Folk Literature

• is preserved in oral tradition for at least several generations
• belongs to the people, not to any one individual
• tells of the trials and tribulations of the family and daily living
• tells of inner emotions
• tells of adventures and of the world of the unknown
• was created from daily events and happenings based on truths, but stretched and romanticized
• can be "touched up" by the imagination of each storyteller

West Virginia folk literature began with early Native American oral literature and European oral literature brought by the colonial settlers from different countries. These stories were changed by repeated retellings to fit the lives of the mountaineers, fitting their rugged lifestyles and the wild, rugged natural environment.