Final answer:
Tales that explain a group's origins and unite them are known as origin stories. These narratives include their beginning, relation to the world, and foster a common cultural identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most groups of people have tales about where they came from and when, which unite them as a group. These tales are known as origin stories. Origin stories serve multiple functions within a culture:
- They explain where a group came from, offering a narrative of the beginnings of the people.
- They outline a group's place in the world and their relationship to it, connecting the people to their environment and the cosmos.
- They promote a common cultural identity, fostering unity and a shared sense of history among the group's members.
Origin stories can be found in many forms across different cultures. Indigenous people, for example, might have accounts of their beginnings linked to the land they inhabit, such as the Iroquois who believe the first of their people fell from the sky or the Maya who were created from corn. These narratives are essential in maintaining group unity and are often embedded with moral and practical lessons that guide the community's conduct and beliefs.
Overall, the answer to the question is that the tales which unite groups of people by explaining their origins are called origin stories.