Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother illustrated by Oliver Herford
Guide to Folktales, Myths, Legends, and the People Who Study Them
Pathfinder Project by Sara Porter
Reference S501 – Professor Jingfeng Xia
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Your Quest Begins: Introduction…………………………………………… 3
Magic Words: Important Definitions to Know……………………. 4
Seeking the Right Path? Here’s Where to Look……… 5-12
Library Catalog……….. 5-8
Search Engine………….8-10
Database……………..10-12
The Helpers: Important Information……………. 13-20
Websites…………13-14
Books………..14-15
Journals………16-17
Journal Articles……..18-20
The Journey’s End or Beginning: Alternate Sources……………21-22
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Your Quest Begins
Imagine this scenario: You are in the library when your eyes fall on a book of folktales. You read
through a couple of stories out of curiosity, perhaps with the wide-eyed interest that you had
when you were a child and someone read them to you for the first time. Reading them with
adult eyes you start to notice patterns: comparisons with other tales you have heard, maybe
you have noticed characters that remind you of characters from your favorite movies or TV
shows, perhaps you have a literary interpretation to a story, or you may want to find other tales
like it.
This pathfinder explores different variations and interpretations from folktales from around the
world, as well as how and where to find them. This pathfinder is written for an academic level
for undergraduate and graduate students of Indiana University who are interested in reading
and learning more about folklore, perhaps folklore, anthropological, or literature students.
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Magic Words: Important Definitions to Know (all definitions provided by Merriam-Webster)
Folklore - Traditional customs, sayings, dances, or art forms, preserved among a people.
(Though folklore covers a wide expanse including, stories, music, art, dance, costume- this
pathfinder is limited only to include folktales). One who studies these traditions is a folklorist.
Folktales- A characteristically anonymous, timeless, and placeless tale circulated orally among
a people. Many myths, legends, and fairy tales could be considered folk tales.
Myths- A usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of
the events that serve to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief,
or natural phenomenon. Examples might be the “Rape of Persephone” (to explain the seasons),
“Coyote Brings Fire” (to explain how fire was created), or many of the creation myths.
Fairy Tales- a story that has been collected that involves fantastic forces and beings such
as fairies, witches, goblins, etc. Usually, but not always the improbable events lead to a happy
ending. Examples include “Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and the
“Cinderella” variations.
Legends- a story from the past, which is regarded as historical though not verifiable. They are
Usually they have more recent origins than many of the fairy tales and myths. Examples
Include: the stories of Jesse James, many ghost stories, and urban legends.
Archetype-An inherited idea, originated by Carl Jung, that other models are patterned after.
Archetypes include The Hero, The Trickster, or The Wise Woman and Man.
Pantheon- A study of the gods, goddesses and figures of a specific culture for example: Greek,
Celtic or Japanese pantheons.
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The Argo painted by Lorenzo Costa
Seeking the Right Path? Here is Where to Look:
To begin any search one must always know where to find such items. There are three places where any
item can be found, a library catalog, a search engine, and a database. ( All instructions will be bold)
Library Catalog- Anyone can use a public access catalog to find books, articles, information
on anything that they need. There are many catalogs, so I will use one as an example:
- This is the online catalog for Indiana University’s libraries. It is
connected to the various colleges and schools in the IU System. Searching this site is very easy:
Log on using your student name and password. Login
1. A search engine will appear. There are two very popular searches. The first is Basic:
Basic Search TIPS
keywords anywhere
And
Folklore
And
author
keywords anywhere
library:
ALL
Search
Reset
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The second is Advanced Keyword.
Since we have more details on Advanced Keyword, we will choose this.
2. In selecting “Tales” as a subject, I selected “books” as my format and
“IUPUI-University Library” as my location:
Advanced Keyword Search TIPS
subject
More IUCAT
And
Tales
Searches
Basic Search
author
And
title
And
subject
And
series
And
periodical title
And
medical subject
And
Periodical Title
Search
DVD/Video
Search Sound
Recording
Search E-book
Search (Beta)
Class Reserves
Call Number
Search Begins
Kinsey subjects
With (Browse)
Search
Reset
SEARCH OPTIONS
sort by:
None
library:
Indpls - IUPUI University Library (I-UNIVLIB)
location:
ANY
publication year:
(ONLY works for 999 or fewer entries)
(1981, 1965-1970, >1970, <2000)
format:
Books
language:
ANY
collection:
ANY
6
ANY
ANY
NO
Search
Reset
3. The search results found 256 that were in the folktales category- The most prominent
books on folktales are usually found in the GR category which is the folklore category in
Geography subject.
subject "Tales" search found 910 titles.
