The Folktales

Folktales are traditional, orally transmitted stories categorized into several distinct types that often overlap. Key types include fairy tales/tales of magic, fables, legends, trickster tales, tall tales, animal tales, religious tales, and formula tales. These stories serve to entertain, teach moral lessons, or explain natural phenomena. 

Key Types of Folktales

• Fairy Tales (Tales of Magic): Stories featuring magical elements, enchanted characters (fairies, witches, giants), and transformations, such as Cinderella or The Seven Ravens.

• Fables: Short, allegorical stories that teach a specific moral lesson, often featuring personified animals (e.g., Aesop's Fables).

• Legends: Tales rooted in historical events or figures, which have been exaggerated over time, such as Robin Hood or tales ofKing Arthur.

• Trickster Tales: Stories featuring a protagonist (often an animal like Anansi the spider or Coyote) who uses wit to overcome larger, more powerful opponents.

• Tall Tales: Humorous stories with extreme exaggerations about a character with superhuman abilities, often set in an American frontier context (e.g., Paul Bunyan).

• Animal Tales: Stories where animals act, talk, and behave like humans.

• Religious Tales: Stories that explore themes of faith, piety, or divine intervention.

• Formula Tales (Cumulative Tales): Stories that use a repetitive, cumulative structure, such as The Gingerbread Man.

• Drolls (Humorous Tales): Comical stories focused on making people laugh, often featuring absurd situations or clever wit. 

Key Characteristics

• Oral Tradition: Originally passed down by word of mouth.

• Unknown Authorship: Generally attributed to "folklore" rather than a single author.

• Cultural Significance: Reflect the values, beliefs, and traditions of a specific culture.

• Simple Language: Designed for accessibility to ordinary people.