Types of Traditional Literature
Storytellers of old were not concerned in classifying their tales; they just wanted to tell a good story. Their tales were so
good that they were passed on through generations. Today’s storytellers still follow the old tradition; therefore, folktales
remain reflecting their past forms, yet sometimes expressing the current culture. Traditional literature is still alive, being
retold and updated. Modern folklorists wish to classify the stories, but it is difficult to fit some tales into a class by
themselves.
Folktales, according to Carl Tomlinson and Carol Lynch-Brown's Essentials of Children's Literature are "stories that
grow out of the lives and imaginations of the people, or folk." They are a form of traditional literature which began as an
attempt to explain and understand the natural and spiritual world. The oral tradition of folktales remained until the twelfth
century; then the literary versions began to circulate in Europe.
Some scholars argue that folktales were passed through the migrations of peoples. Once developed, they spread from
country to country through people, for example "sailors and soldiers, women stolen from their tribes, slaves and captives
of war, traders, minstrels and bands, monks and scholars, and young men on the grand tour," as stated by Sutherland
and Arbuthnot in Children and Books. The stories circulated in consistent, yet shifting form due to the fact that each
teller would slightly alter the words. Interestingly, the folktales that traveled by land changed a great deal because of the
retelling process, while those that traveled by sea were more similar in version. Folklorists agree that most folktales were
created at early stages of civilization. <http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/tradcarney.htm>
What is 398.2?
The 398.2 section of the library is numbered according to the Dewey Decimal System. Folktales, fairy tales and fables of
the world are shelved in this nonfiction area. The children's and the adult sections of the library have a 398.2 folktale
area. These simplified versions of multicultural oral tales are an excellent source of folktale plots with which to explore the
storytelling process. By retelling folktales one can gain insights into the similarities and differences of peoples around the
world. <http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/retelling/findingtales.html>
View the following Powerpoint Presentation: Elements of Folktales by A. Reyes
What is a Folktale?
There are numerous definitions of folktale; none of them is quite the same. Here are some examples:
Folktales
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oral narratives that do not have a singular, identifiable author
expanded and shaped by the tongues of tellers over time
passed down from one generation to the next
reflected values and customs of the culture from which they com.
concerned with life's universal themes
revealed the commonality of human experience
showed the comedy and pathos of our lives
<http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/retelling/findingtales.html>
Folktales
 differ from myths and legends
 do not always have a religious aspect
 do not always find a basis in historical truth
 are “stories of the people”
 involve fictitious characters and situations
 were oral traditions before they were written down. <http://www.indiana.edu/~afrist/Beaver/Folktales.htm>
Folktales
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Sometimes called "Cottage tales"
Stories of the common folk. <http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/form2.htm>
Folktales
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any story that has been passed down through the generations
so familiar to us that we can tell them without having the written text in front of us
<http://schoolweb.missouri.edu/nixa.k12.mo.us/sullivan/tales/teacher.htm>
Trying to classify traditional literature by characteristics is not easy (see chart below).
Type
Folktales
Whatever Happens, Happens for the Best...
Cumulative folktales
The Gingerbread Man
Fairy Tales
Cinderella
Tales of magic
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
Animal tales/talking beasts stories
Puss in Boots
Fables
The Tortoise and the Hare
Drolls or humorous tales
When Schlmiel Went to Warsaw
Trickster tales
How Coyote Came by His Powers
Br'er Rabbit Gets Br'er Fox's Dinner
Noodle head tales (humorous folktales)
Lazy Jack
Myths
Cupid and Psyche
Religious tales
Noah’s Ark
Pourquoi tales
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Legends
Robin Hood
Realistic stories
Blue Beard
Tall tales
Paul Bunyon
Epics
Odyssey
Ballads
Tom Dooley
Proverbs
Look before you leap.
Romances
Beauty and the Beast
Characteristic
almost any traditional narrative, either oral or literary; defies
classification; important plot; shallow characters
Repeat actions, refrains in sequence; simplest of all; not much plot;
events occur logically
Always fictional; occurring in a never never land; magic, wonder,
giants, witches, magic, tasks, ogres
Fairy tales; enchantment
Stories about animals with exaggerated human characteristics who
outwit enemies
brief tale in verse or prose that conveys a moral lesson giving
human characteristics to animals and inanimated things; descends
from tales attributed to Aesop, a Greek slave in the 6th century BCE
Silly stories about silly characters who make humorous mistakes
Characters are able to dupe other characters (especially rabbits and
coyotes); the trickster is “going along,” encounters a situation to
which he responds with knavery, stupidity, or gluttony.
Silly humans, stupid characters
Explain the origin of the world and natural phenomena; exploits of
gods, demigods, and heroes; a glorified past age; rooted in ancient
religions and traditions
Oral tradition; stories from the Bible
Pourquoi" [por-kwa] means "why" in French; written to explain why
things are the way they are and usually describe something in
nature
Often based on historical figures with embellished deeds; story told
as a fact and covering: creation and/or origin; supernatural beings
such as elves or ghosts; historic characters, such as Robin Hood
Possible; no magic
Uniquely American; larger-than-life characters; anecdotes about
astonishing exploits and adventures
Narrative poems of human heroes who embody the ideals of a
culture; sometimes considered as a sub-category of myth.
Rhyme and rhythm set to music
Stated maxim or moral of a fable
Lovers are separated and strive to be reunited
Above information taken from the following sources:
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http://www.pantheon.org/areas/folklore/folktales/folktales.html
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http://www.answers.com/topic/tall-stories-1
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http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/form2.htm
Why do folktales appeal to children?
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Start quickly
Have action
Have humor
Reward good
Punish evil
Stereotypes characters
Are short
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Represent the world as children perceive it
Have predictable form and content
Are easily understood
Include heroes and heroines
Solve the problem/dilemma
Have rhyme and repetition
Amazing links you should explore
A Tale to Be Told http://schoolweb.missouri.edu/nixa.k12.mo.us/sullivan/tales/index.htm
Take the time to look at this one—it is well worth it.; through a fairy tale, learn to write one
Forms of Traditional Literature http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/form2.htm
People Who Like Folktales sites http://www.stumbleupon.com/tag/folktales/
Folktales: Ananse the Spider Trickster http://www.lehigh.edu/~tqr0/ghanaweb/folktales.html
Types of Folktales (includes over 2000 tales) http://www.lehigh.edu/~tqr0/ghanaweb/folktales.html
Folktales: an assortment of tales from around the world http://www.pantheon.org/areas/folklore/folktales/
Aaron’s Storybook: folktales, fairy tales, tall tales, myths, legends, and more
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/index.html#folk
Talespin: Folktales for Children http://www.pitara.com/Talespin/folktales.asp stories online
Tales of Wonder: Folk and Fairy Tales from Around the World http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/
New Fairy tales (stories online) http://www.rosemarylake.com/
Native American Trickster Tales http://members.cox.net/academia/coyote.htm
Mythology: mythology is divided into 6 geographical regions: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/
Genealogy Tables: tables of various pantheons and principal gods; Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Norse, Roman
http://www.pantheon.org/areas/genealogy/
Folklore and Mythology electronic texts http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
American Folklore: This folklore site contains retellings of American folktales, Native American myths and legends,
tall tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from every state http://www.americanfolklore.net/
African-American Almanac: Folktales
Russian Folktales