Folklore

Cultural knowledge that is spread through societies by means of oral traditions such as stories, songs, jokes, or sayings. Originally passed on through the spoken word, many of these traditions have now been collected and written down.

Sub-headings:

Folk Songs and Rhymes

The traditional verses of folk songs and rhymes are social rather than personal in nature and reflect something about the community they come from.

Folktales and Fairy Tales

A form of made-up folklore told primarily for entertainment and sometimes containing a message.

Incantations and Magic

Incantations come from a traditional belief that words have the magical power to control events or individuals. They include taboos, greetings, verbal wishes, and magical phrases.

Jokes and Riddles

Enigmatic expressions with an answer or a punch line. Whereas jokes have a humorous punch line usually revealed by the teller, riddles are meant to be solved by the listener.

Legends and Myths

Folklore stories that are told as true, but cannot be proven. Legends and myths are about people, local history and events, natural phenomena, or supernatural forces.

Proverbs and Sayings

Timeless statements or phrases that are repeated often and contain some insight about the world.

Superstitions

Folk beliefs that reveal cultural knowledge, convey traditions, and metaphorically address many elements of the human condition.

Resources in this category:

Aesop's Fables
http://www.aesopfables.com/

Includes not only Aesop's Fables, but also a large collection of tales by Hans Christian Anderson, as well as selections by Jean De La Fontaine, Ambrose Bierce and L. Frank Baum. Requires Flash.

The Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ
http://home.comcast.net/~chris.s/assyrbabyl-faq.html

Details the gods and heroes of Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, including the older gods, the Anunnaki and Igigi, the cthonic gods, and the monsters. Also touches on the relationship between the Babylonian and Sumerian dieties.

Defining Terms: Myth, Folklore, Legends, Etc.
http://classiclit.about.com/cs/10th14thcentury/a/aa_definemy...

An article by the guide to classic literature on About.com. How to tell the difference between various forms of folklore.

Dibaajimowinan Native Life Narratives
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/stories/stories.html

This site contains histories, personal narratives, stories, and personal experiences told by native authors. The site also allows the user to email contemporary native authors and join listservs for young people.

Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
http://www.bartleby.com/81/

This Bartleby.com edition of Brewer's "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" was created from the 1898 edition of the text. They describe it as "Comprising over 18,000 entries that reveal the etymologies, trace the origins and otherwise catalog 'words with a tale to tell.'" Browsable and searchable.

Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html

Resource providing links to mythology texts. Arranged alphabetically, users can browse everything from popular fairy tales to Russian ghost stories.

Folklore Discussion List
http://listserv.tamu.edu/archives/folklore.html

The archives of the folklore discussion list at Texas A&M University. You can join the list, search the archives, or browse by date.

The Hasidic Stories Homepage
http://www.hasidicstories.com/

The art of Hasidic Storytelling. A collection of stories from the Hasidic tradition as well as a list of articles and resources.

Internet Sacred Text Archive
http://www.sacred-texts.com/

"A freely available archive of significant primary texts relating to religion and mythology. Texts are presented in English translation and, in some cases, in the original language." Covers Ancient, Eastern, and Western religions.

Mayan Folktales
http://www.folkart.com/folktale/folktale.htm

A collection of folktales as told to Fernando Peñalosa by don Pedro Miguel Say, a famous Q'anjob'al storyteller from San Miguel Acátan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

Native Literature Directory
http://www.indians.org/Resource/natlit/natlit.html

A directory of Native American stories from the American Indian Heritage Foundation.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy - Folklore and Mythology
http://www.bartleby.com/59/2/

An explanation of folklore and mythology including a long list of related entries. Many common stories, themes, and characters are mentioned here.

Types of Folklore
http://geocities.com/varda_valar/frames/mythfrms.htm

A short description of different types of folklore: myths, legends, Fairy Tales, and Fables. This website also includes a dictionary of characters and creatures from folklore around the world.