Ms Jeanille: THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF NARRATIVES

There are different types of narratives; this blog talks about six types: myth, legend, epic, folktale, fable and short story. This blog also aims to show the distinction among them.

Let us use one story line to transform into the different types of narratives to clearly show the distinction. The creation story below is based from an Igorot story of Creation while the rest are already products of jcogtas's imagination.

This type of narrative revolves around the actions of gods and goddesses and their interactions with mortals which usually result to supernatural events. A myth is often depicted as a story of the ancient world which was usually believed to be true.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A MYTH NARRATIVE:

mysterious
explains the existence of the universe and its dwellers
consists of non-human characters
set to a previous proto-world: A proto-world describes this one we have now but a different one.
interplay between worlds
bends or breaks natural laws

EXAMPLE

Lumawig, the great spirit, made humans out of reeds and distributed them in different parts of the world. He taught them how to live in order to survive.

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A legend is about a story of a character who because of his or her experiences and the circumstances around him or her resulted to an important phenomenon. Therefore, it is a story of human actions.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEGEND NARRATIVE:

has a bit of historical truth which include a human hero
includes beliefs and ideas of culture and even miracles believed to have happened

EXAMPLE

Yamot prayed that Lumawig, the great spirit, would bless him and his wife Tiyang with healthy children. He offered the great spirit his harvest and his best poultry. When it is time for Tiyang to give birth, Yamot was saddened because that day he lost Tiyang and their child. He faced the great spirit Lumawig in anger and mocked him; In return, the great spirit punished Yamot. Lumawig turned Yamot into a very hot body of water no one would want to swim into. Years passed and Yamot had been avoided by people until a very exhausted farmer came to bathe in it. Yamot was outraged so he made the waters really hot and so the farmer took off. The next day the farmer came and brought some eggs then put them into the hot water of Yamot. The eggs were cooked. From then on people flock to Yamot and called him the Yamot spring.

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Folktales are usually about ordinary people and everyday life who may encounter monsters, magical beings, and even trickery.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A FOLKTALE NARRATIVE:

exaggerated
orally passed on to generations
unwise and one-sided characters
questions are answered before the story ennds
shorter and simpler plot
lifts heroes and heroines to higher and more refined levels like being so beautiful and the like

EXAMPLE

Three miles from the Yamot spring was a huge mountain. On your way up you would be greeted by the sounds of bats who dwell in a cave somewhere. Most passersby simply ignored the sound and went on with their journey because it was believed that if you stopped to listen to the bats, you would be led astray and will never find your way home. One day, Batugan, a goatherd, went to find his goat but he was led to the noisy bats so he followed the sound. He went on walking and walking until he found himself in a dark cave where the bats live. He was outraged that he couldn't find his goat there. In his anger, he torched the bats who live there. The goddess of the mountain punished him and so he shall endure an endless journey to gather bats once more to replace the ones he killed.

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An epic tells of a story of the past, of a distant time, of mythological characteristic. An epic was originally and generally told orally.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC NARRATIVE:

plot revolves around a hero with unbelievable stature like almost divine;
character possesses super human strengths
setting is vast as it may include the adventures of the characters
narrator is omniscient; a tell-all
represents moral ideas

EXAMPLE

Batugan spent most of his lifetime gathering the bats he needed to replace the one's he killed. In his travels he conquered beasts, fell in love, found a family and became a great leader of a prominent tribe. Because he was true to his promise to the goddess of the mountains, he was granted the strength of ten men to help him defend his tribe. With such strength his fame spread all throughout the lands beyond his tribe. Men of high stature came to him and asked for his help against monsters who attacked villages. Batugan never hesitated to help until he became old. When the day of his passing came, the universe bled. His son Mandaragat who was then of a very young age inherited his strength but no father shall be there to train him.

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The purpose of writing fables is to convey a moral lesson. Fables also give readers a chance to laugh at the follies of of the characters which actually represent that of a human being's. They are very helpful in teaching children good lessons based on examples.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A FABLE NARRATIVE:

use talking animals as main characters
personifies actual human characteristics
short and usually consists only of two to three characters

EXAMPLE

Batugan's goat, Malaya, went to walk miles away from her master. Malaya was then captured by the bats of the mountain three miles from the Yamot spring when she got inside the cave. Sumpok, the leader of the bats, fell in love with her. Malaya only laughed at him as they are of different species. Their union would be an abomination. However, Sumpok showed dedication and eventually Malaya accepted his love as he had proven worthy. The goddess of the mountain made Malaya into a bat so that she could be with Sumpok.

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A short story is a narrative of interrelated events concerning the conflict and resolution.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A FABLE NARRATIVE:

mostly revolves around single incident, character or period of time
readable at one sitting
mostly shows a decisive moment
there is often little action

EXAMPLE

In a high-rise condominium lived a prominent family who are of political descent. Tony, a successful businessman, and a loving father ends the day by tucking in his daughters Loren and Mia by telling them stories about Mandaragat, the great conqueror. The story of the great conqueror was written by his late wife, Tanya, who died of cancer.

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