Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Favorite Folk Tale?

In honor of The Brothers Grimm finally being released, a thread on folk tales! Do you have a favorite? Are there any that are personally meaningful to you? Are there any that drive you up the wall? Do non-mythic folk narratives play any part in the practice of your religion?

(Not really talking about myth here -- that's, like, the "highest" category of folk narrative: stories understood as sacred by the culture/religion that tells them; as myths are the narrative bases of religions we all take them fairly seriously. This thread is more about the "less profound" stories. Legends, which are folk "history," understood as taking place in real time and space -- Charlemagne, King Arthur, saints, most fairy lore-- are fair game. As are folk tales, which are understood by the people who tell them as fictions for entertainment; there's "realistic" folk tales (i.e., clever peasant outwits farmer) and magic, or "fairy," tales (Cinderella, Snow White, etc.) -- all are cool.)

Template by - Abdul Munir | Daya Earth Blogger Template