Why is folklore and superstition so important to people and society?

Question

I find it intresting to hear about folklore from around the world. The stories are simular but the names have been changed.

Answer 1

Folklore and superstitions are the way our ancestors saw the world and tried to explain it. They offer an insight into the psyche of a society, and the similarities of certain myth cycles offers an insight into the way the human mind works in trying to understand the universe and man's place in it. The myths believed by a society are the foundation and building blocks of that society.

Answer 2

Importance Of Folklore

Answer 3

Well, Folklore is tales of the plain old people, not heroes or Gods. Pecos Bill was a cowboy and Paul Bunyan a lumber jack, there was just a bit of hot air put to their tales so they could float above the normal.

Superstitions are built on empirical, but most anecdotal evidence. In many cases Superstitions are the "whipping boy," in that people can blame something outside themselves if something goes wrong. They can also "prove" they made a wise choice to follow the superstition when something goes right.

Answer 4

they both take us out of realisn and into a dream world away from our problems...they give us a chance to say ''gee, what if''..folklore is more about the innocent past...superstition to me is about being scared of the present and the future...either way its all bunk...but somewhat interesting...beam me up plato

Answer 5

I think it is because people are looking for hope in some supernatural realm because they can no longer find hope in the human world. When you lose a loved one there is no hope of ever seeing them again without some supernatural intervention. At least that is where my interest stems from. Even concerning God, it can't be proven, people base their belief on faith, because they are hoping for justice, peace, fairness and other things we can't find here on earth. It is all about hope. ;-)