Oral Tradition Unit

Often focusing on a hero who does impossible feats. Can contain hyperbole or extreme exaggeration. Example: Paul Bunyan/Pecos Bill

• Tall Tale

• Fable

• Myth

• Epic

Short stories that have speaking animals that act as people do. Often ending with a moral or lesson. Example: The Fox Outwits the Crow

• Myth

• Legend

• Epic

• Fable

Traditional stories about the past based on real life events that have been twisted over time. Example: Johnny Appleseed/John Henry

• Fable

• Legend

• Myth

• Tall Tale

Stories that explain the actions of gods, goddesses, and heroes. Can explain natural phenomena. Example: Icarus and Daedalus

• Legend

• Fable

• Tall Tale

• Myth

What is the most important characteristic of legends?

• They often are critical of the cluture that produced them.

• They began as written accounts that became exaggerated over time.

• They involve actions and events that are realistic.

• They involve historical figures who have become exaggerated over time.

What is an important difference between myth and legends?

• Most myths were created centuries ago, while most legends are modern creations.

• Myths were passed down orally, while legends were written literature from the start.

• Most myths try to explain a natural occurrence, while legends try to record history.

• Myths rarely have human characters, while legends feature only human characters.

THE LITERATURE THAT IS PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE AGES BY WORD OF MOUTH.

• ORAL LITERATURE

• ORAL TRADITION

• POEMS AND STORIES

• POETIC TRADITION

THE BASIC EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPED LIFE IN A SOCIETY.

• ARCHETYPE

• POINT OF VIEW

• CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

• PLOT PATTERN

DEEPER MEANINGS OR INSIGHTS

• ARCHETYPE

• POINT OF VIEW

• THEME

• CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

AN INSIGHT INTO LIFE AND HUMAN NATURE THAT APPEARS IN THE LITERATURE OF MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES AND TIME PERIODS

• ARCHETYPE

• POINT OF VIEW

• CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

• UNIVERSAL THEME