Scottish Storytelling Blethers

BlethersScottish StorytellingCentre and Network

Issue 28 Spring 2014

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SRT: 0131 556 9579 E: [email protected]

www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk www.tracscotland.org/tracs/storytellingScottish Storytelling Forum SC020891

TradFest Edinburgh Dùn Èideann

Running from 29th April to 11th May, TradFest Edinburgh DùnÈideann 2014 celebrates the arts of tradition in local, national andinternational contexts, combining authentic cultural sources withcontemporary edge and flair.After a successful run last year, the festival will once again see thecream of Scotland's traditional artists combine with a wave ofcommunity participation to deliver all that is best in Scotland, ancientand new.

As Scotland's capital, Edinburgh wearsmany faces, but with TradFest AuldReekie celebrates its identity as a hive ofcultural tradition, honeycombing thecloses, streets, courtyards, cafés, artscentres, concert halls, restaurants andpubs of R.L. Stevenson's 'precipitouscity'. The festival will see the Old Towncome to life, showcasing how it wasmade for conviviality. The Old Town TradTrail will guide visitors and residents alikethrough the pubs, galleries, shops andworkshops that are contributing to thecontemporary Trad renaissance. TradFest will also be linking in with

National Galleries of Scotland around the J.D. Fergusson exhibition,and there will be a big visual arts strand with exhibitions at the TalbotRice Gallery, the Museum of Edinburgh, and the Scottish StorytellingCentre. The festival theme for 2014 is Revival and Renaissance, looking at theways in which, during big moments in Scotland's history, people havedug into folk traditions as a source of inspiration and orientation. In2014 Scotland is also at a turning point, with a Year of Homecoming,the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the IndependenceReferendum. What is happening in our culture and what might be itssignificance?One thing is certain, Scotland's traditional arts scene is alive andkicking, if the vibrancy of the programme is anything to go by.Storytelling, music, song, dance and traditional crafts weave together,combining as it used to be in times past, embracing Scots and Gaelicand ultimately providing an integrated cultural experience for alltastes and ages.www.tracscotland.org/festivals/tradfest

SCOTTI S

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We are the Storytellers!I loved teaching (I am now retired), andI love storytelling, so when theopportunity came up to do both, I

immediately seizedit! It all began witha conversationwith a supportiveclass teacher aweek or twobefore Tell-a-Story

Day, when I invited myself to tell storiesin Hillhead Primary School, Kilmarnockwhich somehow developed into medelivering some workshops to a P3/4composite class who would then telltheir stories to the whole school. Whynot?DAY 1 (pre-workshop assessment) - Itold the Hat Pedlar and The Icky-StickyMonster encouraging participation,handling of props and questions at theend. DAY 2 - I attempted to learn names - in acircle everyone says their name, thenthe second round they say their name ina sentence, then in a funny voice, thenwith an action… so by the end of roundfour all children were participating in arelaxed way and I had a reasonablechance to call them by the correctname.Then I told The Enormous Turnip withparticular emphasis on repeats. Thechildren acted out, joined in andcontribute ideas of who could help pullout the turnip, and in short order weenlisted friends, neighbours and even apassing circus. Children are introducedto their very own Storyteller's Bookwhere they draw the important bits ofthe story. continued on page 2

Art by John Gahagan

By heart - an aid to memoryAs a storyteller working with elderly people I am well aware of the importance ofmemory, of how the sense of well-being of a person can be greatly improved byrecollections stimulated by storytelling.

We happened to see a bee in agarden, and I was saying that whena bee stings it dies. But my sonargued that if a bee retrieves itssting it won't die. I was amazed atthis, and in that moment realisedthat the accumulation ofknowledge could be thrilling. When I was at school I had come tobelieve (although I hadn't realiseduntil this moment) that educationwas a form of punishment; and assuch had steered clear of it as muchas possible. Seeing my son nowthriving in his learning made meappreciate how wrong I had been.But it wouldn't be correct to saythat I wasn't learning all this time.It's just that it wasn't in a formalstudy way. Actually I've learnt agreat deal over the years throughstorytelling. I learnt to picture thestory unfolding and identify withthe challenges of the centralcharacter. Pictures are easier tolearn, especially if you areemotionally involved. And along thisjourney I discovered that mymemory is actually improving all thetime. At home I no longer walk intoa room and forget what I've comein for.

