1. Unit 1 World Myths and Folktales
Myths and folktales are important in every world culture. A society without stories about its beginnings, its heroes, and its deepest values is like a person without a name or a family without roots.
Spread by the word of mouth

2. What is a myth? Stories about beginnings
an anonymous, traditional story that explains a belief, custom, or a mysterious natural phenomenon.
Myth comes from the Greek root muthos, which means “story.”
Probably originally had a religious purpose for they explain mysteries that people regard as sacred: why the world is imperfect, how the world was created, why people must die

3. 7 Functions of a Myth #1
To explain the creation of the world and universe.

4. #2
To explain the human condition: How and why people were created, why they are flawed, why there is still suffering in the world, why people must eventually die, and what happens to people after death

5. # 3
To explain natural phenomena, such as the setting of the sun and phases of the moon.

6. #4
To explain the nature of gods and goddesses and how these deities and human beings interact.

7. # 5
To explain the meanings behind religious rituals, customs and beliefs.

8. # 6
To explain Historical events.
(Think: The Trojan War)

9. # 7
To teach moral lessons
How should people behave? What is right and wrong?

10. What is a Folktale?
A Folktale is a story that is created by the “folk”- the common people- and passed along orally from generation to generation.
Told by commoners, generally entertainment purpose, can also teach values

11. Oral Tradition
Oral Tradition is the practice of telling and retelling tales that passed down to each new generation.

12. Examples of Folktales Folktales include: Legends Fables Tall Tales
Fairy Tales
Ghost Stories

13. Folktales Differ from Myths
# 1
Unlike Myths, Folktales are secular.

14. #2
Were created as much for entertainment value as for the teaching of social or moral values.

15. #3
Folktales feature magic, transformation and enchantments, just as myths do. But although folktales features gods and goddesses as characters, they are not usually the central characters in the story.

16. #4
Folktale heroes tend to be common, everyday folk who don’t have special powers, unlike mythic heroes who are the superhuman offspring of gods/goddesses and human parents.

17. #5
Folktales are not associated with religious rituals.

18. What is an Origin Myth?
Origin Myths are stories that explain how things came to be.

19. Origin Myths are used to explain
1) How was the world created?
2) Why do people die?
3) Is there life after death?
4) Why is evil allowed to exist in the world?
5) How did various animals, plants and geographical features come to be?
(We still are searching for answers to these questions today)

20. The Roles of Gods and Goddesses
Gods and Goddesses play dual roles, they can create or DESTROY!
Pantheons are family groups of Gods and Goddesses. (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans)

21. What is an Archetype?
An Archetype is a recurring pattern/model within a story such as a theme, character, plot or image.
Examples: The prophet, the hero, the damsel in distress

22. Purpose of Origin Myths
Origin myths answer the hows and whys of human exsistence.

23. Define: Motif Recurring story features
Example: the “earth diver” motif – an animal is sent to the depths of the ocean to recover soil.
Example: the turtle motif – recurring positive figure in North America and Asia.
Example: the woman falling from the sky