Folklore and Folktale

Key Difference – Folklore vs Folktale

 In every culture, folklore and folktales play a significant role.
Both are passed down from one generation to the other
through word of mouth. The key difference between folklore
and folktale is that the folklore refers to the
traditional beliefs and stories of a community. This usually
encompasses a large variety of components ranging from
one’s cultural practices to material culture. Folktales, on
the other hand, refer to the stories that have been passed
down from the ancestors of a particular group of people to
the younger generations. This highlights that folktales are a
part of folklore. They include the stories that belong to a
group of people that are passed down orally.
What is Folklore?
 Folklore refers to the traditional beliefs and stories of a community.
This includes folktales, myths, legends, beliefs,
practices, superstitions, etc. This highlights that folklore captures a wide
span. It can even be stated that folklore of a particular group of people is
built in accordance with their culture. People make sense of their
surrounding world through the usage of folklore. The various
superstitions, stories, beliefs all add up to the creation of this
cultural heritage.
 Folklore is passed down from one generation to another through word of
mouth. It was William J. Thoms who coined the word folklore in 1846.
Now folklore has even become a study of knowledge and culture of
different groups of people. There are many genres of folklore as well.
They are music, narratives, beliefs, religion, practices, material culture,
etc. In the study of folklore as an academic discipline, folklorists focus on
these aspects of various cultures in order to comprehend their folklore.
What is a Folktale?
 Unlike folklore that encompasses a large variety of cultural heritage,
folktales refer to stories that have been passed down from ancestors of a
particular group of people to the younger generations. These stories can
be quite different from one another and do not belong to the same
genre. For instance, folktales can include adventure stories, fairy tales,
historical tales, and even ghost tales. This emphasizes that folktales
include a blend of stories. These stories are passed down from one
generation to another through the word of mouth.
 Just as in the case of folklore where culture plays a huge impact, in
folktales also this impact can be seen very well. This is why people of
different groups have different folktales, based on their cultures.
However, the main elements of folktales are mostly universal. In each
story, we can find human beings as main characters. Some of these
characters can even have special powers. Folktales usually consist of
supernatural elements, action, justice, and even happy endings. Most
folktales provide the listener with a moral as well.
Local Folklore and Folktale
Foreign Folklore and Folktale
 The term “legend” describes a
subgenre of folklore that consists of
stories that are generally regarded as
historical but not completely
verifiable. They are often based on
real historical people or events and
can be narrowed down to a specific
time in history. While legends are
often embellished over time with
miraculous or mythical elements,
they are rooted in reality. Legends
usually involve heroic characters or
fantastic places and often encompass
the spiritual beliefs of the culture in
which they originate.
 A myth is another type of
traditional story that concerns the
early history of a culture. While
legends are based on historical
events and real people, myths are
largely rooted in a religion or
belief system. Some myths have
their origins in something real,
like a place, or a group of people
that existed historically, but a
myth’s purpose is to explain a
natural phenomenon, and often
contains supernatural or fantastic
beings, gods, and demigods
 Many of our favorite childhood stories
fall into the category of “fairy tales,”
which are less rooted in reality than
legends, or even myths. Fairy tales are
traditional stories, usually written for
children, which often involve imaginary
creatures (such as unicorns, elves,
witches, mermaids, or gnomes) as well
as strong elements of magic. The
traditional versions of fairy tales
originated in oral folklore and often
contain clear narratives that identify
good and evil. While many fairy tales
have morphed and changed throughout
the years, they remain a popular
foundation for both children and adult
stories alike.
 A fable is a short tale
passed down through the
generations that is
intended to teach a moral
lesson. Fables generally
feature talking animals,
or other creatures,
plants, inanimate objects,
or forces of nature that
are given human
qualities. The ancient
Greek storyteller Aesop
is famous for his
collection of fables.