Folklore Vocabulary

  1. folklore: All the traditions, customs and stories that are passed along by word of mouth in a culture.
  2. folk tales~ Tales told primarily for entertainment in which either ordinary humans or animals that act like humans are portrayed as having better values than the rich and powerful, usually told in a simple style-sometimes with each character representing one human trait (greed, curiosity, or kindness . . . ) and simple themes (the reward of good, the punishment of evil, the exposing of a fool . . .).
  3. oral tales/stories: Stories that are passed by word of mouth.
  4. myth: A story that explains something about the world and typically involves gods or other supernatural beings. Myths answer basic questions about the world and human life. They tell about events from the distant past. Many myths offer explanations of natural events such as creation, death, and how various animals attained particular features.
  5. legend: Non-historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical. Legends are realistic stories that are said to have really happened. They often have a supernatural element, such as a ghost. Quite often they start out as rumors, but as they grow they begin to be accepted as true. A legend combines a real event or real person's unusual life story with the exaggeration and heroic actions associated with stories of heroes and great national events. The legend reads like a folk tale but usually contains a bit of historical truth. Some examples of legends are: Annie Oakley, Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone.
  6. tall tale: A humorous legend with exaggerated characters and impossible events. Often the most important characters in American tall tales are heroes and heroines. They are usually strong, thoughtful and courageous. Some examples of tall tales are John Henry the Hammerman and Paul Bunyan with his pet, Babe the Blue Ox.
  7. trickster tale: A tale that pokes fun at human weaknesses. In a trickster tale, a smart person or animal outwits or takes advantage of a fool. Tricksters often punish someone for an immoral action and the intended target is usually being drawn into the trick by his or her own immoral nature. A moral person would probably not be drawn into the trick.
  8. fable: A very short tale that illustrate a clear, often directly stated, moral. The characters are often animals that act like humans. Often these animals have human faults.
  9. fairy tale: A story of marvels and magic, often including stock characters such as the fairy, the ogre, a Prince Charming, a persecuted heroine, and the abandoned baby. It is about the adventures, fortunes, and misfortunes of a hero or heroine who ends up living happily ever after. Fairy tales were originally part of the oral tradition, told from one person to another over hundreds of years. Only in the last few hundred years have fairy tales been written down. Fairy tales are usually written as prose narratives with stock openings and closings. Fairy tales have been found in all regions of the world. One fairy tale can have many versions.
  10. cautionary tale: A tale that warns about the possibilities of the future. It exhorts us to pay attention to the past so we don’t make the same mistakes.
  11. fantasy: Imaginative writing that carries the reader into an invented, unrealistic world.
  12. urban legend: A realistic story that is said to have happened. They often have a supernatural element, such as a ghost. Quite often they start out as rumors, but as they grow they begin to be accepted as true.
  13. moral: A principle of right and wrong behavior.
  14. arrogance: Overbearing pride or self-importance; a feeling of superiority or an offensive exhibition of it.
  15. phenomenon: A fact, occurrence, or circumstance observed or observable; something that impresses the observer as extraordinary or remarkable.
  16. realistic: Being concerned with or based on what is real or actual.