This document provides an overview of traditional literature, including the main categories of folktales, fables, myths, epics, and legends. It describes some common folktale types such as cumulative tales, pourquoi tales, beast tales, and wonder tales. It also discusses typical characteristics of folktales, such as short, simple plot structures with good rewarded and evil punished, flat characters that are either completely good or completely evil, themes that present important cultural values, and common motifs. The study of folklore from different cultures can provide insights into those cultures and show universal qualities of humanity.

1. TRADITIONAL LITERATURE “ Once Upon A Time, in a Land Far Away…” ELE 620 Children’s Literature Cambridge College

2. BACKGROUND Definition: “Stories born of the oral tradition” Origins: Stories handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth They come from any country, any culture Similarities can be found in tales from one country to another No identifiable author Recognizable literary patterns in all types

3. CATEGORIES Folktales Fables Myths Epics and Legends

4. FOLKTALES Types of folktales: Cumulative tales Pourquoi tales Beast tales Wonder tales Realistic tales

5. CUMULATIVE TALES Increased repetition of details building to a quick climax Can be found in all cultures Examples: Gingerbread Boy, Henny Penny, Old Woman and Her Pig

6. POURQUOI TALES “Why” stories that explain certain animal traits or characteristics or human customs Found in many African and Native American cultures Example: “How the Animals Got Their Tales” “How Chipmunk Got His Stripes”

7. BEAST TALES Animals act and talk like humans Often appear as “tricksters” – weak outsmarts strong Common animal characters: Fish (Scandanavian, English, German) Bears, Wolves (Russian) Spiders, Rabbits, Monkeys, Tortoises, Crocodiles, Lions (African) Rabbits, Badgers, Monkeys, Bees (Japanese)

8. WONDER TALES Also called “Fairy Tales” Contain magic and supernatural Usually have fairies, or other magical characters such as witches, ogres, trolls, demons Often contain a quest, romance and adventure “ Once Upon a Time,” “Happily Ever After” Truth, love, kindness will prevail Wickedness, hate, evil will be punished

9. REALISTIC TALES Stories that involve no magic Could really have happened, some actually may have happened Begins with a real person but is embellished from many retellings Examples: Zlateh the Goat The Boy of the Three-Year Nap

10. TALL TALES Most common in American folklore Superlatives – biggest, highest, strongest… Mixture of humor, bravado, and pioneer spirit Examples: Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, John Henry, Johnny Appleseed

11. FOLK TALE CHARACTERISTICS What are the common characteristics in all folktales? Plot Structure Characterization Style Themes Motifs

12. PLOT STRUCTURE Short, simple, fast moving Humorous, happy endings Good rewarded, evil punished Wishes come true, but a task must be accomplished Youngest child usually succeeds, oldest defeated Repetition, responses and chants Number 3 is significant Quick establishment of time and place, although indefinite

13. CHARACTERIZATION Flat dimensions (completely good or completely evil) Examples: Beautiful girl who is virtuous, humble, patient Stepmothers who are ugly, cross, mean Poor are long-suffering, kind, generous Rich are hardhearted, conniving and dishonest

14. STYLE Offer opportunities for children to hear rich qualitative language and language patterns Should maintain the “flavor” of the culture but still understood by a wide audience Figurative language but not much description Often imitate sounds of the story Written as though a storyteller is speaking directly to the reader Maintains atmosphere of the culture of origin

15. THEMES Tells an entertaining story, while presenting important ideas Values of culture expressed such as humility, kindness, patience, sympathy, hard work, and courage Usually portray harsh acts / some violence Goals are not accomplished easily

16. MOTIFS Patterns which appear frequently in folktales Folklorists number and label the motifs “ The smallest part of a tale that can exist independently” Examples: youngest brother, clever trickster, fairy godmother, evil witch, terrifying giant, marvelous transformations, long sleep, 3 tasks, etc. Simple tales have several motifs, complex tales have many. Helps children to see patterns, compare and contrast across cultures

17. FABLES Usually associated with Aesop, a Greek slave born about 600 B.C. Brief tales that teach a lesson Mostly animal characters speaking as humans Examples: Lion and the Mouse, Tortoise and Hare, Crow and the Fox Characters are unnamed, impersonal Personalities not as lively as in trickster tales Represent aspects of human nature Plots based on single incident Quality based upon language and illustrations

18. MYTHS Evolved as primitive people sought to explain earth, sky, and human behavior Deal with human relationships with the gods, gods relationships with each other and human struggle with good and evil Contain action, suspense, and conflict Types of myths: Creation myths, Nature myths, Hero myths

19. EPICS AND LEGENDS A long narrative clustering around a single hero A story form that grew out of myths with gods intervening in some stories but mostly involve human heroes Heroes embodying all ideal characteristics of the time, highest morals of society Robin Hood (justice and freedom) King Arthur (chivalry) Knowledge of epics gives children understanding of different cultures, and models of greatness through the ages

20. ALL AROUND THE WORLD Every culture has produced folklore. The study of these tales can provide insights into the beliefs of these people, their values, their jokes, their lifestyles, histories. A cross-cultural study of folktales can provide children with an opportunity to discover the universal qualities of humankind.