1. Traditional Literature

2. Types of traditional Literature
Folktale Fable Myths Epic and Legendary Heroes Bible

3. Definition
All forms of narrative, written or oral, which have come to be handed down through the years.
Seen to come from the people of culture rather than a specific person
Exceptions: Aesop, Homer, and other ancient tellers or writers of tales
Includes Folktales, Myths, Fables, Epic and Legendary Heroes, Bible as Literature

4. Origin
Traditional Literature forms the foundation of understandings of life as expressed in modern literature
Monogenesis
Grimm Brothers theory
Polygenesis
Monogenesis: Inheritance from a single origin, Grimm theorized all these stories came from one prehistoric group called Aryans later Identified as Indo-Europeans by modern linguists. The group migrated they took their folklore with them (diffusion)
Freud: view that all myths
Polygenesis: multiple origins, Each story could have been an independent invention growing out of universal human desires and needs.

5. Value
Teachers find it a valuable way to introducing world cultures and geographical regions
Appeals to the children’s sense of justice and their moral judgment
Kindle their imagination
Helps them cope with their dreams and inner turmoil
Our speech and language reflect many contributions
Groundwork
From their imagination comes people’s dreams or ideals; figures of speech from Aesop’s fables “sour grapes” “dog in the manager” boy who cried wolf”; words and phrase from myths narcissistic, cereal, labyrinth, siren etc; lays the groundwork for understanding all literature begin to build a framework for all literature

6. Folktales
Defined as “all forms of narrative, written or oral, which have come to be handed down through the years.”
Epics, Ballads, Legends, and Folk Songs as well as Myths and Fables

7. Types of Folktales Cumulative Tales Pourquoi Tales Beast Tales
There is an increasing repetition of the details building up to a quick climax
Children loves these tales
Pourquoi Tales
Stories that explain
Beast Tales
Animals act and talk like human beings
Talking animals appear in folktales in all cultures
Wonder Tales or “Fairy Tales”
Magic and the supernatural
Creatures
Involves Romance and Adventure
Long Quest Tales
Ends with …
Part of the appeal
Represents Glorious Fulfillment of human desires
Realistic Tales
Few
Some Basis in Fact
Children delight in the sound if the rhyming double names which are repeated over and over; “why”; certain animal traits, characteristics, human customs; Many Native American stories explain animal features, origin of certain natural features, how humans and their customs come to be; Favorite, Many African tales are “wise beast/foolish beast” ex rabbit outwits a lion; Many of these beast tales traveled to the United States with enslaved Africans, collected by Joel Chandler Harris in the late 1800s; Examples: Fish English, Scandinavian, German Bears, Wolves, Firebirds-Russian Spiders and rabbits African Monkeys and Bees Japan; Very few fairies and fairy godmothers, Wicked Witches, Demons, Monsters and Dragons; Complex Wonder Tales is which the hero or heroine triumphs against all odds to win the beautiful princess or handsome price; end with “ and they live happily ever after”; Appeal secure knowledge that no matter what happens love kindness and truth will prevail hate wickedness and evil will be punished

8. Folktales Pictures

9. Characteristics of Folktales
Plot Structures
Characterization
Style
Themes
Motifs
Series of episodes maintains a quick flow of action, almost all folktale plots are success stories of one kind or another, repetition ( responses, chants, poems) basic element. 3 magic number, time and place established quickly, time pass quickly, setting is not specific, intro- presents conflict, characters, setting in a few sentences, w little desc. Goes to the heart capturing the int., conclusion follows the climax very quickly and includes few details
Characterization: Characters shown in flat dimension symbolic either good or evil, Character Development seldom depicted,
Beautiful girl- humble, virtous,patient, loving
Stepmothers- ugly, cross, mean
Hero- strong, virile brave kind symphatic
Poor- kind generous long-suffering
Rich- imperious hardhearted conniving dishonest
Readers make their own picture in the head since there is little description
Qualities, Special Strengths weakness is revealed quickly as it will be the conflict or lead to resolution
Style: Should maintain the flavor of the country but present audience still be able to understand, Not written down but simplified for children, figurative language and imagery are employed by effective narrators, frequently imitate sounds, dialect is hard to understand for children unless the teacher practice reading the story, Main thing is maintain the atmosphere of the country and culture from which is originated and that it sounds like a tale told
Theme: Main purpose tell an entertaining story yet they do present important themes, outlet for feelings, values of the culture expressed humility, kindness patience sympathy hard work courage are invariably rewarded reflect goals of people sometimes they are stated at the end explicitly, power of love, mercy, kindness
Motifs: patterns, smallest part of a tale that can exist independently, seen in the recurring parade like the younger bro, wicked stepmother etc.,

