Myths, Legends, Fables, Tall Tales, Fairy Tales and Drama Mrs. Abdullah January, 2012

Myth-Definition A cultural and ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serve as a fundamental type in the worldview of a group of people; It explains aspects of the natural world or delineates the psychology, customs, or ideals of society

Myth Characteristics A cultural story with an unknown origin which offers an explanation of the natural world (and how it came to be). Characters are often non-human – e.g. gods, goddesses, supernatural beings, first people. Setting is a previous world (somewhat like ours but somewhat different). Events that bend or break natural laws

Characteristics of Myths Functional: “Agreement for social action” – express how to live: assumptions, values, core meanings of individuals, families, communities. Reflect and determines the basis of dualities: light/dark, good/bad, being/nothingness, raw/cooked, etc.; that we must reconcile. Dualities often mediated by characters in myths. Narrative that explains... Myths seek to answer, “Why are we here?” “Who are we?” “What is our purpose?” etc. – life’s fundamental questions. May have a religious basis to the explanation of belief advanced

Legend Defined A legend is an unverifiable story or tale that is passed from one generation to the next; it is believed to be historical due to its traditional use; but is categorized as being non-historical.

Characteristics of Legends A non-historical; accepted as historical because it is handed down from earlier times Unverifiable story (difficult to confirm) Similar to a myth; but takes place during times when humans existed Modern legend tells of a person who does extraordinary deeds in his/her lifetime

Characteristics continued Heroes are fictional heroes or real people whose deeds aren’t quite what they’re made out to be--exaggerated Heroes/legends are so lifelike or so admirable that people wished they were real May contain a moral or lesson (similar to fable) told in order to uphold the values of the community often involve supernatural occurrences or religious elements

Well Known Legends King Arthur Rip Van Winkle The Headless Horseman Babe Ruth Paul Bunyan John Henry Johnny Appleseed