www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk www.tracscotland.org/tracs/storytelling

Or at least if I do forget, it comesback to me quickly. Rarely now do Iforget where I've put something, Ioften picture me putting it away, inthe same way that I recall a story.Once I used to think that, if I hadforgotten something, there wasnothing I could do about it. Whereasnow the more times I revisit amemory to recall the story of it, themore details I remember, which isequally useful for giving flesh to astory and for locating a misplaced setof keys. When you remember anevent (whether it is an actual eventor a story) it is almost like you're re-experiencing that event. This is oneof the greatest powers ofstorytelling, the ability to bring thepast to life, and even to give us thecomfort of feeling close to loved onesno longer with us, anytime we like.I still shy from learning things wordfor word, but I do learn from myheart. I cannot say whether when Ireach old age I won't have anymemory problems, but by workingwith stories I believe that my memorywill remain fit for some time to come.JAMES [email protected]

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They then tell their story to theirneighbour, their group, and theirfamily when they go home. Threebrave souls even told to the wholeclass!DAY 3 - Motivational chants. I am . . .and I am a . . . storyteller! We talkedabout fabulous beginnings andsatisfying endings. Children sat onthe Storyteller's Chair and deliveredonly a beginning or an end. We sangsilly songs with even sillier actions.Some children volunteered to telltheir version of the Enormous Turnipwith repeats. I then told theGingerbread Man with some props.The pupils practised again telling thisnew tale to each other after they putit in their book.DAY 4 - We built on what has beendone in the previous days with theaddition of dramatic voices, moresongs and chants. I told Three BillyGoats Gruff and The Magic Fish.DAY 5 (Tell-a-Story Day) - We had aquick run-through to fix everyone'schoice of story in their heads then

off to perform in groups of 3 or 4 toother classes. Nerves, excitement,delight and success followed.‘That was amazing! Everyone waslooking at ME and listening to ME -even the teachers!’‘I was so nervous until I started mystory then it was fantastic!’‘Can we do that again?’DAY 6 - I told a creation tale, which inretrospect was too long andinvolved, so they found it difficult tomake their own. We played with mybasket of musical instruments fromall over the world and added soundeffects to our list of skills.

DAY 7 - I handed them a synopsis ofThree Little Pigs and let them workon it in groups. The children lookedfor props and appropriate soundeffects then told the story in groups,with some amazing ideas!DAY 8 - The pupils performed forother classes. The feedback receivedincluded words like funny,imaginative, good voices and actions,enjoyable and enthusiastic! BETTY [email protected]

The Scottish Storytelling Centrepromotes Young Storytellers, anationwide campaign aimed atencouraging young people(particularly P6-S3) to becomestorytellers. You can findinformation on storytelling skillsworkshops, staff training andtelling opportunities foryoungsters onwww.tracscotland.org/young-storytellers

Despiteknowing this,until fairlyrecently Ididn't reallytrust my own

memory. I avoided learning thingsoff-by-heart, and I didn't even try toremember people's names when Imet them, because I wasn'tconfident that I could. And yetwhilst still having these issues I wasmaking my living as a storyteller,with a repertoire of hundreds ofstories.As a child I didn't like school. Theteachers were strict and severe fromthe start in those days, and so Ishied away from learning to a greatextent. All I was interested in was ahaving laugh with my pals in class,which got me many a telling off, andoccasionally the belt. I had a totalaversion to learning anything off-by-heart, especially my times-tables,and the first poem we got. As aresult I hated poetry for a long time.It wasn't until many years later whenmy son was not yet at school butwas already learning all sorts ofthings that I had an importantrealisation.

Cis forcharacterisationand coaching

Years ago I learned a valuablelesson from Israeli storytellerRoi Gal-Or on how to developcharacter in a story. To put itsimply, he encouraged me torecognise three layers ofstorytelling and to becomemore conscious of how I usedthem in my telling.

