Oral storytelling is the art of conveying stories through word of mouth. Myths explain natural phenomena and human behavior, while fairy tales teach life lessons. Oral storytelling remained important even after the advent of written language, with troubadours spreading news and stories. Different interpretations can arise from storytellers adding or omitting information, using vocal intonations, or pausing for emphasis. Oral storytelling is still used today in everyday conversations and passing down family history.
Before there were books or even stone tablets with words and symbols, there was oral storytelling. It is the art of conveying a story to others simply by word of mouth. The most common types of stories shared through this tradition, and are still around today, are myths, stories, and fables.
Myths have often been designed to tell people why things happened. This included explanations of natural phenomena, such as the movement of the stars and planets, as well as stories about why people behave the way they do. The stories were usually meant to educate people about the past and share individual stories of political and military glory.
Fairy tales were generally intended to teach life lessons in an accessible or understandable way. One of the most famous works that uses fairy tales as a teaching tool is the Christian Bible. Many of these stories were preserved through oral history before being included in the Bible.
Even after the advent of written language, oral storytelling remained important. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, for example, a large part of the population was not educated and could neither read nor write. It was also difficult to transmit news over long distances a long time ago, so people relied on storytellers to carry the news between different cities and countries.
In those times, itinerant troubadours, or minstrels, were often expected to gather newsworthy information and share it with both royalty and the common folk. The troubadours usually shared their stories with other troubadours who traveled to different cities, spreading the stories far and wide. Two famous authors who have collected and written about these kinds of short stories are Wilhelm Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. Their collections of stories, now called fairy tales, are world famous.
An interesting aspect of oral storytelling is that a person can hear two people tell the exact same story but get completely different interpretations. This can happen because a storyteller often puts a lot of himself into the story by adding or omitting information, using vocal intonations, or pausing for emphasis on certain parts. These are important parts of modern storytelling, as it is commonly thought of as a form of entertainment.
People use oral storytelling every day whether they realize it or not. It often takes place around office water coolers and across phone lines. Older family members typically share stories with younger ones so that children can learn about their ancestors. As long as people have the ability to speak, oral storytelling will have an important place in human society.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
