oral traditions

Oral Traditions are original stories written by one person and are passed down by written word.

• True

• False

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 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.

4. ______________ are brief animal stories that contain personification.

• a. Legends
• b. Fables
• c. Folk tales
• d. Epics

5. ________________ are traditional stories about the past. They are based on real-life events or
people, but they are more fiction than fact.

• a. Legends
• b. Fables
• c. Folk tales
• d. Epics

6. _________________ are ancient tales that describe the actions of gods, goddesses, and the
heroes who interact with them.

• a. Personifications
• b. Hyperbole
• c. Myths
• d. Morals

Why oral tradition?

• People preferred telling stories.
• It was against the law to read or write down these stories.
• There was no written language to write the stories down.
• The stories were untrue, so no one wanted to write them down.