World Folklore Day

What is a Folklore?

Folklore generally refers to narratives, jokes, beliefs, proverbs, legends, myths, music, songs, dances, costumes, food, and festivals, through which individuals and groups shape and disseminate a shared identity.

I don’t mean Taylor Swifts awesome music album, called the same as well.

Types of Folklore – literarydevices.net

I would assume that most of you would know Folklore, as in fairy tales and possibly song/music as well. There are so many way to tell a Folklore. Why stop at just one way! But Taylor Swift’s album is a way too.

Folklore will generally tell the lives of “every day folk” their lives, , their conflicts, what happens in them, how they overcome them. Essentially the life lessons of that lesson. Then it becomes a folklore, through oral stories. Some examples of folklore:

  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears
  • Russian Nesting Dolls
  • Native American Dances
  • Danny Boy – A Ballard
  • John Henry
  • Fairytales – The Little Mermaid, Cinderella etc
  • Ashanti of Ghana
  • Quilting
  • Mosaic.

Generally, a folklore is something that was created and has been communicated down through the years. The Folklore seems to be based on myth, rather than reality. Other than the real life lessons, they can teach us.

I personally believe that families can spread folklore through the generations. Maybe not something that becomes popular in mainstream cultures. Think about it.

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World Folktale Day

Folklore refers to the tales people tell – folk stories, fairy tales, “tall tales,” and even urban legends. Which makes Disney not Folktales. Think more Brothers Grimm or Hans Christensen Anderson, and their original tales, rather then the family friendly Disney. Even then, not all Grimms and Andersen stories are considered folklore. 

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is a perfect example of an author making up folklore to enrich his fictional cultures. 

The folktale is a story passed down verbally from generation to generation. Each storyteller added something new to the stories, making them more interesting and fascinating as the ages passed. Different folktales bear the characteristics of the culture, folklore and customs of the people from which they originated.

X Files Myth GIF by The X-Files - Find & Share on GIPHY

 World Folklore Day is being marked 22 August, a word that was coined in 1846 by the English archaeologist William John Thoms.

Magic Drowning GIF by Taylor Swift - Find & Share on GIPHY

The Sandman

Today seems like the perfect time to write about “The Sandman” mainly because we are taking care of my Aunties dog and he has developed this new little habit of crying really loudly at 5am every single morning. The night before he came here I didn’t get a good night sleep either, so I have been trying to make up for it and it’s just not happening.

Also I apologise right now if my spelling and grammar is shot to pieces, my brain is just “done in”.

The Sandman comes from the North and Central European folklore and he is supposed to bring good dream, helping you to fall asleep by sprinkling magical sand onto and into your eyes. The eye sleep that you wake up with the next morning was supposed to be proof that the Sandman has done his job.

Not this Sandman…but it’s a really good song all the same.

Published on 19 Mar 2012

Enter Sandman [Official Music Video]
From the album “Metallica”

Director: Wayne Isham
Filmed in June 1991 in Los Angeles, CA
Video Premiere Date: July 30, 1991

© 1991 Metallica