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
one location and
eventually spread to
other cultures orally
Cultures develop
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
• Authors write in the traditional
style of folktales or fairytales.
• Hans Christian Anderson
Fr a c t u r e s
• Authors create new tales by
altering traditional tales
• Diane Stanley, John Scieszka,
Donna Jo Napoli, Shannon Hale