Definitions
Stories originating in popular culture that are passed down by word of mouth
Folk Tales
What typically happens to folk tales over time?
They change and adapt with retellings
In the story Perseus, the main character is told to bring back Medusa's head. Which element of Myth is this?
A difficult or impossible task or quest
In the story of Robin Hood, the fact that he practically never missed with his bow is an example of which element of Legend?
Heroes are made larger than life, exaggerated
What types of characters do you usually see if Fables?
Characters are often animals or inanimate objects with human characteristics
Cinderella's Fairy Godmother would be an example of what element of Fairy Tales?
Include magic or magical elements and characters
The fact that Paul Bunyan is supposedly so tall his head is in the clouds is an example of which element of Tall Tales?
Lots of exaggeration and hyperbole
Folk tale that teaches lessons about life through short stories using animals and inanimate objects.
Fable
How were oral traditions typically preserved before written language?
Through memorization and retelling
Which of the elements of myth is the main reason myths were created and told?
Explanation of how something in Nature or Society came to be
True or False:
In Legends you are likely to find supernatural and magical characters.
False
What is type of figurative language do Fables often use when they give human characteristics to their characters?
Personification
How do Fairy Tales often start that indicates that the setting is a non-specific time and place in the past?
Once upon a time...
John Henry's hammer and Babe the Blue Ox are examples of which element of Tall Tales?
Main character usually has a companion animal or object that helps them
Folk tale that tells a story with magical creatures, objects, or characters.
Fairy Tale
What is the primary purpose of oral traditions in cultures around the world?
To pass down history, values, and cultural knowledge
In the story How the Seasons Came To Be the characters of Shakok (the spirit of winter) and Miochin (the spirit of summer) represent which element of myth?
Gods/Goddesses or other Supernatural forces
What is different about the setting in a Legend than in other types of folk tales?
They take place in a specific time and place
True or False:
Fables tend to be short and have a limited number of characters.
True
The fact that Prince Phillip defeats the dragon form of Maleficint is an exmple of which element of Fairy Tales?
Heroes always triumph
John Henry successfully digging a tunnel through a mountain by hand is an example of which element of Tall Tales?
Main characters achieve great things with strength or wits
Folk tale that contains extreme amounts of exaggeration in who the characters are and what they do.
Tall Tales
Which of the following best describes a folk tale?
A. A story that only exists in written form
B. A scientific document
C. A story passed down through generations by word of mouth
D. A modern fictional story
C. A story passed down through generations by word of mouth
The character of Hercules would be representative of which element of myth?
Heroic characters
Lady Godiva was a real person, but much of the stories about her have things that did not happen. Which element of Legend does this fact represent?
Often combine real people or events with fictional ones
What is always included at the end of a Fable?
A moral or lesson that the Fable is meant to teach
True or False:
Fairy Tales sometimes have sad endings.
False
Descriptions of Paul Bunyan making the Mississippi River or Rocky Mountains is an example of which element if Tall Tales?
Often explain familiar landmarks came to be
Folk tale that attempts to explain the natural and social forces of the world.
Myth
What role do storytellers play in oral traditions?
They maintain and share cultural heritage
What Greek poet wrote the mythic, epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey?
Homer
What is the modern version of the Legend that has become popular due to social media called?
Urban Legend
What is the name of the Greek storyteller and philosopher credited with writing most of the well known Fables?
Aesop
Who were the brothers best known for compiling and writing down most of the well known Fairy Tales?
The Grimm Brothers
American Tall Tales got started and became popular during which part of American history?
The Westward Expansion
Folk tale that tells the story of real people or events, but in a way that makes them epic or heroic in some way.
Legend
A type of human communication that passes down knowledge, culture, and art from generation to generation through the spoken word and telling of stories.
Oral Traditions