Folk Literature

7th Grade Literature

Mrs. Peck

Pg. IN10-IN11

Folk Literature

• Develops in every culture.

• Reflects history and beliefs of the people who create it.

• Usually part of an oral tradition (passed down through generations).

• Stories explain important events in the history of the people or the natural world.

• Stories reflect cultural values and entertain.

• There are four types of folk literature.

Legend• Story about the past

believed to be based on real events or people.

• Sometimes nature is supernatural.

• Human characters are larger than life.

• Example – “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl”

Folk Tale• Story passed on by

word of mouth through a culture to teach ideas and values.

• These lessons reflect the hopes and wisdom of the tellers and listeners.

• Examples – “The People Could Fly” and “All Stories are Anansi’s”

Myth

• Fictional tale that explains the actions of the gods, the interactions with gods and humans, or the causes of natural phenomena.

• Have little historical truth.• Have supernatural elements• Well-known myths come from Greece and

Rome.

• Examples – “Phaethon, Son of Apollo” and “Demeter and Persephone”

Fable• Brief stories that teach

a lesson (moral). • Like cartoons

(humorous, brief, simple).

• Often have talking animals to make a point about life.

• Examples – “The Fox and the Crow” and “The Lion and the Statue”.