The ABCs of Storytelling: tips, techniques and reflections

Firstly, there's the public YOU layer.This is the self you project to otherswhen on stage - the you thatintroduces yourself, engages inconversation with the audiencebefore you start, and the you thatoccasionally re-emergesapologetically when you'vemomentarily forgotten what comesnext in the story.Secondly, there's the Storytellerlayer. The Storyteller is a personayou adopt to tell the story. You maychoose to project a different voiceand adopt certain body languageand gestures to tell the story. Youmight even wear a costume toreinforce this persona. TheStoryteller is a powerful role andmany storytellers, once they'veadopted it, are reluctant to step outof it, which, as I'll explain in amoment, can be limiting.Thirdly, there is the Story Characterlayer, which includes all thecharacters in your story. We knowthese characters are important, yetwe often don't do them justice, notallowing them to fully emerge andreveal themselves. Instead, we aretoo often reluctant to step outsidethe role of the Storyteller. After all,the Storyteller controls the story.Right? Let's explore that for amoment.When we tell a story, most of usadopt the role of Storyteller andhold on tight. When it comes timeto reveal a character, we don'tcommit fully to that character. Wetry to tell and act at the same time,and this can weaken the story. Inmy coaching sessions, I've watchedcharacters only partially emerge asthe Storyteller tries to keep the

story going, thus cheating theaudience of an opportunity toexperience the story fully throughthat character's perception andexperience.Of course there's no one way to tella story and every storyteller has tochoose their own techniques andapproach, but what Roi encouragedme to do was to recognise, explore,and commit fully to all three roles.When it's time to be a character, headvised, then BE the character. Stepout of being the Storyteller for amoment and enjoy being thecharacter whoever he or she or itmight be. Experience thatcharacter's personality, walk aroundin his or her shoes. If it's a giant,then BE the giant - explore andenjoy the giant's character. If you'rea mouse, BE the mouse in all its'mouseness'.Obviously, it's not always practicalto devote time equally to everycharacter, but you should be awareof which characters attract or repelyou. I've worked with storytellerswho when questioned why theydidn't allow a particular characterto emerge, admitted they didn't likeor even understand the character,or didn't think the character wasimportant.

C I believe that every character givesus the opportunity not only todeepen our appreciation andunderstanding of a story but alsodeepen our understanding ofourselves.When it's time to be the Storyteller,resume that role with awarenessand joy. After all, the Storyteller is acharacter too. And, when itbecomes necessary to be YOUagain, don't apologise. Everystoryteller forgets what comes nextfrom time to time or is interruptedfor one reason or another. If it'snecessary to step out of theStoryteller role and become YOU,do so with ease, humility, and alittle humour. When ready, resumeyour role as Storyteller, taking thetime to make the transition. Theaudience will appreciate it.As I said earlier, there's no one wayto tell a story; but over the yearsRoi's advice has helped bring myawareness to these multi-layeredaspects of telling a story. It's notmeant to be overly analytical ormechanical but rather, withpractice, a seamless process thatserves the story and deepens yourconnection with it. This approach tostorytelling has taught me a greatdeal about myself, revealedpreviously hidden aspects of thestory, and enabled me to connectwith audiences at a deeper andmore meaningful level.By encouraging other storytellers toexplore these layers ofcharacterisation during my storycoaching sessions, I have witnessedpowerful transformations andrevelations. These, in turn, have ledto further development andrefinement of technique as well asgrowing self-confidence andgreater self-understanding. And forme that's what story coaching is allabout.

MICHAEL [email protected]

Michael Williams is a story coachand professional storyteller. Heoffers one-to-one and small groupstory coaching and mentoring forall levels. More info onhttp://michaelwilliamsstoryteller.blogspot.com

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which I was asked to give thekeynote talk. Well, of course, whatelse could I do but tell a story - oneof my favourites, from the Jewishtradition: the tale of the King andthe Cobbler. It seemed to touchtheir hearts and minds deeply. Itwas often referred to in theworking groups, I was told, andpeople kept on approaching methroughout the following weekwith their insights about what thestory could mean for them. (Thiswas America, remember.)

The climax of that visit was a gig Igot at a very interesting place, theDobra speciality teahouse inPortland, Maine. The house was full,and a great audience they were!They were a bit slower to join in thechoruses of songs, and, in commonwith most of the other storytellingexperiences I've had over there,they were definitely more of anaudience, and the sense of ceilidhculture was clearly a foreignconcept. They had come to beentertained, rather than arrive withan active sense of something tocontribute. It probably would havebeen out of place to demand ofthem to 'tell us a story, sing us asang, show us yer bum, or oot yegang.'

Overall, my experience ofstorytelling in the USA is that thereis a big and hungry appreciation fortales told eye to eye, heart to heartand mind to mind.PETER [email protected]

and then to top it all here comesthis guy from Europe telling stories!Ah well, I suppose you cannae win'em all.

