folk literature, also called folklore
Folklore
Folklore is the expressive body of culture shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. These include oral traditions such as tales, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging from traditional building styles to handmade toys common to the group. Folklore also includes customary lore, the forms and rituals of celebr…
What is the difference between folktales and folklore?
is that folklore is the tales, legends and superstitions of a particular ethnic population while folktale is a tale or story that is part of the oral tradition of a people or a place. Other Comparisons: What's the difference?
What can you do with a folklore degree?
Folklorists work in a variety of settings, including various academic departments in colleges and universities, libraries, museums, archives, historical associations, arts councils, the publishing industry, funding agencies, and the federal government, to name a few.
What does folklore mean?
The study and scientific investigation of these. Folklore is defined as stories, customs and beliefs in a culture that are unwritten and passed down orally from generation to generation. An example of folklore is a story about where their family came from told to a grandchild by his grandma.
Is folklore a noun?
noun folklore the traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc., of a people; lore of a people. 1; noun folklore the study of such lore. 1; noun folklore a body of widely held but false or unsubstantiated beliefs. 1; noun folklore The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth. 1
What is the best definition of folklore?
Definition of folklore 1 : traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people The coyote appears in much of Native American folklore. Paul Bunyan is a figure from folklore. 2 : a branch of knowledge that deals with folklore a specialist in folklore.
What is the importance of folklore in literature?
The main purpose of folklore is to convey a moral lesson and present useful information and everyday life lessons in an easy way for the common people to understand. Folk tales sugarcoat the lessons of hard life in order to give the audience pointers about how they should behave.
What are 3 different types of folklore?
Folklore is divided into three categories: verbal, partly verbal or customary, and non-verbal or material culture.
Why is it called folklore?
Folklore is a combination of the words folk and lore which dates from 1846. The former refers to a community of people, and the latter comes from the Old English lar, meaning learning or knowledge. Folk, in this sense, is also used in terms like folk music, folk dance, and folktale.
What are the characteristics of folklore?
They include material culture, ranging from traditional building styles to handmade toys common to the group. Folklore also includes customary lore, taking actions for folk beliefs, the forms and rituals of celebrations such as Christmas and weddings, folk dances and initiation rites.
What is the study of folklore called?
Folkloristics, the study of Folklore, is the study of human expressive culture, and includes myths, legends, folk- and fairy-tales, jokes, proverbs, jump-rope rhymes, material culture, and much more.
What are the element of folklore?
Folklore is the body of expressive culture, including tales, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, material culture, and so forth, common to a particular population, comprising the traditions (including oral traditions) of that culture, subculture, or group.
What are the four functions of folklore?
Folklorist William Bascom (1965) identifies four functions of folklore that also work in the family folk group. He asserts that folklore serves to (1) amuse, (2) validate culture, (3) educate, and (4) maintain conformity.
What are the 4 types of folklore?
Genres of FolkloreMaterial culture:folk art, vernacular architecture, textiles, modified mass-produced objects.Music: traditional, folk, and world music.Narrative: legends, urban legends, fairy tales, folk tales, personal experience narratives.Verbal art: jokes, proverbs, word games.More items...
What are five characteristics of folklore?
Terms in this set (4)All folktales originally began as stories told by word of mouth.All folktales have a moral or teach a lesson.Many old folktales explain how something came to be. ... Characters in folktales are usually animals or people.Usually a character in a folktale must face an impossible test.More items...
What type of genre is folklore?
Indie folk alternative rockFolklore (Taylor Swift album)FolkloreGenreIndie folk alternative rock electro-folk chamber pop indietronicaLength63:29LabelRepublicProducerAaron Dessner Jack Antonoff Taylor Swift Joe Alwyn11 more rows
What is a folktale example?
Folktale definition The definition of a folktale is a story passed on by word of mouth, or a legend or myth shared among people of a culture. The story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf is an example of a folktale. A tale or story that is part of the oral tradition of a people or a place.
What is the importance of folktales in modern life?
Folktales "allow students to experience one of the ways a society develops a sense of moral behavior in its children."3 Children today can learn from this rich literary heritage, which provides both a window into other cultures, and a mirror that allows viewers to reflect more clearly on aspects of their own culture.
What is the importance of mythology and folklore in the modern world?
The myths and legends of a society are often the cornerstone on which its culture is built. Most cultural activities and beliefs can be traced back to a society's stories. Myths and legends provide a basis for moral boundaries and establish the basic guidelines for the way people within a society live.
Why is Philippine folklore important?
Philippine mythology attempts to explain the nature of the world through the lives and actions of heroes, deities, and mythological creatures. The majority of these myths were passed on through oral tradition, and preserved through the aid of community spiritual leaders or shamans and community elders.
What is the importance of learning Philippine Folk Literature?
Studying Philippine literature is important for the same reasons that studying any national literature is important. Nationalist literature preserves national opinion and thought within its text, and can transport the reader back in time and enable them to experience that world.
What is folklore in literature?
