What is folklore? - SunMoonRdngGde

Definition, Background, and Types

WHAT IS FOLKLORE?

MORE folklore TYPES

folklore types

FOLKLORE PURPOSE

FOLKLORE BACKGROUND

WHAT IS FOLKLORE?

DEFINITION FOLK means "people." LORE means "knowledge." FOLKLORE refers to the beliefs, customs, and stories of a community of people passed from generation to generation through word of mouth.

“Pay heed to the tales of old wives. It may well be that they alone keep in memory what it was once needful for the wise to know.”― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

1. WHAT IS FOLKLORE?

BACKGROUND MATERIAL - physical objects CUSTOMARY - beliefs, ways of doing things CHILDLORE - children's games and rhymes, VERBAL - stories, expressions, sayings, songs ORAL TRADITION All folklore has origins in the spoken form.

“If you take myth and folklore, and these things that speak in symbols, they can be interpreted in so many ways that although the actual image is clear enough, the interpretation is infinitely blurred..”― Diana Wynne Jones

2. FOLKLORE BACKGROUND

PURPOSE The main purpose of verbal folklore (stories) is to teach a lesson. Usually in an exaggerated way. Either sugarcoated or with extreme punishment. Folklore also serves to teach history, beliefs, values, and customs.

It is important to recognize that folklore is not simply a way of obtaining available data about identity for social scientists; it is...the principal means by which an individual and a group discovers or establishes his or its identity.--Alan Dundes

3. PURPOSE

FOUR MAJOR TYPES FOLKTALE A variety of stories often include magic, adventure, or romance. Some contain hyperbole or elements of exaggeration. FAIRYTALE Stories of individuals and their dealings with magical characters or objects.

Folklore has a moral center to it. Folklore is always, always, always on the side of the underdog...--Laura Amy Schlitz

4. FOLKLORE TYPES

MORE FOLKLORE TYPES MYTH A sacred story that explains human behavior, natural events, and occurrences. Often deals with gods, goddesses, or other deities. LEGEND Stories about the past that add exaggerated details over time. Often based on a real person, place, or event. FABLE Short stories that explicitly state the theme or lesson.

I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend. Freddie Mercury

5. FOLKLORE TYPES

DEFINITION, BACKGROUND, AND TYPES

WHAT IS FOLKLORE

MORE FOLKLORE TYPES

folklore types

FOLKLORE PURPOSE

FOLKLORE BACKGROUND

WHAT IS FOLKLORE?