In response to yesterday’s post about Andrew Melville’s fascination with the number 3 in storytelling, Sean Buvala points out a piece he wrote about
The piece, The Presence of the Number Three in Folktales, attempts to address the questions:
Why the focus on the use of the number three? What does the number three represent?
Sean points out:
For many storytellers, educators and folklorists, the classification of a “folktale” requires that it include some reference to the number or sets of three. Such stories as the “Three Blind Mice,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” and “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” are common examples of the titles and subjects of basic folktales reflecting this concept.
His post is a well-researched analysis. Check it out.