Traditional Literature

Definition

• All forms of narrative, written or oral, handed through the

years

• Stories people created to help explain the world to their

primitive minds

• Tales told by storytellers again and again, transferred

from one generation to the next, until the stories were

smooth and polished

Origin of Folk Literature

• Most often labeled as “folklore”, “folk literature”, or

“mythology”

• Definition of the word myth: “imagined event”

• Mythology: a group of myths of a particular culture

• Grimm Brothers

Value of Folk Literature

• Children enjoy traditional literature because they are

good stories. They are sources of entertainment.

• They appeal to children’s sense of justice & moral

judgment.

• They kindle a child’s imagination.

• They contribute to our speech and vocabulary.

• They are a valuable source for introducing world cultures

and geographical regions

Types of Traditional

Literature

• Folktales (Cumulative Tales, Pourquoi Tales, Beast Tales,

Wonder Tales, Realistic Tales)

• Fables

• Myths

• Epic and Legendary Heroes

• Bible as Literature

Traditional Literature

Folktales

Cumulative Tales

Beast Tales

PourquoiTales

Wonder Tales

Realistic Tales

Tall Tales

Trickster Tales

Fables Myths Epic Bible

as Literature

1. Cumulative Tales: increasing repetition of detail, builds to a quick climax

2. Beast Tales: animals talk and act like humans

3. Pourquoi Tales: seeks to explain “why”things in nature are the way they are

4. Wonder Tales: usually contain giants, witches, monsters, anything magical

Types of Folktales:

5. Realistic Tales : begins with a real person

6. Tall Tales : legendary heroes of superlatives

7. Trickster Tales: a weaker/smaller yet clever

animal outsmarts the larger more powerful

animal

Evaluation Criteria

• Is there some mention or citation of the original source

for this tale?

• Is the plot simple and direct?

• Is the language lively and engaging and in keeping with

the oral tradition?

Evaluation Criteria (cont.)

• Does a theme emerge from the telling of the tale? If so,

what is the story’s message or moral?

• Do illustrations add to and extend the story? Are

illustrations and details true to the culture represented?

• Does the story represent cultural norms, or is it rewritten

to conform to Western mores?

A Few Quality Traditional

Literature

Title Author/Illustrator Description

Pecos Bill Steven Kellogg American Tall Tale

Pandora Robert Burleigh Myth

The Gingerbread Man Paul Galdone Cumulative Tale

The Three Billy Goats

Gruff

Marcia Brown and Glen

Rounds

Beast Tales