Myths, Fables, Fairy Tales and Folklore

Differences in tales

Myths, fables, fairy tales, and folklore all provide excellent insight into a culture while often also being in flux with every new retelling, giving them endless entertainment value.

About Myths

In Search of Myths and Heros
Join intrepid historian Michael Wood as he goes in search of the world’s greatest myths, seeking the roots of four great legends — the Queen of Sheba, King Arthur, Shangri-La and Jason and the Golden Fleece.

American Indian

Miracle, The Sacred White Buffalo
It was thought with the demise of the great herds of buffalo that a white one would never be seen again. The birth of this one in 1994 has given Native Americans new hope.

Native American Indian Legends and Folklore
We have indexed these stories tribe by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same legend are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to each other. See also Native Central and South American Indian Legends and Folklore

Animals

Animals, Myths and Legends
Tales from Oban the Knowledge Keeper, such as Coyote stories, Why Bat has No Friends, and What Happened to Unicorns.

Story of the Bat
The birds challenged the four-footed animals to a great ball play. It was agreed that all creatures which had teeth should be on one side and all those which had feathers should go on the other side with the birds. From the Tuggle collection.

The Constellations & Stars

Myths About the Sky, Stars and Constellations
Multicultural stories, each told 3 ways, depending on your maturity. Lovely illustrations.

Myths and Tales Associated with the Constellations
Combine history, literature and science while you gaze at the night sky and listen to these stories.

Windows to the Universe – Mythology
For thousands of years people have associated objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their physical world with the gods and goddesses of their cultures.

Fables

Aesop’s Biography
It can cautiously be said that Aesop was a slave in the sixth century B.C., that he came from Phrygia and lived in Samos, and that he was known for his ability to craft “fables” (logoi).

Aesop’s Fables
Come listen to any of 655+ Fables, and learn about morals that have been handed down through the ages. RealAudio needed for listening.

Frankenstein
A fairly modern fable on the perils of medical research. Read Mary Shelley’s fable online. Here’s a Frankensein Study Guide

Folklore

American Folklore
American folktales, Native American myths and legends, tall tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from each and every one of the 50 United States. You can read about all sorts of famous characters like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Jesse James, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and many more.

Campfire Stories
From spooky to silly, a well-told campfire story will entertain campers for hours. Eerie flashlight effects are optional.

Paul Bunyan, Giant Lumberjack
Paul and Babe were so large, the tracks they made galivanting around Minnesota filled up and made the 10,000 lakes. Lesson.

Myths

Bulfinch’s Mythology
A prize winning site about the Age of Fable.

Chinese Myths and Fantasies
Ancient Chinese myths were not recorded in a systematic way in any work, and, as a result, only fragments of them are extant today. From China Vista.

Creation Myths
Here are a large group of links to Creation Myths from a variety of cultures from around the world.

Creation Stories and Myths
As part of our study of ancient peoples, a Grade 6 class decided to make an investigation into some of the creation myths and legends from their own cultures which have been passed down from generation to generation.

The Encyclopedia Mythica
A epic effort on mythology, folklore and legend.

Jason and the Golden Fleece
Determined to reclaim his throne, Jason agrees to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Jason assembles a team of great heroes for his crew and they sail aboard the Argo.

MythWeb
This site is devoted to the heroes, gods and monsters of Greek mythology.

Norse Mythology
At the beginning of time there was nothing but a great void called Ginnungagap, a void filled with powerful magic forces.

Indonesian Myth
The mythology of Indonesia is influenced by Indian Mythology. The names of gods in our mythology are the same as in Indian. This is because the great Indian civilization influenced our Indonesian ancestors.

Star Wars: The Magic of Myth
How is this modern film like the myths of old? How is the plot similar. Lots of illustrations and sounds you’ll enjoy.

Russian

Russian Fairy Tales
An eBook with many classic Russian stories.

Russian Folk Tales
44 folk tales from Russia and the Ukraine such as those about Sister Fox, the Frog Princess, Baba Yaga and others.

The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf
Once upon a time in a far away land, there lived a mighty tsar. A Russian fairytale.

Story Collections

Story Telling
A fine collection of shaggy dog stories, ghosts stories, Indian legends, etc. from MacScouter.

Tales of Wonder
A huge collection of folk and fairy tales from around the world.

Zen Stories to Tell Your Neighbors
Fun to tell stories that have reflected human nature for hundreds of years.

Author: Ann Zeise

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