256 were in the "GR Folklore" category.
[return to full results]
Pages << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 >>
#1
Submit
2007
Cinderella in America : a book of folk and fairy tales 1st ed.
McCarthy, William Bernard, 1939Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2007.
copy available at Blmgtn - Herman B Wells Library (B-WELLS) in Wells
Library - Research Coll. - Folklore Collection Copies on order
>Summary
#2
Submit
>Review
2007
Tales of the golden corpse : Tibetan folk tales
Benson, Sandra.
Northampton, Mass. : Interlink Books, 2007.
copy available at Indpls - IUPUI University Library (I-UNIVLIB) in Stacks
7
>Summary
#3
>Review
2007
Submit
4. To further minimize your search options, check the sidebar which includes limiting
selections by subject, by pantheon, or by any other means to minimize your search:
source: L i m i t Y o u r S e a r c h R e s u l t s t o t h e F o l l o w i n g C a t e g o r i e s
PS American literature PZ Children's literature PR English literature GR Folklore PT German, Dutch,
Flemish, Scandinavian literature DA Great Britain: History E History: America & United States Z Library
science. Information resources. Bibliography PN Literary history. Collections. Quotations GT Manners &
customs B Philosophy (General) BL Religions. Mythology PQ Portuguese, French, Italian, Spanish
literature LB Theory & practice of education DA Europe More categories
Try these too...
Folk literature Allegories. Beauty and the beast (Tale) Cinderella (Tale) Cupid and Psyche (Tale) Fables.
Fairy tales. Frame-stories. Grateful dead (Tale) Green Man (Tale) Lays Legends. Little Red Riding Hood
(Tale) Maiden Tsar (Tale) Oedipus (Tale) Parables. Tall tales. Taming of the Shrew (Tale) Two Brothers
(Tale)
more information: Here are entered collections of stories in prose, especially traditional, popular tales of
uncertain origin, such as legends, fables, etc.
Search Engines- Another way of searching for something is by looking for it through a Search
Engine. There are many popular and prominent search engines but I am going to use one,
actually a meta-search engine which searches multiple search engines for a source:
- Dogpile searches various engines like Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com
to provide the information that we need.
1. In using the Advanced search I selected folktales and included the words “myths,
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legends, and fairy tales” but excluded “children’s books.”
qall,qphrase,qany
All of these words:
Folktales
Folktales
Any of these words:
Myths, Legends,
None of these words:
children's books
Language:
English
Include Domain
485
Exclude Domain
TopNavigation
true
2. The search resulted in 20 results. Here are the first five:
Open Directory - Arts: Literature: Myths and Folktales
Fables@ (38); Fairy Tales@ (314); Folktales@ (641). Legends@ (100); Myths ... Kids and Teens:
School Time: English: Literature: Myths and Folktales (31) ...
www.dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/Myths_and_Folktales/ • Found on Google
Education World® : Lesson Planning Channel : Lesson Plans ...
Use library or Internet sources to select folktales, legends, and myths from different Native American
cultures. Here are three sites to help you start your ...
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www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2209.shtml • Found on Google
Myths, Folktales and Fairy Tales
... cultures across the globe as you read myths from the world regions listed here. ... Myths, Folktales
and Fairy Tales home ? Myth Writing with Jane Yolen ...
teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/myths.htm • Found on Google
Fairy Gifts: Folktales of Type 503
Return to folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore, fairy tales, ...... Source: F. Hadland Davis, Myths and
Legends of Japan (London: G. G. Harrap and ...
www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0503.html • Found on Google
Google Directory - Arts > Literature > Myths and Folktales
Fables (42) Fairy Tales (365), Folktales (764) Legends (136), Myths (497) ... Kids and Teens > School
Time > English > Literature > Myths and Folktales (34) ...
www.google.com/Top/Arts/Literature/Myths_and_Folkt... • Found on Google
3. There are also other options to look for to help increase or minimize a search on the
sidebar:
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Recent Searches
Hide
top scary places to vi...
