Traditional Storytelling

There is a saying that a person is raised up bythe stories of the whole village.

Many societies have for thousands of years hadlong-established storytelling traditions and good storytellers have been long
awaited visitors in public places and also homes. The living storytelling
tradition still exists among many indigenous people, and also in western
society. In Ireland the seanchaí were the traditional Irishstorytellers. They travelled from village to village, reciting ancient lore and
tales of wisdom. They told both the old myths as well as local news and
happenings. The tales of kings and heroes were very popular.

In many indigenous cultures the history of thenation or tribe survived in the stories. In Hawaiian storytelling was not
limited to words alone—it included talking but also encompassed mele (song),
oli (chant), and hula (dance).

The storytelling has had several functions: toentertain as well as educate. One story can teach you more about life than a
long scientific lecture about the meaning of life. A good story can also heal.
When a person came to a storyteller, and told about his problems or sickness,
the teller would answer: Let me tell you a story... And the story healed him.

It has always been an oral tradition carriedfrom generation to generation. Troubadours and storytellers travelled and also
the stories travelled, crossed borders, changed a little bit in translation and
different cultural environment, but they live on with similar plot in folk
stories of different nations.

It takes 3 persons for the story to live; onewho tells the story, one who listens and the one, who will tell it further.

It is always easier to listen and remember astory that is told than the one that someone reads to you. The way a
storyteller tells stories gives us so much more than just a plot. There are
first of all emotions that you sense in the tone of the storyteller, wisdoms
that are hidden in the story that have crossed through time, and pictures that you
start seeing, when they are described to you. Stories can come in many forms;
they can be fairy tales, proverbs, myths,legends, fables, religious stories and funny stories. In Europe and Nordic
countries stories were sung in the form of ballads in Finland and Estonia
through the runosongs.

What about today? A lot is lost in the cause ofhistory and technical revolution. But I hope is not too late for a revival. A
story is a powerful tool in communication between people. The skill to tell and
to skill listen are essential in the development of a person. You just have to
be curious and trust yourself to go into the story with the storyteller and let
the pictures in your head start rolling.