Developing Story Ideas, 3rd Edition

15 A Myth, Legend, or Folktale Retold

Myths, legends, and folktales are authorless tales whose intrinsic qualities and messages have made them endure. Indeed, they survive from antiquity because they remain adaptable and still potent for capturing the pressures and choices in contemporary life. They represent cultural assets that any writer can use.

Traditional tales, such as legends, myths, and folktales are authorless, orally transmitted traditions. Legends are inauthentic history; that is, they use figures and events taken from the past and reshaped to serve contemporary purposes. Myths, which often involve the supernatural, represent the often insoluble principles governing the human condition. Folktales are usually cautionary narratives ...