Storykeepers

 

During Spring Break, I caught up on rest and TV documentaries.  While scanning through the TV guide, a title caught my eye, “The Storykeepers”.  I thought perhaps this would be a show about storytelling as memoriam.  However, I was surprised to see that it was an animated Christian cartoon set in Rome around 46 AD.  Using Rome as a frame, the story tells the tale of a group of Christians who share Jesus’ stories during the 1^st century.  I found this interesting due to Marc asking if the Bible was/is a frame during our last class.  While I typically would not have stopped to watch the cartoon, I did.  .  The cartoon ended with the phrase, “There are as many story keepers as there are stars in the sky.”  I felt that this really summed up the idea that within each of us there is a storyteller with tales that need to be heard.  “The Storykeepers” demonstrated the importance of oral narrative as a key medium through which people came to make sense of their world. Before man learned to write, he relied on a strong memory to gain knowledge.  For this, he had to be an active listener, eager to engulf every piece of information to share his story.  Today, this art form has evolved into something more intense.  Storytelling is an integral part of society and culture, defining values, desires, dreams, as well as prejudices and perceptions.