1. Morphology of a Folk Tale

2. Who is Propp?

3. Vladimir Propp (b. 1895) attended St. Petersburg University
Vladimir Propp (b. 1895) attended St. Petersburg University. Majored in Russian and German philosophy.
Who is Propp?

4. What did he do?

5. What did he do?
Wrote Morphology of the Folk Tale (1928). Considered a breakthrough in folkloristics (formal study of folklore)

6. Folklore?

7. Folklore?
Oral narratives such as fairy tales and mythology

8. What is morphology?

9. What is morphology?
The study of form or structure.

10. And so Folkloristic morphology is?

11. And so Folkloristic morphology is?
The study of the structure of folklore and fairy tales. Meaning what do the parts of the story do.

12. h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <
Symbols and letters will represent characters and objects of a story, and the actions the characters and objects perform.
h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <

13. h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <

14. > < h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < depart
return m
magic mA
magic animal mO
magic object

15. mO3 h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <
three magic objects
msg
magic spell (good)
msb
magic spell (bad) t
transformation h
hero

16. h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <
hero, male h2
hero, female F
father M
mother

17. S B SM SF SB h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < sister
brother SM
stepmother SF
stepfather SB
stepbrother

18. SS ( ) pr rs D h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <
stepsister
( )
“type of” pr
pursuit, pursues rs
rescues D
difficult task

19. t - + : f h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <
transformation -
“loses, lost” +
acquires :
meets f
finds

20. st [ ] [Q] P P1 h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <
steals, is stolen
[ ]
episode of story
[Q]
a quest P
place P1
forest

21. P2 P3 P1(m) rL X h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <
tower P3
castle
P1(m)
magic forest rL
Release, free X
kill

22. mAg mAw mAt h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < giant
witch
mAt
troll