Fairy Tales, Tall Tales, and Folk Tales- Oh My!

What is the difference between a fairy tale and a folk tale? This question came up during a Lunch and Learn session, and I thought all grade levels could benefit from some information on the subject.

Folk tales (or folk lore) are defined as "all forms of narrative, written or oral which have come to be handed down over the years." It is the comprehensive, umbrella term for a story handed down through time by word of mouth. They are part of oral tradition, are culturally influenced, often are based on human behaviors, and have survived through hundreds of years. They were a way to bring news from one village to the next, and used to teach lessons to their children and to help understand the customs of their village. Collections of fairy tales have been collected by known authors such as the brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault, but the authors of the individual tales are unknown. Literary fairy tales are the tales created by known authors such as Hans Christian Anderson. Fairy tales, tall tales, legends, myths, pourquoi tales, and trickster tales are all considered folk lore.

Traits of fairy tales include a magical element and show both ends of the spectrum: rich and poor, good and evil, reward and punishment. They are enchanted places where all things are possible and end happily. The magical element can include fantastic creatures such as a troll, unicorn, or ogre, or animals personified. Things often happen in threes, happen to royalty, and are a result of a spell or curse.

Legends are stories from the past that are believed to have happened to a historical figure. They are associated with a particular place and time in history. They often tell of the adventures of a hero or an incident that has grown with storytelling to have a larger than life quality.

A myth is a sacred story from the past. It may explain the origins of the world and/or life, or explain moral values in human terms. They give a scientific basis for certain human failings or explanations of events not understood scientifically. They are religious in their origin and function to relate the relationship between gods or powers and the human world.

Fables are brief, didactic tales in which animals or the elements speak as humans. These usually teach a moral lesson.

Tall tales are characterized by exaggeration and are mainly derived from American culture. They include a larger-than-life hero and exaggerated details.

Trickster tales are tales with a mischievous or foolish main character who outwits or tricks another character with cunning and subversive humor to compensate for a physical weakness.

Pourquoi tales are tales that illustrate how or why things exist in nature, like Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears or How Did the Leopard Get His Spots.

Folk tales are housed in 398.2 (social sciences) Dewey section of the library due to their cultural influences and the representations of a country or culture.
(summarized from LM_NET archives)

Hope this helps!