What is Folklore?

Folklore is the traditions,

custom, and stories that are
passed down within a culture.
Stories come in different forms
 Myths

 Legends

 Fables

 FolkTales
• Fairytales
• Pourquoi Tales
• Trickster Tales
 What are Myths?
Myths are the oldest
traditional stories. From
a time before telescopes
and satellites, they try
to answer questions
about the universe,
the origin of the world,
mysteries of nature,
or social customs.

Myths often include gods,

goddesses and heroes.
 What are legends?
Legends are stories handed
down from the past about a
specific person - usually
someone considered heroic.

They are usually about a real

person or event in history –
such as Ned Kelly or William
Tell.

However, legends often

contain exaggerations.
 What are fables?
A brief story that teaches
a lesson about human
nature, which is called
the moral of the story.

Fables use a great deal of

personification,
meaning there are
animals that act and
speak like human
beings.
 What are folk tales?
Folktales are stories that
have been passed from
generation to generation
by word of mouth.
They are often set in a
distant past with
supernatural events.
There can be personification,
characters as animals.
There also can be characters
that have super human
powers.
Folk tales also can display a
great deal of magic.
There are many kinds
of folktales
Three of the most
popular are
 Fairytales
 Pourquoi tales
 Trickster tales
 What are fairy tales?
A fairytale a kind of folktale
with witches and queens,
giants and elves, dragons,
talking animals and poor
(usually good) people – but
rarely fairies!
Magical things happen. A boy
becomes a bird, a princess
sleeps 100 years.
Objects can be enchanted – a
pumpkin turns into a coach.
Originally spoken, many were
written down & the versions
by Perrault, Hans Andersen
& the Brothers Grimm are
what we know today.
 What are Pourquoi Tales?
‘Pourquoi’ is French for
‘why?’
These folktales explain
natural phenomena –
why the sea is salt,
why the sky is far
away, why people die,
why animals have
special features (a
long, short or no tail
at all!)
 What are Trickster Tales?
These are folktales that
reflect an respect for
cleverness. There is
always one character
that plays a trick on
another. These tricks
are often extremely
humorous.
Coyote is the native American
trickster
 Quiz Yourself!
1. Myth a. uses animal characters,
funny

2. Fable b. based on a real person or

event

3. Legend c. usually has gods and

goddesses

4. Trickster Tale a. one character is celebrated

from outwitting another.

5. Folk Tale b. contains a lesson to be

learned

6. Pourquoi Tale a. explains the story behind

why something is the way it
is
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