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Prior to compulsory education and in early times, tales were meant for people of all ages
(Sutherland). As tales were passed down, they evolved. Interestingly, similar tales are often found
in many different cultures. Why this is so is not certain, but two main theories try to explain why
there are so many similar tales or tale variants. One theory is monogenesis. That is, at one point
people lived in the same area, and the stories started there. As people moved farther away, the
stories changed with them. A second theory is polygenesis, which basically put, is that all people
have the same or similar needs, and so even though they lived in different places, they had similar
stories because of their similar needs (Sutherland). Regardless of how they came about, folktales
exist in all cultures.
There are several different types of tales. The main types of tales include: folktales, fairy tales,
legends, epics, myths, tall tales, and fables.
- Folktales are stories "from the folk" (Kimmel, Storytelling course notes, Summer 1997). They
are tales which are passed down from person to person, generation to generation. These stories
may be cumulative, humorous, talking beast, realistic, religious, romantic, or magical (Sutherland).Certain pourqoui tales may fit in this category. Folktales include stories such as
Cinderella, Anansi
the Spider, The Groundhog Dance, Mr. Fox, Nail
Soup, and many, many others.
- Fairy tales are tales which may have fairies and/or little people. They may involve magical
experiences, the unusual, or enchanting events (Hamilton, Her Stories, p. 21). Some examples of
tales of this type are Wee Meg Barnleg and the Fairies, Mary Belle and the
Mermaid, and Macie and the Boo Hag.
- Legends and epics may be in verse or in prose and usually center around a human hero
(Sutherland, 235-36). Technically, epics are in verse (Jetter, Children's Literature course, Fall
1993 notes). They include The Illiad, Morte D'Arthur, Beowulf, and
The Odessey.
- Myths are often more complicated than fables. They may seek to explain evolution, disease,
death, tragedies, or why certain things exist as they do (Sutherland, 229-30; 240-41). They
may involve gods who are or interact with heroes. They include Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology.
- Tall tales involve extreme exaggerations. For example, a human being may have a large amount
of power (Sutherland, 209-10). American tall tales include Paul Bunyan, Johnny
Appleseed, John Henry, Davy Crockett, and Pecos Bill.
- Fables are very short stories designed to make behavior concretely good or bad. In most of
these, animals or objects act like people and have one main trait (Sutherland, 224-25). They
include Aesop's Fables, The Fox and the Drum, and many others.
This project will focus predominantly on folktales. Folktales provide a wonderful way to begin to
study other countries and cultures since they are a significant part of many cultures. They can
provide a jumping point to discuss various multicultural topics and cultural information, such as
culture, food, art, values, and language. Although folktales themselves can serve only as a portion
of a multicultural education, they are an important part of it. This project is designed to provide a
starting point at which to begin using folktales as resources in education, particularly studies of
multiculturalism.
Special thanks to Dr. Margaret Kimmel at the University of Pittsburgh, who was the faculty sponsor/advisor for
the original project.
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