What point does the folktale make about people who have power over others?
- Lucas
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Abstract
In considering how power manifests in ancient folktales, let us first consider what we mean by “power.” Power refers to the ability of one person or group to influence or direct the behavior and lives of others, and perhaps even to influence the course of events of entire cities and countries. This paper serves as a discussion of power in folktales and how that relates to real life. So, how does power influence people in folklore? This is discussed through three types, about the corruption of power, how power is often an antagonist in folklore, and how the underdog often outsmarts the powerful with intelligence. People often get corrupted by power and use them for their own good, and this often creates the antagonist in folktales, in which the main character has to overcome. Then, using their intelligence, they can outsmart the people who have more power and influence than them.
———————————————————————————————————————
Once, there was a cruel lord who decreed that all old people were useless, and everyone over the age of 71 needed to be carried into the mountains to die. There was one farmer, and his mother lived with him. The farmer was nice to his mother, and they lived a happy life. But, the mother’s age was approaching 71, and the farmer had to carry her into the woods, but he eventually carried her back and hid her. Soon then, Lord Higa came and demanded 1000 ropes of ash to be made, and the mother solved it. They could have just soaked the rope in salt water and burned it. Another time, they had to wedge a silk thread through a hole that was too curvy, and the mother used an ant to please Higa. Finally, Lord Higa needed a drum that beat by itself, and they made a drum with a bumblebee inside. They lived happily ever after, and Higa never bothered them again.
Folklore provides a warning about how too much power can corrupt people, who can manipulate the power for their own good, but not usually good for the society. Many fairy tales often employ a tyrant or bad king in order to show how power can corrupt people, and this can certainly happen in real life. People often are very sad under this tyrant, but have no power, and then a young brave man or knight comes along and defeats the kings through hard challenges. This is the case in the folktale. The tyrant is the cruel young lord, and he doesn’t allow people over the age of 71 to be in the village. “What a dreadful decree! What a cruel and unreasonable lord we have,” the people of the village murmured.” However, The old woman, through the young farmer, solves the challenges that are made by Lord Higa, no matter how hard the challenge is. He hid his mother to be not discovered by the guards. It is fortunate because the mother saved the village from being conquered. This is similar to how sometimes people think they are all powerful, and just because of a whim imply a strict measure on a certain group of people. This is demonstrated through examples, such as Hitler, who thought Jewish people were bad and thus wanted to kill all of them. In folklore, power manifests in various forms, often attributed to supernatural beings, objects, or actions, and can be used for both benevolent and malevolent purposes, reflecting societal beliefs about control and influence. Folklore can help people learn about the destructiveness of power. People can either become good or bad with power.
In folklore from around the world, power frequently serves as a catalyst for villainy, transforming characters through greed, ambition, or a desire to transcend human limits. Often, those who seek or gain power become corrupted by it, suggesting that the very pursuit of dominance can distort one’s morality. Power is often in the making of the antagonist, and this is because they have been corrupted by power, and were eventually turned into an antagonist who was an obstacle to the main character. Because of a power difference, whether it is because of class, economic reasons, religion, or others, it can pose a problem to the characters. If the lord wasn’t a lord and instead was a farmer like the main character, nobody could tell him to take his mother into the mountain when she was 71 years old. “In its larger sense, of course, power refers to the ability of one person or group to influence or direct the behavior and lives of others, and perhaps even to influence the course of events of entire cities and countries.” (Felton) Folklore has been defined as artistic communication in small groups and as creativity in everyday life. Beliefs about power are an inherent structuring element of folklore because of the fact that folklore is circulated amongst groups of people whose lives are shaped on a daily experiential level by power. Every genre of folklore, from nursery rhyme to festival, is structured by power relations and will thus display some aspect of those power relations in their content. When one holds power over another, people can get unhappy because their ruler didn’t go along with what they said.
A common folktale motif is the underdog outsmarting or defeating someone in power, showing that intelligence, courage, or moral strength is more valuable than brute force or authority. Many folktales show that people who have power over others must use it wisely, or they will eventually be defeated by those who are smaller or weaker. “The Greeks were masters of deception and intelligence, using cunning and strategic thinking to gain advantages over their enemies.” (Nielsen) These stories often emphasize that intelligence, kindness, or courage can be more powerful than physical strength or authority. It is fortunate because the mother saved the village from being conquered. The farmer hid his mother under a kitchen, which outsmarted the guards into thinking that the mother was already gone and sent to the forest. This thankfully saved the village from being conquered by Lord Higa, which the cruel young lord was very grateful for. People often can use their wit to overpower people, such as the people in Greece. One of the most renowned examples of Greek cunning and strategic thinking is the legendary incident of the Trojan Horse. Presented as a gift, the horse secretly housed Greek soldiers who emerged at night to open the city gates for the invading army. Whether entirely factual or not, this story underscores the significance of deception and strategic planning in Greek warfare.
The young lord in the village believes that old people are useless, so he orders that anyone over 71 be taken to the mountains to die. However, when he faces difficult challenges, the only one who can solve them is the wise old mother of a farmer who secretly disobeyed the law. Her clever solutions prove that age brings valuable experience and insight. This causes the lord to change his mind and realize that true leadership means listening to others and respecting their knowledge, no matter their age. The story shows that people in power should not abuse their authority or underestimate those they consider weak, because wisdom often comes from the most unexpected places.
Sources Cited
Felton, Debbie. “Power: Uses and Abuses of Authority in Ancient Tales.” A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in Antiquity, 2021.
Nielsen, Eugene. “The Role of Intelligence and Deception in Ancient Greece • Spotter Up.” Spotter Up, 26 Dec. 2024, https://spotterup.com/the-role-of-intelligence-and-deception-in-ancient-greece/.
Uchida, Yoshiko. The Wise Old Woman. Hampton-Brown books, 1996.
Comments