Linda Crampton is a teacher who enjoys reading and creative writing. Her favourite genres are classic literature, fantasy, myth, and poetry.

The Magic of Oral Storytelling

Oral storytelling is an old, widespread, and much loved tradition in many cultures. The tradition appears to be experiencing a revival in some parts of the world, including North America. It's sometimes a performance art that involves interaction between the storyteller and the audience. At other times, it's a spontaneous communication within a small group of people. The event is used to entertain the listeners, to teach or reinforce information or cultural values, and to share memories. It can be very enjoyable for both children and adults.

An oral story is frequently presented as prose but may take the form of a poem or a song instead. A performance may include engaging acting or elements such as dance or music. Ideally, the storyteller presents his or her ideas in a way that stimulates the listeners to visualize or otherwise imagine the story in their own mind. The presentation and interpretation combine to create the story.

Myths and traditional stories are often shared orally. In this article, I describe oral storytelling. I also describe some Ancient Greek myths that I used as the basis for a narrative poem told by an oral storyteller. The myths describe the beguiling creatures known as Sirens, a gifted musician named Orpheus, and the beautiful lyre music that protected sailors from entrapment by the Sirens.

Storytelling as a Performance Art

Some storytellers use only the power of their speaking voice to transmit their message. Others add movements and special effects created by their voice. Some use props as part of their presentation. Singing, chanting, music, and dancing are other methods used to convey an idea, information, or mood. Some storytellers include photos, paintings, or short videos as a background to their talk.

One of my former colleagues became an oral storyteller when he retired. He used only his voice to maintain his audience's interest, which he did very effectively. He was a drama teacher, which probably helped his performance. Additional elements in a performance can certainly be useful, but I think that it's important that they add to the story instead of distracting the listeners and weakening the overall effect.

The video below shows the wonderful potential of an oral storytelling performance that uses no props or additions beyond what the storyteller's body provides. The narrator's personality and acting skills and the audience participation create a very enjoyable experience. The video ends before the story is finished, but it's worth watching.

Diane Ferlatte Tells the Story of Brer Rabbit's Dance

Diane Ferlatte is an award-winning oral storyteller from California who performs internationally. She gives a powerful performance in the video above.

Performance Benefits and Disadvantages

Oral storytelling has both advantages and disadvantages compared to writing stories. Telling a story orally allows voice, facial expression, posture, and gesture to contribute to the tale in a way that written words can’t do. The immediacy of an oral presentation is missing in a written one that is read later. The narrator often receives feedback from their audience and can modify their presentation as they progress. The audience may even participate in the story or its creation. Sharing a tale orally can be a rich form of communication.

For people used to writing a story and then carefully editing their creation, telling a story orally could be daunting. During editing of written work, a storyteller can delete parts that seems inappropriate, unnecessary, or clumsy, correct errors, and add points that they forgot. Oral storytellers don't have this luxury, at least with respect to deleting what they said.

Storytellers that work with large audiences in a formal setting almost certainly rehearse their story before its presentation. During a performance it may be hard to compensate for mistakes or make adjustments due to audience reactions, however. An experienced storyteller may be able to deal with these situations creatively. They may even enjoy the challenge.

The Story of the Kildare Lurikeen (Leprechaun)

Michael R. Kasony-O'Malley is an oral storyteller, author, and educator from Ohio. He was once an elementary school teacher who loved to tell stories to his students.

Traditions, Memories, and Connection

Storytelling enables people to keep the traditions, values, and memories of their culture alive. Written stories can do this, too, but oral ones allow the narrator and the audience to share memories and ideas as a group and in some cases for questions to be asked and answered.

Storytelling doesn't have to be done on a stage or in front of a large audience. It can be informal and spontaneous. Even two people—the storyteller and the listener—are enough for a storytelling session. I fondly remember the bedtime stories that my father told me. I loved the characters that he created and the adventures that they experienced.

In some cases, such as when an older person is sharing memories from the past with a younger relative, they may prefer to share it orally instead of writing it down. Sharing a story in oral form can provide a human connection that is missing or at least delayed in written work. It can sometimes be a healing process.

Storytelling Festivals, Events, and Websites

Storytelling festivals, competitions, and conferences are held each year in North America as well as in other parts of the world. Links to the websites of three storytelling societies are given at the end of this article. The first site includes a calendar of events for the United States. The second includes similar information for Canada and the third for the UK. All of the sites contain useful information about storytelling.

