Storytelling, ancient, first, forever.

Storytelling

Robert J. Van Horn

Storytelling, images of people around a campfire come to your mind, a wise friend or relative spinning an epic yarn, a tragic tale, or a poetic epic to tantalize your imagination. All of these are many forms of the most ancient and longest running forms of performance and creativity. Through history stretching from one side of this beautiful planet we live on to the other, passing through many eras as well as cultures storytelling and the story teller has been constant.

One of the earliest known discoveries of storytelling is the Cave De Lascaux in France. Discovered on September 12, 1940 by four teenagers, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, and Simon Coencas. This cave was adorned with ancient cave drawings that archaeologists suggest that could be anywhere and even beyond 17,300 years old.

We have here a very primitive depiction of what seems to be a hunting party of some sort. Since we are unable to accurately assume or prove that there was any spoken word at that time, these drawings we're the only method of telling stories and events. This form is throughout history all the way up to the Egyptians as well as the Native Americans of our own country.

One of the main reasons this form was not only prominent, it was vital for the spreading and remembrance of information and history. To use the Native Americans as an example, since them having no written language to speak of (no pun intended) the only way that the history and culture was preserved was through spoken word. The knowledge was handed down from generation to generation, by village elders, this was so important that there we're lines of families and tribes that there soul purpose in life was to remember the past and pass it on to the next of kin.

We fast-forward to today and storytelling is still as prominent as ever, we have audio books, live speaking events, as well as song that all convey a story, a thought, a memory, all of which is created by a storyteller. 

Sources.

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2006. Print.
"The History Of Storytelling." Essortment. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://www.essortment.com/history-storytelling-21197.html>.
"Homeschool Learning Network." Homeschool Learning Network. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://www.hlnfamily.com/index.php?option=com_content>.
"Storyteller.net: Storytelling, Storytellers, Stories, Story, Storytelling Techniques, Hear a Story, Read Stories, Audio Stories, Find Tellers, How to Tell A Story - Articles About Storytelling." Storyteller.net: Storytelling, Storytellers, Stories, Story, Storytelling Techniques, Hear a Story, Read Stories, Audio Stories, Find Tellers, How to Tell A Story. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://www.storyteller.net/articles/175>.