Myths | Folklore
Every culture has stories. Folklore encompasses the myths, beliefs and customs of a specific community, passed down through the years from generation to generation. It is an oral tradition that manifests in rituals, stories, jokes and proverbs and serve as a guide for how to behave or dictates social customs. Myths are part of folklore. They are stories, often from thousands of years ago that tend to feature supernatural beings or events. The story of the Cyclops is an example of myth -- a Cyclops was a giant, one eyed creature that roamed around ancient Greece.
Most folktales have a moral lesson that reflects the values of the culture that they come from. Folktales have typically been passed down through generations of families over an extended period of time. The stories within folktales are similar from one country to the other.
Folklore affects culture in the form that the stories assert identity within a group, challenge cultural norms, as well as provide examples of ways to live a good life. The term folklore is used to describe large and deeply significant ideas or beliefs within a culture.
Myths typically began to be recorded as soon as the technology of writing began to be used. The first texts were hymns to the gods and collections of mythological stories that then became organized and explained how various elements within the world were created. Myths also explore occurrences of daily life.
