Prepared by: Amirrul Amir Roland James John

What is folklore?
-

Folklore is a broad field of study that concerns itself with the ways in which people

make meaning in their lives.

-

study of folklore is sometimes called folkloristic

Can be divided into four area of studies

1. Aartefact (such as voodoo dolls)

2. describable and transmissible entity

(oral tradition) 3. Culture 4. Behaviour (rituals)

Myths, legends, folktales, jokes, proverbs, riddles, chants, charms, blessings, curses, oaths, insults, retorts, taunts, teases, toasts,

tongue-twisters, and greeting and leavetaking formulas (e.g., See you later, alligator) and etc

What is mythology?
-

A body or collection of myths (a mythos) as well as the study of them

In folkloristicss view, a myth is a sacred

narrative usually explaining how the world or humankind came to be in its present form

Main characters are usually: Gods, supernatural

heroes and humans

-

As sacred stories, usually endorsed by rulers and priests and linked to religion or spiritually Explain how the world gained its current form, how customs, institutions and taboos were established

The earth-maker myth (Native American mythos, California) The Primary Chronicle (Slavic mythos, 12th

century)

Is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse

Features animals, mythical creatures, plants,

inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities) Differs from parables in the latter excludes animals, plants, inanimate objects and forces of

nature as actors that assume speech and other

powers of humankind.

Aesop (620-564 BC) Examples:

The Lion and the Mouse Fable The Dog and the Shadow Fable The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse Fable The Ant and the Grasshopper Fable The Bear and the Two Travelers The Hare and the Tortoise The Fox and the Grapes

Legends are set in the present or recent past. Legends are supposedly true and are used to scare, teach, inform, or entertain.

While they may be true, they tend to be

exaggerated, or distorted over time. Legends are stories that are handed down through generations- usually by oral tradition.

Always about humans but can have magic or

supernatural events Based on real people who are considered heroes

Story handed down for many years

Passed off as a true story

Examples:
-Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, -Robin Hood

A story from the past about a subject that was, or is believed to have been, historical Many legends tell about human beings

who meet supernatural creatures

Historical but not always factual

Modern folklore consisting of stories believed by

their tellers to be true

Set in todays time; not historical Contains an element of mystery, horror, fear or humor Rarely able to be traced to original origins and if they can be traced, the connections are often obscured by later embellishment or adaptation

Often told on behalf of the original witness or participant. Ex. I know someone who Dire warnings are often given to those who

might not heed the legends warning

Include a degree of plausibility

A parable is a succinct story, in prose or verse,

which illustrates one or more instructive

principles, or lessons, or (sometimes) a normative principle. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters,

while parables generally feature human

characters. It is a type of analogy.

The word "parable" comes from

the Greek (parabol), meaning "comparison, illustration, analogy".It was the name given by Greek rhetoricians to any fictive illustration in the form of a brief narrative.

Later it came to mean a fictitious narrative,

generally referring to something that might naturally occur, by which spiritual and moral matters might be conveyed.

A parable is a short tale that illustrates universal truth, one of the simplest of narratives. It sketches a setting, describes an action, and shows

the results.

It often involves a character facing a moral dilemma, or making a questionable decision and then suffering the consequences. Though the meaning of a parable is often not explicitly stated, the meaning is not usually intended to be hidden or secret but on the contrary quite straightforward and obvious.

The defining characteristic of the parable is the presence of a prescriptive subtext suggesting how a person should behave or believe. Aside from providing guidance and

suggestions for proper action in life, parables

frequently use metaphorical language which allows people to more easily discuss difficult or complex ideas.

Parables teach an abstract argument, using

a concrete narrative which is more easily grasped The parable can be distinguished from other narrative types which have a moral content, such as the apologue and the allegory, although this distinction has not always been

clear.

Examples of parables include:

The Parables of Jesus Ignacy Krasicki's "Son and Father", "The Farmer", "Litigants" and "The Drunkard". The Rooster Prince a Hasidic parable.

The Stanley Parable

http://www.taleswithmorals.com/ http://www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_fables_aesop.html http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/children-fables http://www.taleswithmorals.com/aesop-fable-the-lionand-the-mouse.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fable http://www.eastoftheweb.com/cgibin/read_db.pl?subgenre_display=2&genre=children&sear ch_field=subgenre&search_for=fables&order_by=author_l ast,title&page=1&type_ind=stories http://www.kidspages.com/folders/stories/Aesops_Fables/page1.htm