1. Elements of Folktales
Mr. Tombs’ 4th Grade

2. What is a Folktale?
Folktales were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth, which is called oral tradition.
Folktales were made up to explain the wonders of the world or to teach morals and lessons.

3. Different Types of Folktales
Trickster Tales
Fables
Pourqoui stories
Fairytales

4. Trickster Tales
One character, usually the protagonist, is a clever trickster that causes problems for the other characters
They usually goes unpunished
Example “Trickster” Characters:
Anansi the Spider (Africa), Hare (North America), Wolf( Europe)

5. Fables These are stories that teach a lesson or have a moral
The main characters of Fables are usually animals with human characteristics
The moral is never stated, but needs to be inferred by the reader
Examples of Fables: Tortoise and the Hare, The Ant and the Grasshopper

6. Pourquoi Stories Explain WHY something is as it is
Explains HOW something came to be and it usually explains something in Nature
Examples of Pourquoi stories:
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears
How the Elephant Got Its Trunk or How the Tiger Got Its Stripes
*** Most myths and tall tales are considered Pourquois

7. Fairytales Include good and evil characters
Usually has a hero or heroine
Has Magic
Often begins with “Once upon a time”
Conflicts are resolved through kindness, courage or intelligence
Examples: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin

8. Common Elements of Folktales:
Rule of Three: Items happen in sets of 3 or 7s (things happen in 3s, lots of repetition or repeated phrases)
- 3 characters
- 3 events
- 3 tests the character must overcome
Ex: “Jack and the Beanstalk” showed Jack climbing the beanstalk three times. The wicked stepmother visited Snow White in the forest three times before she finally got her to eat the apple.
Magic is commonly used, to explain the unexplainable.
You will see similar characteristics from stories across the world

9. Common Elements of a Folktale: Themes
Characters go through tests to prove something (the good character must solve a problem)
Good v. Evil (has characters that good, others are bad)
Good is rewarded and evil is punished in the end (tales have a happy ending)

10. Common Elements of a Folktale: Characterization
Characters change only after they have gone though the lesson learned during the course of the story
The hero is usually young and fair, kind, brave, unselfish, and may possess some sort of special power.
Magic helpers, such as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, allow for things to occur within a story that would otherwise be impossible

11. Common Elements of a Folktale: Setting
Place is usually described easily and briefly, leaving the imagination to fill in the gaps. For example, folktales take place in a cottage in the woods or in a magical kingdom
Time is fantasy time, such as Once upon a time, or A long time ago