What Makes World Stories?
Posted 06/01/09
Throughout the world stories have been told and retold for millennia. They act as vital threads that weave through the fabric of a culture. They lend definition, roots, and significance to society. As a culture grows, so do its world stories.One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Customs and rituals. Geography and daily habits. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. And one of the benefits is to see how world stories come directly from the cultures of origin. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia. The differences as well as the similarities of the various countries impress me deeply.
You can find in every culture notions which they hold as sacred. The demonic can also be found. These notions appear regularly in their stories. Their stories grow out of this mythical soil. Many world stories derive from mythology. They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.
By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Cautionary tales abound, all of them containing messages to avert disaster. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Keep away from wild animals! Avoid strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good and evil are eternal foes. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. No matter what the genre, a good world story brings meaning to the contemporary world as well. And that brings us to storytelling today. Contemporary society is far removed from rural villages of old, but the old stories still remain pertinent.
Some world stories are downright funny. Other world stories are filled with mystery. Many world stories are insightful. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories entertain.
No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories. And in distant worlds they still have meaning.
To enjoy the breadth of subject matter found in world stories, listen to my CD entitled "World Full of Stories." It is an award winning journey that will take you around the globe!
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