Is That a Myth or a Legend or What…?

A library is home to thousands and thousands of stories. That is true of our own local library, here in Downieville. Some of the stories are factual — some are fictional. And, they go by a whole plethora of names. Let’s take a look at those names, and what they signify, and how they might differ from one another (definitions used in this column are from Dictionary.com). And, I’m attaching to each definition one book in the Downieville that utilizes the associated word in the book’s title.

Story: “a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale….a fictitious tale, shorter and less elaborate than a novel….a report or account of a matter” (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski).

Narrative: “a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious…the art, technique, or process of narrating, or of telling a story….a story that connects and explains a carefully selected set of supposedly true events, experiences, or the like, intended to support a particular viewpoint or thesis” (The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, by Sojourner Truth).

Tale: “a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case” (The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood). Of course, there are different kinds of tales:

Fairy tale: “a story, usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies, or other magical creatures….an incredible or misleading statement, account, or belief” (Grimm’s Fairy Tales, by Brothers Grimm).

Folk tale: “a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people….any belief or story passed on traditionally, especially one considered to be false or based on superstition” (Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, by Nelson Mandela).

Tall tale: “an exaggerated, unreliable story” (Short and Tall Tales, by Lilian Jackson Braun).

Fiction: “the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, especially in prose form….something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story” (The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction, by Ursula K. Le Guin).

Novel: “a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity, portraying characters and usually presenting a sequential organization of action and scenes” (Journal of a Novel: the East of Eden Letters, by John Steinbeck).

Legend: “a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical….the body of stories of this kind, especially s they relate to a particular people, group, or clan” (Three Legends: The Snow Goose; The Small Miracle; Ludmila, by Paul Gallico).

Fable: “a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters….a story not founded on fact….a story about supernatural or extraordinary persons or incidents” (The Last Bit-Bear: A Fable, by Sandra Chisholm Robinson).

Myth: “a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature” (The Western Story: Fact, Fiction, and Myth, by Philip Durham).

Yarn: “a tale, especially a long story of adventure or incredible happenings” (A Good Yarn, by Debbie Macomber).

Parable: “a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson” (The Complete Stories and Parables, by Franz Kafka).

Memoir: “a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them or based on personal observation…an account of one’s personal life and experience; autobiography…the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society…a biography or biographical sketch” (Numb to This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting, by Kindra Neely).

Anecdote: “a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature….a short, obscure historical or biographical account” (Oops, no such titles in the library).

By whatever name you call them, the library has plenty of stories just waiting to be read (even some anecdotes).. Come on in and find them.