What is Folklore?

Stories that were told out loud before being written down.

What type of stories do you think people told?

•Fable•Parable•Mythology•pourquoi•Legend•Fairytale

Fable

• fable is a brief story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities), and that illustrates a moral lesson.

• http://www.aesopfables.com/aesop1.html

Parable

• A simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson that does not uses animals or forces of nature (like a fable).

• What famous people used parables to teach with?

Parable of the Sower of Weeds

Mythology

• Stories that explain the physical world from a religious point of view using gods and goddesses.

Hercules

and

Pegasus

Pourquoi

• Pourquoi [por-kwa] means "why" in French. Pourquoi tales are old legends told to explain why certain events happened. These tales often start in the past, e.g. A long, long time ago . . . and end when the explanation is complete. Pourquoi tales are most often concerned with animals and the natural world.

Legend• An unverified story handed down from

earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical.

• A body or collection of such stories.

• A romanticized or popularized myth of modern times.

King Arthur or Robin Hood

Fairytale

• A fanciful tale of legendary deeds and creatures, usually intended for children.

• A fictitious, highly fanciful story or explanation.

• Includes some sort of magic

Twelve Dancing Princesses

Why did people tell stories?

• Entertainment (something to do)-What would you do if you did not have books, computers, tv, ipods, etc...?

• Explain the world around them? Ex. Why does the earth shake?

• To talk about God.

• To tell their own life experiences.

• To enjoy the art of language.

What stories do you tell today?

• Family stories• Jokes• Riddles• Poems• Funny stories• Scary Stories• Shared Stories• Bedtimes• Romantic Stories