Myths Legends
Folktales
Folktales Legends, Myt...
Clear All
11.
Databases:
Databases contain journal articles on various subjects. A lot of databases can be found by
viewing the IU Library Article Database . They often require a subscription but looking at it
through the IU network lets the students view the material for free. There are many databases
that feature folklore and literature articles prominently. We will focus on a specific database as
an example:
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- This database managed by Johns Hopkins University Press
collaborates between libraries and publishers to present over 300 humanities, arts, and science
journals.
1. There are two major search options “Article Search” and “Browse Journals”. I may
have a better chance of selecting specific articles from folklore journals, so I selected
“journals”:
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Advertising & Society Review (Vol. 1 (2000) through current issue)
Africa: The Journal of the International African Institute (Vol. 76 (2006) through current issue)
Africa Today (Vol. 46 (1999) through current issue)
African Studies Review (Vol. 48 (2005) through current issue)
Aleph: Historical Studies in Science and Judaism (Vol. 4 (2004) through current issue)
American Annals of the Deaf (Vol. 148 (2003) through current issue)
American Imago (Vol. 52 (1995) through current issue)
The American Indian Quarterly (Vol. 24, no. 3 (2000) through current issue)
American Jewish History (Vol. 84 (1996) through current issue)
The American Journal of Bioethics (Vol. 1 (2001) - vol. 4, no. 2 (2004); archive only)
American Journal of Mathematics (Vol. 118 (1996) through current issue)
American Journal of Philology (Vol. 117 (1996) through current issue)
American Literary History (Vol. 12 (2000) through current issue)
American Literary Realism (Vol. 40 (2007) through current issue) NEW
American Literary Scholarship (1998 through current year)
American Literature (Vol. 71, no. 3 (1999) - vol. 76 (2004); archive only)
American Periodicals: A Journal of History, Criticism, and Bibliography (Vol. 13 (2003) through
current issue)
2. After selecting journal I selected only journals that are about folklore by going
Through the “journals by discipline” option on the sidebar:
Folklore
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Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum (Vol. 14 (2007) through
current issue)
Journal of American Folklore (Vol. 114, no. 451 (2001) through current issue)
Journal of Folklore Research (Vol. 40 (2003) through current issue)
Marvels & Tales (Vol. 15 (2001) through current issue)
Oral Tradition (Vol. 18 (2003) through current
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3. I then selected a specific journal looking at its description and issues:
Journal of Folklore Research
Volume 45, Number 2, May-August 2008
E-ISSN: 1543-0413 Print ISSN: 0737-7037
Publisher:

Indiana University Press
JOURNAL COVERAGE:
Vol. 40 (2003) through current issue
ABOUT THE JOURNAL:
The Journal of Folklore Research has provided an international forum for current theory and
research among scholars of traditional culture since 1964. Each issue includes topical, incisive
articles of current theoretical interest to folklore and ethnomusicology as international
disciplines, as well as essays that address the fieldwork experience and the intellectual history of
folklore and ethnomusicology studies. Contributors include scholars and professionals in
additional fields, including anthropology, area studies, communication, cultural studies, history,
linguistics, literature, performance studies, religion, and semiotics.
CURRENT ISSUE:
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Volume 45, Number 2, May-August 2008
Previous Issues:
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Volume 45, Number 1, January-April 2008
Volume 44, Number 2-3, May-December 2007
Volume 44, Number 1, January-April 2007
Volume 43, Number 3, September-December 2006
Volume 43, Number 2, May-August 2006
Volume 43, Number 1, January-April 2006
Volume 42, Number 3, September-December 2005
Volume 42, Number 2, May-August 2005
Volume 42, Number 1, January-April 2005
Volume 41, Number 2, May-August 2004
Volume 41, Number 1, January-April 2004
Volume 40, Number 3, September-December 2003
Volume 40, Number 2, May-August 2003
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
Volume 40, Number 1, January-April 2003
4. In clicking on the most recent issue, I found its table of contents which includes
options to read the articles in HTML or PDF formats.
