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”.
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).
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”
Types of Folk Literature
• Cinderella is an
example of a fairy
tale.
Types of Folk Literature
Folk tales
• Are about common
people.
• Are not realistic.
• Can have ghosts,
goblins and ogres.
Types of Folk Literature
•The Teeny-Tiny
Woman is an
example of a
folk tale.
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.
Types of Folk Literature
• King
Arthur is an
example of
a legend.
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.
Types of Folk Literature
• Hercules
is an
example
of a myth.
Types of Folk Literature
Pour quoi stories
• Are imaginative
stories of why or
how things in
nature came to be
that way.
Types of Folk Literature
• Why Mosquitoes Buzz
in People’s Ears is an
example of a pour
quoi tale.
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.
Types of Folk Literature
• The Hare
and the
Tortoise is
an example
of a fable.
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.
Types of Folk Literature
• Borreguita and the
Coyote is an example
of a trickster tale.
• Now look at the
books on your
table. Are they folk
literature, and if
they are, what kind
are they?