Oral storytelling is a versatile art with many functions beyond entertainment. The stories that are told are not always fictional. On a recent visit to the National Storytelling Network site, I discovered articles about oral versions of African-American folklore and the use of storytelling to form a bridge between countries currently involved in a tense relationship. An additional article described the oral presentation of personal history by the residents in a seniors home. Telling the stories could be a good experience for the residents and could build a sense of community in the home. Another article described a story project in which cancer patients described their lives.

The Myth of the Sirens

In some parts of the world, myths are a frequent theme of oral stories. While the myths are not always viewed as literally true, they may still impart important truths or ideas about life to the listeners.

The tale told by the storyteller in my poem below is based very loosely on the Ancient Greek myth of the Sirens and the stories of Orpheus. The Sirens were beings that sang an irresistible song. Their music lured sailors to their death by shipwreck on the island (or islands) inhabited by the Sirens. There were often said to be three of the beings, but the reported number varies.

In classical art, Sirens are often depicted as beautiful women. In the time of the Ancient Greeks, however, they were said to either have the head of a woman and the body of a bird or the upper body of a woman (with or without wings) and the legs of a bird.

The Sirens were believed to have originally had the form of a woman. Their form was changed by a goddess either to enable them to complete a task by flying or as a punishment for a misdeed. As is often true in mythology, the stories that have survived vary in their details.

Orpheus, Jason, and the Argonauts

Orpheus was a legendary musician and poet who was said to produce exquisite and magical lyre music. The music charmed and calmed animals—including fierce ones—and protected humans from the Sirens. The latter ability is highlighted in a myth from Ancient Greece described below. In some legends Sirens play lyres, too, but their music was no match for that of Orpheus.

Jason led a band of heroes called the Argonauts. The group went on a sea voyage to search for the Golden Fleece of a ram, which was a symbol of kingship. They travelled on a ship called the Argo. The term Argonauts means "Argo sailors". Although their story has been enhanced over the years, the basic ideas come from ancient times.

Jason was the rightful heir to a throne, but his uncle had claimed the throne instead. The uncle gave Jason the task of finding and delivering the Golden Fleece, believing that Jason would be killed during the difficult journey. After many adventures, however, Jason succeeded in his quest. He needed the help of a sorceress named Medea, though. She put a spell on the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece, causing him to sleep. Jason took the fleece and used it to claim the throne.

During their voyage, Jason and the Argonauts encountered the Sirens. Luckily. Orpheus was on board. He played beautiful music on his lyre that drowned the song of the Sirens and kept the men safe.

The Lyre

The lyre is a plucked string instrument that is handheld. The ancient lyre looked like a small, u-shaped harp. It was played in different cultures and in multiple historical periods. The number of strings varied. The lyre in my poem contains seven strings, as in the photo above.

Lyres are still played today, although they often have a modern design and are sometimes known as lyre harps. They are usually plucked but are sometimes bowed. Some musicians try to create historically accurate versions of lyres based on the remains and illustrations that have been discovered.

The sound of a lyre varies and depends on many factors, including the materials used to make the lyre, the instrument's size, and the tension of the strings. We can never know exactly what the lyre sounded like to Ancient Greeks, but in my poem I imagine a sound like that in the video below—rich and resonant.

The Sound of a Lyre

The Story of Huw and the Sirens

The path of ages on her face
and misted eyes for secrecy
In a gnarled voice of power
the storyteller spoke

The eager words rejoiced
at freedom to create,
released into the wild
to weave their fantasy

Dragons roared above
and flew with mighty wings
over caverns full of gold
and treasure from the past

The listeners looked in awe
at depths of gleaming jewels
They felt Huw's growing lust
and heat of dragon fire

Then a haunting melody
sung by eternal youth
echoed through the caves
to lure humanity

Bewitched by pulsing sounds,
compelled to seek their source,
Huw found the ocean shore
but saw no singer there

Pulled in by rising waves
and current of the song,
dragged down to depths of fear
and life without a breath

Sirens circled round their prey
before him and behind
and spun a web of sound
to trap him in their midst

A warrior at heart
Yet Huw could not respond
Conquered by the sound
from women of the deep

