| 逸話 | Anecdote |
| 昔話 | Old (over 1000 years!) story – but not about gods, (that’s 神話） Think of Beowulf or the Icelandic epics. |
| 物語 | A tale- often used in the title of a book or movie. As in ‘The Tale Of Genji’ or ‘The Tale Of Two Cities.’ |
| 童話 | Children’s story |
| 伝説 | A legend – King Arthur, Robin Hood, etc. |
| 神話 | Myth (literally ‘god story’) |
| 小説 | A novel |
| 語り | Narration |
| メルヘン | A German word, referring to Grimm’s Fairy tales and the like. |
KANJIDAMAGE