Folk Literature

1
Folk Literature

• Myths,Folk Tales,Fables, Legends,
• andFairy Tales

2
Characteristics of Folk Literature

• Oral Tradition-passing of stories by word of
  mouth from one generation to the next.
• Universal Theme-a message about life that can be
  understood by people of most cultures.
• Fantasy-a type of writing that is highly
  imaginative and contains elements not found in
  real life.

3
Characteristics of Folk Literature

• Personification-figurative language in which a
  non human subject is given human characteristics.
  
• Example The alarm clock screamed at me to get
  up.
• Hyperbole-An exaggeration or overstatement. Used
  for comic effect.
• Example The wrestler is as big as an ox.

4
Characteristics of Folk Literature

• Dialect-Form of a language spoken by people of a
  particular region or group.
• Example People who live in the Lowcountry of
  S.C. have a different dialect than those from the
  Upstate.
• Local customs-Unique traditions or ways of life
  of a particular group.
• Example-Quinceañera, for Hispanic girls

5
What is a myth?A myth is a story that explains
something about the world and involves gods and
heroes. Every ancient culture has its own
mythology.
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Examples of Myths

• Yu and the Great Flood
• Medusas Head
• Quetzalcoatl
• Daedalus and Icarus

7
What is a Folk Tale?

• A folk tale is a story with no known author.
  Folk tales are passed down from one generation to
  another by word of mouth. They often deal with
  heroes, adventure, magic, or romance.

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Examples of Folk Tales

• Why Dog Chases Cat-USA
• The Cowherd and the Girl Weaver-Chinese
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves-Arabic
• He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit-African

9
What is a fable?

• Fables are brief stories in prose or in verse,
  usually with animal characters, that teach a
  lesson or moral that is stated directly at the
  end.

10
Examples of Fables

• The Crow and the Pitcher
• The Lion and the Mouse
• The Country Mouse and the City Mouse
• The Ant and the Grasshopper

11
What is a Legend?

• A legend is a story based on fact. Over time,
  however, details in legends move further away
  from factual events to describe people and
  actions that are more fictional than real.
• Legends are a cultures familiar and traditional
  stories.

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Examples of Legends

• Paul Bunyan and Big Blue
• John Henry
• Pecos Bill
• Sluefoot Sue
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (the Headless
  Horseman)

13
What is a fairy tale?

• A fairy tale is a type of imaginative writing
  that carries the reader into an invented world
  where the laws of nature, as we know them, do not
  operate.

14
Examples of Fairy Tales

• Cinderella-French
• Ella Enchanted-Modern take
• Rose Ellen-Appalachian
• Sootface-American Indian
• The Toad-Bridegroom-Korean

15
Lets Review

• Which genre teaches a moral at the end?
• What are two examples of myths?
• What is a story with no known author?
• What is an example of a folk tale?
• What kind of story is based on fact?
• What kind of story is Pandoras Box?