Transcript Myths, Legends and Folktales

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Storytelling is common to every culture. Most
people enjoy listening to stories. Storytellers
have catered to the need for a 'good story' since
the beginning of civilization.
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Most people have their own favorite story from
childhood and, often, these tales are both
fascinating and frightening. These stories include
legends, myths and folktales.
Merlin the
Magician
A
legend is a semi-true story, which has
been passed on from person-to-person and
has important meaning or symbolism for
the culture in which it originates.
 A legend usually includes an element of
truth, or is based on historic facts, but with
'mythical qualities'.
 Legends usually involve heroic characters or
fantastic places and often encompass the
spiritual beliefs of the culture in which they
originate.
A myth is a story based on tradition or legend,
which has a deep symbolic meaning.
 A myth 'conveys a truth' to those who tell it and
hear it, rather than necessarily recording a true
event. Although some myths can be accounts of
actual events, they have become transformed by
symbolic meaning or shifted in time or place.
 Myths are often used to explain universal and
local beginnings and involve supernatural beings.
The great power of the meaning of these stories,
to the culture in which they developed, is a major
reason why they survive as long as they do sometimes for thousands of years.
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A folktale is a popular story that was passed on in
spoken form, from one generation to the next. Usually
the author is unknown and there are often many versions
of the tale.
Folktales comprise fables, fairy tales, old legends and even
'urban legends'. Again, some tales may have been based on
a partial truth that has been lost or hidden over time. It
is difficult to categorize folktales precisely because they
fit into many categories.
Folk tales are often referred to as Tall Tales.
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Myths, legends and folktales are hard to classify and often
overlap.
Imagine a line (or continuum) as illustrated below, with an
historical account based on facts at one end and myths or
cultural folktales at the other.
As you progress towards the mythical/folktale end of the
line, what an event symbolizes to people, or what they
feel about it, becomes of greater historical significance
than the facts, which become less important.
By the time you reach the far end of the spectrum, the
story has taken on a life of its own and the facts of the
original event, if there ever was one, have become almost
irrelevant.
It is the message that is important.
As well as making fascinating reading, these stories
also tell us a great deal about how people in the past saw,
and understood, the world around them. There are many
reasons why stories are told and passed down the
generations. Here are just a few of them:
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To strengthen a community and provide a common
understanding.
Stories often reflect the beliefs of the people who tell
them. The popularity of any story depends on whether
those listening approve of the values underlying it.
By telling and listening to stories, people confirmed their
ideas about the world around them.
Things that people found scary, infuriating, or desirable
all found their way into the stories and they were passed
on, because people wanted to be assured that other
people around them were thinking along the same lines.
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As a way of providing moral guidance and showing
people how they should conduct themselves,
including the consequences of not doing so, myths
and legends, like any good stories, often include a
moral. Within the myth, the hurt or embarrassment
experienced by people is often due to their own
stupidity, greed, dishonesty or negligence.
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To explain how the world works, for example why
the seasons change, and to explain strange
happenings or phenomena such as eclipses - the
reasons for which were unknown in early times.
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For entertainment purposes, stories were told to
amuse and enthrall an audience in the days before TV
and other forms of mass entertainment.
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Myth were composed to pass on history and knowledge, such as
the outcome of battles and tales of courage, in ages when many
people could not read or write.
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Many myths have an element of truth that has been built
upon and embellished over the years.
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Some were composed for fame, money or recognition - as in
all areas of life, not all stories were told for good reasons. For
example, stories of bravery in battle could enhance the status
of an individual or a group or, in later centuries, a good ghost
story could be sold for money. The truth was not always the
most important consideration.
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Regardless of why they were told, many of the stories still
remain popular today and, although we no longer swap stories
around the fireside, the tradition of storytelling still continues
in the form of urban legends. Many older stories also live on in
current day carnivals or festivals, which have their roots in a
very different past.
A re-telling of an old story.
 The orientation/setting is typically timeless e.g.
‘Long, long ago...’
‘ Before animals walked the earth...’
 A single animal is representative of all animals
of that kind.
 Natural forces like wind and fire are
represented by gods or god-like form.
 The resolution of myths and legends explain
why things are the way we are
 A classic opening and\or closing (e.g. Once upon
a time…., And they all lived happily after)
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 Stereotypes
e.g. Animals e.g. wolves are
bad; rescuers are male
 The involvement of supernatural forces, e.g.
fairy godmothers, creatures that can talk
 Tales are based around themes like trickery
and foolishness
A
tall tale is a story that provides enjoyment
to a wide variety of audiences. Tall tales
stretch the imagination through colorful
figurative language and exaggerations.
 Tall
tales are also known as lying tales;
they are humorous exaggerations.
 Tall tales may come from other countries
but we are most familiar with American
ones.
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Tall tales are often about the frontier days in the United
States. They are an exaggeration of the hardships of
frontier life.
Tall tales may be about animals, weather,
everyday events, and ordinary people; but the more
famous tales are about heroes.
Tall tales often feature over-sized people
and exaggerated deeds.