The land of folktales simultaneously preserves and reflects the reality at the time: its history, culture, traditions, social structure, value system and beliefs. In folktales transmitted through the oral tradition, the elements referencing reality were always aligned with the experiences of the storyteller and the community to which the story was directed \u2013 the storyteller shaped the story in such a way that made it immediately familiar and easily recognizable. This is how countless versions of folktales came about, presenting the order of everyday life \u2013 village life, peasant labour or the royal court \u2013 while weaving elements of wonder into reality. These wonders did not appear incredible in every respect, but they could not have taken place in everyday reality.
In folktales, people and magical creatures \u2013 be they good or bad \u2013 always have human qualities and conform to the known order of society. Their characters are almost without exception archetypes: the shepherd, the poor man, the king, the witch or the fairy \u2013 all of them uncomplicated, easily identifiable figures. Some of them are \u201cordinary mortals\u201d and remain such until the end of the tale, while others \u2013 after enduring all trials, overcoming all obstacles and defeating their opponents, usually with the support of magical helpers \u2013 become heroes. They jump from the bottom of the social ladder immediately to the highest rung or to the head of the kingdom, winning every conceivable reward: a country, a treasure, a princess, and sometimes even immortality.
Formal and informal hierarchies in folktales are never permanent: they can be rearranged instantly in the time and space of the tale. This is the wonder itself. At the same time, traditional gender roles are much less malleable. The rise of male heroes is driven by their own character \u2013 their courage, resourcefulness and perseverance leads them. Female figures \u2013 princesses, maids, witches or housewives \u2013 on the other hand are often not only hidden in dungeons or castles, but are also locked in stereotypes: they appear as rewards or obstacles, they are in jeopardy or cursed. They often only exist as \u201csomebody\u201d, and come to life only when the hero casts his gaze on them. Yet there are fairy tales that can refute these laws: in them, female characters may also become active heroes or establish an order that runs counter to the expectations of society.
The role of the traditional, oral storyteller is always crucial, shaping a dialogue, conveying the experience and knowledge of the community, while at the same time reorganizing them in each telling. In this way, the storyteller shapes the image of society. The audience, in turn, becomes a part of the wonder and, with the help of folktales, shares the burdens of reality: in the safe environment of the tale, they discover, repair or reshape the world together, while trying out alternative orders and worlds.
The society of folktales is not composed of rigid, closed structures, but is also an open system: it simultaneously depicts everyday reality, while pointing out the injustices encoded in hierarchies, it proclaims the freedom of imagination, and allows for imagining the possibility of an order in which change does not create chaos, but sustainable ways of existing and living for individuals and communities. This duality \u2013 the possibility of order and the overthrow of order \u2013 is what keeps the social world of Hungarian folktales alive and relevant to this day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"