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Elements of Folktales

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What is a Folktale?

Folktales were passed down fromgeneration to generation by word ofmouth, which is called oral tradition.

Folktales were made up to explain thewonders of the world or to teach morals

and lessons.

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Different Types of Folktales

Trickster Tales

Fables

Pourqoui stories

Fairytales

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Trickster Tales

One character, usually the protagonist,

is a clever trickster that causes

problems for the other characters

They usually goes unpunished

xample !Trickster" #haracters$ %nansi the &pider '%frica(, )are '*orth

 %merica(, +olf' urope(

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Fables

These are stories that teach a lesson or havea moral

The main characters of Fables are usually

animals with human characteristicsThe moral is never stated, but needs to be

inferred by the reader 

xamples of Fables$ Tortoise and the )are,The %nt and the rasshopper 

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Pourquoi Stories

xplain WHY something is as it isxplains HOW something came to be

and it usually explains something in

*aturexamples of Pourquoi stories$

+hy -osquitoes u// in People0s ars

)ow the lephant ot 1ts Trunk or )owthe Tiger ot 1ts &tripes

222 -ost myths and tall tales are

considered Pourquois

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Fairytales1nclude good and evil characters

3sually has a hero or heroine

)as -agic

Often begins with !Once upon a time"

#onflicts are resolved through kindness,

courage or intelligence

xamples$ #inderella, &leeping eauty,

 %laddin

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Common Elements of Folktales:4ule of Three$ 1tems happen in sets of 5 or 6s

'things happen in 5s, lots of repetition orrepeated phrases(

7 5 characters

7 5 events7 5 tests the character must overcome

Ex: “Jack and the Beanstalk”  showed 8ack climbing the beanstalk

three times. The wicked stepmother visited &now +hite in the forest

three times before she finally got her to eat the apple.

-agic is commonly used, to explain theunexplainable.

9ou will see similar characteristics from stories

across the world

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Common Elements of a Folktale:

Themes#haracters go through tests to prove

something 'the good character must

solve a problem(

ood v. vil 'has characters that good,

others are bad(

ood is rewarded and evil is punished in

the end 'tales have a happy ending(

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Common Elements of a Folktale:

Characterization#haracters change only after they have

gone though the lesson learned during the

course of the story

The hero is usually young and fair, kind,brave, unselfish, and may possess some

sort of special power.

Magic helpers, such as the Fairyodmother in #inderella, allow for things

to occur within a story that would otherwise

be impossible

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Common Elements of a Folktale:

Setting

Place is usually described easily andbriefly, leaving the imagination to fill in thegaps. For example, folktales take place ina cottage in the woods or in a magical

kingdom

Time is fantasy time, such as Once upon

a time, or A long time ago