With deafening shrieks of hate
disguise of beauty shed,
their beaks and talons raised
to pierce his heart with spite

Then music of the lyre
played by an unseen hand
stayed the path of pain
and pushed his fear away

The music soared in joy
drowning raucous cries
replacing threads of woe
with gossamer of love

The melody of the strings
lifted Huw from grief,
returning empathy and breath
while carrying him to shore

The dragons slept in peace
and dreamt of ancient times
lulled by the lyre of care
and alchemy of sound

Huw took but seven jewels
in memory of the lyre
tempered greed with love
and left the rest untouched

The clan in celebration sang
of battles fought and won,
of dragon gold and sea,
of sirens and the lyre

The smell of roasting food
a feast for young and old
warm hearth and golden mead
good friends and company

The storyteller stopped
but still her tale lived on
with giddy dance and love
and laughter in the air

The words swirled round the room
continuing to create
She smiled at them with love
and called them to her care

The coffee shop restored,
dark screens of devices mute
The listeners slowly stirred
and clapped as she arose

The storyteller left
in company with words,
faint music at her side,
soft laughter in her wake

Each listener resolved
to hear her talk again
and enter other worlds
in the storyteller's dreams

Storytelling Resources

• National Storytelling Network (United States)
• Storytellers of Canada
• Society for Storytelling (United Kingdom)

Questions & Answers

Question: What are the differences between oral and modern story telling?

Answer: Sometimes there are no differences. A modern story can be told orally. The effectiveness of the performance depends on the same factors involved in telling traditional stories. Most stories today are told in a written form, however, or in a visual form on television, in movies, or on the Internet.

The themes of modern written stories may sometimes be different from the themes of stories that are told orally. Some stories aren’t designed to be presented by voice, acting techniques, or props. Instead, the goal is to use written words to create thoughts or emotions in the reader’s mind. An oral presentation of the story may be less effective or even inappropriate.

© 2016 Linda Crampton

Comments

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on January 27, 2018:

Thank you for the interesting and informative comment, Manatita. I hope you have a great Saturday, too!

manatita44 from london on January 27, 2018:

Your second paragraph so typifies a black female poet in Canada. She's one of the poet laureates there. (Forgotten her name)

The lyre is quite haunting and I could see why the sailors had problems. It is easier with the Sirens being women. They sort of depict one of the struggles that man has to go through on his way to enlightenment ... and sometimes it is necessary to fall.

Of course this applies to women too. The journey is for all and certainly not for the faint-hearted.

The black woman poet was really entertaining but she is not the one of whom I speak. That one is even better!! Have a great Saturday!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on January 26, 2018:

I agree, Mary. It would be very interesting to meet storytellers from the past.

Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on January 26, 2018:

I love the fact that storytelling has now come back and getting more support as a performance art. I wish to have met some of those storytellers in the past who went from village to village and entertained people with tales from faraway.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on September 12, 2016:

Hi, vespawoolf. I agree - the storyteller in the video is very talented. She can definitely hold the attention of an audience! Thank you for the comment.

Vespa Woolf from Peru, South America on September 12, 2016:

Thank you for explaining the elements of the poem. The storyteller illustrated in the video has an amazing talent. I'm always impressed by those who can keep the attention of an audience in such a situation. Some people have that knack, but I know it can also be developed. I've always enjoyed mythical tales. Thank you for this well-written article.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on May 12, 2016:

Your aunt sounds like she was certainly a great storyteller, Rachel. It's wonderful to meet a person who takes you into their story!

Blessings to you, as well.

Rachel L Alba from Every Day Cooking and Baking on May 12, 2016:

Hi Alicia, I had an aunt who was a good story teller. You thought you were right there in her story. She never had children but all of us younger cousins would follow her around waiting for to tell a story. I enjoyed the poem also.

Blessings to you.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 27, 2016:

Hi, Mel. Thanks for the visit and the comment. It's very interesting to think about the development of stories and the history of storytelling!