A totem or guide post in Totem Park, Victoria, B.C. Canada
The Helpers: As with any folktale, you will encounter many helpers to guide you along your
path. These sources were selected because they are created by experts in studying and
retelling folklore and present some very intriguing insights on the various pantheons.
Websites: These websites were chosen for their expert opinion and because they recount various
pantheons and folklore studies.
- This website retells various American myths, tall tales, legends, and
ghost stories offering some very interesting insights into American lore. The site takes on
various themes such as ghost stories available for Halloween.
- An association that studies and
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communicates knowledge of folklore throughout the world. This website contains various articles, news
events and information about folklore.
– A website that details mythologies from six regions;
Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. The sections are arranged in
encyclopedia form by characters, locations, and themes.
Folktexts: Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts-A fun website that
chronicles various folktales from around the world by subject, character, or genre. The
subjects include “Abducted by Aliens” (actually fairies, elves, and the like), and “Incest
in Indo-European Folktales.”
- A noted website to recount, prove, and sometimes
disprove the most recent forms of folklore: the urban legend. It’s good so a friend of a
friend of mine told me.
Books-These books take the perspective of different folklore pantheons. All of them are
available on IU Cat and are linked to their IU cat page.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Commemorative ed. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press. 2004- Noted folklorist and professor, Campbell explores the
hero myth found in various telling from literature, legend, and modern film.
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Cavendish, Richard. Legends of the World 1st. ed. /Edited by Richard Cavendish
with illustrations by Eric Fraser. New York: Schocken. 1982. - This book chronicles legends from
around the world including Asia, Africa, and North and South American myths and
legends.
Dundes, Alan. Folklore: Critical Concepts in Literary and Cultural Studies . London: New
York; Routledge 2005. – This is an academic study which features a comprehensive
Collection of folktales and their theories and meaning.
Garry, Jane and Hassan El-Shamay. Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature:
A Handbook.
Amonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. 2005. –This book explores the common
archetypes and motifs found in folklore. Among them are Transformation myths, Quest
stories and Wise Men and Women figures.
Mercante, Anthony S. Facts on File Encyclopedia of Myth and World Legends. 2nd ed.
New York: Facts on File 2004. – Arranged, in encyclopedia form this book retells various
myths, legends, and characters that can be found.
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Rosenberg, Donna. Folklore, Myths, and Legends: A World’s Perspective.
Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC Publishing Group, c1997. - This is a collection of folklore and legends from
around the world with historical and contextual references. The stories include creation
myths, Anansi trickster tales, Hero tales like Finn MacChumail, and legends like Rip Van Winkle.
Journals- These journals present the best academic research on folktales. The articles can be accessed
through either their websites or by database.
Journal of American Folklore- This is the official Journal of The American Folklore
Society.
Published quarterly, the journal features articles, essays, notes, and commentaries
based on themes. Though seen online through subscription only, the articles can be
accessed through Project Muse and found in local libraries.
Journal of Folklore Research- This is published by the Department of Folklore and
Ethnomusicology for Indiana University, This takes theoretical and comparative studies
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on the many aspects of folklore, folk life, and ethno musical studies. The articles are
available through the Social Sciences and Humanities Index, Historical Abstracts, and
America: History and Life.
. Marvels and Tales- This journal is published by The Wayne State University Press.
It features retellings and analysis of folk and fairy tales. Special issues feature a specific
topic such as “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Arabian Nights”, and “Fairy Tale Liberation.”
The articles are available through Project Muse.
Newfolk: New Directions in Folklore – This electronic journal features abstract and fulltext articles which analyze folklore in terms of post-modern literature, popular culture,
and reflexivity. Each journal features different topics such as one on Military Folklore. The
articles are available through their site.
Western Folklore- The journal from The Western States Folklore Society deals with
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the description and analysis of regional, international, and national customs. Published
quarterly, the articles are available through EBSCO or JSTOR
.
Journal Articles- There are many journal articles on folklore, over a billion
in fact. These particular articles were chosen because they reflected various styles of literary criticism in
folktales: religious, post-modernist, Marxist, feminist, structuralism or genre, and psychological
approaches.
