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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.
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.
A famous folklore in American history is the tall tale about the fictional lumberjack Paul Bunyan. In the story, Paul has superhuman skills that allow him to complete tasks that other lumberjacks are unable to complete on their own, such as taming the blue ox named Babe.
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. For example, a myth can be used to explain the origin of a holiday or cultural tradition.
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. However, they usually provide an answer to a valuable philosophical questions, such as 'what happens after death?'
Greek gods and goddesses are the main characters in many famous Greek mythological stories. According to these stories, the gods and goddesses are usually to blame for any and all natural events, such as rain and thunder and even emotion, like love.
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.
A legend that many Americans are familiar with is the legend of Bigfoot. Bigfoot is a large ape-like creature that is lives in the forest. No one has a clear identification of what Bigfoot looks like because there is no real proof that he has actually been seen. This lack of factual information does not stop believers from passing along this legend from generation to generation.
Folklore is oral history that is preserved by the people of the culture, consisting of traditions belonging to a specific culture. 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 , which 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, are characterized by their nonhuman characters and impossible events.
Legends, which are stories regarding the recent past that are passed down from generation to generation and are not verifiable, are characterized by their explanation of the recent past. Bigfoot is a good example of this. However, both myths and legends are types of folkloric tales that seek to educate the listeners on history as well as moral values.
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9th Grade English: Help and Review19 chapters | 318 lessons | 1 flashcard set
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