Folklore

One common recurring theme in “trickster stories” is the concept of karma. The idea that the trickster can be devious enough to set a trap that catches his prey, but fails to evade other traps, often of his own design. This is apparent in the book “Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art” by Lewis Hyde. He writes, “and yet, as the Loki story indicates, the trickster can also get snared in his own devices. Trickster is at once culture hero and fool, clever predator and stupid prey.…

Throughout history, people have used song and music to convey their messages. Older than the written word, storytelling has always held an important role in society. Stories were meant to entertain as well as to tell and immortalize historic events. They were cautionary tales, and family histories passed down orally from one generation to the next. One of the ways this was done was through song. Harpists and poets would travel the countryside, telling their tales and singing their songs to…

When cultures go through changes and start adapting to a new modern world, aspects of their traditions and way of life change. They went from hunting and gathering to becoming more agricultural or domesticated. While these technological advances can bring prosperity, there are also many long term consequences that can see today. One big aspect of traditional cultures was the idea of interconnectedness. This means that all of their aspects of life such as religion and politics and the economy…

Practices Every Friday morning at a Walmart Supercenter store in Mexico, just as the night shift workers are concluding their shift and the morning shift is arriving, the staff eats breakfast together. This informal, but ritualistic gathering has not only become a tradition, it is an elemental component of the corporate culture of that particular Walmart (González, 2013). Furthermore, it is important to note that this activity is essentially free, the staff bring their own meals, but the…

The differences between goblins, dwarfs and fairies in Victorian fairy tales The appearance of fantastic creatures and figures is very common in fairy tales. These characters usually serve as the support of the protagonist, who encounters various problems that cannot be solved alone, or they become the antagonist in the story trying to prevent the main character from achieving his or her goal. The aim of this essay is to highlight the differences between supernatural creatures that appear in…

To thoroughly understand the relationships between themes, a theme can be analogous to a wild animal (#8). There can be many wild animals in a vast open area, but in many smaller areas, there may be just one. As for literature, many complex novels possess multiple themes, but, commonly, short stories and other pithy pieces of writing possess a single theme shown throughout the book. Be that as it may, wild animals also possess the inclination to rival each other; themes acquire the same…

Leslie Marmon Silko states her view on the significance of oral tradition in the Pueblo community. Silko begins her written speech by saying, “The words most highly valued are those spoken from the heart, unpremeditated and unrehearsed,” (467). Storytelling lies at the heart of Pueblo culture, for it brings their heritage together no matter the time or distance (Silko 470, 479). Pueblo oral tradition differentiates from English writing; oral tradition challenges academic writing. Silko’s written…

Throughout human history, stories have been passed through the generations. These stories aren’t known to be factual, nor logical, but they have been accepted into society. A Short History of a Myth by Karen Armstrong describes what defines a myth, and what they mean to society. There are many factors that decide a myth, but the two most definitive according the A Short History of a Myth are having supernatural or divine elements, along with having a moral or lesson. “Tularecito” by John…

Big Analysis What are archetypes? Archetypes are the recurring themes in stories. Archetypes can be found in almost any part of a story, or any story in general. You can find situational archetypes, character archetypes, and symbolic archetypes in any story, and they will always follow the same cycle. The first stage of archetypes is the golden age. The golden age is the stage of innocence. It symbolizes the beginning, and purity. The golden age is often compared with things like spring, Eden,…

For many years, various films and novels have portrayed the life and experiences of a cowboy in the West. A myth is a traditional story or an idea that is believed by countless of people, but do not have the facts to prove it to be true. In the American West, the cowboy is a mythic character in which the people admire them because of their masculinity, independence, bravery, and courage. Everyone envisions the cowboy being a white American male who rides his horse into the sunset since it sounds…