Throughout the world stories have been told and retold for millennia. In the fabric of a culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. 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. I have also had the opportunity to learn a bit about each country. Rituals and customs. Geography and daily habits. In turn, that lends substantial meaning to the world stories I hear. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.
You can find in every culture notions which they hold as sacred. The demonic can also be found. Their stories regularly exhibit these notions. Their stories grow out of this mythical soil. Myth forms the basis for many world stories. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.
Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. 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. Stay out of the dark forest! Steer clear of wild beasts! Do not talk to strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good is eternally pitted against evil. 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 humorous. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are insightful. Often world stories are enigmatic. 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. The experiences of people are drawn in 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!. More Reading Child stories . Humor stories . Story . Storyteller rochester ny . World stories .