Paul Tevis ([info]ptevis) wrote,
@ 2008-05-16 12:11:00
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dear lazyweb: magical storytelling
I was having lunch with [info]schlafmanko the other day, and she planted in my brain the idea that some pagan traditions use the concept of "magical storytelling," where the process of a telling a story is a transformative act not only for the audience, but for the storyteller as well. She said she'd seen reference to this sort of thing, but couldn't remember anything concrete.

As those of you who know me might expect, I was utterly enraptured by this idea. Anyone out there got any good starting points for me?

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[info]hangingfire
2008-05-16 07:36 pm UTC (link)
Sounds like something Alan Moore and/or Grant Morrison would have written about. Actually, there might be some of that in The Invisibles. Also Promethea.

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[info]ptevis
2008-05-16 08:59 pm UTC (link)
Good point. I could easily see From Hell in the same light.

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[info]psyko_kitty
2008-05-16 09:11 pm UTC (link)
You just missed the Ojai storytelling thingy, but you could go to see Bill Harley and Niall de Burca next week:
https://secure1.securewebexchange.com/webclassicsplus.com/ptgo/fresh.cfm
(scroll down)
That would put you in touch with the storytelling community in Ojai and I'm sure they'd be interested in exploring the idea.

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[info]dorcus
2008-05-16 09:55 pm UTC (link)
I don't know anything formal, per se, but my grandmother used to work in PTA with a Native American man named Alexander Morningstar (no relation to Mr. The Roach; also, don't know what tribe he was of) who told me once more or less the same thing.

That telling a story to an audience "magically" changes the story forever more for both the teller and the listener. That even without saying a word, the audience influences the storyteller in his telling, and thus, when he tells it again, those changes come into play, so the tale takes on greater meaning and depth with each retelling. Hence why oral traditions are so important; writing them down took the magic out of the process.

So, again, not really a concrete detail, but there's a slew of Chumash resources up in SB. You might look into that. : )

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[info]wyldelf
2008-05-16 10:10 pm UTC (link)
I haven't heard of magical storytelling as some disctinct concept. If that's a part of modern pagan movements, it sounds like an interesting one.

But magical storytelling is common to the human experience, although particularly strong in pagan cultures. Native American, native Siberians, Aboriginal, and African stories aren't just entertaining tales, but were ritual. The storyteller transmitted ideas of dealing with spirits and powerful forces, reinforcing cultural mores. But also the story was part of another ritual, transformation and power gathering, to help the shaman (which was pretty much synonymous with storyteller) transform into an animal (spiritually) or tap into wells of power and help with the hunt, or healing, or a cultural rite or celebration.

We see echoes of this in Western traditions of parables, stories, and hymns at Christian mass, where the Word grants the priest some power (particularly in churches that do communion). But you have to do some digging and stretches to see it in the same way, given the anti-mystic bent the religion took in the early centuries.

So, I'd suggest looking into resources on storytelling and shamanism, which you'll probably find ample ones. Although I can't think of a single book. My studies were spread across several classes and dozens of books, none of them honing in on magical storytelling specifically.

My fiance is exploring this, sort of, in a theater she's starting up. I'll see if she has any resources, but a lot of her stuff comes from modern philosophies, like Lacan, and it might not be quite what you're looking for.

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