Mythology and Folklore Flashcards

Grade 6 · English · Flashcards

Key terms and concepts from world myths, legends, fables, and folk traditions.

Flashcards

Myth: A traditional story explaining nature, the cosmos, or human existence, typically featuring gods or supernatural beings.
Folklore: The collective stories, beliefs, and customs of a culture passed down through generations, usually orally.
Fable: A brief story with animal characters that illustrates a clear moral lesson.
Legend: A semi-historical story about a heroic human figure, often believed to contain some truth.
Fairy tale: A fantasy story featuring magical beings such as fairies, witches, or giants, often following good vs. evil themes.
Archetype: A universal pattern of character or plot (e.g., the hero, the trickster) recurring across many cultures.
Hero's journey: A narrative pattern in which a hero is called to adventure, faces trials, and returns transformed.
Oral tradition: The method of preserving and transmitting stories, histories, and cultural knowledge through speaking rather than writing.
Trickster: A common mythological archetype — a clever, mischievous character who uses cunning to outsmart others (e.g., Loki, Coyote, Anansi).
Creation myth: A myth that explains how the universe, Earth, or humanity was created.
Symbolism: The use of images, objects, or characters to represent deeper ideas or themes.
Moral: The lesson or message a story teaches about how to live or behave.
Polytheism: The belief in multiple gods, common in ancient mythologies such as Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian.