folklore
English meaning: Folklore
English Definition
(English)Folklore encompasses myths (explaining cosmological origins), legends (historical narratives with supernatural elements), fairy tales, proverbs, riddles, folk songs, and traditional crafts. It is transmitted orally, adapted with each telling, and varies regionally. India's oral folklore traditions — Panchatantra animal fables, regional folk tales, tribal oral epics — are among the world's richest and oldest.
English Definition
The traditional beliefs, customs, stories, songs, and practices of a community, passed down orally through generations. Folklore preserves cultural memory and collective wisdom outside of formal written tradition.
Example
“The Panchatantra's animal fables, composed around 300 BCE, are one of India's greatest contributions to world folklore — influencing Aesop's Fables, 'One Thousand and One Nights', and La Fontaine's Fables.”
In English: “India's Panchatantra fables spread globally, shaping folklore traditions from Persian literature to European fairy tales.”
Synonyms
- oral tradition
- folk tradition
- mythology
Antonyms / Opposites
- written literature
- formal tradition
Literary Heritage
“Culture may even be described simply as that which makes life worth living.”
“Culture may even be described simply as that which makes life worth living.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B