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Myths and Legends: Home

What are Myths and Legends?

Myths are made up stories that try to explain how our world works and how we should treat each other. The stories are usually set in times long ago, before history as we know it was written.

Legends are also stories that have been made up, but they are different from myths. Myths answer questions abouthow the natural world works, and are set in a time long-ago, before history was written.

Legends are about people and their actions or deeds.The people lived in more recent times and are mentioned in history. The stories are told for a purpose and are based on facts, but they are not completely true.

A fable is another type of story, also passed down from generation to generation and told to teach a lesson about something.

Fables are about animals that can talk and act like people, or plants or forces of nature like thunder or wind. The plants may be able to move and also talk and the natural forces cause things to happen in the story because of their strength.

Folk and fairy tales are stories written specially for children, often about magical characters such as elves, fairies, goblins and giants. Sometimes the characters are animals.

For more information visit the website

The Big Myth

In the Library

Subject Guide

Listen to a Myth