Ingemark, Camilla Apslund. “The Chronotope of Enchantment”. Journal of Folklore
Research. Vol. 43.
No. 1. 2006. 1-30. Reprinted courtesy of Project Muse. - This article explores how magic and the bending
Of time causes fairy tale protagonists to see the physical and metaphysical world differently in a
spiritual perspective.
Jorgensen, Jenna. “A Wave of the Magic Wand: Fairy Godmothers in Contemporary
American Media.”
Marvels and Tales. Vol. 21 no. 2. 2007. Reprinted courtesy of Project Muse. –This article explores the
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post-modern interpretations of The Fairy Godmother character particularly in Mercedes Lackey’s novel
The Fairy Godmother and in the movie, Shrek 2.
Lau, Kimberly J. “Serial Logic: Folklore and Difference in the Age of Feel-Good
Multiculturalism.”
The Journal of American Folklore. Vol. 113. No. 447. Winter, 2000. pp70-82. Reprinted courtesy of
JSTOR. - This article explains the serialization and telling of multicultural stories to appeal to a wider
audience and the consumerist need to buy these serials.
Mills, Margaret A. “The Gender of the Trick: Female Tricksters and their Male Narrators.”
Asian Folklore Studies. Vol. 60 no. 2. 2001. Pp237-258. Reprinted courtesy of JSTOR- This article
interprets the actions of female characters in Asian folktales, particularly “The Vizier’s Daughter” and
“Naijari (A Carpenter)” as variations of the Trickster archetype.
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Somoff, Victoria. “.”On the Metahistorical Roots of the Fairy Tale. Western Folklore.
Vol. 61. No. 3/4. Autumn, 2002. pp277-293.Reprinted courtesy of JSTOR – This article takes a structural
approach to defining the fairy tale genre by analyzing such stories as “The Sea Tzar and the Wise
Vasilisa” and “The Flower of the World.”
Tucker, Elizabeth. “Ghosts in the Mirror: Reflections of the Self.” Journal of
American Folklore. Vol. 118.No. 468. Spring, 2005. Pp 186-203. Reprinted courtesy of Project Muse. –
This article interprets the Jungian and psychological archetype of the shadow self in the children’s
“mirror-horror” stories like Bloody Mary.
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Sir Galahad seeking the Holy Grail by George Frederick Watts
The Journey’s End or Beginning: Alternate Sources to Try
If you are curious to learn more about folktales, there are other avenues to try:

Attend a storytelling event. Folktales, legends, and the like were meant to told orally. If
you want to hear stories told out lout check out the newspaper or the Internet for a
local festival or event. One of the largest is the Hoosier Storytelling Festival sponsored
by the Storytelling Arts of Indiana

Join a Message Board or an online group. If you hear of a legend or a story that you
want to share with people on the Net , joining a message board is a good way to share
your interest. Some of these message boards or online groups include:
Urban Legends Reference Pages Message Board ,
Folklore, Legends, and Family Stories
National and International Folklore Organizations-provides links to various
organizations and groups

Study a specific pantheon- There are many different pantheons to explore. If you are
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Interested in reading about a specific one, this list provided by Answers.com is meant to
provide you with a start:
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Arab folklore
Alpine (Austrian and Swiss) folklore
American folklore
Australian folklore
Brazilian folklore
Caribbean folklore
Catalan folklore
Colombian folklore
Croatian folklore
Chinese folklore
English folklore
Estonian folklore
Dutch folklore
Finnish folklore
French folklore
Germanic folklore
German folklore
Hungarian folklore
Indian folklore
Iranian folklore
Irish folklore
Italian folklore
Jewish folklore, which incorporates the Aggadah
Japanese folklore
Korean folklore
Kosovar folklore
Latin American folklore
Lithuanian folklore
Laz folklore
Montenegrin folklore
Norse folklore
Norwegian folklore
Pakistani folklore
Philippine folklore
Polish folklore
Portuguese folklore
Romanian folklore
Russian folklore
Scandinavian folklore
Scottish folklore
Serbian folklore
Slavic folklore
Swiss folklore
Turkish folklore
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o
o
Venezuelan folklore
Welsh folklore
.
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