The cultural folk tales were often used to share a common history and strengthen cultural values and traditions. This article will reveal what is the purpose of folktales in traditional cultures. However, during historic times when people belonged to tribes or lived in a small village, they got along well with each other and minimise conflict. These cultural folk tales represent the stories of these tribes.
What are folktales?
According to August House Publishers people lived in tribes and did their best to avoid or limit conflict. They had to get along with each other on different circumstances. Therefore, only the chief, who is also known as the high priest or shaman was able to confront when someone was committing an offence.
All things considered, these stories were shared as a result to educate people on how transgression had taken place. The person who has done wrong will then recognise his actions and the mistake he committed. These stories eventually end up being passed down generations and these folktales in different cultures preserves different traditions and cultures.
These cultural folklore stories model behaviours that help to strengthen expectations about how our ancestors once lived and resolved conflicts. As time passed these cultural folklore stories was including and demonstrating different characters, trust, loyalty, courage, caring and resourcefulness.
Also, these stories model the significance and effectiveness of decision making and how these characters when challenged with decisions were able to navigate and overcome them. These stories also carry clear messages such as how making good decisions which result in positive outcomes and how poor decisions eventually leads to negative outcomes.
How can folktales help Children?
Many of you wonder what is the purpose of folktales in traditional cultures and how they can be used to help children. Generally speaking, these folktales celebrate diversity and these stories depict the experience of diverse characters from different cultures, tribes and traditions. Children can gain invaluable insights and lessons from another’s cultural values, beliefs, historical practise and customs.
When we share with children cultural folklore stories they become educated and their views on the world and the existence of different people broadens. They consistently develop a greater appreciation of the heritage of their own families. There are other ways cultural folk tale help children which includes:
- Developing stronger reading skills
- Studying different cultures
- Modelling character traits
- Appreciating other traditions
- Learning about decision making
- Exploring new ways of seeing the world
- Discovering a love of stories
What is the purpose of folktales in traditional cultures
There are many purposes and meanings for folk talks in cultures, including:
- Helping to preserve cultural values, beliefs, customs and history of a particular group
- They are passed down from generations connecting the present to the past
- They often teach valuable life lessons which differentiates between good and evil
- Folk talks are entertaining and interesting
- These tales explains things that people don’t understand
- It helps strengthen relationships and promote a sense of unity and understanding
- It helps in people embrace, accept and learn about different cultures
- Sharing traditions through folk tales helps us understand other traditions
Popular South African Folktales
When we think what is the purpose of folktales in traditional cultures? South African folk tales are among the most appealing to listen to. They were collected in the 19th Century primarily from the San people (Bushmen), who were at the time nomadic hunter-gatherers living in South Africa. They were also living among the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
These cultural folk tales also focuses on popular animal stories, dangerous creatures and comical trickster characters. Some of the popular folklore stories among South Africans are:
- The Lion and the Jackal
When a lion leaves his eland to get water with a jackal, the jackal and the lions wife eat the eland instead.
- Stories by Pieter W. Grobbelaar
The stories published by Grobbelaar are full of humour and includes Jackal and Wolf stories, Tortoise and Hare, and Bluebottle and Bee. His stories also are mainly based on South African folklore while he also inclues Western Europe and Eastern cultural stories.
- Anansi the Trickster: A famous spider who often plays the baddie
Animals are often depicted in many folklore stories and they teach children about awareness, importance of the environments and empathy.
- The South African Legend of the Evil Tokoloshe
This is one of the most popular creatures in South African folklore myths, which is an evil force from the cultures of Xhosa and Zulu. And as belief goes, this evil force summons people that wish to do harm to others.
A List of South African Folktales for kids
There is a list of African folktales and some of these are also examples of modern folktales they are:
- The Lost Message
- The Monkey’s Fiddle
- The Tiger, The Ram, and The Jackal
- The Lion, The Jackal, and The Man
- The World’s Reward
- Tiger and Jackal
- Tink-Tinkje
- The Lion, The Jackal and The Rope
- Jackal Fools Lion Again
- The Hunt of Lion and Jackal
- Story of Lion and Little Jackal
- The Lioness and the Ostrich
- The Story of a Dam
- READING B:
- The Dance for Water
- Jackal and Monkey
- The Story of Hare
- The White Man and Snake
- Jackal, Dove, and Heron
- Elephant and Tortoise
- The Judgment of Baboon
- When Lion Could Fly
- Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother
- Lion Who Took a Woman’s Shape
Conclusion
In traditional cultures, folktales play a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage, teaching moral lessons, and fostering unity within communities. They educate children about diverse values, traditions, and decision-making through engaging stories. By passing down these tales, generations maintain a deep connection to their roots while embracing important life lessons.
Key Points
- They actively preserve cultural values, beliefs, customs, and history, linking the present to the past.
- They convey moral lessons, showing the difference between good and evil, and guide decision-making by demonstrating positive and negative outcomes.
- They expose children to diverse cultures, improve reading skills, teach decision-making, and help children appreciate other traditions.
- They provide entertainment, strengthen relationships, and promote unity and understanding within communities.
- Stories featuring animals like the jackal and lion entertain while teaching environmental awareness, often including characters like the trickster Anansi and the evil Tokoloshe.
FAQs
What are the purposes of traditional tales?
These traditional tales are meant to entertain and educate about the past and they also offer valuable life lessons. Many of these cultural folktales are set in woodlands and depict plants and animals which demonstrate a magical setting.
How are folktales used in South Africa?
These stories in South Africa have been preserved for generations without being written down. They are passed down from word of mouth and told using dramatic representations. This is one of out of the many reasons why they are creative lessons of art.
What is the purpose of legends in traditional culture?
Every culture has myths, legends, stories and folklore. And it demonstrates perfectly how people think and look at the world. These folk tales are also known as oral art which helps preserve traditions and pass down customs that shapes behaviour.
What is the message of folktale?
The message that many folktales share represents different cultures and traditions and many diverse parts of life. They talk about joys and sorrows, animals, plants, woods, music, dances, heroes, villains, and magic beings.
They can be scary, thrilling, entertaining and even appealing to hear. At the end every folk tale offers a lesson or try to explain things that people fail to understand.