Storytelling in Sweden
Dear friends of Edward Ndlovu Library in Gwanda, Zimbabwe,
In old times in Sweden, before television and electricity, when work was finished in the evening, people sat down together in front of the fireplace. (of course still working, like knitting, making tools of tree and other small things), there was a man or a woman telling stories, very often about love, hate, lies, truth, trolls, giants, fairies, monsters and other scary phenomenon.
But most of the time they ended like: the princess got her prince, they married, got a lot of children and lived happily together the rest of their lives. The stories could also be funny making people to laugh.
The story tellers walked around from farm to farm, or from cottage to cottage. They were well respected and people longed for them to come.
Later all this stories were collected and written down. And now days we can read them in fairy tales collections. Today the stories are made films from, (like Disney) or collected in children books. And of course they are not terrifying the children. From the beginning the stories were written for adults and the children were there and listened.
And now days I sit there and read aloud for our school children, and I think most of you do the same. All over the world!
I would like to hear from you about story telling in your country and also memories from your childhood or from what your parents or grandparents have told you!
Lots of love from me in Sweden with the heart in Gwanda Zimbabwe!
Mail me: [email protected] or mail Jackson at: [email protected]
