By Jill Burgoyne
Storytelling is a form of creating and
has been a part of humanity since the beginning. It has helped relate
history and reinforce the ideals in any given society.
Somewhere between the 8th to
11th centuries, an anonymous poet authored a text which
survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. This piece
of literature has become, perhaps, the most important Anglo Saxon
text which still exists today.
The text is called Beowulf
and it is written in Old English (which is a foreign language in
relation to Modern English) about a Scandinavian Hero named Beowulf.
Beowulf saves the Danes in Geatland from a monster, Grendel. He then
also defeats Grendel's vengeful mother. Beowulf becomes King of the
Geats and his demise is realized by a wound from a dragon-which he
defeats. The poem then gives details of his burial and so forth. I
have personally read it about 4 times in various classes for my
English linguistics degree at ASU. Each class had a different focus,
but it was typically accepted that this poem was representative of
the societal and some religious values during that time period.
These
values are supported by other works of literature, but how would you
feel if you were that anonymous author? We don't know if the author
was male or female (we assume it's a male poet) but we really have no
idea. What if your creation was one of the only manuscripts or
artifacts that survived from the world as we know it today?
If we
could go two thousand years into the future, what would they say
about our values? Copies of Twilight, Harry Potter,
and various Disney titles are pretty prevalent. They might have some
of the best chances of surviving time =). They could say that our
world favors good conquering evil- generally. They might observe
the 'evolution of the equality of men and women'. What would they say
about our family values? What might they say about our views of death
and dying?
Many
thousands, even millions of stories are told and created every day
and it seems to be that they reflect and reinforce what we consider
as values. I love finding uplifting themes such as good conquers evil
or dreams come true or marriages can
work. I love storytelling and hearing stories, because these stories
not only reveal individual thoughts and desires, but also hint at a
greater picture.
What
picture of history am I lighting with the words I write? Everyone
creates. Whether you tell stories, choreograph dances, orchestrate
music scores, create food dishes, paint on a canvas, or build a home
for your family to live in, your creations contribute to the general
condition of humanity.
On
that note, I think
I'll go create myself a snack while my two little girls are still
napping and I can sneak an Oreo!
Love this post! Every word we speak, write, and think plays a part in what we create. Thanks for the reminder, Jill! hugs~
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