This course introduces the pre-
service English teachers to the
exploration of mythology and folklore
from different countries to gain
insights into people’s origin, desires,
fears, instincts, and needs. With this,
they will be able to demonstrate
content and research-based
knowledge and principles of
mythology and folklore in English
language teaching as basis for their
creative mythological presentations,
narrative reports in folklore, and an
enriched reading list of folkloric
literature in the curriculum
applicable to teaching and learning.
.
At the end of the course, the pre-service
teachers should be able to:
A. demonstrate content and principles of
mythology and folklore from different countries
in order to gain insights of people’s origin,
desires, fears, instincts, and needs through a
creative presentation; and
B. demonstrate understanding of research-
based knowledge and principles in mythology
and folklore literatures through a research of
mythologic and folkloric texts in one’s locale.
PRELIM
FOLK LITERATURE AS A RELEVANT
HISTORICAL ARTIFACT
Brief Introduction
Literature in its very sense centers on human
life and daily experiences. Many articles and
texts about it found in books, journals,
research, and historical records speak of its
vital role in shaping life.
It dated since time and life began on Earth.
From the stone carvings of ancient times, to
the hieroglyphics or the “sacred carvings” of
both the Egyptians and Mesopotamian
Civilization of the Sumerians to the scrolls,
ancient texts, and records, listing all that
transpired during the ages, literature has
betrothed itself to history and its making.
But despite these hard shreds of evidence
proving Interature's value and coexistence
with history, many still consider it as false,
insignificant, and oddly vital
FOLK LITERATURE AS A RELEVANT
HISTORICAL ARTIFACT
Features of Folk Literature as Historial Artifacts
Folk literature includes all the myths, legends,
epics, fables, and folktales passed down by
word of mouth through the generations. The
authors of traditional literature are usually
unknown or unidentifiable.
These stories have endured because they
are entertaining. they embody the culture's
belief system and contain fundamental
human truths by which people have lived for
centuries. Knowing the characters and
situations of folk literature is part of being
culturally literate.
FOLK LITERATURE AS A RELEVANT
HISTORICAL ARTIFACT
Folk literature, regardless of its place of origin,
seems clearly to have arisen to meet a variety of
human needs:
The need to explain the mysteries of the
natural world
The need to articulate our fears and
dreams
The need to impose order on the
apparent random, even chaotic, nature
of life, and;
The need to entertain ourselves and
each other
GENRES OF FOLK LITERATURE
Two Classifications of Folk Literature:
A. Local Folk Literature
B. Global Folk Literature
Folk Songs- expressions of commonly
shared ideas and feelings accompanied
by a tune, a melody, a musical
instrument, and personal expression
Nursery Rhymes- stories accompanied
with repetition, humor and musical
language which varies from age groups
and classifications (classic and modern)
Myths - stories about divinities,
supernatural beings, and deities about
creation, life, death, and queries with the
natural world closely related to religious
stories as they belong to living religions
Epics- long narrative poems about the
pursuits and adventures of legendary
heroes.
GENRES OF FOLK LITERATURE
Legends - stories about historic or quasi-
historic people and places which are
oftentimes given familiar examples and
larger-than-life but real people
Folk Drama - human experiences
repeatedly told by folk storytellers to
prevent these experiences from being
forgotten
Mystery Stories - engage children to read
and find pleasure in stories
Adventure Tales - include clever heroes
and dangerous villains during the old
times and heroes' success in modern
stories
Fairy Tales fantastic - series of events in
the life of protagonists and ends in a
happy ending
GENRES OF FOLK LITERATURE
Historical and Educational Fiction -
fantastic series of events in the life of
protagonists and ends in a happy ending
Realistic Novels - called Problem Novels,
deal with world issues governing mankind
like drugs, corruption, and others.
Proverbs - Statements expressing good
deeds and right conduct Riddles
Proposition to trick one’s mind.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYING FOLK
LITERATURE
Variation of Human Needs
-Pursuits of man, conflicts, experiences, and
adventures leading to man’s various circumstances
Explanation of the natural world’s mysteries-
uncovering truths and phenomena.
Articulation of Fears, Dreams, and Emotions-
reflection equated with stories like how they
were sequenced and retold
Imposition of Order and System- scheme of
story elements
Aesthetic and Entertainment Appeal-
reader’s response towards better story-
telling.
Promotion of High-Sense of Morality- division
of judgment as to which one is good or evil
present from folk stories
THEORIES RELATED TO THE STUDY OF
MYTHOLOGY
ANCIENT THEORIES
1. Rationalism: According to this theory, myths
represent an early form of logical thinking: they
all, have a logical base.
For example, the myth of Pegasus, the flying
horse can be best explained by imagining the
reaction of the first Greek to see a horse.
Compared to other animals they know, the horse
has seemed to fly as it gallops fast and leap
over high obstacles.
2. Etymological Theory: This theory states that all
myths derived from and can be traced back to
certain words in the language. Sources of most
mythological characters have their origins from
the languages of the world.
Hades, for example, originally meant “unseen”
but came to be eventually the name for the god
of the dead.
THEORIES RELATED TO THE STUDY OF
MYTHOLOGY
ANCIENT THEORIES
3. Allegorical Theory: In the allegorical
explanation, all myths contain hidden meanings
that the narrative deliberately conceals or
encodes.
Examples: story of King Midas and his golden
touch. Allegorists offered this simple reason why
stories were used in the first place rather than a
simple statement of the ideas they represented:
the interested people who might not listen to
emotionless concepts but who could be
attracted by imaginative narratives.
