Background     

Folk Literature or Folklore is the knowledge, beliefs and values that are handed down by ‘word of mouth” from one generation to another within a culture. In literate societies folklore consist of folktales, fairy tales, tall tales, fables, myths and legends. If a society has no written language all traditional knowledge may be considered Folk Literature.

For many centuries peoples of the world did not know how to write. They communicated their culture orally.  After people began keeping written records of everyday matters such as laws and business dealings, they also began to write down their stories. In many parts for the world written literature has become the usual form of expression for storytellers.

It is our purpose to introduce researchers to various types of Folk Literature and provide examples of each.

Introduction

Every culture has handed down its traditions, beliefs, and values by passing down by “word of mouth” its story from one generation to another. This is known as Folk Literature. There are several types of Folklore. This Webquest will introduce you to the different types and give you the opportunity to read an example of each.

Your Task

Your task is to become familiar with Folk Literature. You will discover the definition of each type and apply the characteristics to an example that you will read.

You will identify and read an example of six types of Folklore. 

1)       Access the Resources tab on the Webquest.

2)       Access the Folktale Characteristics link.

3)       Read the definition for a Folktale and summarize it in the space provided on your Data Collection Sheet.

4)       Read the Folktale example and answer the questions on your Data Collection Sheet.

5)       Follow the directions above for each type of Folklore.