10. Characteristics of Folk Literature Cont.
Examples of Motifs
Magical Powers
Transformations
Magical Object
Wishes
Trickery
Power of Naming
Enchanted Sleep
Frequently given to persons or animals, helpful companions who have magical talents, always aid heroes and heroines in obtaining their goals,
Transformation of an animal into a person or vice versa is a part of many stories
Essential aspects of many tales that also reflect other themes or motifs, often either heightens a good character’s courage and cleverness while Misuse = Disaster for bad character
Granted then used foolishly anger greed
Both animals and people trick their friends and neighbors; almost every culture has an animal trickster European wolf fox, Japan badger hare, ‘Indonesia tiny mouse deer, Africa Anansi the spider, Zomo the rabbit, Ijapa the tortoise, Coyote and raven Native American
Do not derive from the same original source but share some many characters similarities or motifs in common Example Cinderella

11. Evaluating Folktales
Is there some mention or citation of the original source for this tale?
Is the plot simple and direct?
Is the language lively and engaging and in keeping with the oral tradition?
Does a theme emerge?
What is the story’s message or moral?
Do illustrations add to and extend the story?
Are illustrations and details true to the culture represented?
Does the story represent cultural norms, or is written to conform to Western mores?

12. Folktales of the World Every Culture has produced folklore
Provide Insight
Help Children discover the universal qualities of humankind
Pay Attention to the Following Slides will come in handy
Insights Beliefs of these people. Values, jokes, lifestyles, histories

13. British Folktales
First Folktales there most children hear in the United States
Joseph Jacobs
Examples
“The Old Woman and Her Pig”
“The Three Bears”
“The Three Little Pigs”
Some Of the British Folktales has a realism element
Wonderfully Exotic Characters
Region has developed fewer complicated wonder tales that abound in French and Russian folklore
J.J folklorist collected many of them and deliberately adapted them for young children
Basis in history
Celtic mythology hobs and giants examples

14. German Folktales Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Household Stories
Grimm Fairy Tales
Enlivened by elves, dwarfs, and devils rather than fairies of other cultures
Villain in the few beast stories is a wolf
Some can be grim, dark, and forbidding
“Hansel and Gretel”
Plots are exciting, fast-moving, and a little frightening
Evil beings hold the good beings until the magical enchantments is broken by love and kindness
Famous for the Grimm Fairy Tales did not adapt their stories for children spent more then 12 yrs. collecting the tales first published in 1812 as the first volume of Household Stories
That was the dreams and wishes of the common folk when they recorded the their tales
Best Known is the little redcap

15. Scandinavian Folktales
Most are from one single Norwegian collection titled East o’the Sun and West o’the Moon
“The Three Billy Goats Gruff”
Reflect the harsh elements of the northern climate
Animal helpmates assist heroes in overcoming giants or wicked trolls
Heroes
Evil Spell
Characterized by many trolls, magical objects, and enchantments
Often humorous, exciting, fast-moving
Gathered by Peter Christian Asbjornsen and Jorgan Moe in the early 1840s
Human beings who are held by evil spell

16. French Folktales
Earliest to be recorded and most sophisticated and adult
Charles Perrault
Little book with no name
Was it written by Perrault or son Pierre
Has an elegant style of the “literary tale”
“Sleeping Beauty”
Best Known French wonder tale
“Beauty and the Beast”
Usually tales of the rich not poor
Most have all the trappings of traditional fairy tale
Were the rage in the court society of Louis XIV
Published a little volume of fairy tales in 1697 debate whether or not Perrault or his son Pierre wrote it
Fairy Godmothers, stepsisters, handsome princes

17. Russian Folktales
Feature universal patterns of tasks and trials, tricks, and transformations
Often longer and complicated than other countries
Same characters appear in different guises and one story will often braid into another
“The Tale of the Firebird”
Involve several sets of tasks
Baba Yaga Ivan

18. Jewish Folktales
Has poignancy, wit, and ironic humor unmatched in any other folklore
Many been persevered by the writing of Isaac Bashevis Singer
“Zlateh the Goat” based on his own childhood memories and tradition
Isaac Bashevis Singer retained the flavor of both oral tradition and the Yiddish origin

19. Folktales from the Middle East
Birthplace of many of our Western stories, but these tales are not as well know in the United States.
Arabian Nights
“Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp”
Hodja Stories
Indicative of a rich source on which children’s literature has yet to draw fully from.
Provide stories for generations
Religious teacher

