Skald and Griot Storytelling: Protecting Intangible Cultural Heritage
The act of storytelling is practiced in nearly every culture around the world —the stories used as guiding lights for the new generation of children. These stories often reflect the do’s-and-don’ts of societal behavior along with hefty mythical consequences to dissuade bad behavior. While the stories are familiar enough across various cultures, the act, performance, or ritual guiding the telling of the story is unique. The actions and methods involved in reciting traditional stories reflect an intangible cultural heritage element that is unique to that specific culture. If that intangible heritage is not shared or passed down through generations, the heritage runs the risk of becoming extinct.
Thoughts on Storytelling-The Lost Art
Viking Stories
During the Viking Age (800 AD–1050 AD), the Norse culture was developed and practiced primarily in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden), Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Poets and storytellers would recount tales over topics such as the literature and mythology of Norse culture to individuals of the community. These stories and poems were never recorded or written down, but were memorized by a select group of performers called Skalds. Skalds were highly regarded citizens in Viking society. Not only could they define the reputation of individuals through the recitation of poem and rumor, they were also revered as teachers and historians that held the entirety of the Norse culture in their heads. Norse children learned by listening to the Skalds recite poetry and myths concerning moral feats of the gods and goddesses, and the bravery of various heroes/heroines. The impressionable quality of these stories and poems on the communities that they shared defined what it meant to be a Viking.
These poems and stories were only shared by select members of the community. The act of writing and recording information was later developed in the 11th century after the Viking conversion to Christianity. The act of Skalds reciting from memory the myths that defined Norse culture was in itself a part of the culture and heritage of the Viking community. The loss of these oral histories and their being expressed by a select group of people in the fashion of the Viking Age, can never be replicated fully and that intangible aspect of heritage is lost.
Preserving Mandinka Story Telling
Another group of people that practices storytelling as part of their intangible cultural heritage is represented by the Mandinka cultural community. These people inhabit a region of West Africa called Senegambia (Confederation with Senegal and Gambia; Charry, 2000). These people and their culture originates in the 13th century of the Manda Empire of Mali. In this community, the storytellers, singers, and poets are called Griots. Like the Viking Skalds, the Griots are highly revered as they are the record keepers of important dates such as births, deaths, and marriages. The Griots are also responsible for passing on cultural history, which is done through the accompaniment of music. A large aspect of Griot training is learning how to preform ancient compositions on a Kora (a 21 string lute that produces a sound similar to a harp). Ancient oral and musical histories are memorized and preformed over many years before the information is learned. The stories, sung in accompaniment with the Kora, are used to retell the history of the community and Mandinka culture from its origins in the 13th century.
Jali Fily hails from Ziguinchor in the beautiful lush region of Casamance, Southern Senegal
The practice of this form of storytelling is an ongoing tradition with generations of community members training to be a recognized Griot. Unlike the Viking Skalds, this intangible cultural heritage is still in practice. However, without few of the compositions or lyrics being recorded, the practice is still at risk. Part of the training to become a Griot is a focused memorization and repetition only gained through interactions and observations of elder Griots. There is the possibility that these traditions could be lost if interest in the practice decreases in younger generations. Recently, some Griots in Senegal have began preforming their storytelling and singing for tourists (Panzacchi, 1994). This may raise awareness for the practice and encourage preservation, but for now it is up to the elder Griots to inspire and encourage younger generations to continue the practice of storytelling in this fashion.
Conclusion:
The act of storytelling along with its associated methods and rituals are a valuable part of the intangible cultural heritage of many communities and cultures worldwide. Some of these cultures, like the ancient Vikings, are now extinct or no longer practicing storytelling traditions as they once did. For these cultures, the remembrance and if available, documentation and recordings, of this part of their intangible culture is invaluable for the confirmation of identity and history. However, some cultures like the Mandinka culture is West Africa are still communicating their oral histories in the same fashion as their ancestors. For cultures like this, the preservation and continuation of this type of intangible heritage is paramount for its safekeeping.
References:
Charry, Eric S. “Mande music: traditional and modern music of the Maninka and Mandinka of Western Africa”. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
“Jali Fily Cissokho.” Virtuoso kora player and griot, Jali Fily | Matters Musical. Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.mattersmusical.com/artists/jali-fily-cissokho/.
“My Culture.” Seckou Keita. Accessed February 10, 2018. http://www.seckoukeita.com/my-story/my-culture/.
Panzacchi, Cornelia. “The Livelihoods of Traditional Griots in Modern Senegal” Africa 64, no. 2 (1994)
Short, William R. “Stories, Poems, and Literature from the Viking Age.” Hurstwic: Norse Literature. Accessed February 8, 2018. http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/literature/text/literature.htm.
“The Viking Age.” National Museum of Denmark. Accessed February 8, 2018. https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-viking-age/.
“Viking Skalds and Storytellers.” History on the Net. May 11, 2017. Accessed February 8, 2018. https://www.historyonthenet.com/viking-skalds-and-storytellers/.
“What is Intangible Cultural Heritage.” UNESCO- Intangible Cultural Heritage. Accessed February 9, 2018. https://ich.unesco.org/en/what-is-intangible-heritage-00003.
