Things Fall Apart

1
Things Fall Apart

• Myths. Legends, and Proverbs

2
Oral Tradition

• Literature passed down through generations by
  word of mouth found often in cultures with no
  written language
• Myths, legends, folk tales, fables, epics
• Audience participation call and response
  refrain

3
Myths

• The main characters are usually gods,
  supernatural heroes and humans
• Closely linked to religion or spirituality
• A myth is usually regarded as a true account of
  the remote past
• Generally take place in a primordial age when the
  world had not yet achieved current form.
• Explain how the world gained its current form and
  how customs, institutions and taboos were
  established.

4
Myth Examples

• Gods and goddesses
• Trickster myth a smaller animal gets the better
  of a larger one (tortoise and hare)
• Etiological myth explains how why things came
  to be( peacock feathers eyes
• Biblical myths Adam Eve Noah the ark

5
Legends

• A narrative of human actions that seem to take
  place within human history and to possess certain
  qualities that give the tale verisimilitude
  (truth)
• No happenings that are outside the realm of
  "possibility", defined by a highly flexible set
  of parameters
• May include miracles that are perceived as
  actually having happened

6
Legend Examples

• Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
• Johnny Appleseed
• King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
• Sleepy Hollow and Ichabod Crane

7
Proverbs

• Concise saying that expresses a common human
  truth
• Intended to convey wisdom and experience about
  greed, stupidity, procrastination, gullibility
• Incorporate metaphor, alliteration, parallelism,
  and rhyme

8
African Proverbs

• Tools for debate and argument
• Use of few words to settle disputes or resolve
  ethical problems
• Teach children cultural philosophies
• Provide entertainment b/c of cleverness

9
Common American Proverbs

• A stitch in time saves nine.
• Dont count your chickens until they are
  hatched.
• Too many cooks spoil the broth.
• Never say never
• You cant make chicken salad out of chicken
  poop a personal favorite of Mrs. Wileys

10
African Proverbs

• Rain beats a leopards skin, but it dopes not
  wash out the spots.
• The friends of our friends are our friends.
• One camel does not make fun of another camels
  hump.
• You cannot build a house for last years
  summer.

11
Assignment

• Record and interpret examples of myths, legends,
  and proverbs on your charts one per space.
• Hand in charts with reading journals.