Oral storytelling
Encyclopedia
Oral storytelling is an ancient tradition
and the most personal and intimate form of storytelling
. The storyteller and the listeners are physically close as well as, through the story connection, psychically close. The storyteller reveals, and thus shares, him/her self through his/her telling and the listeners reveal and share themselves through their reception of the story. The intimacy and connection is deepened by the flexibility of oral storytelling which allows the tale to be moulded according to the needs of the audience and/or the location or environment of the telling. Listeners also experience the immediacy of a creative process taking place in their presence and, even more than that, they experience the empowerment of being a part of that creative process.
The flexibility of oral storytelling extends to the teller. Each teller will bring their own personality and character to the story. Some tellers consider anything outside the narrative
as extraneous while other storytellers choose to enhance their telling of the tale with the addition of visual and audio
tools, specific actions and creative strategies and devices.
. Storytelling is what makes us human. Storytelling fulfills the need for human beings to cast their experiences in narrative form. Our ancestors probably gathered around the evening fires and expressed their fears, their beliefs and their heroism through oral narrative
s. This long tradition of storytelling is evident in ancient cultures such as the Australian Aborigines
. Community storytelling offered the security of explanation; how life and its many forms began and why things happen, as well as entertainment and enchantment. Communities were strengthened and maintained through stories that connected the present, the past and the future.
Telling stories is a nurturing act for the listener, who is connected to the storyteller through the story, as well as for the storyteller who is connected to the listeners through the story.
Early storytelling combined stories, poetry, music, and dance. Storytelling was natural for everyone but those who excelled at it became entertainers, educators, cultural advisors and historians for the community. The history of a culture was handed down from generation to generation through the storytellers.
The importance of stories and storytellers throughout human history is evidenced by the reverence and respect afforded to storytellers, such as the African griot
and the Irlish seanchaí.
The 9th century fictional storyteller Scheherazade
of 1001 Nights, who saves herself from execution by telling tales, is one example illustrating the value placed on storytelling in days of old. Centuries before Scheherazade
the power of storytelling is reflected by Vyasa
at the beginning of the Indian epic, Mahabharata
, who says, “If you listen carefully, at the end you’ll be someone else.”
In the Middle Ages
storytellers could be seen in the market places and were honoured members of in royal courts. A Medieval storyteller, also called a troubadour or a minstrel, was expected to know all the current tales and in the words of American storyteller Ruth Sawyer
, ‘to repeat all the noteworthy theses from the universities, to be well informed on court scandal, to know the healing power of herbs and simples (medicines), to be able to compose verses to a lord or lady at a moment's notice, and to play on at least two of the instruments then in favour at court.’ According to some writers there were 426 minstrels employed at the wedding of Princess Margaret of England in 1290. Two of the storytellers of the court of King Edward I were two women who performed under the names of Matill Makejoye and Pearl in the Egg.
Travelling storytellers journeyed from land to land, gathering news and learning the favourite stories of various regions. Storytellers exchanged stories and changed stories so that it is difficult to trace the origins of many stories.
In the 1800s Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm
collected and published stories that had been told orally in Germany
. They did not publish them as they found them however, but edited them in accordance with their own values. Like the Grimm brothers in Germany, Peter Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe collected Norwegian
folk tales. In Denmark Hans Christian Andersen
adapted folktales he heard from oral storytellers. In England, Joseph Jacobs
recorded collections of folktales of England
, Scotland
, Wales
.
In the 1900s the importance of oral storytelling was recognised by storytellers such as Marie Shedlock, a retired English schoolteacher. She made several tours to the United States
to lecture on the art of storytelling emphasising the importance of storytelling as a natural way to introduce literature to children.
(USA) in Jonesborough, TN.
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
and the most personal and intimate form of storytelling
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
. The storyteller and the listeners are physically close as well as, through the story connection, psychically close. The storyteller reveals, and thus shares, him/her self through his/her telling and the listeners reveal and share themselves through their reception of the story. The intimacy and connection is deepened by the flexibility of oral storytelling which allows the tale to be moulded according to the needs of the audience and/or the location or environment of the telling. Listeners also experience the immediacy of a creative process taking place in their presence and, even more than that, they experience the empowerment of being a part of that creative process.
The flexibility of oral storytelling extends to the teller. Each teller will bring their own personality and character to the story. Some tellers consider anything outside the narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
as extraneous while other storytellers choose to enhance their telling of the tale with the addition of visual and audio
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
tools, specific actions and creative strategies and devices.
