Folklore

Have you ever heard the story of Robin Hood, Snow White, or Beauty and
the Beast? All of these stories have something in common; they are all
folklore. They are stories passed on by word of mouth from parents to their
children. People have shared folklore for thousands of years.
We are natural storytellers. Before there were printed books, we
entertained ourselves and taught lessons through stories. Over the years, a
folklore story or narrative is told and retold.
People living in different times and different places sometimes change
the stories to fit their own shared beliefs. People often use folklore to
explain how the world was created, or how a lake or mountain came to be.
We also keep track of our history and our culture’s special heroes through
folklore. Countries all over the world have their own folklore and many folk
narratives from different countries have very similar story lines.

Here are some examples of folk narratives:

• A ghost story is a piece of fiction that tells an experience with a ghost.

• A legend is a human narrative that people tell as a true story but have
supernatural elements.

• A fable is a story where non-living things (usually animals) take on

human characteristics and teach a lesson.

• A fair tale is a story that contains fantasy and far-fetched events.

• A myth is a sacred narrative explaining how the world and humankind

came to be in their present form.

• A parable is a story that teaches a moral or religious lesson.

• A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, told as if it were true;

some stories are exaggerations of actual events.