Task 1 – Parables, Myths, Fairy tales and Legends

 

Parable- A parable is a simple story used to show a lesson in life. For example the “Drunkard” is a very short story that tells the tale of a man who gives up alcohol and ends up to live a happy life, the moral of this story is quite clear, he stops drinking and a lives a long happy life. Parables also tend to rhyme because rhymes and songs are easier to remember than a story, so if a child was told not to do something then they will remember the rhyme of the song and won’t do it. They are also quite short so anyone telling the parable will remember the story easier so parable stories don’t get changed often.

 

Myth- A myth is a story from a very early age, myths often include monsters and fairy like creatures that help or go against the protagonist of the story. Some myths explain social events because many myths are just from real stories but words have been twisted to make them include supernatural creatures or events. Greek mythology is a well-known form of mythology, these myths include Gods and mortal beings and monsters, a well known Greek myth is Medusa which is about a gorgon with snakes for hair and one look can turn you to stone, a hero approaches her and cuts off her head and uses it as a weapon.

 

Fairy tale- A fairy tale is a story that include magical beings like fairies, gnomes, giants, fairy god-mothers and many more creatures. A fairy tale often tell a moral in the story for example “Little Red Riding Hood” teaches kids not to trust strangers because no matter how kind they seem be they could be the big bad wolf. But usually it’s there to entertain an audience and is usually adapted for kids because Grimm tales like Cinderella, in a children’s version Cinderella’s step sisters don’t fit the slipper and Cinderella comes and marries the prince but in Grimm’s version the step sisters cut off their toes so they fit the slipper and the princes servant notices the blood, Cinderella then comes down and fits the slipper then crows peck out the sisters eyes. So to make the story more suitable for children people said that the step sisters feet were too big.

 

Legend- A legend is a story that has been altered or information has been mixed up along the way. Mythical creatures are often present in legends like “George slaying the dragon” or “Robin Hood”. These stories often don’t have a moral. The protagonist is usually a human which have to fight a mythical creature but in some cases like Robin Hood it’s about a man/woman who does extraordinary things for the community. The tale has been passed from person to person and often holds some sort of symbolism or important meaning from where the tale was made or told.