is called a “fairy ring.” Blankets all kicked off the bed at night? You have a boggart living in your house!

Kobold

Boggart

Pixies

TROLLS Parents told their children about trolls and the bogey man to keep them from going outside or away from them at night. They used the tales to keep the kids safe.

Proverbs Brief popular saying in a relatively fixed format Oldest form of oral genre, but has passed into literary works Examples: “Get your ducks in a row” “A rolling stone gathers no moss” Several use similes “sweet as sugar” or are ironic “clear as mud”

Superstitions Superstitions are beliefs that have no factual basis. Some people actually believe them to be true. Most superstitions have a counteractive part that will fix whatever the belief is to make it better. Examples of Superstitions It is bad luck if a black cat crosses your path unless you put 3 Xs in the air as it does. If you break a mirror, you will experience seven years of bad luck. If you sweep over a person’s foot with a broom, someone is going to die the house that night. You hear of teams wearing the same shirt or socks for each game as if that is why they win. Players do not shave their beards for the playoffs, etc.

Folk Tales An anonymous, traditional story passed down orally long before it was written down. Folktales include animal stories, tricksters, fairy tales, legends, myths and tall tales. Folk tales also include fables, such as “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

The Tortoise and the Hare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjokVI0LJzw

Tall Tales A tall tale is a story in which the exploits of a character are exaggerated. When you read one, you expect to find ridiculous and unlikely situations narrated seriously, as if the events are true. They rely on certain elements: a hero for the people, deeds that are unbelievable, and character traits that are wildly exaggerated. Examples include Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyon, and John Henry.

P E C O S B I L

PAUL BUNYON AND HIS BLUE OX, BABE

JOHN HENRY

Urban Legends A form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true. Some of these may seem more modern because you have heard them from your parents. They are stories easily passed down through the media. Examples include Bloody Mary, The Hook Story, or even something as simple as a chain letter or post on a social networking site like Facebook (i.e. “if you don’t post this as your status, you will be haunted…”

Urban Legends: Bloody Mary Bloody Mary is a legendary ghost or spirit conjured to reveal the future. She is said to appear in a mirror when her name is called multiple times. Historically, the ritual encouraged young women to walk up a flight of stairs backwards while holding a candle and a hand mirror in a darkened house. As they gazed into the mirror, they were supposed to be able to catch a view of their future husband’s face. There was a chance that they would see a skull or the face of the Grim Reaper instead, indicating that they were destined to die before they married.