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Hero's Journey In German Folklore

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Folklore is something many people pass on from generation to generation. It comes from many different places, but one country in particular has extremely famous folklore that many people know about. German folklore is a set of different types of folklore like fairy tales, fables, and legends that originated from the fatherland itself. One example of German folklore is Hansel and Gretel, the story of the two kids who wander into the forest hungry, find a witch’s house made out of candy, eat from it, and the witch tries to eat them. However, it was the witch who met her demise in the end. This story is a classic theme of stranger danger. These stories give moral ideas to all listeners, both young and old.
Oral tradition is the way that people …show more content…

The journey is significant because it is the main plot of the protagonist, and makes the main character progress. Without this, there is no reason for the main character to struggle. Although not all folklore has one main protagonist, many of them still have the hero’s journey, such as cinderella progressing and going to the ball, or hansel and gretel defeating the witch. Hansel and gretel started in their father’s house(known world), and their refusal to defeat the witch started when they were led into the woods and found their way back home(Call to action and refusal.) Soon after, the next time they were led out, their way back was lost(threshold.) This led to their finding of the witch’s house, where they met their enemy(challenges.) Once they were captured, they were trying to get the courage to fight(Abyss) and soon they defeated the witch(atonement,) and they went home(return.) "Promise you'll never ever desert us again," said Gretel, throwing her arms round her father's neck”(The Grimm Brothers). The journey is used in German folklore Because many of the German folklore stories include one main protagonist fighting either evil or something within themselves. The journey helps the reader connect by seeing how the hero or heroes progress as people and how they overcame their struggles. In Hansel and Gretel, it was the fight against the witch. “The wicked witch burned to death miserably” (The Grimm

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