Wisdom tales are teaching stories that affirm cultural values—often of a religious or moral nature—through the medium of imaginative narratives. The category of wisdom tales encompasses sacred stories from the whole range of the world’s spiritual traditions, ancient and modern. It includes scriptural narratives as well as stories sometimes designated as myths or pious legends. It also includes popular oral narratives (folktales) with a didactic or moral purpose.
We study wisdom tales in the context of world literature because these foundational narrative supply a repository of images and cultural reference points that later authors and other artists draw on. Without familiarity with these tales, students will miss key allusions in literature and the other arts. In addition, wisdom tales are touchstones for cultural values that remain important today. By studying them, students are prepared to to engage with a diverse world that is increasingly connected across national, cultural, and religious lines.
This post is part of TLDR (“Too long, didn’t read”), a series of very short articles that explain common homeschooling terms.
Copyright 2024 by Drew Campbell, PhD. All rights reserved.
Drew Campbell is the author of Living Memory, I Speak Latin, and Exploring the World through Story, and co-author, with Courtney Ostaff and Jennifer Naughton, of How to Homeschool the Kids You Have. Dr. Campbell is a veteran homeschooler and has worked as a classroom teacher, private school administrator, and independent tutor.