The word folktale is a general term for stories that were told and retold from generation to generation by the common "folk".  Folktales have unknown authors and often have several variations of the same story because they have been told by different people for so long.

Folktales in the Library:  Why do we find folktales in 398.2 rather than the fiction section?

    Folktales teach us about the traditions and customs of different cultures around the world.  We get a glimpse of what life was like many years ago when they told these stories around the campfire or in front of the fireplace after dinner.

Here are a few of the different types of folktales and more information about each of them: