Traditional literature provides insight into cultural beliefs and human nature by passing down stories through generations. It is important for children to learn about traditional stories from cultures around the world, which have been orally transmitted and written down over history. Traditional literature includes folktales, fables, myths, and legends that convey cultural norms and have similarities across isolated cultures. These stories were originally oral but were later written down, though storytellers could adapt them, and they use rhyme and rhythm to aid memory.

1. Traditional literature can provide a window on cultural beliefs and on the spiritual and psychological qualities that are
part of the human nature. These stories also form the basis for many works of more modern literature, drama, and
other art forms.
It is important to help children become familiar with the rich heritage of stories that have come down to us from
cultures around the world.
Traditional literature consists ofstories thathave been passed down orallyand in written form throughouthistory. Traditional literature
is found in cultures throughoutthe world reflecting the norms ofit's people.
Traditional literature is the oldest type of literature our youth will encounter. These stories originated as part of
an oral tradition and were recorded at a later date. While traditional literature isnow "solidly" written down so
that readers can have a tangible and consistent piece of literature in their hands, this was not generally the case
when they were originally told. Due to the fact that this type of literature was originally oral in nature, there were
often various versions of a story and each storyteller wasable to use his own poetic license to add or remove
what he saw fit for his audience. Readerswill also notice with this genre that the plots are solid and clear cut
and that they contain rhymes and rhythms. This was to help those who spoke and listened to the original stories
to remember them.
In this genre of literature, readers will encounter various types of folklore, fable, myth, and legend. They will also come to
realize that much of this folklore, fable, myth, and legend expands across cultures. For example, many cultures will tell the
same tales, like Rapunzel, yet it will be suited to the elements of the story are suited to fit the culture that is telling it. This
is a characteristic of this literature that has boggled the minds of anthropologists for years. The simple fact that across
cultures and time that these tales have been crafted according to the needs of the culture with the same basic motifs and
messages is really quite amazing. This is especially true since many cultures that have produced similar tales were
isolated from each other
Heritage refers to something inherited from the past. The word has several different senses, including:
 Natural heritage, an inheritance of fauna and flora, geology, landscape and landforms, and other natural
resources
 Cultural heritage, the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society: man-made
heritage
 Food heritage
 Industrial heritage, monuments from industrial culture
 Virtual Heritage, an ICT work dealing with cultural heritage
 Inheritance of physical goods after the death of an individual; of the physical or non-physical things inherited
 Heredity, biological inheritance of physical characteristics
 Birthright, something inherited due to the place, time, or circumstances of someone's birth
 Kinship, the relationship between entities that share a genealogical origin
Folk tales a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, esp. one forming part of the oral tradition of
the common people.
2. any belief or story passed on traditionally, esp. one considered to be false or based on superstition. Also,folk'tale".Also
called folk' sto"ry.
A folktale is often defined as a tale or legend that begins from and is traditional among a people or
folk. It is different from myths and legends because they do not always have religious leanings, and
are not based on historical truths. Folktales especially form a part of the oral tradition of the common

2. people. In simpler terms, a folktale is a story that springs from the shared history of a particular
community. This history is then passed down through storytelling – earlier oral, now including print.
This traditional folktale doesn’t have an individual author; instead it is owned by the community. The
folktale contains the entire culture of the community, which also differentiates it from other groups.
This collective conscious stored within the folktales is the reason why telling folktales in the
classroom is a matter of utmost importance.
There are different types of folktales among various communities, but they all fit into a basic pattern.
One type of folktale explains the world around us. They explain why some animals look and behave
the way they do, or why the moon has phases etc. These types of tales are popular and are present
in every culture. Whether they are the tales of Anansi, the spider, which are believed to have
originated in the Ashanti people in Ghana, or the legendaryPanchatantra from India, nature
folktales teach the reader about how communities explained natural phenomena. Holland / The
Netherlands – The Flying Dutchman and Other Folktales from The Netherlands is another
collection that offers complete animal tales and tales of magic to religious and realistic stories. This
collection has stories that explain the traditional rural society of Netherlands, while showcasing
stories that have sprung from the present which shows modern, urban, and multi-ethnic Holland.
Another type of folktale is the “how-and-why”. As the term indicates, these stories seek to provide
answers to how something came into existence, why some things are the way they are. For
instance, How the Emu got Short Wings from The Dreaming of the Roughtail Lizard and Other Stories
is an Aboriginal tale used to explain to children the Emu’s short wings. Another great example of
folktales that represent the communities’ quest for answers is the tale of Kun-Man-Gur, The Rainbow
Serpent. This tale perfectly captures the Aboriginal answers to questions such as how and why the
world was created.
The third type of folktale is the “good vs. evil”. The theme is pretty simple in these tales and was
clearly constructed by the communities to understand complex moral values. They were further used
to impart knowledge to the younger generation to help them sort through life’s many confusing
problems. In these stories, the timid little boys and girls often became heroes, rising above
themselves to defeat an evil force such as trolls or giants. The Norwegian Folktales Books offers an
ideal collection of such stories.
Yet another type of folktale is clearly aimed at cultivating “virtues”. These folktales praise qualities
such as kindness, truth, honesty and hard work. The community used such folktales as lessons of
value to teach young children desirable behavior. The World of Indian Stories and English
Folktales are resources that introduce the readers to the morals and values as practiced by these two
distinct communities.
Storytelling is common to every culture. Most people enjoy listening to stories. Storytellers have catered for
the need for a 'good story' since the beginning of civilization.
Most people have their own favourite story from childhood and, often, these tales are both fascinating and
frightening. These stories include legends, myths and folktales.

3. What are legends?
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.
What are myths?
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.
What are folktales?
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.
What is the difference between legends, myths and folktales?
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 symbolises 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 were any, have become almost irrelevant. It is the message
that is important.
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, and images, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories
or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation,and
instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of
view.