Noun
a tale circulated by word of mouth among the common folk
Source: WordNetI've always been fascinated by the grassroots folktale level of a culture, and as a storyteller, I have to follow what seems to be leading me on. Robin McKinley
A folktale is a story that forms part of an oral tradition, and does not have a single, identifiable author. Source: Internet
Boas strove to prove this theory, and his efforts produced a method for breaking a folktale into parts and then analyzing these parts. Source: Internet
Definition From The Facetious Nights of Straparola by Giovanni Francesco Straparola Although the fairy tale is a distinct genre within the larger category of folktale, the definition that marks a work as a fairy tale is a source of considerable dispute. Source: Internet
Many legends operate within the realm of uncertainty, never being entirely believed by the participants, but also never being resolutely doubted. citation The Brothers Grimm defined legend as folktale historically grounded. Source: Internet
In the Swedish folktale Little Rosa and Long Leda, an elvish woman (älvakvinna) arrives in the end and saves the heroine, Little Rose, on condition that the king's cattle no longer graze on her hill. Source: Internet