20. Folktales from Asia Examples: “Yen-Shen” – China
“Momotaro or the Story of a Peach” - Japan
“The Brave Little Parrot” – India
Familiar Theme: Caring for others above oneself
Japanese Folktales contain:
Miniature people
Oni (monster)
Theme of gentleness toward animals and other people
Value of hard work
Respect for elderly
Familiar Character: Rabbit
Jataka (birth) stories found in India
Later Beast Tales were drawn to form the Panchatantra
Yen Shen based on one of the oldest variants of Cinderella
Often portrayed as clever trickster who might be petty and vain
They tell of the previous reincarnations of the Buddha known to be existed as early as 5th Century A.D. Moralistic or Religious in nature
Stories that were instruct young princes in morality

21. Folktales from Africa Storytelling is a highly developed art
Aural cadence not found in other stories of the world
Come oral tradition and frequently written in the storyteller’s voice
Style
Short sentences
Frequent use of parallel constructions
Repetition
Dialogue
Example of Africa Literature
“Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears”
Particularly in West Africa

22. Africa Continued Many may be described as
Being about personified animals
Pourquoi stories
Play on words is a favored form of humor
Will present a dilemma and then the storyteller will invite the audience will try to guess the conclusion
Oral tradition has ben maintained
Children will learn something new
Anansi the spider
About dreams, wishes, hopes, humor and despair of other people

23. Folktales of Canada and the United States
Examples of Folktales:
“Johnny Appleseed”
Folktales that came over with the immigrants that took on an unmistakable flavor
Indigenous to the place are Native American Folktales
Also tall tales that developed from the pioneer spirit

24. America Folktales Continued
It can be sorted into four categories:
1. Native American, Eskimo, and Inuit tales that were originally there.
2. Tales that came from other countries, primarily from West Africa, and were changed in the process to form the basis of African American folktales
3. Tales that came primarily from Europe and were modified into new variants
4. Tall tales, legends, and other Americana that developed here
Authors continue to Americanize European folktales
African American Folktales:
Slaves who came over here who added layers to beast tales to add a new meaning about the relationship between the slaves and their masters (Uncle Remus)
Tall Tales
Contain a glorious mixture of the humor, bravado, and pioneer spirit needed to tame the wilderness
Exaggerated Tales
Heroes: Johnny Appleseed and John Henry
Johnny Appleseed lived to serve others with his apples
John Henry African American who swung his hammer in a contest against a steam drill on the building of the Trans, Cont. Railroad and won

25. Native American Folktales
Example:
“They Dance in the Sky”
Many Native Americans tales can be categorized as myths as they include creation myths and sacred legends
When originally told there were loosely planned not highly structured as European fairy tales
Storytelling is ceremonial importance in various tribal groups
Nature myths or pourquoi stories
Contain a trickster
Heroes can be found in many stories
Survival themes are constant
Explain how animals came to Earth or why they have certain characteristics
Trickster who mediates between the sky world and earth example Great plains trickster coyote

26. Folktales from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America
Example of Mexico Folktale
“The Legend of the Poinsettia”
Example of Caribbean Folktale
“Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella”
Have roots in many cultures that has inhabited this vast region
African Caribbean tradition has contributed many stories to the Mainland African Americans
There is a couple Mexican folktales has a connection to Catholicism
Pourquoi stories are common in Central and South America
Water is a common motif in
South American folktales.

27. Fables Usually associated with Aesop
The first written fables appeared in Greek Literature two centuries before Aesop’s birth and in India and Egypt before Greece
Other sources were the Jataka tales
Panchatantra
These two have moralistic verses intersperse throughout
Jean De La Fontaine who is a third source
Greek slave who is supposed to have been born in Asia Minor about 600 B.C Jataka tales animal stories that told of the previous births of the Buddha
Panchatantra written for purpose of instructing the young princes of India
French poet wrote his fables in verse form but he drew largely on 17th century collection of Aesope’ Fables

28. Characteristics of Fables
Brief, didactic tales in which animals, or occasionally the elements, speak as human beings
Example is the well-known race between the hare and the tortoise
Humans do appear in a few fables like “The Boy who cried Wolf”
Impersonal characters with no lively personalities
Animals represent aspects of human nature
Seldom have more than three characters
Plot based on a single incident
Meant to instruct
Either contain an implicit or an explicit moral
Appear to be simple but they are complex as they convey an abstract idea in relatively few words
Examples: Lion kingliness fox cunning sheep innocence and simplicity

29. Editions
Younger children might appreciate some fables but can not be able to extract a moral until about 2nd or 3rd grade
Older children would like it as they can compare treatments of several of these fables.