The creation of memes based on traditional folk tales in a teacher- training degree classroom

Abstract

Traditional folk tales constitute a special case for literary re- writings, as they have been the object of a wide variety of versions and transformations through the ages, as has already been studied by specialists in the field, such as Zipes or Rodríguez Almodóvar. The only part that does not vary in traditional oral stories is their skeleton, structure and archetypes; the garb that overlays it adopts different forms in each location and culture, whether through versions or recycling. But the structural elements and more symbolic details of the tales are universal, and therefore known by the wider public: Cinderella’s slipper, the kiss that wakes up Sleeping Beauty, etc. It is precisely this extensive propagation among recipients that makes the stories perfect material for modern digital recycling. Our research has focused on the analysis of the memes created by students of the Faculty of Education at Complutense University, based on various versions of some or the best–known folk tales in the world (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty, as well as on a lesser known tale in the Hispanic tradition, (Blancaflor). This study will also look at the memes from a gender perspective.