The Use of Folk-tales in the Teaching of Geography

THE USE OF FOLK-TALES IN THE TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHYAuthor(s): H. B. HodgsonSource: Geography, Vol. 25, No. 1 (MARCH, 1940), pp. 29-33Published by: Geographical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40561212 .

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THE USE OF FOLK-TALES IN THE TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHY

H. B. Hodgson.

JUÍOST readers of Geography will be familiar with Miss R. M. Fleming's books on " Ancient Tales from Many Lands," " Stories from the

Early World," and " Round the World in Folk-Tales," pioneer works in the study of the use of folk-tales in the teaching of geography. Despite this fact, many teachers remain unaware of the valuable teaching material to be found in the folk-tales of native peoples. Others who are aware of the advantage of using folk-tales in teaching are perhaps held back by lack of time to accumulate original material or by lack of a lead as to where suitable material may be found.

What material is available ? It is important to realise that folktales fall into a number of classes, the most important of which are :

1. The myths which tell (a) of the origin of cosmic phenomena and of life of various kinds on the earth ; (6) how certain animals or tribes came to have peculiar characteristics - e.g., why the owl has big eyes,1 or why the elephant's tusks are curved2 ; (c) of the origin of the people who are telling the story - e.g., the legend of Maui, New Zealand3, or of Kintu, the blameless priest of Uganda.4

2. Legends or sagas, which are really embroidered history, with a nucleus of historical fact - e.g., the Arthurian legends, the legends of Roland, the Norse Sagas.

3. Tales told for amusement - drolls, märchen, nursery and fairy tales (this type is too well known to need examples).

4. Fables- tales told to point a moral, featuring animals as their chief characters. The animals usually represent some simple human characteristic - e.g., the sly fox, the cunning spider ( Annan cy), or Brer Rabbit.

These four main classes are found in the folk-lore of almost every continent, and examples have been carefully collected by members of the Folk Lore Society and others. Most libraries will have a number of such collections, even if they are not fortunate enough to possess Folklore or the Journal of the American Folk Lore Society. If these are not available, teachers may find Miss Fleming's books and Lee's Folktales of All Nations very valuable. Many of the stories found in these sources give vivid pictures of the environment and life of the people who have told the tale, especially when the story is retained in the original setting and wording. How can such material be used to advantage in the teaching of geography ?

1 WÁlMnre Vnl YTY -n 22fi 2 Folklore. Vol. X.X.XVI, p. 273. 3 Fleming, R. M. " Ancient Tales from Many Lands. * Stanley. " Through the Darkest Continent."



30 GEOGRAPHY.

Our main aim in the teaching of geography in schools, putting examinations on one side for a moment, should be to picture to the pupil the life of man on the earth and to show how that life and environment have influenced one another. We strive by means of the spoken word, the descriptive phrase, the travel book, and by a liberal use of all kinds of pictures and specimens to build up vivid pictures. What better aid could we have than the stories of the native himself, told in his own words, reflecting the background against which he lives and touching the problems of his everyday life ? In these stories the native people of every continent come to life. They speak and act in strange ways, but as real living beings. Thus the use of folk-tale will add reality far beyond scientific presentation and analysis of facts and statistics.

Not all folk-tales are suitable for this purpose. There is need of a criterion of selection, and it is three-fold : -

1. Has the story geographical value ? 2. Is it suited to the age group of the child ? 3. Has it value as a story ? The first qualification needs little explanation - does the story

give a vivid picture of the environment ; does it show man coming to grips with that environment, in conflict or in co-operation- e.g., the struggle of man against the advancing forest ; the conquering of deserts, mountain and sea ; the tabus designed to check undue exploitation of natural resources ? Perhaps the story contains some particularly apt piece of description, introduces a new animal in a familiar way, reflects native thought or belief in tabu, charm and sorcery.5

The second qualification is bound up with the fact that, as the child grows to manhood and passes throu^i the various stages of boyhood, early and late adolescence, story interests vary.6 In the early years the animal and rhythmical stories hold sway ; then follows the imaginative period when the fairy tale comes into its own. Child- hood gives way to early adolescence, the heroic and romantic period, when realism replaces fantasy and tales of deeds well done - legend, epic and saga or stories of making things and of everyday life - make the strongest appeal. So the ohanges run to the age of Ideas and Ideals (later adolescence : 15 to 18), when stories which bring out differences in ideals and outlook on life are particularly appropriate. Yet some tales, when all is said and done, will appeal to all ages.

The third qualification is worth bearing in mind. Is the story worth telling for its own sake ? If not, it were well to forget it.

When exactly can these tales be used and to what extent may they be used ? A general answer is difficult, but in the Primary School, when the child is rather young for systematic geography, liberal reading and telling of carefully chosen tales would build up a background of fact that would be of great value in later years.

