American Indian Myths and Legends

Myths and Legends represents the heart and soul of a culture. In "American Indian Myths and Legends" 166 legends that was recorded had come from " the heart and soul of the native people of North America." Legends had been told throughout many years and each time it is told differently. Legends are told according "to a people's way of life, the geography and the climate in which they live, the food they eat and the way they obtain it."For people myth is a different kind of world it is a dramatic world. It is a world of actions and powers. In mythology a different type of language is used, it has it own personality and independence. For the native people of North America legends were never told for enjoyment or for education, legends were part of a belief. It connects the people to their ancestors. One myth or legend that connects the native people to their ancestors is " When Grizzlies Walked Upright." This story is a love story of the Chief Sky Spirit daughter who had fallen in love with a grizzly bear. This love story was kind of weird but sweet. The daughter was lost and could not find her family. A family of grizzly bear had raised her until she had become a young woman. She was married to the eldest son of the grizzly bears. Their children was different but unique they did not look like their father or mother. The spirit mother and the grizzly bear had created a new creature. After many years the Chief of the Sky spirit had found his daughter and learned that the strange creatures were his grandchildren. He had hated the fact that a new race had been created that was not of his making. He cursed all the grizzlies and took his daughter. His grandchildren were left behind scattered and wandering around earth. The strange creatures were the first Indians. This story reminds me of fables were they use animals instead of humans. The legend " When Grizzles Walked Upright" had made the Indians not kill any grizzly bear because they are part of their ancestors.

Porto Rican Folklore

Puerto Rican folklore reflect the culture of the people who had lived and influenced the lifestyle of those people who were living there, such as the Tainos, the Spaniards, and the Africans. The reflections of elements are found in folktales which were passed down from father to son over the centuries. In the collection of Puerto Rican folklore, there are riddles, rhymes, games, folktales, tales of enchantment, animal stokes, songs, and also other types of oral expression. Children hear folktales, fairy tales, myths, and legends because they receive their cultural legacy through these stories. Folktales are stories that conduct culture and values, if children are impoverished of these stories, a very important and crucial element of their growth and development has been left out. In the “Three Wishes” there are stories tales of enchantments and animals stokes. There is a folklore I like from the Three Wishes “The Ant in Search of Her Leg.” In this folklore there was a little any who pulled off her leg because of the snow. When she asked the snow can she get her leg back the snow said it cannot because the snow is no strong enough. While trying to get her little leg back she had went to asked for help from the snow, sun, cloud, wind, wall, rat, cat, dog, stick, fire, water, ox, knife, man, and death. The ant went to everyone and they could not help her in the end she went to god and god told her “Little ant, go home. When you leave it again, you will have your leg.” The ant had learned that God is the strongest of all because no matter who you go to no one will help you but in the end God will always help you. Puerto Rican folklore also haves a spiritual meaning. 

The Sociopsychological Analysis of Folktales by J.L. Fischer

In J.L. Fischer essay “The Sociopsychological Analysis of Folktales" he talks about the social and psychological factor of folktales. The major analysis in the article deals with the introduction, situations of innovation in folktale, symbolism, and the structure of the tale. In certain society some people consider folktales as an important myth while others listen to it as entertainment. Folktales are considered as a major division of “expressive culture". Folktales include drama, rituals, music, graphic and plastic art, and dance. But when folktales are considered as a major division of "political culture" it includes technology, economy, politics, and social structure. It is really interesting how stories are only told according to the social situation. For a folktale to be categorize as a folktale "a narrative must be dramatic in the sense that it states some sort of conflicts which is eventually solved"(pg.237) which is true because in every folktale there is a problem that will be solved. Folktales teaches a lesson and also gives advice on how handle problems. Symbolism is also shown is folktales. ''Symbolism in folktales concerns the symbolism of the scenes or image presented"(pg.243). Any folktales are symbolic “as an instance of languages.” The idea of symbolism in folktales are arrogantly protected and also violently attacked. Folktales were part of an oral tradition that kids heard while growing up.

''For most human history,'literature,'both fiction and poetry, has been narrate, not written- heard,not read. So fairy tales, folktales, stories from the oral tradition, are all of them the most vital connection we have with the imaginations of the ordinary men and women whose labor created our world." This quote related to the article because it  is true that most literature or book has been first narrated than written, just like folktales. Folktales were narrated by the situation around them but it was also narrated by an imagination in how we see the world.

The Role of Fables in Human Life by Edward Clayton

         In Edward Clayton Essay “The Role of Fables in Human Life" he states the importance of fables, who uses it and what was the reason it was written.  Clayton states that fables were written by the aristocratic class. The upper class was providing advice and warnings of danger to the weaker party who is also known as the lower class.  The fables are described as if the animals are human beings. The similarities between the animal behavior and human behavior are the only way the fables are written. The character traits a human being share with an animal makes fables important.  It focuses on democracy, equality and justice; also seen as a legal part of "democratic political, philosophical, and artistic discourse." The understanding of both humans and animals is easier to see or find a democratic message in the fables. The Athens believed that fables represent the best way to convey complex political ideas. The lower class are not the only ones who uses fables as a lesson or advices, but Roman authors and orators also use the fables as well. The similarities between human and animals that make fables relevant is that they are born wild. Fables generally show us a short a short version of “two animals that are unequal in power and who do not reflected on their situation or plan for future.” It is a way of giving them advice in how to face their problems. By reading fables and having animals illustrates as humans they see that weaker animals also known as the lower class faces inequality and injustice. By facing inequality and injustice they do not realize that they have a unique characteristic which reflects in the lessons that are found in fables. The lessons of the fables support the idea of inequality and justice.  In the beginning Clayton gave a quote “If someone has considered the study of the other animals to lack value, he ought to think the same thing about himself as well.” This quote is important for this essay because it means if you think animals are not important than you are worth less because in fables human beings are illustrated as animals.