FOLKLORE Folklore can be defined as all the traditions, customs, and stories that are passed along by word of mouth in a culture. Folklore includes legends, myths, folk tales, jump-rope rhymes, folk songs, and proverbs.

FOLKLORE All the stories of folklore began as spoken, not written, language. Because these stories were passed along from teller to teller and from generation to generation, their starting point cannot be traced to any one person. A single story may change often as each story teller adds his or her special touch. Typically the stories are collected and written down only after they have been told for many years, perhaps centuries.

FOLKLORE These tales-whether woven in the distant past or in modern times offer much to the reader:  entertainment  introducing young people to history, beliefs, and religion of society  teach lessons about human behavior and show qualities that are valued by the society, e.g. kindness and courage  reveal negative qualities like selfishness and overconfidence

FOLKLORE Very often the same basic story appears in different cultures. The similarities in these stories point to values that many cultures have in common. Folklore stories can be grouped into four major categories: myths, folk tales, fables, and legends.

Myths Myths are stories that:  Were created to answer questions about the world, gods, and human life  Tell about events in the distant past  Were considered truthful and sacred by the societies that created them

MYTHS Myths offer explanations of for “creation” and for natural events:  Creation of the earth, human beings – (almost all culture have them), the first spider  The change of seasons, the movement of the sun

MYTHS Myths usually tell about adventures of gods or of human beings who come into contact with them. These gods and goddesses had extraordinary powers. The gods of ancient Greece were immortal-they could not die.

MYTHS Each god or goddess had his or her own special areas of power. Yet divine powers were not unlimited. Even Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, could not always get his way.

MYTHS In the myths of many cultures, the gods possess all the emotions and personality traits of human beings. Greek myths tell about:  Hera’s jealousy  Impatience of Poseidon  Kindness of Demeter Like human beings, the gods usually combine a mixture of traits.

FOLK TALES In contrast to myths, folk tales :  Are not about gods or the origins of the world  Are told primarily for entertainment  Are not taken as truthful or factual by their audience

FOLK TALES Characters in folk tales are:  Ordinary humans and personified animals  Humans are peasants or other people from lower classes  Frequently portrayed as having better values than the rich and powerful

FOLK TALES The tales are:  Told in a simple style  Each character represents one human trait (one dimensional) – greed, curiosity, kindness, evil  Magic and enchantment play a key role

Folk Tale Themes of folk tales are simple:  Reward of good  Punishment of evil  Exposing a fool Trickster tales:  Are comical and point out human weaknesses  Found in most cultures  A smart person or animal outwits or takes advantage of a fool

FABLES Fables are:  Very short tales  Have morals – principals of right behavior clearly and directly stated  Characters are usually personified animals

LEGENDS Legends are:  Considered factual by those who tell them  May have a basis in historical fact (Robin Hood is based on an outlaw who actually existed).  Set in a past more recent than myths  Include elements of magic and the supernatural

FOLKLORE BOOKLET TASK: You will create a booklet of original folklore stories. TITLE PAGE:  List the four types of folklore  Draw a symbol for each typ  No white showing

FOLKLORE BOOKLET INSIDE PAGES:  Type of folklore  Definition  Title of story  Story  Colorful illustration

FOLKLORE BOOKLET EDIT FOR THE FOLLOWING:  capitalization  punctuation  grammar  sentence structure  neatness

COMPARE/CONTRAST SIGNAL WORDS COMPARE  In a like manner  Simultaneously  Both  Like

COMPARE/CONTRAST SIGNAL WORDS CONTRAST  The difference between  As opposed to  After all  However  Yet