Myths and Legends and Fables and Fairy Tales Folklore Myths and Legends and Fables and Fairy Tales

For some people, myths became both science and religion. Thousands of years ago, before anyone had microscopes or even books, people explained the world through stories called myths. For some people, myths became both science and religion.

Types of Folklore fable/fairy tale - a story we know is not true that is told to teach a moral or lesson that a culture holds to be important. Often the moral appears in a distinct and memorable statement near the tale’s beginning or end. Generally, a fable is shorter than a fairy tale. (Cinderella, The Three Pigs) myth –a story that was told as true and believed to be true by a culture. Myths were often used to explain how things came to be and were usually set in a time before the world was as it is today. Myths usually had characters who were gods or supernatural beings and were often part of a culture’s religious or spiritual beliefs. legend –a popular myth of recent origin that is popularly believed to be true, but cannot be verified as such. (Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, George and the cherry tree) moral – a lesson that a story teaches. A moral is often stated at the end of a fable. Other times, the moral is implied.

Most myths: were passed along through word of mouth feature gods or other supernatural beings who often show such human characteristics as anger and love reveal the consequences of human errors explain how something came to be

Although myths from various cultures share these basic features, they often differ in detail, style, or purpose. As you read different myths, fables, and folktales, notice the similarities and differences between them.

Commonalities in Cultural/Traditional Literature rule of three – “Three Little Pigs,” the Trinity, “Third time’s a charm!” magic helper – Fairy Godmother lowly servant – Kristoff, Zazu, Minion, Minions quest – Abraham to the Promised Land, Anna finds Elsa hero’s task – Moses (10 Commandments), Larry (recharge the Tablet of Ahkmenrah) circle stories – Rapunzel’s tower, Smithsonian ideas of afterlife – underworld, dark earth, the west, sky, among the stars

Extended simile -a detailed comparison typically used in writing to serve as decoration and intensify the heroic stature of a specific subject within epic poetry. An extended simile often spans several lines and is referred to as an "epic simile" or "Homeric simile," as Homer often used extended similes to stress physical motion or emotional disturbance.

Bad Suspense Novel Simile “There was something funny about the kidnapping crime scene that Special Agent Frievald couldn’t quite place, and the thought stuck with him throughout the rest of the day, like those tiny little bits of the circumferent skin from the bologna slices on a foot-long Subway Cold Cut Trio that get stuck in between the last two molars on the upper left, on the tongue side where you can’t possibly reach them with a toothpick, your fingernails, or even a systematically straightened paper clip, they just sit there and make everything you eat at your next meal taste vaguely like vinegar and mayonnaise, and then somehow — quietly but miraculously — they disappear by themselves in the middle of the night while you’re asleep, just like the visiting Countess appeared to have done.”

The term extended metaphor refers to a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem. It is often comprised of more than one sentence and sometimes consists of a full paragraph.

“Bobby Holloway says my imagination is a three- hundred-ring circus “Bobby Holloway says my imagination is a three- hundred-ring circus. Currently I was in ring two hundred and ninety-nine, with elephants dancing and clowns cart wheeling and tigers leaping through rings of fire. The time had come to step back, leave the main tent, go buy some popcorn and a Coke, bliss out, cool down.” (Dean Koontz, Seize the Night. Bantam, 1999)

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.” (Shakespeare’s As You Like It)

Read “Midas’ Touch” (Greek) Read “The Rainbow Serpent” (West African) Read “Fire” (American Indian) “Midas’ Touch” “The Rainbow Serpent” “Fire” What role do the gods or spirits play? What does the myth explain about the world? What moral or lesson does the myth teach?

Read “Midas’ Touch” (Greek) Read “The Rainbow Serpent” (West African) Read “Fire” (American Indian) “Midas’ Touch” “The Rainbow Serpent” “Fire” What qualities does the supreme god have? What role does the supreme god play? What does the myth explain or teach?