Human Need
It is likely that oral storytelling has been around as long as human languageLanguage
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
. Storytelling is what makes us human. Storytelling fulfills the need for human beings to cast their experiences in narrative form. Our ancestors probably gathered around the evening fires and expressed their fears, their beliefs and their heroism through oral narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
s. This long tradition of storytelling is evident in ancient cultures such as the Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
. Community storytelling offered the security of explanation; how life and its many forms began and why things happen, as well as entertainment and enchantment. Communities were strengthened and maintained through stories that connected the present, the past and the future.
Telling stories is a nurturing act for the listener, who is connected to the storyteller through the story, as well as for the storyteller who is connected to the listeners through the story.
History
The earliest storytelling probably consisted of simple chants. People sang chants as they worked at grinding corn or sharpening tools. Our early ancestors created myths to explain natural occurrences. They assigned superhuman qualities to ordinary people, thus originating the hero tale.Early storytelling combined stories, poetry, music, and dance. Storytelling was natural for everyone but those who excelled at it became entertainers, educators, cultural advisors and historians for the community. The history of a culture was handed down from generation to generation through the storytellers.
The importance of stories and storytellers throughout human history is evidenced by the reverence and respect afforded to storytellers, such as the African griot
Griot
A griot or jeli is a West African storyteller. The griot delivers history as a poet, praise singer, and wandering musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
and the Irlish seanchaí.
The 9th century fictional storyteller Scheherazade
Scheherazade
Scheherazade , sometimes Scheherazadea, Persian transliteration Shahrazad or Shahrzād is a legendary Persian queen and the storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights.-Narration :...
of 1001 Nights, who saves herself from execution by telling tales, is one example illustrating the value placed on storytelling in days of old. Centuries before Scheherazade
Scheherazade
Scheherazade , sometimes Scheherazadea, Persian transliteration Shahrazad or Shahrzād is a legendary Persian queen and the storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights.-Narration :...
the power of storytelling is reflected by Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
at the beginning of the Indian epic, Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, who says, “If you listen carefully, at the end you’ll be someone else.”
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
storytellers could be seen in the market places and were honoured members of in royal courts. A Medieval storyteller, also called a troubadour or a minstrel, was expected to know all the current tales and in the words of American storyteller Ruth Sawyer
Ruth Sawyer
Ruth Sawyer was the professional name of Ruth Sawyer Durand , an American children's writer.- Biography :She was raised in New York City with an affluent family...
, ‘to repeat all the noteworthy theses from the universities, to be well informed on court scandal, to know the healing power of herbs and simples (medicines), to be able to compose verses to a lord or lady at a moment's notice, and to play on at least two of the instruments then in favour at court.’ According to some writers there were 426 minstrels employed at the wedding of Princess Margaret of England in 1290. Two of the storytellers of the court of King Edward I were two women who performed under the names of Matill Makejoye and Pearl in the Egg.
Travelling storytellers journeyed from land to land, gathering news and learning the favourite stories of various regions. Storytellers exchanged stories and changed stories so that it is difficult to trace the origins of many stories.
In the 1800s Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm
Grimm
-Media:* Brothers Grimm , the third album by Australian hip hop singer Drapht-Fiction:* The Brothers Grimm, German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors...
collected and published stories that had been told orally in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. They did not publish them as they found them however, but edited them in accordance with their own values. Like the Grimm brothers in Germany, Peter Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe collected Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
folk tales. In Denmark Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
adapted folktales he heard from oral storytellers. In England, Joseph Jacobs
Joseph Jacobs
Joseph Jacobs was a folklorist, literary critic and historian. His works included contributions to the Jewish Encyclopaedia, translations of European works, and critical editions of early English literature...
recorded collections of folktales of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In the 1900s the importance of oral storytelling was recognised by storytellers such as Marie Shedlock, a retired English schoolteacher. She made several tours to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to lecture on the art of storytelling emphasising the importance of storytelling as a natural way to introduce literature to children.
Oral storytelling festivals
In the 20th century oral storytelling has undergone a revival of interest and focus. Including the establishment of a number of storytelling festivals beginning with the National Storytelling FestivalNational Storytelling Festival
The National Storytelling Festival is held the first full weekend of October in Jonesborough, Tennessee at the International Storytelling Center. The National Storytelling Festival was founded by Jimmy Neil Smith, a high school journalism teacher in 1973...
(USA) in Jonesborough, TN.