The Oral Tradition
Story-Telling
Through the Ages
What is a Folktale?
What do you think folktale is?
Why were they written?
How did they get passed along in a
culture?
Do you remember hearing about Folktales
when you were younger? What kinds?
Let’s take a closer look at the definition of
Folktale.
The Definition of a Folktale
A Folktale is a story that shows human
abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
Folktales usually teach or explain.
They are simple stories that are told from
generation to generation.
Folktales reveal beliefs, customs, and
values that are deeply rooted in the
traditions of a country or culture.
Folktales also show us that there is more
than one way to tell a story.
The Definition of a Folktale
There are some folktales that have unique
characteristics.
Fables Tall Tales
Fairy Tales Tricksters
Legends Pourquois
Myths
Examples of Folktales
The Three Little
Pigs
He Lion, Bruh
Bear and Bruh
Rabbit
The Emperor's
New Clothes
Folktale Terms
Personification- animals or objects
given human characteristics
Moral- a lesson learned
Supernatural- beyond human ability
Hyperbole- exaggeration or
overstatement of reality
Trickster- a cunning and deceitful
character
Fables
A fable is a story that is told to
teach a lesson about human
nature. It usually has objects or
animal characters that have
humanistic interests and
qualities, without naming the
characters. Fables have a stated
moral at the end.
Examples of Fables
Aesop’s Fables
The Little Engine
That Could
The Ugly Duckling
The Tortoise and
the Hare
Pourquoi
Pourquoi is a French
word that means
“why”. A Pourquoi
explains how
something in nature
came to be the way it
is. The title of a a
Pourquoi usually
begins with how or How the Camel Got Its
why. Hump.
Examples of Pour Quoi
Why the Tortoise’s Shell is Not
Smooth
How Leopard Got its Spots
Why Monkeys Live in Trees
Let’s talk about Myth
Myth can be defined as the first
attempt to explain how and why
things happen.
It is also the earliest form of science
and how things came into being.
Myth was and still is the basis of
history.
What does all of this mean?
Greek Myths
Greek Myths are
stories of the gods
and the goddesses
that usually explain
occurrences in nature.
They are filled with
the supernatural.
Greek Myths are
stories of Zeus and his
Pantheon (family).
Examples of Myth
Daedalus and Icarus
Arachne
Anansi
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/prepositions.htm
The Gorgon’s Head
Fairy Tales
Fairy tales are highly imaginative and
directed towards children.
They usually begin with “Once Upon a
Time . . . ,” and end with “. . . They lived
happily ever after.”
They often include supernatural events or
magic.
They have truly good or evil people or
animals.
Good always wins.
Examples of Fairy Tales
Cinderella
Beauty and the Beast
Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs
The Little Mermaid
Hansel and Gretel
Little Red Riding
Hood
Legends
These stories began with real
historical figures or events.
Legends are fictional tales because
they are told over and over again,
and time causes them to lose their
true history.
Tales like “David Crockett” and
“Casey Jones” are considered to be
legends.
Tall Tales
Tall Tales are stories with an
exaggeration of how things really
were (hyperbole).
Tall tales usually focus on a type
lifestyle or profession in history.
Tall Tales include stories like “Paul
Bunyan,” “Pecos Bill,” and “John
Henry.”