Folk & Forms of
LITERATURE
UNDERSTANDING FOLK
LITERATURE AND ITS FORMS
Suitable for High School to College
Literature Learners
Prepared By: Drey
, Understanding Folk Literature and Its Forms
● Folk literature, also known as folklore or oral literature, refers to the body of stories,
beliefs, customs, sayings, and traditions that are passed down orally from generation to
generation within a culture or community.
● Understanding the various forms of folk literature allows you to appreciate cultural
heritage, recognize traditional wisdom, and interpret the values embedded in oral
storytelling.
● It enriches our understanding of human experiences, nurtures imagination, and deepens
our connection to identity, community, and ancestral knowledge.
📌 DIFFERENT FORMS OF FOLK LITERATURE
I. FOLK NARRATIVES
~ Folk narratives are traditional stories passed down orally from generation to
generation within a culture.
~ They are a major form of folk literature and usually aim to entertain, teach moral
lessons, explain natural phenomena, or preserve cultural beliefs and values.
📍 PURPOSE OF FOLK NARRATIVE
● Folk narratives serve both functional and artistic roles, educating, entertaining,
preserving culture, and shaping the worldview of a society.
📌 TYPES OF FOLK NARRATIVE
~ The types of folk narrative are the different forms or kinds of traditional stories passed
down orally within a culture to explain, entertain, teach moral lessons, or preserve
beliefs and customs.
MYTH
● A type of folk narrative that explains the origin of the world, natural events,
customs, or beliefs through stories involving gods, deities, supernatural beings,
and heroic characters.
1
, ✏️ EXAMPLES OF MYTH
● "How the World Was Created" is a creation myth, a traditional folk narrative that
explains how the earth, skies, living things, and sometimes humanity itself came into
existence.
● "The Story of Prometheus" is a famous Greek myth that explains the origin of fire,
human suffering, and the tension between gods and humans.
📍 PURPOSE OF MYTH
● The purpose of myth is to explain the unexplainable, teach values, preserve
tradition, and help people make sense of life, nature, and their place in the world.
LEGEND
● A type of folk narrative that tells a story believed to be based on real people,
places, or events, but often exaggerated or romanticized over time.
2
LITERATURE
UNDERSTANDING FOLK
LITERATURE AND ITS FORMS
Suitable for High School to College
Literature Learners
Prepared By: Drey
, Understanding Folk Literature and Its Forms
● Folk literature, also known as folklore or oral literature, refers to the body of stories,
beliefs, customs, sayings, and traditions that are passed down orally from generation to
generation within a culture or community.
● Understanding the various forms of folk literature allows you to appreciate cultural
heritage, recognize traditional wisdom, and interpret the values embedded in oral
storytelling.
● It enriches our understanding of human experiences, nurtures imagination, and deepens
our connection to identity, community, and ancestral knowledge.
📌 DIFFERENT FORMS OF FOLK LITERATURE
I. FOLK NARRATIVES
~ Folk narratives are traditional stories passed down orally from generation to
generation within a culture.
~ They are a major form of folk literature and usually aim to entertain, teach moral
lessons, explain natural phenomena, or preserve cultural beliefs and values.
📍 PURPOSE OF FOLK NARRATIVE
● Folk narratives serve both functional and artistic roles, educating, entertaining,
preserving culture, and shaping the worldview of a society.
📌 TYPES OF FOLK NARRATIVE
~ The types of folk narrative are the different forms or kinds of traditional stories passed
down orally within a culture to explain, entertain, teach moral lessons, or preserve
beliefs and customs.
MYTH
● A type of folk narrative that explains the origin of the world, natural events,
customs, or beliefs through stories involving gods, deities, supernatural beings,
and heroic characters.
1
, ✏️ EXAMPLES OF MYTH
● "How the World Was Created" is a creation myth, a traditional folk narrative that
explains how the earth, skies, living things, and sometimes humanity itself came into
existence.
● "The Story of Prometheus" is a famous Greek myth that explains the origin of fire,
human suffering, and the tension between gods and humans.
📍 PURPOSE OF MYTH
● The purpose of myth is to explain the unexplainable, teach values, preserve
tradition, and help people make sense of life, nature, and their place in the world.
LEGEND
● A type of folk narrative that tells a story believed to be based on real people,
places, or events, but often exaggerated or romanticized over time.
2
