 Part of the language of all people is their folklore. Folklore is simply the oral literature, the spoken art, or ethnopoetics of a culture or society. This includes storytelling performance, traditional practices, beliefs, and information on the material culture. Folklore functions in different ways. By recording and analyzing the texts of folklore, we can better understand a culture. Folklore helps preserve native languages. Stories provide the method by which cultural practices and lessons are transmitted from generation to generation. Folklore aids in education of children by sharpening their wits through riddles, exploring new vocabulary, and learning the cognitive codes of their language. An example is the riddle: What has ears, but can not hear? Bronislaw Malinowski said that folklore functioned as a practical guide to behavior. It codifies cultural beliefs, enforces morality, and strengthens tradition. Stories gain prestige by linking a culture to the supernatural. Stories and cultural jokes provide a psychological release. The release comes from experiencing the story vicariously, especially when the act itself would be prohibited or shocking if the person actually behaved that way. The Araphaho have stories of “Whiteman,” who does outrageous things such as taking his mother-in-law on the warpath and then seducing her. Two main genre of folklore exist; one warns of danger and the other gives advise. Lessons may warn against wantonness, wastefulness or breaking moral codes. Advice may be given for right living, such as proverbs. In cultures where telling someone what to do is offensive, the tales give advise on correct behavior. Folk tales are the age old authority or the collective wisdom, of a society Click to hear a Seminole story by tribal elder Alice Snow, which includes a written transcription. Young people on the Brighton Reservation near Okeechobee drew the animal pictures to illustrate the story. Now proceed to your assignment.
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