Myths (Greek)

Folktales

Fables

Legends

Fairy Tales

Trickster Tales

ORAL TRADITION NOTES

ALL KEEP THE PAST ALIVE

REVEAL VALUES OF THE SOCIETY

TEACH LESSONS ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR

WHAT’S IN COMMON BETWEEN THE FOUR TYPES OF ORAL TRADITION?

ATTEMPT TO ANSWER BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD/ EXPLAIN NATURAL EVENTS (VOLCANOES, LIGHTNING, FIRE,ETC)

CONSIDERED TRUTHFUL BY ORIGINATORS(CREATORS OF THE TALES)

INVOLVE GOD/GODDESSES(WHILE NEARLY ALL CULTURES SHARE

MYTHS)WE WILL FOCUS MOSTLY ON CLASSICAL GREEK MYTHOLOGY

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE—TO EXPLAIN/INFORM

MYTHS

Author’s Purpose-TO ENTERTAIN Shares the values of the societyFeatures humans or human-like animals

COMMON FOLKTALES:-Fairytales – has magical qualities(ex. Fairy

godmother) Cinderella-Tall Tale –characters are larger than life-

have superhuman abilities (Paul Bunyan, John Henry)

-Trickster Tale – character tricks their foe (nemesis) Br’er Rabbit, Native American Coyote tales

FOLKTALES

HAVE CHARACTERS THAT ARE ANIMALS

SHORT TALES THAT ILLUSTRATE MORALS

MORALS ARE MOST OFTEN STATED DIRECTLY (THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS…)

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE-TO EXPLAIN/INFORM

FABLES

BASED ON REAL EVENTS/PEOPLE (HISTORICALLY ACCURATE)

CONSIDERED FACTUAL BY THE TELLER PASSES ALONG INFORMATIONOFTEN INCLUDES A HERO/HEROINEAUTHOR’S PURPOSE—TOEXPLAIN/INFORM

EXAMPLES:-LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW- KING ARTHUR-“ROBIN HOOD” -GHOST STORIES -URBAN LEGENDS -CHAIN LETTERS

LEGEND