Why do different cultures have the same folk tales?
It is interesting to compare similarities in the traditions of different cultures
It is often fascinating to compare the differences and similarities between traditions in different countries and cultures. There are many parallels, for example, between Aesop’s fables and the Indian and Nepalese traditions represented in Tales for Great Grandchildren. Although presentation and settings differ, words and illustrations often tell recognisable stories and themes. Take the story of the Turtle and the Geese: it is a well known element of the Buddhist stories called the Jataka tales, but versions are also found in Greece and other cultures. Why?
Sometimes this kind of thing happens is because of contact between cultures, or a shared heritage. But can isolated societies develop similar folk tales and traditions entirely independently? This idea is what the psychiatrist Carl Jung called the ‘collective unconscious’.
I have never been sure whether the collective unconscious exists or not - but my scepticism was jolted when I read a story told to children by the natives of north east Canada: it was Cinderella!
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