Manufactured Ones Vs Folk Tale

Authentic works of folk literature versus manufactured ones differ in many ways. The definition of folklore was changed from an “‘oral cultural tradition of a specific group of people’” to an “‘oral poetic creation of the broad folk masses’” (Miller 5). The concept of tradition and cultural origin which is usually ingrained in the authentic folklore is void in the more modern, manufactured ones. Manufactured folktales also have much more thought put into to them in terms of “controlling” the folktale and adjusting the story to output a specific propaganda to the audience. Many original folk work were not created with a specific moral or lesson in mind. Despite major, many stories mimicked the classic folktale with formulas similar to the
one that Vladimir Propp created. Both authentic and manufactured folktale also focused on the oral passing of the tale in traditional forms such as the bylina or theatrical performances of the tales. Also, despite the large change in social and political infrastructure, both authentic and manufactured folktales used the device of an allegory. Folktales of both past and present described characters and journeys as an allegory to possible politics mistrust or corruption. In one Russian tale, a troupe of animals are on a journey to St. Petersburg to receive a job, an allegory to politicians. All the animals end up falling into a ditch and the fox eats all the other animals as a form of selfish survival, this represents the peasants mistrust and malicious view towards politicians. In the manufactured tale, The Epic Heroes, “the bylina heroes [are] representative of feudal aristocracy and made them drunks, cowards, and debauchers” (Miller 9).