Tales are composed of elements called “motifs,” which are combined in any number of ways to create a plot. Many tales have the same patterns of motifs. These patterns are called “tale-types.” Identifying the building-blocks and patterns of narratives is helpful in studying, comparing, and analyzing them. For a very brief overview of this process, see: Motif Index, What it Is and What it Does from the British Columbia Folklore Society. Below are a few important definitions:

A Function or mytheme is a plot point which directs the course of the tale and appears in set orders.

A motif is the smallest definite element of a tale.

A Tale type (or tale-type) is a recurring, self-sufficient plot or group of motifs.

Library Research Guide for Folklore and Mythology

You can read the full text here: “Library Research Guide for Folklore and Mythology” [Full Text].

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• Summary: Library Research Guide for Folklore and Mythology by Harvard Library. Adapted by Octaviano Gutierrez © Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Licence.