Myths are ancient stories passed down either to tell how the world came into being or to explain something in nature; these are known as creation myths or explanation myths. Myths have gods and goddesses with supernatural powers as well as mortals among the characters. Many myths attribute natural phenomena to the acts of gods and goddesses. We read mostly Greek or Roman myths, but many other people including Norwegians, Celts, Native Americans and Eskimos had myths.

Folktales, fables, legends and myths almost always have an unknown author. These works are all passed down from generation to generation until they were finally written down.

FOLK TALES

Folk tales are as old s language itself. They have been preserved, altered, and adapted by the devices of storyteller, and have outlived succeeding generations through the media of voice and memory. They have been attacked as immoral, illogical, psychologically damaging, and, most recently, sexist. They have been grotesquely altered, trivialized and prettified, or distorted beyond recognition. And still they survive, a vast body of material that is one of the great human legacies, and they are still as essential to childhood as they ever were. They are the basis of much of children's literature.

Everything is clear in a folk tale. The messages are not subtle or hidden. Everyone acts in character; good is rewarded; evil is punished. They use economy of language, imagery, poetry, and dialect. They use whatever elements will make the story one to be told over and over.

Folk tales are usually ethnic in nature. Nations or cultures develop their own sets of tales, although many times the tales from different countries are surprisingly similar. The Brothers Grimm were the first collectors of folk tales to recognize the power of this raw material. They gathered tales as the people told them and tried to preserve the implicitly, strength, and pattern of the tales. Their three volumes were published in 1812, 1815, and 1822. They are the stories children still grow up hearing and enjoying.

FABLES

Fables are animal tales which are told with the direct intention of giving a moral lesson. They are short stories in which the characters are animals that think, speak, and act like people. Not all animal tales are fables. The moral in a fable is expressly written out, an inescapable part of the text. Some educators question the suitability of fables for children, but children are usually drawn to them. The drama of the fable, the animal characters, and the quick flash of its illustration of a truth hold the attention of children.

Thank you to Dr. Linda Marley.

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