5 Cf. Fleming, R. M. " Ancient Tales from Many Lands." Appendix 3. ° uî. DUHLER, iv. Menrai .ueveiopment οι me υηιια (jvegan raui; ; ana Gather, K. D. " Education by Story Telling " (Harrap).



FOLK-TALES AND GEOGRAPHY TEACHING. 31

In the years 11 to 14 the folk-tale should be rather secondary than primary. Used in class in the same way as illustrations, models and specimens are used, these tales will help to build up a vivid impression. As the child is becoming more of a realist, care must be taken to avoid fairy tales or other tales in which the fantastic element is too marked. Tales of cunning - e.g., the Annancy series from Africa - tales which illustrate native life, such as " Sebgugugu "7 or " Sultan Murad and the Shepherd "8 are appropriate to this age, as are also legends of culture-heroes and the beginnings of civilisation. Care must also be taken during these years to avoid tales which are too romantic.

A story such as that of " Sebgugugu,"7 giving a good picture of Zulu life in the kraal, would serve to introduce the following questions :

1. What do you know about the land where Sebgugugu lived, its scenery, relief, vegetation and animals ?

2. How do the natives of this region make their living ? What are the chief foodstuffs which they eat ?

Tales may be used not as basis for a whole lesson, but merely to stress a particular point - e.g., tidal waves and their effect are well brought out in " The Burning of the Ricefields."9 Epidiascope pictures may be chosen to illustrate the story and can be thrown on the screen without any further explanation than the story itself offers.

Adolescent pupils should be trained to look behind the tale and see how it reflects the ideas and outlook of the people being studied. The difference between Eastern and Western minds might usefully be discussed after the telling of

" The Shepherd's Dream/'10 whilst the story of

" Kwang Jui and the River God "n will throw much

light on the Chinese social system and beliefs. Professor Fleure has said : -

" By right use of folk-tale ... the pupil can be led to

appreciate on the one hand the common humanity of the world's peoples, and on the other the diversities of their long struggles with differing environments. . . . We are led to see men facing differing problems, and moulding themselves differently accord- ing to the solutions found or attempted. The spread of thought and teaching on such lines would not only influence greatly the breadth of education and the outlook of future citizens, it would also help not a little towards diminishing foolish and ignorant préjudices which now divide the world's peoples. To do this is to promote mutual understanding and appreciation based upon a rich foundation of knowledge."12

7 Werner, A. " Myths and Legends of the Bantu." 8Garnett and Glenrie. "The Women of Turkey and Their folklore." 9 Bryant, S. C. " How to Tell Stories to Children." 10Lortmer, D. L. R. "Persian Tales." uMacgowan. J. "Chinese Folklore Tales." 12 Fleure, H. J. Foreword to Fleming, R. M. " Ancient Tales from Many

Lands."



32 GEOGRAPHY.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 1. Method.

Bone, W. A. " Children's Stories and How to Tell Them." 1923. Bryant, S. C. "How to Tell Stories to Children." 1911. Cather, K. D. " Educating by Story -telling." 1919. Fleming, R. M. " Ancient Tales from Many Lands." 1922. Partridge, E. N. " Story Telling in School and Home." 1913. Shedlock, M. L. " The Art of Story Telling." 1915.

2. Collections and Sources of Folk Tales (Selected). General.

Bryant, S. C. "Stories to Tell to Children." 1911. Fleming, R. M. " Round the World in Folk Tales." 1924. Fleming, R. M. " Stories from the Early World." 1922. Lee, F. H. " Folk Tales of all Nations." 1931.

Africa. Barker, W. H., and Sinclair, C. " West African Folktales." 1917. Baskerville, G. " The Flame Tree." Callaway. " Zulu Tales." 1868. Cardinall, A. W. "Tales Told in Togoland." 1931. Metelerkamp, S. " Outa Karel's Stories." 1914. Rattray, R. S. u Akan-Ashanti Folk-Tales." 1930. Werner, A. " Myths and Legends of the Bantu." 1933.

Useful collections in Folklore are : - Tuareg. XIII. 285. Congo. XX. 209. Hausa. XXI. 214. Nigeria.

XXXI. 210. Algeria. XXXV. 85. Bondei. XXXVI. 273. Useful collections in the Journal of American Folklore are : -

Bulu (Cameroons), 1914. Angola, 1894. North America.

Bilby, J. W. " Nanook of the North." 1925. De Huff, E. W. " Tay Tay's Tales." 1923. Emerson, E. R. " Indian Myths." 1884. Gathorne-Hardy, G. M. "The Norse Discoverers of America." 1921. Mackenzie, D. A. " Indian Myth and Legend." McClintock, W. " The Old North Trail." 1910. Rasmussen and Worster. " Eskimo Folktales." Rink. " Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo." Schoolcraft, H. R. " Indian Myths and Legends." 1839. Spence, L. " Myths and Legends of the N. American Indians." Wallace, D. " Beyond the Mexican Sierras." 1910.

