Storytellers

When you were younger, did you have someone who told you stories?

If you did, was it an older person in your family or a sibling?

Why do we tell stories? What purpose do they serve?

“Storytelling has been a prominent feature of civilization from the beginnings of prehistoric civilization. Whether these stories come to us in the form of ghost stories over a campfire, local urban legends, the newest Netflix series, an age-old cult classic film, or classic literature; it is undeniable that a good story holds an immeasurable amount of power.” (https://www.grin.com/document/424622)

The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman cultures used storytelling throughout their history. This was a way of preserving their culture and heritage. In ancient Greece, a storyteller was called a Bard.

For some, it is a way to teach lessons. The Indigenous People had many stories that we may think of now as “myths,” but which were actually meant to convey a specific meaning. This is how they passed along their knowledge and wisdom, and how they taught the next generation to live and behave.

I asked someone I know if he had someone to tell them stories when he was younger. He said, “No, but I wish they had.” This has me wondering why we don’t tell stories? We have books, sure, but the oral tradition of storytelling seems to be a seldom used thing.

I asked another person if he’d been told stories. He said that yes, he had several. As was noted above, they were used for teaching as he is an Indigenous person.

This has me questioning things. When did the European settlers of this country stop telling stories, or did they ever tell them? What makes the Europeans so much different, other than things I will not go into in this blog? Did they at one time tell stories? Were they used to ignite a person’s passion, to get them interested in something after they “grew up?” We don’t seem to have a “mythos” that teaches things like making good choices.

I have had the honor of being allowed to read certain Native stories since I am extremely interested in that culture. One of the stories I’ve had the pleasure of being introduced to is Iktomi. As I understand it, Iktomi is a spider-being and was rather…mischievous, to put it mildly. I do not know if I have the right to repeat any of those stories as I am not Indigenous, so I will just say that I have learned things from those stories. I enjoyed them. There are other stories that I have read and enjoyed as well, and I would love to hear them told to me directly instead of me reading them. I feel that it would lead to a better understanding of the stories.

I love stories. I love to read, but again, there is something magical about hearing the words. I read out loud when given the opportunity because I enjoy trying to bring stories to life for someone else. I had a friend who would tell me stories when we first met. He shared with me stories of his life. In those stories, I got a feeling for the man he has become. He tends to not rush through his stories, rather, he chooses his words with care. There are things he will not talk about, but I understand that is him. I won’t push for anything more as I know the reasoning. This isn’t my story to tell, so I will leave it here.

Do you have a child or children who make up fabulous stories? If so, encourage that as it may carry on your family history. It’s a good thing to continue the oral tradition of storytelling. It would bring families closer and we would be less dependent on our ‘electronic pacifiers.’

I will listen to your stories if you choose to tell them to me.