UNIT 3

LESSON 1:
FOLKLORE AND
FOLKTALES
Reporters: Mandate Kimberly M.
Lubos Marbelyn
MANDATE, KIMBERLY
- 1 REPORTER
ST
 FOLKLORE
• The term “folklore” was invented
by an English scholar by the name
of William John Thomas in 1846.
He used the word to denote the
traditions, customs, and
superstitions of the uncultured
people in a civilized country.
FOLKLORE
• Folklore is made of two words: folk, which means
regional people, and lore, which means stories.
Therefore, folklore reflects stories told by people
in a particular region. Folklore can define a
population's values, beliefs, and preferred way of
life with its literary themes.
 Importance of Folklore

1. Folklore is important in explaining social history of mankind.

2. Folklore is helpful in the study of comparative mythology and

science of religion.

3. Folklore helps in the understanding of the relationship between

races and on the development of religion, beliefs and ceremonies.

4. Folklore is of great assistance to the ethnologists, sociologists,

historians and students of comparative mythology and science of
religion.
Kinds of
Folklore
1. Traditional literature in narrative
form - encompasses books
rendered from oral tradition stories
that have been passed down for
ages

a. Folk tales – “ Tuko and the

Birds”
b. Hero tales – “ Lam-ang”
c. Ballads and Song – “ The
way we were”
d. Legends of places – “ Maria
Cristina Falls”
2.Traditional customs
- ones that have existed for a long time without
changing.

a. Local customs – “ Bayanihan”

b. Astrology – “ horoscopes”
c. Festival customs – “Talakudong”
d. Games – “ Tumbang Preso”
3.Superstitions and Beliefs - practices for which there appears
to be no rational substance. 
a.Witchcraft -
b.Astrology
c.Superstitious practices
d.Superstitious beliefs and fancies
4. Folk speech – refers to the dialect, or style of speaking, unique
to people living within a geographic area. 
a. Popular sayings - “If someone throws a rock at you, throw
him bread.”
b. Popular nomenclature
c. Proverbs – “Honesty is the best policy”
d. Jingles, Rhymes, Riddles - “A deep well full of knives”
 FOLK LITERATURE
• The earliest forms of literature were called folk literature.
They are traditional narratives that originated directly from
the people. Folk literature has no fixed author and no
fixed original form. Some of the earliest traditional
literatures were narrative in form.
 •There are certain qualities common to all folk
literature. They are:
1.Concerned more with action rather than reflection;
2.Concerned with physical heroism;
3.Concerned with mysterious and powerful influences –
gods, giants, heroes, fairies, animals and other
supernatural beings.
 FOLKTALES
The term folktale refers to a traditional narrative of
unknown authorship that has been handed down
from generation to generation regardless of its
content.
Origin of Folktales

There are two theories concerning the origin and transmission of

folktales:

1. That all folk tales originated in India in the Sacred Books of

Buddhism and were transmitted by migrations of people, by
crusaders and Hebrew gypsies.

2. That many of the tales arose independently among people widely

separated geographically and historically.
• History of Folktales

• 1697- a collection of tales Comtes de Ma Mere L ‘Oye

or Tales of My Mother Goose appeared bearing the name
of a Frenchman, Charles Perrault.
• The eight tales became very popular to English speaking
children. The stories were:
1. “Little Red Riding Hood” 5. “Hop O My Thumb”

2. “Sleeping Beauty” 6. “Puss in Boots”

7. “Riquet and the Tuft”
3. “Cinderella”
8. “Toads and Diamonds”
4. “Blue Bird”
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- The first real collection of old tales was made by two German
brothers, They gathered the tales they heard from the old folks
throughout their travels in Germany and published them later,
between 1812 to 1815.
The first English translation of the Grimm’s Hausmarchen was
made by Edgar Taylor. It was called Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
• Peter Absjornsen and Jorgen Moe

- gathered tales throughout their travel in Norway by talking to old

people just as the Grimm Brothers have done. Absjornsen and Moe
published their first collection of Norwegian tales in 1842-1843.

- Their collection was translated into English by George Webber

Dasent and issued under the title Popular Tales from the Norse in
1859. A systematic collection of folktales appeared in England in 1849.
• James Orchad Halliwell (Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Tales)

- One of the best known nursery tales was the “The Three Bears” by Robert
Southey, 1774-1843, the poet laureate of England and the author of many
books, both poetry and prose.

• Dr. E. W. Lane

- translated the Arabian Nights, a collection of Arabian tales. The

most popular of these tales were “Aladin and Sinbad”.
Versions of Folktales

• Making one’s version of a story is to tell children of finding retold

versions that one considers acceptable for reading aloud or for
telling and is not violating the tradition of the folktale. Throughout
the ages, the tribal storyteller, the minstrel and the others were the
agents through whom the stories were handed down from
generation to generation orally.
 Primary Characteristics of Folktale

1. Has no known individual author

2. Has no fixed or original form

3. Has a brief introduction

4. Adapted to any age

5. Has simple plot that is easy to remember

6. Characters appeal to both children and adults

7. Has element of magic that appeals to children.

 Values of Folktales
1. Gives pleasure and enjoyment to children

2. Stirs the imagination

3. Gives insight into life

4. Used for dramatization

5. Used for illustration

6. Develops ear training

7. Plays role in the emotional development of children

8. Develops confidence and courage in children against fear of the unknown

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