FOLKLORE

ORAL NARRATIVE

A story that is told,

sung, or
performed…Oral
Narratives can be written
down
 HISTORICALLY SPEAKING…

• Help to explain the natural world

• Help to articulate fears/dreams
• Provide order to a society
• Provide understanding of a culture’s
values, beliefs, mores, etc.
• Entertainment
 MOTIF

Smallest meaningful unit of a story

 VARIANT

A deviation from standard text

 CULTURAL VARIANTS

M o n og e n e s i s Po l yg e n e s i s

One story created in Cultures develop

one location and
eventually spread to
other cultures orally
similar stories because
these stories address
needs/desires/etc. that
are common to all
people
 PORQUOI TALES

Etiological tales…how
things come about/to be
 FABLE

A simple folktale that illustrates an ethical point.

Often features animals but not animal tales

Moral is stated
 ANIMAL TALE

A simple story in which animals play a

major role

Subgenre: Trickster Tale=animals that play

tricks and behave mischievously
A sacred narrative
set in the
primordial past
 MYTH

Tower of Babel
 TALL TALE

A deliberate, exaggerated lie told with a

straight face for humorous effect.
 LEGENDS

Stories that people tell about events/people that are purportedly

real/true.

Told to inform, warn, advise, enlighten

Distinctive beginning

Real World, supernatural, realistic/well rounded characters

 FAIRYTALES

Stories that are fictional, created to entertain and

sometimes instruct.

1st collection of tales were collected and

published by the Grimm Brothers in 1812

Distinctive and recognizable beginning and end

 LITERARY TALES

Modern adaptations of
traditional folk literature
 SUB-GENRES OF LITERARY TALES

Tr a d i t i o n a l S t y l e Fr a c t u r e s

• Authors write in the traditional • Authors create new tales by

style of folktales or fairytales. altering traditional tales

• Hans Christian Anderson • Diane Stanley, John Scieszka,

Donna Jo Napoli, Shannon Hale