Mel Carriere from San Diego California on April 27, 2016:

A very captivating poem. We've been telling stories since we first started sitting around the campfire in bearskins. As language developed, so did the stories. I think people love stories because it stirs something in the genetic memory of the species. Great hub!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 27, 2016:

I agree, Peggy - storytelling is definitely an art and can certainly stimulate the imagination. Thanks for reading the poem and listening to the music.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on April 27, 2016:

Good storytelling is an art. When I was a child I heard many stories from my grandparents and listened with great interest. Whether it relates to truth or fiction a good story can capture one's attention and spur one's imagination. I enjoyed your poem at the end while listening to the music of a lyre being played. Nice!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 24, 2016:

Thank you very much for the comment, Flourish. I do occasionally write poems with rhyme, but I usually create ones without rhyme. The storyteller that your parents heard sounds excellent. I'd like to hear her myself!

FlourishAnyway from USA on April 24, 2016:

Your poem was excellent; I prefer poetry packed with meaning rather than forced rhyme. My parents just returned from a visit to Charleston, SC where they were delighted and entertained by a Gullah storyteller. My dad never tips anyone but he tipped this woman, as she was truly phenomenal. They raved so much about her that I'm going to have to go visit for myself.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 22, 2016:

Hi, Larry. I hope oral storytelling never loses its popularity and is regarded as an important contributor to our history! Thanks for the visit.

Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on April 22, 2016:

The oral story is how it all began, and is probably a be contributor to the history of intellectual thought.

Great read!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 20, 2016:

I love the sound of the bedtime stories that you told your children, Nadine. I liked to hear familiar stories from my father, but I also liked him to add new adventures, as you did in the tale of the cent. Thank you very much for the comment about the hub and the poem.

Nadine May from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa on April 20, 2016:

What an entertaining hub with great mythical stories. It reminded me of the time years ago wen I was telling oral stories to my own children before bedtime. It started one evening ... I came up with the life of one cent in an old ladies purse. From then on every night I had to keep adding more adventures of the one cent, how it sometimes felt unworthy because of its value compared to the bigger coins. it traveled from one place, or purse to another...On and on...

Your poem was awesome.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 15, 2016:

Thank you for the comment, Vellur. I agree - listening to a story can definitely be magical. It's great to hear that storytelling is still popular in India.

Nithya Venkat from Dubai on April 15, 2016:

A great hub about oral storytelling enjoyed reading and loved the poem. Listening to stories is like entering into a world created by the words of the storyteller and it is magical. India, my home country the art of storytelling still lives on.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 13, 2016:

Hi, Nell. Thanks for the visit and the comment! I love the old myths, too. They are often very interesting. I find some of them very meaningful as well.

Nell Rose from England on April 13, 2016:

In the storytellers dreams! woo I loved it! this is my kind of subject, I love all the old myths and the way they used to be spoken! fascinating read and I love the poem, nell

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 12, 2016:

Thank you very much, Peggy. I always appreciate your comments!

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on April 12, 2016:

I truly enjoyed your poem. The folks listening to the tale in the coffee shop were transported to another world and time with that story. Interesting how stories are passed on from generation to generation...be they fact or myth. Great job as always!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 12, 2016:

Thank you so much for such a lovely comment, Harishprasad. I appreciate your visit and your kindness a great deal! I'm glad that storytelling is becoming more popular, too. It is a great art, as you say.

Harish Mamgain from New Delhi , India on April 12, 2016:

Linda, this hub touched my heart. Your beautiful poem took me to a wonderful world. Storytelling is a great art, it is a good news that it is again taking roots. Not even mythical ones but also real life stories, if told artfully, gives the listeners a great joy. You have penned a fantastic hub that 'll surely act as potent balm against so much stress around. Thank you very much.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 11, 2016:

Hi, Jackie. I hope that storytelling never becomes a lost art, too. Thank you very much for the visit. I appreciate your comment!

Jackie Lynnley from the beautiful south on April 11, 2016:

Such a great idea. Storytelling I know is somewhere in all of our lives but quickly moving away. I hope it will never become a lost art.

Love your poem too!

Come over and see us as creative exiles sometime!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 09, 2016:

This is another lovely story. Thank you for sharing it, Deb.

Deb Hirt from Stillwater, OK on April 09, 2016:

Fortunately, this is not a forgotten art. I recently saw a short video of a Native co-worker, singing and telling tales in his language to his infant son. It pierced my heart with intent, and made me respect the father that he became from a young and indolent man such a short time prior.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 07, 2016:

The memory of your father is lovely, Martie. It's interesting and sad at the same time to think of the stories of the past. Thank you very much for the comment about the hub and the poem. I appreciate your visit a great deal.

