Mythology and folklore are two things often mentioned in tandem and though in some cases
They are very similar they aren't the exact same
So, what is the difference between folklore and mythology
in order for us to differentiate between the two we first have to really understand what makes them so similar at their very core
both mythology and folklore in basic terms are a form of
Storytelling perhaps the most ancient forms of narrative we have available to us today
You can consider folklore a subset, or a branch of mythology and even vice versa depending on who you're asking
But more often than not it does feel like folklore is the small fish in the much bigger pond that is mythology
Where the difference between them can really be seen is within the stories themselves and what they attempt to explain to us
Mythology often derives from what many consider to be sacred texts it aims to tell us about the time before we existed
How we and everything around us were created
These stories were often held as the truth and so they became part of many people's religion
They discussed deities and supernatural figures that they believed to be involved in our creation
At a time when our scientific knowledge was very limited these stories provided explanations to things that, we've only really began to understand
When these religion has lost their following or when they were absorbed into others they began to be referred to as mythology
so even today is most practice religions in a couple thousand years from now could be seen as not much more than just stories of mythology
Where folklore differs the most from mythology is in time and scale
mythology clearly focuses on the beginning of time the explanation of Civilization and culture
Whereas the creatures spirits and deities of folklore almost just exist without this need for a religious or cosmic connection
folktales are told on a much smaller scale and often tend to be exclusive to a specific village in town or city
They do at times include gods and goddesses in their stories but they often do so
With a specific meaning or moral in mind that doesn't solely refer back to creation or divinity
the way in which tales of mythology and folklore travelled was naturally quite similar
Because at the time they didn't have things like printing houses and education wasn't as widely available as it is today
meaning many people just couldn't read or write
A select few poets and writers would eventually document these stories hence why we know so much about certain mythologies on a global scale
Although some folklore was documented in poems and various stories it remained a more
Oral form of storytelling a legend that you might have heard of about a witch or some kind of monster
might be quite different or even remarkably similar to one on the other side of the globe
And it's likely that you'll never know because many of these folktales are passed down through songs and dances
We all have that one story or legend local to our town or city
Japan is quite a good example of a country that has a large amount of mythology and folklore that coexist
It has its two establish religions of Shinto and Buddhism where we get these tales of deities and Kami that attempt to explain japan's creation
But it also has a vast amount of creatures and cryptids that tie into much more local. Folklore
So to summarise mythology and folklore are quite similar in terms of storytelling
But the main difference is in intention what they aim to explain
One attempts to explain the universe to us and the other is a much smaller scale of storytelling that focuses on specific areas and individuals
Hopefully you found that explanation somewhat helpful
As always I've been your host
mythology and fiction explained