The American Folk Tradition Folklore The American Folk Tradition

What is folklore? Any of the beliefs, customs, and traditions that people pass from generation to generation. Consists of : ballads, fairy tales, folk tales, tall tales, legends, myths, epics, arts and crafts, dances, games, rhymes, proverbs, riddles, songs, celebrations, etc.

Where does folklore originate? Folklore originated out of the oral tradition - stories told at festivals and around campfires, rather than shared in print.

Characteristics of folklore Theme – a central idea, message, or insight that is revealed within a story; sometimes theme is universal – seen in stories in many different cultures and throughout different time periods. Heroes and heroines – larger than life figures whose virtues and deeds are often celebrated in stories from the oral tradition.

Storytelling techniques Hyperbole – exaggeration or overstatement, either for comic effect or to express heightened emotion Personification – human characteristics or personality given to nonhuman subjects, such as animals or natural elements. Idioms – expressions – such a “It’s raining cats and dogs!” – that develop in a language, region, community, or class of people that can not be understood literally.

Types of Folklore Myths – tales that explain the actions of gods, goddesses, and the heroes who interact with them. These stories often attempt to explain the cause of natural phenomena. Creation Myth – a story that explains how the world came to be Fables – brief stories that often feature animals that act like humans. Fables usually end with a moral, or proverb, that is directly stated.

Types of Folklore continued Tall Tales - types of folk tales that use hyperbole. The tales often involve a hero who performs impossible feats. Tall tales are a form of legend – stories based on fact that become less true with each retelling. Epics - long narrative poems about larger-than-life heroes who engage in dangerous journeys, or quests, that are important to the history of a nation or culture.

Types of Folklore continued Folk Tale – anonymous stories passed down by word of mouth generation after generation. Urban Legend – exaggerated story of today’s society.