Martie Coetser from South Africa on April 07, 2016:

This is a very interesting hub and excellent poem, Alicia. The Story of Huw and the Sirens is a winner!

I often contemplate the time way back, before stories were written. Imagine the villages, people gathering, probably weekly, to be entertained by talented storytellers. While today we have radio, movies, TV, books....

My father was an excellent storyteller. I remember a time in the 60's when he entertained me and my siblings at least once a week with a story. He made us laugh and cry. We hung upon his lips as he pulled his face and changed his voice. During family gatherings he always came forward with a story, usually a comedy.

Thanks for reminding me of this :)

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 06, 2016:

Hi, Suhail. Yes, electronic gadgets are a concern. They have some wonderful uses, but they also have some serious drawbacks. The intense interest of youth in electronic devices does make one wonder about the future of oral stories.

Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on April 06, 2016:

Exactly, Linda.

I tried to pass it on to my children, reading them the first books of Harry Potter, but then they started reading on their own rather early. Given how the next generation is all into electronic gadgets, I am not sure how will my children continue with the story telling with their children :-)

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 05, 2016:

Thank you very much for the comment, Suhail. I love the things that I'm learning about storytelling in other countries and cultures via the comments on this hub. The idea of a marketplace for storytellers sounds wonderful.

Your second paragraph reminded me of my father. When I was a child, he told me bedtime stories that he created on the spot. I loved to follow the adventures of the two characters that he created. I'm sure that this contributed to my love of reading, just as your father's storytelling did.

Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on April 05, 2016:

Awesome hub!

Your hub reminded me of a big city of Peshawar, Pakistan. Peshawar is the largest city of its Khyber Puktoonkhwa Province. there is a marketplace in the city called 'Qissa Khawani Bazar', meaning marketplace of the story tellers. Back in the days, trading caravans used to rest here and their story tellers used to share the adventure stories of their travels.

Come to think of story telling, my late father was good at it. The way he read us siblings our very first book of R. M. Ballantyne's Coral Island, I will never forget that. I think his story telling contributed a lot to my habit of reading books.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 05, 2016:

Thanks for sharing such interesting information, Robert. Today's oral storytelling does seem reminiscent of earlier times. I'm glad that the tradition is becoming popular again. I think it has a lot to offer us.

Robert Levine from Brookline, Massachusetts on April 05, 2016:

I'd venture to say that much early storytelling was done in verse--the Homeric epics, the Norse sagas & Beowulf, & the Mahabharata all originated in oral tradition. The meter & rhyme, as well as stock elements like the trademark Homeric epithets ("rosy-fingered dawn"), make the material easier to memorize.

There was a griot from Mali who used to perform in the subway stations here in Boston. Oddly, he never spoke or sang; he just played a lute-like instrument called a kora, & played it exquisitely.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 05, 2016:

Thank you very much for the comment, Erzulie LM. Thank you for sharing the information, too. I had never heard of a Griot before reading your comment.

Zulie on April 05, 2016:

A really great and informative hub. It really resonated with my because oral story telling within the family, community or though a Griot is part of my culture

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 05, 2016:

Thank you, Frank! I appreciate your comment very much.

Frank Atanacio from Shelton on April 05, 2016:

wonderful hub and a very well tuned poem.. awesome my friend :)

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 05, 2016:

Thanks for the visit and comment, Devika.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 05, 2016:

Your memories sound lovely, nicenet! Thank you for sharing them.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on April 05, 2016:

Hi AliciaC you shared an informative well presented hub. I enjoyed the learning lesson.

nicey on April 05, 2016:

Thanks for sharing your hub. I remembered our days when we sit in circles at night, when the moon radiated its bright light and we listened to our elders tell us folk-tales and folk-lores. I think oral story telling should be integrated into the curriculum.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Thank you so much for the lovely and very kind comment, Theresa. I appreciate it a great deal. I appreciate all your shares, too. You're absolutely right about my enjoyment in creating this article! Though I always like writing hubs, there are some that are especially enjoyable for me to create. This was one of them.

Thank you for sharing the information about storytelling in your area, too. It's always interesting to learn new things by reading comments!

Faith Reaper from southern USA on April 04, 2016:

Oh, I love oral storytelling and the video you included is wonderful and such a treat to watch.

