hangs the fruit of tranquility. Hopi Indian:Eating little and speaking little can hurt no
man. Hindustan:From opening the mouth, seven ills may ensue.- The belief in and acceptance offate and destinyis a strong view of life and death
shared by many cultures. Yiddish: Ifyou’re fated to drown, you may die in a teaspoon
of water. Chinese:If a man’s fate is to have only eight-tenths of a pint of rice, though he
traverse the country over, he cannot get a full pint. Russian:He who is destined for the
gallows will not be drowned. Japanese:One does not make the wind, but is blown by it.
Spanish:Since we cannot get what we like, let us like what we can get. Mexican:Man
proposes and God disposes. - Respect for the wisdom of the elderly is found in many collective cultures.
Chinese:To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. Spanish:The devil knows
more because he’s old than because he’s the devil. Portuguese:The old man is the one
who makes good food. Greek:A society grows great when old men plant trees whose
shade they know they shall never sit in. Nigerian:What an old man will see while seated,
a small child cannot see even standing. - Many cultures teach the value ofcollectivismandgroup solidarityover individu-
alism. Chinese:A single bamboo pole does not make a raft. Ethiopian:When spider
webs unite, they can tie up a lion. Japanese:A single arrow is easily broken, but not
ten in a bundle. Russian:You can’t tie a knot with one hand. Brazilian:One bird
alone does not make a flock. Tanzanian:Many hands make light work. Scottish:He
who holds the stirrup is as good as he who mounts the horse. - Cultures that place a premium oneducationuse proverbs to assist in teaching this
important value. Jewish:A table is not blessed if it has fed no scholars. Chinese:If
you are planning for a year, sow rice: if you are planning for a decade, plant a tree; if
you are planning for a lifetime, educate people. - Some cultures stresssocial harmonyover direct confrontation. Japanese:The spit
aimed at the sky comes back to one. Korean:Kick a stone in anger and harm your
own foot. - Privacyis a key value is some cultures. Here again you can observe the use of
proverbs to teach that value. German:Sweep only in front of your own door.
Swedish:He who stirs another’s porridge often burns his own.
Learning Culture Through Folktales, Legends, and Myths. While the words “folktales,”
“legends,”and“myths”have slightly different meanings, experts often use the words
interchangeably because they present narratives, be they oral or written, that distin-
guish“significant agents in the transmission of culture.”^40 As Imada and Yussen point
out,“Narratives are one of the oldest and universal forms of communication in human
societies”and also“play an important role in the reproduction of cultural values.”^41 In
addition to helping to reaffirm cultural identity, these“tales”serve a variety of other
purposes. At times, they deal with simple morality lessons focusing on good and evil
and right and wrong, or they may address abstract and metaphysical questions regard-
ing creation and“the meaning of life.”In addition, the customs, traditions, and beliefs
expressed in folktales link people to their history and root them to their past.
Rodriguez mentions the many purposes and uses of folk narratives when she writes,
Folktales are not only regarded as some of the best keepers of our language and cultural
memories, they are also great helpers in the process of socialization, they teach our children
the sometimes difficult lessons about how to interact with other people and what happens
when virtues are tested or pitted against one another.^42Characteristics of Culture 47Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).