How is oral literature different from written books? Axel Olrik studied thousands of oral texts to discover and describe patterns which he called "laws" of oral storytelling.

People who told folktales didn't need to formally study these "laws," just like most people don't study the "law" of gravity. The Law of Gravity is simply there, and it rules everybody whether they like it or not. In the same way, traditional oral storytellers follow the "laws" that Olrik described. For example,:

They follow one character in a single, clear line of plot, not jumping around in time. They limit the number of characters per scene to two. They repeat episodes (usually three times) to intensify the plot. And so on.
Literary authors may reject these "laws" - they may seem too simple for the taste of modern literature readers; they're predictable; many readers would find them tedious and boring, if they are reading a story in a book.
So, why do oral narrators do it?
--that's sort of like asking, "Why does water flow downhill?" Because gravity.
Why do oral narrators repeat things 3x, have 2 characters per scene, and follow 1 single plotline? Because Olrik's Laws.

Reading

Read the chapter by Axel Olrik and scribble some notes to remember his laws. Then, read variants of "Cinderella." You will be amazed how often you notice examples of these laws. So amazed, in fact, that you'll forget to ask if Cinderella can also be a boy.

Estimated time: ~40 minutes

Axel Olrik, (1999). “Epic Laws of Folk Narrative,” in International Folkloristics. Edited by A. Dundes, pages 83-98.

UW Library : International Folkloristics

Variants of female and male "Cinderella":

1. told by Aato Kemppainen in Finland, 1882. Translated by Thomas DuBois. In Lea Virtanen, Finnish Folklore, pages 199-202. Finnish Literature Society and University of Washington Press, 2000.

PDF File : AT_510_Pig_Girl.PDF

2. Cinderella, told by an unnamed narrator in China, in Folktales of China, pages 156-161. Edited by W.Eberhard. University of Chicago Press, 1965.

PDF File : CinderellaChina.pdf

3. “Cinders,” told by Frank Valin, collected by Richard Dorson in Michigan, USA, in Bloodstoppers and Bearwalkers (1952), pages 137-139

PDF File : Dorson_1952_BB_CanadienAndFinnishMarchen.pdf

Research Tool: Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) Types of the Folktale. (Types 510, 530)

Rationale: Recognize patterns in oral folktale telling, as first described by Axel Olrik. (And add three variants of "Cinderella" to the ones you know from the earlier reading assignments!)

Lecture

In this lecture keep the following ideas in mind:

Will people be more entertained when I tell stories, if I "Use The Force" of Olrik's Laws?

Bonus

Have some thoughts or questions? Why not join the conversation... Folktales forum