Traditional Literature

UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGOGICA NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA

FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES

LIC ESPAÑOL-INGLES

APPLIED LINGUISTICS

CRISTIAN ANDRES TORRES PALACIO

Traditional Literature

This is the chapter six of the children’s literature book. It is about what is considered as traditional literature and different characteristics that represent this literature. For that reason, this chapter shows information about folktales, fables, myths and epic and legendary heroes.

First of all, traditional literature “can provides a window on cultural beliefs and on the spiritual and psychological qualities that are part of our human nature” (Kieber, 2007, p. 275). This kind of literature seeks the origins of human beings, showing characteristics and cultural aspects. It exists folk literature. Children characterizes these stories as “make-believe”; also, they are two approaches in folklore literature, monogenesis and polygenesis, the idea of a single or multiple origin. The importance of folk literature in childhood is understanding and learning values and beliefs of a culture. Moreover, it helps children to imagine. Most important characteristics in this kind of literature is that humorous and happiness are the most important topics. Also, it represents the speech and vocabulary that people use in a context. It is a kind of magic mirror which reflects some aspects of a culture.

It is important to understand that folktales are “all forms of narrative written or oral, which have come to be handed down through the years” (Kieber, 2007, p. 278). There are some types of folktales. Cumulative tales, where the story is not as important as the increasing repetition of the details. Pourquoi tales, which explain certain animal traits or characteristics or human customs. Beast tales, where animals act as a human being. Wonder tales about magic and supernatural things. Finally, realistic tales. Furthermore, a folktale is characterized by different facts. First, plot; it is simple and direct, it is about success story and the time is always past. Second one, characterization, where people is completely good or evil, and it shows strengths or weaknesses. Third one, style, it is characterized by the use of figurative language and imagery. Fourth one, themes are not only for entertainment but also for showing values of a culture.

It also exists fables. It provides a moralistic fact and it is brief, didactic and most of the time it is about animals or things acting and speaking as human beings. On the other hand, it also exists myths which try to explain the human behavior, nature, gods and sky. There are some types of myths. Creation myths about how the world began. Nature myths which explain animal characteristics, earth formations, sun, earth, etc. Finally, hero myths which are related to wonder stories, where the hero is in charge of certain task. The most important mythologies are Greek and Norse mythology, they are about gods, heroes and monsters.

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