Delving into Myths and Folktales

Everyone has heard a myth or a folktale in their lives, but have you ever wondered how they got there or why? Well people have been telling stories since the dawn of time and before language was properly invented for us to communicate we drew pictures and they told the story. When the word came into existence these pictures now had words to go with them and these stories were then passed down from generation to generation. Some generations added to the stories and some new stories were created out of other old ones.

 Myths are not the same as a folktales or even legends. A myth is a story that is sometimes based on something true like a real event but, more often than not, it is a story that has been invented so as to teach children about fascinating events in history.  Myths were used to explain the earthquakes, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, the rising and setting of the sun, illness and death that the folk of the time were unable to understand as the real reasons had not been discovered yet. Science did not appear until much later on to help explains these things and even if it did people saw science as being a tool of evil. Pretty much anything they didn’t understand was either a miracle or evil.

Folktales are different in the fact that they are not based on actual events but are more of a made up story to teach children about the morals of life. Many have been passed down from generation to generation and added to along the way. Sometimes we do not know who the original person who invented the stories was, but once the written word became the best medium for these things, folktales became known as “fairy tales”. Originally people would have told these stories to their young like we now read books to them. Some folktales are very similar but change and this is the effect that handing down a story has. The stories iconic written by the Grim Brothers are the best example of this.  Walt Disney in his works are similar in the sense that they also tell a tale of morals and are now more commonly seen rather than heard by the masses. Folktales may possibly also have started their original lives by being based on an event, but they have been changed almost every time they are told and, as time have passed, the story loses its volatility and the connection to the real event and the moral of the story became the more important factor.

What really matters that weather they are stories or not the popularity of myths and folktales have continued through the ages, making them the most popular genre available to children and adults alike. Think about your local culture what myths and folktales can you think of that you associate with? Because I bet that the root of them lies deep in history and surrounded by mystery.