What is Folklore? Folklore refers to the tales people tell – folk stories, fairy tales, “tall tales,” and even urban legends. Folklore is typically passed down by word of mouth, rather than being written in books (although sometimes people write down collections of folklore in order to preserve the stories of a particular community).
What is the difference between folklore and mythology?
The basic difference is that a myth is somehow held in sacred or religious reverence, whereas a folk tale is popular but not sacred. Some of the most famous myths are creation stories.
What do fairy tales give the child?
What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of evil. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St George to kill the dragon. That is, folk tales speak to an innate psychological need shared by all human beings.
What do folk tales speak about?
That is, folk tales speak to an innate psychological need shared by all human beings . As we encounter the world, we see pain, loss, and emptiness everywhere. How can we face such a world and not feel despair? Part of the answer is that we tell stories bout gods, heroes, and monsters – when the good guys win, we gain a psychological boost and learn valuable lessons about courage and perseverance.
What is urban myth?
One common urban myth tells of a couple travelling to a foreign country where there are many stray dogs roaming the streets. They see one sick puppy and decide to adopt him, but upon bringing him back home they soon discover that they’ve rescued a rat instead of a dog.
What is the Lord of the Rings trilogy?
J.R.R. Tolkien’ s Lord of the Rings trilogy is a perfect example of an author making up folklore to enrich his fictional cultures. He wrote an entire book, The Silmarillion, giving the folklore/mythology of the Elves. Of course, the entire Lord of the Rings saga was heavily influenced by Nordic, Welsh, and Finnish folklore, so Tolkien had plenty of excellent source material to draw from.
What is a legend?
A legend is a kind of folklore. Legends are typically thought to have some truth in them, but they may be highly exaggerated or distorted. For example, the legend of Robin Hood is a very popular piece of English folklore – it was probably based on a historical figure who lived at some point in the Middle Ages, but no one is exactly sure what the truth is.
What is folklore in English?
English Language Learners Definition of folklore. : traditional customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings. : ideas or stories that are not true but that many people have heard or read. See the full definition for folklore in the English Language Learners Dictionary.
Where does the coyote appear in Native American folklore?
The coyote appears in a great deal of Native American folklore. the rich folklore of Louisiana. He can't tell the difference between fact and folklore. See More. Recent Examples on the Web One of the greatest bits of folklore in NBA tough-guy history, that story came out of a summer basketball camp hosted by Oakley in his mom’s hometown of York.
What is folklore in history?
Definition of Folklore. Folklore is oral history that is preserved by the people of the culture, consisting of traditions belonging to a specific culture. These traditions usually include music, stories, history, legends, and myths. Folklore is passed down from generation to generation and is kept active by the people in the culture.
What is the purpose of folklore?
The real purpose of folkloric tales, though, is to provide historical information regarding the origins of a group of people. Paul Bunyan is an American example of folklore, while myths , ...
Why is folklore important?
Folklore allows people to give meaning to their lives and their surroundings. Because every culture has different historical backgrounds and traditions, folklore has a different definition to each culture. The definition presented in this lesson is a general one that covers the topic broadly.
What is a mythical story?
Mythical stories are usually characterized by nonhuman characters and magical events that cannot be proven to be true or false. They answer questions that have unknown answers in the real world. Myths usually contain creatures and places that are not real.
What to include in a folklore assignment?
The two most important components of this assignment are the second and third bullet points. For the second bullet point, the focus is on the origin of your legend/myth. What country does it come from? How did the legend/myth originate? For the third bullet point, you can include any interesting information that you found about your piece of folklore. For example, you can include any pop culture references or any conspiracy theories that you find amusing. One common Scottish folklore is that of the Loch ness monster. There have been many supposed sightings of this sea legend, and some people spend their lives in search of this monster. This could be some information to include under the 'interesting stories or facts' section.
What is a legend?
Legends are stories regarding the recent past that are passed down from generation to generation and are not verifiable. Like myths, they contain events that are seemingly impossible. Although the people in a culture believe the story to be true, legends contain qualities that make it seem more unreal than real.
Where did myths come from?
The term myth is derived from the Greek word mythos, which means story. Myths are commonly used to describe the origins of a group of people, the beginning of the universe, natural events or the rituals and traditions of a specific culture.
What is folklore in the essay?
Dundes disputes the notion that “folk” should be automatically identified with peasant or rural groups, or with people from the past.
What is the "About Folklore" section?
Includes an “About Folklore” section that provides citations and quotes of folklore definitions from a variety of authoritative sources, including the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the Journal of American Folklore.
What is the academic discipline of folklore?
Folklore as an Academic Discipline. Folklorists focus on the study of human creativity within specific cultural and social contexts, including how such expressions (i.e. stories, music, material culture and festivals) are linked to political, religious, ethnic, regional, and other forms of group identity.
What does "folk" mean in Dundes?
Dundes asserts that “folk” can refer to “any group of people whatsoever who share at least one common factor. It does not matter what the linking factor is-it could be a common occupation, language, or religion-but what is important is that a group…have some traditions that it calls its own” (Dundes, 1965: 2).