Linda, this is such a wonderful hub. Down here in the South, way back in the day, oral storytelling is exactly how they passed on family history through telling of stories and such, plus so many were so poor, that's all they had, and funny how that works out to be a blessing.

Your poem is phenomenal, Linda. You are gifted in so many areas.

Thank you for all the hard work you put into this hub, but I know it must have been so enjoyable to write.

Sharing everywhere

Looks like you have a HOTD here!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Thank you very much, Bill. Like you, I hope that oral storytelling continues even as technology advances. I'm encouraged by what I see happening at the moment.

Bill De Giulio from Massachusetts on April 04, 2016:

Wonderful Hub Linda. Hopefully there will always be a place for storytelling even as technology advances and makes us ever more addicted to our devices. Sometimes it's just nice to actually hear someone's voice.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Hi, Blond Logic. I agree - the human element is very important. The best oral storytellers are certainly very talented! Thanks for commenting.

Mary Wickison from Brazil on April 04, 2016:

I am glad to know that oral storytelling is still going on. With so many people immersed in technology and feeling like they need to be constantly connected, it is good to have that human element take center stage. I am sure there will come a time when we will feel starved of human contact.

To have an audience hanging on your every word and holding their attention is a talent.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Hi, Heidi. Thanks for the visit and the interesting comment. I hope you have a great week, too.

Heidi Thorne from Chicago Area on April 04, 2016:

Thank goodness at least some of these oral myths and stories have survived! With today's emphasis on "storytelling" in marketing, it's obvious that the skill is still one that's important even in our time. Thanks for another informative hub. Have a great week!

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Hi again, Manatita. Thanks for the second visit and for sharing more information. I find many myths inspiring, too. I never dismiss them as "just fiction" without thinking about how they could apply to life. They may not be literally true, but I think that they often contain great value.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Thanks for the visit, Dora. Caribbean folklore definitely sounds interesting!

manatita44 from london on April 04, 2016:

Grenada, where I was born. There is a girl here in England called Kat Francois, who tells some of these stories, and of course the Jamaicans and Trinidadians are very good. I believe that Dora did touch on this lightly once. It is a Caribbean tradition, but perhaps we got it from the Africans.

Interestingly, myths as you so nicely explained, are not new. I have followed the spiritual life for 33 years and I have learnt a great many stories both East and West. Sages have used them to inspire and help us, but yes, they change and become embellished, as they are handed down. Great Hub, Alicia.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Hi, Manatita. Thanks for the comment. I thought the video was excellent as well and would have liked to have seen more of the story. Thank you for sharing the information about Granada tales. I'll have to investigate them.

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on April 04, 2016:

Your article took me back to childhood, and my grandmother's storytelling about Brer Anansi (Caribbean folklore). Good information to know. I admire story tellers.

manatita44 from london on April 04, 2016:

That was some story, Alicia. So sorry that it was not finished. You presented the whole Hub excellently. I'm also familiar with some of these heroes and their stories. Such a nice Hub and great music from the Lyre.

I saw a girl being interviewed today, and I heard some of her stories. A black Jamaican performer who lives in Canada. I thought that she was awesome! Her interviews were also so lucid ; so much depth!

Thank you so much. I know of Brer Rabbit and told many stories of Brer Rabbit and Brer Anancy in Granada. Truly remarkable tales.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Thank you very much for the comment, Venkatachari. I agree with you - the tradition of oral storytelling does need to be revived and protected!

Venkatachari M from Hyderabad, India on April 04, 2016:

Very great article on oral storytelling and the traditions. This art is prevalent in all corners of the world and it needs to be revived and protected.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 04, 2016:

Hi, Bill. Thanks for the comment. I love the tradition of oral storytelling and the fact that telling stories is still popular.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on April 04, 2016:

Such a rich tradition in storytelling....great hub about a cultural tool handed down from generation to generation. Very interesting, my friend.

Linda Crampton (author) from British Columbia, Canada on April 03, 2016:

Thank you so much for such a kind comment, Jodah! I appreciate your visit a great deal.

John Hansen from Queensland Australia on April 03, 2016:

Alicia, this is a wonderful overall hub. Just packed with historical and mythological information about oral story-telling (of which our own Australian aboriginals were proficient). The icing on the cake, for me, was the delightful poem 'The Story of Huw and the Sirens." Great work.