Folk Literature

1. Folk Literature • Sometimes called folklore. • Usually doesn’t have a single, identifiable author. • Begins with oral tradition, not written down, so there may be many different versions. • At least some part of the story is unrealistic. • Usually has “good guys” and “bad guys”. • Usually set in the past; “long ago” or “once upon a time”.

2. FANTASY • Fantasy is NOT folklore, because it has an identifiable author (for example, we all know who wrote Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). • Fantasy often has many of the same elements as folklore (for example, magic and mythical creatures).

3. Types of Folk Literature Fairy Tales • Special beginning and/or ending words- Once upon a time…and they lived happily ever after. • Royalty and/ or castle usually present • Good/Evil characters • Magic happens • Problem and a solution • Things often happen in “threes” or ”sevens”

4. Types of Folk Literature • Cinderella is an example of a fairy tale.

5. Types of Folk Literature Folk tales • Are about common people. • Are not realistic. • Can have ghosts, goblins and ogres.

6. Types of Folk Literature • The Teeny-Tiny Woman is an example of a folk tale.

7. Types of Folk Literature Legends • Are usually set in a recognizable place and time. • Have a main character who performs heroic or superhuman deeds. • Are often based on a real person from history. • Include tall tales, which are American legends.

8. Types of Folk Literature • King Arthur is an example of a legend.

9. Types of Folk Literature Myths • Are early man’s desire to explain the universe • Feature gods and goddesses. • Often tell how things came to be or how things were in the beginning of time.

10. Types of Folk Literature • Hercules is an example of a myth.

11. Types of Folk Literature Pour quoi stories • Are imaginative stories of why or how things in nature came to be that way.

12. Types of Folk Literature • Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears is an example of a pour quoi tale.

13. Types of Folk Literature Fables • Are short teaching stories. • Often have animal characters that act like people and have human flaws. • End with a moral that tells the lesson of the story. • The most famous fables were those told by Aesop.

14. Types of Folk Literature • The Hare and the Tortoise is an example of a fable.

15. Types of Folk Literature Trickster tales • Are folk tales about clever animals (or people) who like to trick others. • Are the root of some cartoon characters, like Bugs Bunny or the Road Runner.

16. Types of Folk Literature • Borreguita and the Coyote is an example of a trickster tale.

17. Now look at the books on your table. Are they folk literature, and if they are, what kind are they?