What is the definition of folklore?
T he definition of folklore is the traditional customs, beliefs, and legends of a particular group of people that are passed down from generation to generation through stories.
Folklore
Last Updated on February 25, 2021, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 203
What is the difference between folklore and myth?
Folklore and Folktale. Whereas myth has at its core the origins of a people and is often sacred, folklore is a collection of fictional tales about people or animals. Superstitions and unfounded beliefs are important elements in the folklore tradition. Both myths and folklore were originally circulated orally.
How do folktales relate to everyday life?
Both myths and folklore were originally circulated orally. Folktales describe how the main character copes with the events of everyday life, and the tale may involve crisis or conflict. These stories may teach people how to cope with life (or dying) and also have themes common among cultures worldwide.
What are fairy tales about?
A fairy tale may involve fairies, giants, dragons, elves, goblins, dwarves, and other fanciful and fantastic forces. Although originally not written for children, in the most recent century, many old fairy tales have been "Disneyfied" to be less sinister and to appeal to kids. These stories have taken on lives of their own. In fact, many classic and contemporary books, such as "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Snow White," are based on fairy tales. But read the original Grimm brothers' fairy tales, for example, and you'll be surprised at the endings and how they differ from the versions that you may have grown up with.
What is a common myth that spans multiple cultures?
One common myth that spans multiple cultures is that of a great flood. Esther Lombardi, M.A., is a journalist who has covered books and literature for over twenty years. The terms myth, folklore, legend, and fairy tale are often used interchangeably, leading to the misconception that they mean the same thing: fanciful tales.
What is myth criticism?
One common myth that spans multiple cultures is that of a great flood. Myth criticism is used to analyze these threads in literature. A prominent name in myth criticism is that of the literary critic, professor, and editor Northrop Frye.
What is a myth?
A myth is a traditional story that may answer life's overarching questions, such as the origins of the world (the creation myth) or of a people. A myth can also be an attempt to explain mysteries, supernatural events, and cultural traditions. Sometimes sacred in nature, a myth can involve gods or other creatures.
What is legend in literature?
Legend also refers to anything that inspires a body of stories or anything of lasting importance or fame. The story is handed down orally but continues to evolve with time. Much of early literature began as legend told and retold in epic poems that were passed down orally originally, then at some point written down.
I. What Is Folklore?
- Folklore refers to the tales people tell – folk stories, fairy tales, “tall tales,” and even urban legends. Folklore is typically passed down by word of mouth, rather than being written in books (although sometimes people write down collections of folklore in order to preserve the stories of a particular community). The key here is that folklore ha...
II. Examples of Folklore
- Example 1
It’s interesting to notice the way common themes run through the folklore of various cultures. For example, the story of the frog prince is of unknown western European origin; but there are many other similar stories, such as the Finnish tale “Mouse Bride.” In these stories, someone is lookin… - Example 2
Modern-day folklore often takes the form of “urban myths.” Although these stories are usually not actually myths (see §6), they are very popular. One common urban myth tells of a couple travelling to a foreign country where there are many stray dogs roaming the streets. They see one sick pu…
III. The Importance of Folklore
- G.K. Chesterton, the famous philosopher and author, explains the importance of folk tales in this way: That is, folk tales speak to an innate psychological need shared by all human beings. As we encounter the world, we see pain, loss, and emptiness everywhere. How can we face such a world and not feel despair? Part of the answer is that we tell stories bout gods, heroes, and monsters …
IV. Examples of Folklore in Literature
- Example 1
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is a perfect example of an author making up folklore to enrich his fictional cultures. He wrote an entire book, The Silmarillion, giving the folklore/mythology of the Elves. Of course, the entire Lord of the Ringssaga was heavily influenc… - Example 2
The story of Beowulfhas no known author, and was almost certainly a popular Anglo-Saxon folk tale before it was eventually written down. This story is an example of the “monster-slayer” story, one of the most common story types in the world. Nearly every culture has such stories, from Th…
v. Examples of Folklore in Pop Culture
- Example 1
Monster-slayer stories were extremely common in ancient societies, and they have not declined in popularity – even as our storytelling technology has changed, our love of these stories has stayed the same. Think of how many video games have been made around this concept – the hero eme… - Example 2
Popular culture is full of “cryptozoology,” which is a kind of folklore based on the supposed existence of mysterious creatures. Stories abound of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra, the New Jersey Devil, and hundreds of other strange creatures. Although there is n…
VI. Related Terms
- Mythology
Folklore and mythology are very similar terms, and the line between mythology and folklore is pretty subjective. The basic difference is that a myth is somehow held in sacred or religious reverence, whereas a folk tale is popular but not sacred. Some of the most famous myths are cr… - Legend
A legend is a kind of folklore. Legends are typically thought to have some truth in them, but they may be highly exaggerated or distorted. For example, the legend of Robin Hood is a very popular piece of English folklore – it was probably based on a historical figure who lived at some point i…