Why folk tales or stories

are important?
FOLK tales consist of traditional oral narratives
which include legends, myths, proverbs, music, jokes
and stories which belong to a particular culture or
social group.
Most folk stories embody the hopes and aspirations
of the majority of people in the society and are used
to transmit and preserve cultural values of the group.
The stories help in showing how society views itself
and also conveys their notions of justice, rights and
social obligations of its citizens.
Laziness, greed and selfishness are therefore
portrayed as negatively as possible with the offending
characters such as Gudo in ‘‘Tsuro na Gudo” who
always suffering for their stupid and unwise behavior.
On the other hand, goodness, honesty and unity are
depicted as important virtues which the heroes and
heroines of folk tales always use to prevail over their
problems.
The use of animals as human characters is done to
highlight attitudes and behaviors of people in a way
which pokes fun at their awkward actions in real life.
Animals are used as tools to convey messages to
audiences without seeming to personalise issues or
pinpointing certain individuals for rebuke (reprimand).

In addition, animal imagery makes it possible for

children and other people to easily understand the
relevance of the story being told due to the simplified
character of the animal.
Folklore is also told in order to educate children into
cultural values of the society as well as give them
motivation and a sense of well-being.

In stories where small animals seem to beat the odds

and overcome bigger ones both physically and
mentally, the children learn the important lesson that
anybody is able to achieve great things in society no
matter how small, different or inexperienced they
may be.
Some folk tales portray animals gathering and
discussing issues which affect them as a group with
arguments and discussion used to highlight
democratic process and the importance of unity and
agreement in society.

Folk stories convey moral as well as historical issues

which affect everybody in the community.
• Answer the questions on your answer sheet for
5 minutes.

• Share your answer in class through a rap, a

poem, and news reporting.

• Each student will pick a rolled paper with

instruction on how she will present her answer
(rap, poem, or news reporting.)
1. What is the importance or significance
of myths and legends today?

2. How do they impact or influence readers

of today?
 The importance of myths and
legends today is they value as
literature, offering timeless and
universal themes; they give us
insight into other times and places;
and they help us to see how much
humankind had and has in common.
 Myths and legends impact or
influence the readers of today
because they will know how we
came to be, we understand the
natural world around us, and we
yearn or desire for some deity or
god we can praise and blame.
Every culture has its own mythology and legends
and these reflect the geography of the culture, the
values of the culture, and the history of the culture.

Japanese creation myths, for example, reflect the

fact that Japan is an island nation, and the sea and
its creatures play an important part in these myths.
Myths can also tell us what a culture considers
ethical, significant, and central to its ideologies,
giving us insight into another culture.
A culture’s myths, such as those of some Native
Americans, tell us something about its history, the
history of people that were hunters and gatherers,
people whose governing forms did not sanction
private ownership of land or disrespect the natural
world. Each myth you read has something to tell
you about another culture.
The themes of myths and legends are the same as those that are
present in all great literature:
• man versus man
• man versus nature
• man versus the gods
• man on a quest
• family conflict
• coming of age

Most myths and legends include at least one of these great themes
and often several. These are in the earliest “stories,” the ancestors
of all literature that we read today. Even aside from the beauty and
creativity of these stories, which alone make them worthy of study.
It enriches our study of literature today to see its earliest roots.
ASSESSMENT: (25 minutes)

Each student will conceptualize her own story of myth or legend

based on where she lives.

She can use the themes listed below of myths and legends :
• man versus man
• man versus nature
• man versus the gods
• man on a quest
• family conflict
• coming of age
ASSIGNMENT: (5 minutes)

Let each student improve her composition at home.