The Ancient Art of Storytelling




1. Painting of ancient Native American storyteller.



Our textbook states,"Storytelling has long been considered an origin of theater. It contains all the fundamental elements of the form---a performer, an audience, characters, and narrative. In fact, gifted storytellers can transform into the characters in their tales, turning their narrative into a form of theatrical performance. Solo storytelling performance has a long and continuing history." ( Felner 161). Storytelling is ancient and universal. Its origins are unknown because it predates recorded history, as a matter of fact it was the means by which prehistoric tribes passed on their tribal histories from one generation to the next, before there were any forms of written language. It is universal because every culture has stories and storytellers to express these stories. Some examples include European stories like the story of Saint Nicolas, or Santa Claus, Jewish stories such as David and Goliath, or Moses and the exodus from Egypt, and the Native American stories that tell of how the rabbit got its long ears, or the owl got its large eyes.



2. Photo of modern day Native American storyteller.

Although there are many professional storytellers, it is one form of theatrical performance that can be done by anyone. In most churches, Sunday School teachers use storytelling to present their lessons to their class, particularly in children's classes. Many parents end the day with telling their children bedtime stories. These are just a couple of examples of nonprofessional storytellers. Storytelling is used for purposes other than teaching history, it can also be used to teach children valuable life lessons, such as the value of honesty taught in the story of Pinocchio. Sometimes storytelling can involve other art forms, such as the Native American dance in the picture below, this can also get the community involved in the telling of the story, instead of just being a passive audience.

3. Native American storytelling through dance.

Storytelling still takes place today and has even evolved into other forms of solo performance. One of these is stand-up comedy. Many stand-up comedians use stories from their everyday lives to create humor, but it is still storytelling. It just has another purpose, that is to evoke laughter.

Benton, Steve. Yellow Woman, Dr. Murphy, Eve, and the Virgin Mary. Responding to Literature with Dr. Benton. 17 September, 2010. Web. 4 April, 2011. http://bentonseculit.blogspot.com/2010/09/yellow-woman-dr-murphy-eve-and-virgin.html

Phillips, Charlie. Sierra Storytelling Festival. Sierra Nevada Geotourism Map Guide. National Geographic Society. 2009. Web. 4 April, 2011. http://www.sierranevadageotourism.org/content/sierra-storytelling-festival/Sie3FDFE8B8A46CF79DE

Cindy. Native American Exhibition & Demonstrations. Bohemia Mining Days. 7 July, 2010. Web. 4 April, 2011. http://bohemiaminingdays.org/2010/07/native-american-exhibition-demonstrations/

Ken Little Hawk. "One Heart" Little Hawk's Message to the World. Little Hawk Films. 3 February, 2010. Web. 4 April, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SunKBX8Osjk&feature=related

Ken Little Hawk. Trees Are the Lungs of the Earth. Little Hawk Films. 11 May, 2010. Web. 4 April, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb937hfqe74&feature=related

Felner, Mira, Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theater, Tradition and Innovation. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. 2006. Print.