Useful collections in Folklore are : - Chippewa. XL. 321.

Useful collections in the Journal of American Folklore are : - Thompson, R., 1898. Cheyenne, 1900. Jamaica, 1900. Slavey, 1901.

Sioux, 1901. Ute, 1901. Skidi Pawnee, 1904. Aleutian, 1905. Nez Percé, 1908. Achomawi and Atsagewi, 1908. Puget Sound, 1913. Eskimo, 1914. Avapaho, 1916. Canada, 1920.

See also the Memoirs of the American Folk Lore Society, especially " Louisiana Folktales." South America.

Brett. " Indian Tribes of Guiana." Grubb. " An Unknown People in an Unknown Land." Landor, A. H. Savage. " Across Unknown South America." 1913. Spence, L. " Myths of Mexico and Peru." 1917. im Thurn, Sir E. " Among the Indians of Guiana." Whiffen, T. " North- West Amazons." 1915.

Useful collections in Folklore are : - Chile. III.

Asia. Batchelor, J. " The Ainu and Their Folklore." Bompas, C. H. " Folklore of the Santal Parganas." 1909. Day, L. B. " Folktales of Bengal." Goodrich-Freer, A. " Arabs in Tent and Town." 1924. Katibah, H. I. " Arabian Romances and Fairy Tales." 1929.



FOLK-TALES AND GEOGRAPHY TEACHING. 33

Kunos, I. "Turkish Fairy Tales and Folktales." 1896. Le May. " Siamese Tales." Lobimer, D. L. R. "Persian Tales." 1919. Macgowan, J. " Chinese Folklore Tales." Shifner. " Tibetan Tales." 1882. Smith, R. G. "Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan." 1908. Stevens, E. S. " Folk -Tales of Iraq." 1931. Swynnerton, C. " Romantic Tales from the Punjab." 1903.

Useful collections in Folklore are : - Armenia, XXI, 221. Punjab, XXXIII, 122. Ao Naga, XXXVII, 374.

Murut, XXXIX, 261. Nicobar Is., XL, 181. Burma, XLII, 79. Palestine, XLII, 67. Tibet, XLII, 178. Useful collections in the Journal of American Folklore are : -

Visayu, 1906. Ainu, 1912. Australia and Oceania.

Clark, K. M. " Maori Tales and Legends." Ker, A. " Papuan Fairy Tales." Parker, K. L. " Australian Legendary Tales."

Useful collections in Folklore are : - XIII, 407. XIX, 226. XX, 214. XLIII, 61.

Europe. Bain, R. N. " Russian Fairy Tales." 1915. Coster, C. de. " Flemish Legends." 1920. Dasent, G. " Popular Tales from the Norse." 1903. Dunlap, M. P. " Viking Knights." 1933. Fellmore, P. " Mighty Mikko." 1922. Grundtvig, S. " Danish Fairy Tales." 1920. Jegerlehner. " Alp Legends." 1926. Johnson, W. B. " Folk Tales of Brittany." 1927. Jones and Kropf. " Folk Tales of the Magyars." Knox. " Traditions of W. Germany." 1841. Magnus. " Russian Folktales." Petrovitch, W. M. "Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians." 1917. Pogany, N. "Hungarian Fairy Book." 1913. Ralston. " Russian Folktales." 1873. Sellers. " Tales from the Lands of Nuts and Grapes." 1888.

Useful collections in Folklore are : - Norway, XX, 313. Tuscany, XXI, 349. Roumanie, XXVI, 296. Lapps,

XXIX, 183. Roumania, XXXII, 213. Estonia, XXXIV, 101. Macedonia, XLIII, 193. Khirghiz. Folk Lore Soc. Journal. 1851.

Our grateful thanks are offered to the following for presenting books, reprints, and journals to our library : -

Mr. E. W. Gilbert, for The Growth of Inland and Seaside Health Resorts in England and Practical Regionalism in England and Wales (reprints).

Mr. W. Fogg, for The Importance of Tribal Markets in the Commercial Life of the Countryside of North-west Morocco (reprint).

Miss E. A. Robinson, for back numbers of Geography. Mr. L. C. W. Bonacina, for Landscape Meteorology and its Reflection

in Art and Literature (reprint). Miss J. B. Reynolds, for 1939 issues of The Geographical Journal. Mr. G. Lester Smith, for The Geology of the Coasts adjoining Rhyl,

Abergele, and Colwyn (including map), by A. Strahan.



The Use of Folk-tales in the Teaching of Geography

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