Sign in to follow this  
snowymountains

Aboriginal storytelling

Recommended Posts

I started to wonder about aboriginal story telling. I'm opening the thread with an eye at @Nungali who I gather does have familiarity with aboriginal culture.

 

I'd like to visit them in retirement, but retirement is not anywhere near, nor is Australia anywhere near, so a visit there is not happening anytime soon.

 

Some questions that come to mind

  • Is storytelling limited to stories related to dreamtime or it goes to other topics as well?
  • Is there any structure as to how they tell a story?
  • Are there ceremonial parts in how they tell a story?
  • What about those that listen, what do they do after they've listened to the whole story?

 

What I was wondering is if there are any translated transcripts of real indigenous storytelling and if so, in which books can someone find them.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
  On 7/1/2024 at 5:00 PM, snowymountains said:

I started to wonder about aboriginal story telling. I'm opening the thread with an eye at @Nungali who I gather does have familiarity with aboriginal culture.

 

I'd like to visit them in retirement, but retirement is not anywhere near, nor is Australia anywhere near, so a visit there is not happening anytime soon.

 

Some questions that come to mind

  • Is storytelling limited to stories related to dreamtime or it goes to other topics as well?

All types and subjects  ; some are 'kids stories', some teach culture and social obligations ,  some are about navigation and way finding including food and water sources  and some are myth and sacred ./ secret knowledge  and some have all those levels going on at the same time !

 

  • Is there any structure as to how they tell a story?

The written structure usually follows the necessity of the oral form  and descriptions in a string of language  with a lot of descriptive stuff  ( eg ' and then he said .... and she replied  '  would not be said , just different voices or  tones might be used  and just the  quote spoken. Actions and gestures are used as well .... it works well in story telling but not so much in written  form  .  Also it is usually left in a form of 'broken English '  eg  "  Two fellas, come down this way  ,  they see a rock , one throws his spear at it , oh, no good - missed .  "What happened ? "  Ooooo ... sore arm, cant throw . " Another one throws his spear , he hit it, bang, water came out . '

 

  • Are there ceremonial parts in how they tell a story?
  •  

Special ones  ... say for example , in initiation ceremony .  But there is ceremony all around them  ... and 'ownership '  . For example I  often tell the story of the local 'Old man in the Mountain ' and point to him and show people his head sticking out the mountain (it very clear from my place ) . Also its been published in a few places , including the  local national Parks web site . I know a young Aboriginal man  and some of his older  relatives died , including his father a few years back . He is one of the people to be in line as elder and guide  (if he gets through it and takes it up ). I was talking to him about this story and he said ; " When I become an elder , that will be one of my stories and then I will be able to tell it . " 

 

  • What about those that listen, what do they do after they've listened to the whole story?

The WHOLE story !   Wow  !    - all the little bits all over the place are parts of the whole story  .... I suppose if you heard all that you would become the  archetypal Australian Aboriginal   spiritual man . . . .  but that might not even be  the whole story , as their is the 'woman's stuff' and one is kept separate  from the other .

 

What does one do after hearing A story ?  That depends ;  contemplate , understand  how it relates to you, your journey and culture , talk to your teacher about it  ...... etc .

 

He is one that causes an interesting reaction for some :

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

What I was wondering is if there are any translated transcripts of real indigenous storytelling and if so, in which books can someone find them.

 

Heaps !  There is a local one  and many local areas have their own publications . There are many publications made otherwise .

 

I recommend to start

 

image.png.23f369ffe22dc3ded2a4867d63860867.png

 

or if you want a great visual story ; 10 Canoes  .....   a  story about  the telling of a great traditional story

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Canoes

 

 

 

 

Edited by Nungali
  • Thanks 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Sign in to follow this