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INSTRUCTIONS: Respond to the following

questions, drawing on any previous

knowledge you have about these terms.

What do you think qualifies as a myth?

Provide some examples.

What do you think qualifies as a folktale?

Provide some examples.

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Myth Folktale

Myths and

FolktalesStories from the Beginning of Time

MythsThe World’s Oldest Stories

Myth: A Definition

A myth is an anonymous, traditional story

that explains varying aspects of a

culture.

The word mythology is Greek in origin

(etymology).

Mythos= story

Logo= speech or argument

Myths often explain the view of a group

of people, and may have represented

religious beliefs at first.

Myths attempt to explain the mysteries of

life.

Cultures that have Myths

Every culture has its own mythology.

Universal symbols and themes appear in different cultures’ myths.

Greek, Roman, Native American, Celtic, South American, African, and Norse mythology are examples of myths from different cultures.

Characteristics of Myths

Contain heroes

and heroines

Characters are

often animals

Supernatural

elements

Told orally

(spoken)

Gods and goddesses

Explain a natural phenomena

Often associated with the religion or

rituals of the culture

The Reasons for Myths

To explain the creation of the world and universe

To explain natural phenomena

To tell about a culture’s heroes

To explain the nature of the culture’s gods and goddesses

To explain human nature

To explain the

meaning behind

religious rituals

To explain

historical events

To teach morals

and values

Origin Myths

An origin myth is a story that

explains how things came to be.

Most cultures have myths that

explain how the universe was

created.

The telling of an origin myth

provided people with a sense of

place in the universe, a sort of

purpose.

Typically, a culture’s pantheon

(family group of gods) is

associated with the creation of the universe.

Usually a powerful “father” god

and “mother” goddess.

FolktalesThe Human Experience

Folktales Emerge

Folktales are stories which were created

from the “folk” – the common people.

Folktales arose as myths transformed

over generations.

They were passed along from

generation to generation.

Characteristics of Folktales

Nonreligious stories

Meant for entertaining, but also for teaching values

Feature magic, transformations, enchantments, and gods and goddesses, but they are not the center of the story

Heroes are common, everyday folk without special powers

Are not associated with rituals

Types of Folktales

There are three types of folktales:

Legends Fairy Tales Fables

Both Myths and Folktales

Both reveal different kinds of truths:

Truths about life

Truths about society

Truths about human nature

By analyzing the following details, you can determine a great deal about the story’s culture of origin:

Language (dialect)

Setting (location and region—sometimes)

Religious beliefs, rituals, and customs

Behavior

Clothing

Food

Summarizer: Error AnalysisOn the following TRUE OR FALSE quiz, two

are answered incorrectly. Which two are

incorrect?

False 1. Every culture has its own mythology.

False 2. Both myths and folktales explain

natural phenomena.

False 3. The three types of folktales are

legends, fairy tales, and epics.

True 4. A myth is an ancient story dealing

with supernatural beings, ancestors, and

heroes.

False 5. Folktales are nonreligious stories.