a ticket to the world

Transcription

1 Folklore... a ticket to the world

2 Folklore Folklore: The traditional beliefs, legends, customs, stories, etc. of a people passed from generation to generation. Folk: the common people of a culture Examples: Folktales, Legends, Tall Tales, Myths, Fables, and Fairy Tales

3 Folktales Folktale: belief or story passed on from generation to generation. Usually oral Universal and timeless themes Try to make sense of existence, origin, or to cope with the world Examples: How the Leopard Got its Spots Arabian Nights The Two Frogs Stone Soup Little Red Riding Hood

4 Legends Legend: traditional tale handed down from earlier times and believed to have a historical basis. Passed off as a true story Examples: King Arthur Davy Crockett Beowulf Merlin Casey Jones Johnny Appleseed

5 Tall Tales Tall Tale: fanciful or greatly exaggerated story. Often focuses on the achievements of the ultimate hero who has superhuman abilities. Similar to legends, but they have obvious unbelievable parts Examples: Paul Bunyan Pecos Bill

6 Myths Myth: traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event that explains some practice, rite, or something in nature Examples: Daedalus & Icarus Hercules First Tears Narcissus The Great Flood

7 Fables Fable: a brief story with a moral (that is sometimes directly stated) that tries to teach a lesson about human nature. Often gives animals human traits. Examples: The Ant and the Grasshopper The Fox and the Crow Sour Grapes The Boy Who Cried Wolf The Lion and the Mouse

8 Fairy Tales Fairy Tale: stories featuring magic and magic creatures. Examples: Cinderella The Little Mermaid Song of the Sea Rapunzel The 12 Huntsmen

9 Archetypes Basic building blocks of stories that all writers use to create a world to which readers can escape. All cultures around the world use them to build their stories. Examples of archetypes are: the hero, the damsel in distress, the battle between good and evil, bargaining with the devil,etc.

10 Story Archetypes THE JOURNEY the hero goes in search of some truth or information to restore life to the kingdom THE QUEST search for someone or some object, which when it is found and brought back will restore life to a wasted land, the desolation of which is shown by a leader s illness and disability.

11 Story Archetypes DEATH AND REBIRTH grows out of a parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life. Morning and springtime represent birth, youth, or rebirth; evening and winter suggest old age or death. BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL The battle between two primal forces. Many stories show a continual portrayal of good triumphing over evil despite great odds. THE RITUAL The actual ceremonies the initiate experiences that will mark his rite of passage into another state (weddings, funerals)

12 The Hero s Journey Defined by Joseph Campbell. The monomyth, or the hero's journey, is the common template of a broad category of tales that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, and in a decisive crisis wins a victory, and then comes home changed or transformed.

13 Examples of the Hero s Journey Ancient examples of the Hero s Journey: The Odyssey Legends of King Arthur The story of Moses in the Bible Modern examples of the Hero s Journey: Star Wars The Lion King The Lord of the Rings Finding Nemo

14 Unusual Birth Oftentimes there are unusual circumstances surrounding the birth of a hero. The hero maybe born to royalty, or be the son of a god or goddess. The hero is sometimes in danger at birth. Consider Harry Potter, who is born to parents who are wizards and who narrowly escapes Voldemort's effort to kill him as a baby.

15 The Call to Adventure Heroes can begin their journeys in a number of different ways, but usually a traumatic event occurs that leads to the hero wanting or needing to leave home. When the a hero is called to leave home, he or she may refuse to leave at first, only to be convinced, tricked, or forced into leaving later. In other cases, the hero leaves willingly. Still other times, the hero begins the journey on accident.

16 Examples of the Call to Adventure For example, Luke Skywalker (Star Wars) is called into action by the distress message from Princess Leia, and knows he can leave when his aunt and uncle are killed. In Mulan, Mulan willingly leaves home to fight in battle against the invading Huns.

17 Meeting a Mentor The hero is usually aided by someone, often old and wise, who may have mystical power or great knowledge. This figure serves as a guide and mentor as the hero embarks into a new world and faces challenges to his or her life and character.

18 Help from the Mentor: Talisman, Special Weapon, or Skill The hero often has a weapon, protective device, or set of skills given to him or her that will be useful on the journey. The mentor may be the one to give the hero the weapon or to tell him or her about it.

19 Crossing the Threshold At some point, the hero leaves the familiar, safe world of childhood and home and enters fully into the new world of the journey. Luke Skywalker experiences this disorientation among the aliens and creatures at the space port in Mos Eisley. Mulan, pretending to be a boy, enters a new world at the all-male army camp.

20 Trials, Tests, and Growth The hero has to succeed at a series of trials that challenge and build his or her moral strength and character. Luke Skywalker must rescue Princess Leia. Frodo must embark on a long and dangerous journey to destroy The One Ring. Tests often occur in threes. The hero sometimes fails.

21 Achievement of Goal Upon successful completion of the trials, the hero achieves the ultimate goal of the journey. The goal may be an object, such as the Holy Grail; a conceptual task, such as the destruction of the Empire and Death Star; or knowledge or a state of being as in the story of Buddha.

22 Reconciliation with a Father Figure If a division or conflict with the hero's father or father-figure is part of the hero's journey, reconciliation or healing with the father occurs as part of the hero's journey.

23 Return Home The hero, sometimes willingly and sometimes unwillingly, again crosses the threshold and returns home. He or she brings new wisdom and important cultural values back to the community upon return. He or she is changed in some way.

24 Character Archetypes, Explained Quest: This is the hero quest which the archetype has set out on. The hero may not realize she is on such a quest until it is too late to retreat. Fear: This is the fear which is usually the motivating factor for undergoing the quest (why else would the hero need to put herself at risk?) It is also the principal danger that lurks in the shadow of the archetype. Dragon: In most quests the hero soon meets her dragon. This represents the major problem or obstacle of the quest -the opposition that must be overcome in order for the quest to be successful. Task: This is the task that the hero must accomplish in order to succeed at the quest. Succeeding at the task is usually sufficient to overcome the dragon; however failure to do so can lead to becoming what the hero fears most -- his dark self, or shadow. Virtue: Succeeding at the quest earns the hero these rewards of self. In addition to the hand of the princess, the castle, and the gold...

25 Character Archetypes Innocent Quest: To remain in safety. Fear: Being abandoned. Dragon: Will deny it or seek outside rescue from it. Task: To gain fidelity and discernment. Virtue: Trust and optimism. Orphan Quest: To regain safety. Fear: Being exploited. Dragon: Will be victimized by it. Task: To process and feel painfully. Virtue: Interdependence and realism. Warrior Quest: To win. Fear: Weakness. Dragon: Will slay or confront it. Task: To fight only for what really matters. Virtue: Courage and discipline. Caregiver Quest: To help others. Fear: Selfishness. Dragon: Will take care of it and those it harms. Task: To give without maiming self or others. Virtue: Compassion and generosity.

26 Character Archetypes Destroyer Quest: To metamorphosis. Fear: Annihilation. Dragon: Will allow dragon to destroy oneself. Task: To let go. Virtue: Humility. Ruler Quest: To create order. Fear: Of creating chaos. Dragon: Will find constructive uses for it. Task: To take full responsibility. Virtue: Responsibility and control. Sage Quest: To find truth. Fear: Deception. Dragon: To transcend it. Task: To attain enlightenment. Virtue: Wisdom and non-attachment. Seeker Quest: To search for a better life. Fear: Conformity. Dragon: Will flee from it. Task: To be true to the deeper self. Virtue: Autonomy and ambition.