Fairy Tales, Myths, Fables, and Legends

1. Fairy Tales, Myths, Fables, and Legends Mrs. Reed Special thanks to original creator: Miss Chaffee

2. What is folklore….? • Folklore (including traditional arts, belief, traditional ways of work and leisure, decorations, and celebrations) are cultural ways in which a group maintains and passes on a shared way of life. • Folklore is a word very much like culture; it represents a tremendous variety of human expression that can be studied in a number of ways and for a number of reasons. • Mostly passed down through oral tradition and storytelling, generation to generation. • Folklore is hard to define because it means something different to every culture and person. What does folklore mean to you? • Folklore is present in many types of oral traditions. Legends, Tall Tales, Myths, Fairy Tales, and Fables are all types of folklore oral traditions shared in many cultures.

3. Myths • What is a Myth?Myths deal with ancient stories, such as the adventures of the Greek gods. Mythology is a collection of traditional stories that express the beliefs or values of a group of people. The stories often focus on human qualities such as good and evil. • They are often considered to be sacred and may explain how things came to be. The myths gave human emotions and qualities to the super- natural beings who were the heroes of their stories. These gods and goddesses helped or harmed mankind as they pleased. • Mythweb

4. Fables • Just what is a fable, you ask?  Well, a fable is a kind of story that: • Often has animal characters (personification) that are smart, foolish, sly, or clever • has a  character that plays tricks on other characters • has a character that makes a bad decision • has a moral or a lesson learned • is short, sweet, and to the point • Click here to read some of Aesop’s fables. • Click here to watch some animated versions of Aesop’s fables. • Fable Webquest

5. Fairy Tales • A fairy tale is a story featuring folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. These stories often involve princes and princesses, and modern versions usually have a happy ending. Usually fairy tales start with “Once upon a time..” • They can also be scary or “gothic”. An example of a gothic fairy tale is Dracula or Frankenstein. • How many fairy tales have you read? Can you name 3? • Famous fairy tales authors: Grimms’ brothers, Hans Christian Anderson

6. Legends • Legends are set in the present or recent past. Legends are supposedly true and are used to scare, teach, inform, or entertain. While they may be true, they tend to be exaggerated, or distorted over time. Legends are stories that are handed down through generations- usually by word of mouth. • Examples: Legend of King Arthur and the Knight’s of the Round Table, Robin Hood • Legend Website

7. Tall Tales A tall tale is a story that has these features: • A larger-than-life, or superhuman, main character with a specific job. • A problem that is solved in a funny way. • Exaggerated details that describe things as greater than they really are. • Characters who use everyday language. Settlers who made their homes in the American wilderness first told tall tales. In those days, before TV and movies, people depended on storytelling for entertainment. After a long day's work, people gathered to tell each other funny tales. Each group of workers- loggers, cowboys, railroad and steel workers-had its own tall-tale hero. Having a superhuman hero with the same job somehow made their lives easier. Perhaps it gave them strength or courage to do their difficult and dangerous work. • Animated Tall Tales • Read about these tall tales: Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill