CHARACTERISTICS OF MYTHS,

FOLK TALES, FAIRY TALES AND

FOLKLORE.
 WHAT IS MYTH?

• a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or

event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation,
especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some
practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
 WHAT IS FOLK TALES?

• a story originating in popular culture, typically passed on by word of

mouth. Animal tales are perhaps the oldest of all folktales. They are part
myth, part fable, and part fairy tales.
 WHAT IS FAIRY TALES?

• A fairy tale is a story, often intended for children, that features fanciful and
wondrous characters such as elves, goblins, wizards, and even, but not
necessarily, fairies. The term “fairy” tale seems to refer more to the fantastic
and magical setting or magical influences within a story, rather than the
presence of the character of a fairy within that story. Fairy tales are often
traditional; many were passed down from story-teller to story-teller before
being recorded in books.
 WHAT IS FOLKLORE?

• Folklore is defined as stories, customs and beliefs in a culture that are

unwritten and passed down orally from generation to generation.
An example of folklore is a story about where their family came from told
to a grandchild by his grandma.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MYTHS
• Myths are traditional tales of stories.
• Myths are presented in narrative form.
• Myths are handed down in a society from one generation to the next. It is usually impossible to say
who first invented a particular myth. In this regard, they are unlike most other forms of narrative,
such as poems, novels and plays.
• Myths are set in the past.
• A myth recounts events of long ago (usually very long ago.)
• Myths often reflect the assumption that in the far past.
• Myths are ostensibly “true”; that is, they present themselves as giving an accurate narrative of
“what really happened”.
• A culture rarely recognizes its own mythology as mythology.
• Myths often explain, justify, instruct or warn.
• Myhts frequently concern gods and the supernatural.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF FOLK
TALES
• Simple and straightforward.
• Told orally from one generation to generation.
• Includes magic or supernatural powers.
• Characters represents human qualities such as good, evil, wisdom,
foolishness, laziness.
• Problems and conflicts are clear.
• Ending usually happy or satisfying.
• Good usually rewarded, evil punished.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF FAIRY
TALES
• Include good and bad characters.
• A hero and heroine.
• Magic or fantasy.
• Includes predictable beginnings and endings.
• Problem which usually overcome through kindness, courage and
intelligence.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
FOLKLORE

• include oral traditions such as tales, proverbs and jokes. They include 

material culture, ranging from traditional building styles to handmade toys
common to the group. Folklore also includes customary lore, the forms and
rituals of celebrations such as Christmas and weddings, folk dances and
initiation rites.