Chapter 5: Folklore A literary Heritage

Defining folklore
- Folklore (traditional literature): the oldest of stories
o Folklore includes: Nursey rhymes, folktales, myths, epics and
legends, fables, songs and ballads
- Passed down by storytellers for hundreds/thousands of years
- Enlighten and entertain generations of listeners
- All began as oral stories
History of Folklore for young readers
- Storytelling began with songs and tales early societies made to
describe their daily work. Then stories were made to describe what
was unexplainable about life and these became hero legends, pourquoi
tales, and myths. Easliest printed stories were found as early as the
ninth century.
Considering Quality in Folklore
- Language
o Echoes spoken language with rich, natural rhythms
o Reflects the cultural integrity of early retellings
o Preserves the straightforward structure of oral stories
o Explores significant universal themes
- Illustrations
o Serve as examples of artistic excellence
o Complement and extend the narrative
o Offer authentic cultural detail
Patterns of Folklore
1. Conventions:
a. Story frame
2. Motifs:
a. Recurring salient element
3. Themes:
a. Express the values of the people who created when and reflect
their philosophy of life
Types of Folklore
- Nursery rhymes
o Form the foundation of many childrens literary heritage
o Contain rhythmic words and an imaginative use of words
- Folktales
 o Animal stories, fairy tales, tall tales, and narratives of
heroes/heroines
o Characters: Cleverness, bravery, or supreme silliness
o Stories contain very little ambiguity
o Conflict identified early
o Themes: values of creators
o Direct language and vivid vernacular
- Myths
o Used to answer fundamental questions about human beings
creation and the world
o Express beliefs and religious customs of ancient cultures
o Portray visions of destiny
o Exciting plots, memorable characters, heroic actions, challenging
situations and deep emotions
- Fables
o Brief tales that present a clear and unambiguous moral
- Epics & Legends
o Hero tales
o Courageous deeds of superhuman mortals in their struggles
against one another as well as gods/monsters
o Usually written in verse
Folklore in the classroom
Folklore is a foundation for future literary understanding
- Provides necessary background information for recognizing references
to folklore
- Allows students to start recognizing patterns, similarities, and make
predictions
- Increases students multicultural understanding
- Builds a bridge of understanding among all cultures and people
- Helps students use the same patterns and conventions in their own
writing