Historical Background

Courtesy www.accessgambia.com

Around the 8^th century B.C., performing storytellers known as rhapsodes, would recite epic poetry, including poems written by Greek poet, Homer. While rhapodes would be seen holding the lyre as they recited poetry, they are not thought to play the instrument, or even sing the lyrics. It is believed that the performers would simply recite the poetry from memory (Schultz, 2014).     

Poetry has also been used throughout spoken history as a means for humans to share stories. Myths and legends were often memorized, written into narrative poetry, and performed for people of nobility. Celtic poets, or bards, would travel from place to place, where they would be hired to perform these poems (Olson, 2012). Famous bards, such as William Shakespeare and Robert Burns brought notoriety to their respective nations through original poetry, collections of ballads, and dramatic performance.

Some of the first stories that were told intentionally as a means of recounting events were performed as chants set to the rhythm of tribal work (as cited in Greene, 2010). These early stories celebrated members and activities of the tribe, and were often accompanied by ceremonial dancing.

Storytellers who told their tales through song often traveled from place to place sharing their stories along the way. These musicians were known by different names among different cultures, including griots, troubadours, and minstrels. Modern musical storytelling genres were born from these travelling storytellers—from folk music, to rap, and every other musical storytelling genre in between.

Narrative poetry has evolved over time to reflect changes in society and culture. The ballads of the troubadours and the poetry of the bards have evolved into beatnik poetry, hip-hop, spoken-word poetry, and modern-day storytelling that incorporates music to help tell the tale. In this blog, we will explore the connection that exists between the first traveling storytellers and the art of modern day poets and musical storytellers.