Q.1 What is the primary purpose of folklore in a society?
To entertain only
To preserve cultural values and beliefs
To teach mathematics
To replace formal education
Explanation - Folklore serves to pass down cultural knowledge, traditions, morals, and values from one generation to another.
Correct answer is: To preserve cultural values and beliefs
Q.2 Which of the following is an example of oral tradition?
A written novel
A digital blog post
A myth told by elders
A printed newspaper
Explanation - Oral traditions are verbal stories, myths, legends, and histories passed down through generations without written records.
Correct answer is: A myth told by elders
Q.3 The study of folklore is primarily concerned with:
Economic systems
Cultural expressions and beliefs
Climate patterns
Political institutions
Explanation - Folklore studies focus on traditions, stories, rituals, and practices that reflect the cultural identity of a group.
Correct answer is: Cultural expressions and beliefs
Q.4 A legend is best described as:
A purely fictional story
A factual historical account
A story believed to have some historical truth
A scientific report
Explanation - Legends often contain elements of history mixed with imaginative storytelling and are widely believed within a community.
Correct answer is: A story believed to have some historical truth
Q.5 Which of the following is NOT considered a form of folklore?
Fairy tales
Proverbs
Urban legends
Scientific textbooks
Explanation - Folklore includes myths, legends, proverbs, and tales passed orally, not formal scientific literature.
Correct answer is: Scientific textbooks
Q.6 What is a myth in cultural anthropology?
A story explaining natural or social phenomena
A news article
A recipe
A musical composition
Explanation - Myths are traditional narratives that explain the origins, nature, or customs of a culture, often involving supernatural elements.
Correct answer is: A story explaining natural or social phenomena
Q.7 Which method is commonly used by anthropologists to collect folklore?
Laboratory experiments
Fieldwork and interviews
Satellite imaging
Surveys on consumer behavior
Explanation - Anthropologists engage directly with communities, recording stories, songs, and oral traditions through fieldwork and interviews.
Correct answer is: Fieldwork and interviews
Q.8 Folk songs are important because they:
Provide entertainment only
Reflect cultural history and social values
Teach scientific theories
Predict weather patterns
Explanation - Folk songs often carry historical narratives, moral lessons, and social norms, preserving cultural heritage.
Correct answer is: Reflect cultural history and social values
Q.9 Proverbs are best described as:
Long epic stories
Short sayings expressing wisdom
Ritual ceremonies
Religious texts
Explanation - Proverbs are concise expressions of general truths, morals, or practical wisdom within a culture.
Correct answer is: Short sayings expressing wisdom
Q.10 Urban legends differ from traditional folklore in that they:
Are always true
Originate in modern contexts and spread rapidly
Are found only in ancient texts
Do not involve storytelling
Explanation - Urban legends are contemporary stories, often shared as true, that reflect modern anxieties and beliefs.
Correct answer is: Originate in modern contexts and spread rapidly
Q.11 Rituals in folklore serve to:
Entertain children only
Reinforce social norms and beliefs
Replace formal education
Track weather patterns
Explanation - Rituals, often linked to folklore, maintain social cohesion and transmit cultural values.
Correct answer is: Reinforce social norms and beliefs
Q.12 An epic is characterized by:
Short humorous tales
Lengthy narrative poems about heroic deeds
Scientific explanations
Daily news events
Explanation - Epics are long, narrative poems that recount the adventures and achievements of heroes, often foundational to a culture.
Correct answer is: Lengthy narrative poems about heroic deeds
Q.13 Which of the following is a key feature of oral traditions?
They rely on written records
They are transmitted verbally across generations
They are only for entertainment
They are always fictional
Explanation - Oral traditions depend on verbal communication, preserving history, beliefs, and values without written documentation.
Correct answer is: They are transmitted verbally across generations
Q.14 What role do storytellers play in preserving folklore?
They replace written education
They serve as cultural memory and transmitters of knowledge
They entertain without purpose
They invent entirely new traditions
Explanation - Storytellers are essential in maintaining cultural continuity by passing down narratives and lessons orally.
Correct answer is: They serve as cultural memory and transmitters of knowledge
Q.15 Which of these is considered a folktale?
A scientific journal article
A tale of a clever fox teaching a moral lesson
A historical treaty
A census report
Explanation - Folktales are fictional stories often featuring animals or humans, conveying morals or cultural lessons.
Correct answer is: A tale of a clever fox teaching a moral lesson
Q.16 Which of the following is an example of material folklore?
A traditional mask used in rituals
A myth about creation
A song passed down orally
A proverb about honesty
Explanation - Material folklore includes tangible cultural objects like masks, tools, clothing, or crafts linked to traditions.
Correct answer is: A traditional mask used in rituals
Q.17 Folk narratives often explain:
Complex scientific theories
The origins of customs, natural phenomena, and social practices
Financial markets
Internet trends
Explanation - Folklore explains and legitimizes cultural practices and beliefs, often through storytelling.
Correct answer is: The origins of customs, natural phenomena, and social practices
Q.18 Which of these best defines an anecdote in folklore?
A long epic poem
A brief, often amusing story about a real incident
A scientific experiment
A religious ritual
Explanation - Anecdotes are short stories, often humorous or illustrative, that convey a lesson or entertain within a cultural context.
Correct answer is: A brief, often amusing story about a real incident
Q.19 In cultural anthropology, legends differ from myths primarily in that:
Legends are entirely fictional, myths are historical
Legends are believed to have some truth, myths often explain the unexplainable
Legends are only about animals, myths only about humans
There is no difference
Explanation - Legends are grounded in historical or semi-historical events, while myths often involve supernatural explanations.
Correct answer is: Legends are believed to have some truth, myths often explain the unexplainable
Q.20 Which term refers to stories explaining the origin of a community or people?
Etiological myths
Fables
Proverbs
Urban legends
Explanation - Etiological myths provide explanations for the origin of cultural practices, natural phenomena, or social groups.
Correct answer is: Etiological myths
Q.21 How does folklore adapt over time?
It never changes once established
It evolves with social, cultural, and environmental changes
It becomes scientific knowledge
It disappears completely in modern society
Explanation - Folklore is dynamic, adapting to the needs, values, and contexts of each generation while retaining core elements.
Correct answer is: It evolves with social, cultural, and environmental changes
Q.22 Which of these is an example of performance folklore?
A traditional dance performed during harvest festivals
A historical document
A scientific textbook
A daily newspaper
Explanation - Performance folklore includes dances, plays, rituals, and ceremonies enacted within a cultural context.
Correct answer is: A traditional dance performed during harvest festivals
Q.23 Folklorists study oral traditions primarily to:
Create fictional stories for entertainment
Understand cultural history, values, and social norms
Analyze economic policies
Predict the weather
Explanation - Studying oral traditions provides insight into a society’s worldview, beliefs, and collective memory.
Correct answer is: Understand cultural history, values, and social norms
Q.24 Fables are different from myths because they:
Always explain natural phenomena
Often feature animals and teach moral lessons
Are entirely historical accounts
Are scientific studies
Explanation - Fables are short stories that use animals or inanimate objects as characters to impart ethical lessons.
Correct answer is: Often feature animals and teach moral lessons
Q.25 Oral traditions are particularly important in societies that:
Do not have written records
Do not have music
Do not have art
Do not practice rituals
Explanation - In societies without written texts, oral traditions are the primary means of preserving and transmitting cultural knowledge.
Correct answer is: Do not have written records