One main factor is cultural traditions. Each culture has its own values, beliefs, and ways of life, which are reflected in folk stories. For example, in some cultures, stories about heroes are used to teach moral lessons. Another factor is historical events. Events like wars, migrations, and natural disasters can inspire folk stories. Also, the human need for entertainment and explanation plays a role. People create stories to explain the unknown, such as the origin of the world or certain natural phenomena.
Origin stories focus on explaining the beginnings of specific things or characters, while folk tales are often passed down through generations and usually have moral or cultural lessons.
Folk stories at their origin often carry the unique cultural identity of a group. They can influence different cultures by spreading cultural values. For instance, a folk story about honesty from one culture can be adopted by another, thus influencing their view on this virtue. They also influence cultural practices. Some cultures have festivals based on their folk stories. Moreover, they shape the way a culture views the world and itself.
Folk tales typically aren't true in a literal sense. They're passed down through generations to convey values, beliefs, and cultural wisdom, not to report real events. They might be based on real-life inspirations but are heavily embellished.
The Black and White Impermanence was one of the two common characters in ancient Chinese folktales. They were often depicted as impermanent ghosts responsible for carrying out evil deeds in the human world. There were many different legends and stories about their origins.
One of the more common legends was that the White Impermanence and the Black Impermanence were lovers of ghosts who broke up for some reason before death, but they still could not get rid of each other's longing and love after death. Therefore, after their death, they were chosen to be the executors of the good and evil ghosts, specifically responsible for catching those who did bad things.
Another legend was that the White Impermanence and the Black Impermanence were two ghosts from different worlds that had transformed into each other for some reason. During the process of transformation, they developed feelings for each other and decided to stay together after death. Therefore, they were chosen to become lovers who crossed different worlds to carry out evil deeds together.
There were also other legends, such as the White Impermanence who came to the human world to protect their master, the Black Impermanence who was betrayed by their master and was demoted to the impermanence ghost, or they were two ghosts from hell and heaven who existed to balance the good and evil of the human world, and so on. Different legends give different backstories and explanations, but they all emphasize the importance and mystery of the Black and White Impermanence in Chinese folktales.
One characteristic is that they often have simple and memorable plots. For instance, in 'Jack and the Beanstalk', the idea of a boy climbing a giant beanstalk is easy to remember. Another characteristic is that they usually carry moral lessons. Like 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' which warns against lying.
The story of 'Robin Hood' is also among the best folk stories. Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor in Sherwood Forest. It shows themes of justice and standing up against oppression. There are many versions of this story, with different details about his band of Merry Men and his adventures.
They are often simple. For example, 'The Three Little Pigs' has a straightforward plot of three pigs building houses and facing the big bad wolf. They also usually have a moral. In this case, it's about the importance of hard work in building a strong house.
One of the scariest Chinese folk stories is the 'Lady in White'. It's about a female ghost often seen in white robes near rivers or old bridges at night. She is said to be the spirit of a woman who died unjustly, and she lures people, especially men, to their doom.
There are many stories about Chinese folk heroes. The following are some of the famous stories:
The story of Sun Wukong helping Tang Sanzang to learn the scriptures. He used various means to escape the pursuit of the demons and finally successfully escorted Tang Sanzang to learn the scriptures.
The Legend of Nezha: tells the story of Nezha, a mythical figure. He is a very brave god who has led many wars and protected the safety of the Chinese people.
Legend of the White Snake: It tells the love story between the White Lady and Xu Xian. She was a very beautiful woman who finally defeated the evil monster through her wisdom and courage.
4. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai: It tells the touching story of two brothers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. They embarked on a thrilling journey in order to find their sister.
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: It tells the stories of many monsters and ghosts. Some of the stories include the images of folk heroes such as the ghosts Wu Song and Spider Spirit in the Chinese Studio.
These stories had profound cultural implications and were widely spread, influencing the way of thinking and values of the Chinese people.