MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FABLES
MYTHS-
Myths revolve around giving answers to life's question through fiction, a majority of the time myths include the presence of God and Goddesses along with other powerful beings as a way to explain happenings. For example, Greek mythology explains that the change in seasons happens because the Goddess Persephone was kidnapped by the God of the Underworld, Hades, and is forced to spend a third of the year in the Underworld, resulting in the death of nature and crops.
Legends are mainly about people and their experiences, most commonly taking place a long time ago. Legends, like myths, are fictional however they could include people who have previously existed in history. For example, the legend of King Arthur and Excalibur. King Arthur was a real person who fought against Anglo-Saxons during the late 5th or early 6th century, however the presence of the magical sword Excalibur is purely fictitious, an accessory added inspired by a mythological Irish object and included in a Welsh story. Many legends, although revolving around real people, have a fictional twist in order to make the story either more convincing or interesting or to teach a lesson. In the legend around Excalibur, the story is supposed to teach the responsibility that needs to be paired with power.
A fable is a story that is purely fictitious, its passed down form generation to generation and normally includes a moral lesson that can be applied to everyday life. For example, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, one of Aesop's Fables, teaches those who read it that people who lie or are untrustworthy cannot be rewarded or believed when they tell the truth or do something right. Another example is The Tortoise and the Hare which conforms to the stereotype of fables also including humanised animals than can communicate and teaches that hard work and determination can overcome talent and luck as well as adopted the phrase "Slow and steady wins the race".
FOLK AND FAIRY TALES-
Mainly written for children, these types of stories include magical characters that entice children imaginations, predominantly and most popularly written by Hans Christian Anderson. An example of these genres of stories would be The Little Mermaid or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Both stories include magical, alternate worlds that intrigue children and keep them entertained and include the stereotypical talking animals that a majority of folk and family tales have.
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