Folktales There are several types of folk tales

Folktales

There are several types of folk tales: Type of Folk Tale Tall Tale Myth Fable Origin Tale Trickster Tale Definition Example

Folktales • A folktale is an old story that originally was passed down orally, or by word of mouth. • Folktales were told for entertainment but many also teach lessons about proper behavior and show what values are important to the community. • Feature animals who behave like humans (anthropomorphism)

Tall Tale • A tall tale is a story, sometimes about real people, that has been exaggerated. • Tall tales use hyperbole, which is an extreme exaggeration found in literature. • Examples: Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill

Myth • A myth is a story usually featuring some supernatural being or god (the “hero”) which has been passed down for generations. • These stories usually explain a phenomenon of nature. • Example: The myth of Prometheus, which explains how humans got fire.

Fables • A fable is a very short story in which animals act like people to teach a lesson or a moral. • Example: Aesop’s Fables (The Fox and the Grapes, The Lion and the Mouse). • Lessons (morals) include things like: haste makes waste, beauty is only skin deep, to know a person you must stand in his or her shoes.

Origin Tales • A type of folktale that answers questions about how things began or came to be. • Example: Why Dogs are Tame, Brother Wolf • Tone: The author’s attitude toward his or her subject. Tone can be silly, serious, humorous, etc. Mood: the atmosphere or emotional quality of a story which affects how the reader feels. It is created through the details the author writes about and the words he or she chooses.

Fairy Tales • A type of folk tale that features magical elements such as dragons, fairies, gnomes, goblins, elves or giants. • Often the story will involve a far-fetched sequence of events. • Examples: Dragon, Dragon (it is really a modern fairy tale), Cinderella

Trickster Tale • A type of folktale that features a trickster character who disobeys normal behavior, often setting up traps and tricks for the other characters in the story. • Example: Doc Rabbit, Bruh Fox and Tar Baby