Folklore: legends, myths, fables and fairy tales Folklore. Folklore is part of the culture of a population. It includes tales1, music, dance, oral history and proverbs. It can contain religious, mythical or fantastic elements. Tales include: legends, myths, fables and fairy tales. A legend is an old and popular story perhaps true, perhaps not. Legends are about people (sometimes real people) and tell us about their great actions. The story of King Arthur is a legend in this sense. It is probably based on a historical and heroic figure of the 5th or 6th century. Another famous legend is the one of Robin Hood, the medieval hero. Other important legends are: the Holy Grail and Atlantis. There are also legendary animals, for example the Loch Ness monster. We sometimes say that a legend is a myth, but a myth is generally different from a legend. Myths are about ancient2 stories, like the ones of the Greek or Latin gods3 and goddesses4 like Zeus, (Jupiter in Latin), Poseidon (Neptun), Aphrodite (Venus). 1. tale: an imaginative story, especially one with action and adventure. 2. ancient: very old. 3. god: spirit or being with supernatural powers. 4. goddess: female god. 4