1. Folklore

2. Oral Narrative • A story that is told, sung, or performed…Oral Narratives can be written down

3. Historically Speaking… • Help to explain the natural world • Help to articulate fears/dreams • Provide order to a society • Provide understanding of a culture’s values, beliefs, mores, etc. • Entertainment

4. motif • Smallest meaningful unit of a story

5. Variant • A deviation from standard text

6. Cultural Variants Monogenesis Polygenesis • One story created in one location and eventually spread to other cultures orally • Cultures develop similar stories because these stories address needs/desires/etc. that are common to all people

7. Porquoi tales • Etiological tales…how things come about/to be

8. Fable • A simple folktale that illustrates an ethical point. • Often features animals but not animal tales • Moral is stated

9. Animal Tale • A simple story in which animals play a major role • Subgenre: Trickster Tale=animals that play tricks and behave mischievously

10. A sacred narrative set in the primordial past

11. Myth Tower of Babel

12. Tall Tale • A deliberate, exaggerated lie told with a straight face for humorous effect.

13. Legends • Stories that people tell about events/people that are purportedly real/true. • Told to inform, warn, advise, enlighten • Distinctive beginning • Real World, supernatural, realistic/well rounded characters

14. Fairytales • Stories that are fictional, created to entertain and sometimes instruct. • 1st collection of tales were collected and published by the Grimm Brothers in 1812 • Distinctive and recognizable beginning and end • Fantasy, supernatural, flat/stereotypical characters

15. Literary tales • Modern adaptations of traditional folk literature

16. Sub-genres of Literary tales Traditional Style Fractures • Authors write in the traditional style of folktales or fairytales. • Hans Christian Anderson • Authors create new tales by altering traditional tales • Diane Stanley, John Scieszka, Donna Jo Napoli, Shannon Hale