Another wonderful place was abookshop in Cedar City, Utah. This isa town that takes you back, inatmosphere, to the 1950s. Crossingthe Main Street there is not amatter of pressing a button andwaiting for the WALK sign, with theseconds counting down so that youknow how much time you've gotbefore you're fair game for thetraffic. Instead, you take an orangeflag on a stick from a tubularcontainer at the kerb and hold it upconspicuously. Then, at the far side,you stick your flag in the tube there.There is a sort of alternative culturein Cedar that expresses itself forinstance in the local bookshop - theone that doesn't exclusively sellbooks to do with the Church of theLatter Day Saints.

I had already visited Braun Bookswhen the local belly-dancing ladieswere giving a display of theirconsiderable skills, and I'd alsotaken part in a drumming workshopthere. The storytelling was a greatsuccess, largely through theenormous generosity that you findall over the US. The audience wereenthusiastic listeners, and not afraidto let their feelings show as thetales evolved. It was also a chanceto sell some copies of my book TheShifty Lad, and I'm glad to say Ishifted the lot! (Scottish readersplease copy.)

On my most recent visit, I was at aconference in Massachusetts forteachers and student teachers, at

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When you think of America, filmsand TV shows probably come highon your list of examples of localculture. But is there an appetitefor storytelling in the US, storiesshared among groups of listenerswith a storyteller or storytellersleading the event? Over the yearsI have built myself a picture ofhow storytelling is received in theUS. That is, how it is received bythe wider population, those whoare not affiliated in any way withany of the numerous storytellingclubs and groups that exist there.

The first time I told stories inAmerica it was in a community forpeople with learning difficulties, inNew York State. This was acommunity that made its ownentertainments, and there wereno TV sets around. They were ahighly appreciative bunch, andthere was a readiness to join inwith a song, or offer a tale or songfrom the floor, and I was happy togo back a couple of years later.

Another occasion was on theHawaiian island of Kauai. This wasin a posh hotel for an audience ofmostly well-heeled Californians,though when I invited people totell stories from the floor, the onlyperson brave enough to do so wasa lady from Newcastle upon Tynewho had become a keen studentof Hawaiian culture. She told thestory of going to the BritishMuseum, to find the watercolourpaintings made by Joseph Bankswhen he accompanied CaptainCook on his travels in the SouthSeas. (Joseph Banks' life is a taleworth telling, by the way!) Shewas so moved to find thesepaintings that she almost diduntold damage to one of them byshedding her tears of joy on thepicture.

Then there was the care home forthe elderly in Massachusetts. Theorganizers saw this as therapy forthe old folk and a respite for them.One of the listeners was a ladyfrom Glasgow who was especiallypleased to hear tales from hernative land, but her pals were justas happy - except one lady, whotholed the experience with asmuch good humour as she couldmanage. After all she had had ahard day of community singingfollowed by occupational therapy,

Storytelling in the US

4 www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk www.tracscotland.org/tracs/storytelling

Storytelling for the Elderly


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In most of the residential homesI've visited, the events organiserhad selected fifteen to twentyresidents to attend. Within thesegroups there were people withsight problems, hearing loss, early-stage dementia, dexterity problemsand those with no sense of smell.This mixture of abilities meant thatorganising joint participation orformal activities was almostimpossible, so I tried to encourageinteraction in a more informal wayinstead. Each session consisted ofeither three stories or two storiesand a poetry recitation (designed totap into their long-term memory)with informal activities betweeneach one. These activities couldinvolve passing around items fromdifferent countries, playing musicalinstruments, answering riddles,solving puzzles, playing 'storybingo' or even dancing.

I found that, on the whole, thegroups preferred historical storiesrather than traditional folklore(which I usually tell). Sometimes Ibased the sessions on a particularcountry such as India or China, oreven on an 'around the world'theme. I would wear an outfit fromthe country, drape materials behind

Having worked predominantly with children and young adults, Iwas delighted yet nervous to be offered the chance to workregularly in residential homes for the elderly. I have been toabout fifteen separate residences since I anxiously told my firststory in a home for the elderly in July. I haven't found the elusive'typical' or 'average' group yet but over the months I havegained a better idea of what works and doesn't work whenstorytelling to older people.

me, bring in teas and incense forthe residents to smell, musicalinstruments for them to play, masksfor them to wear and items forthem to touch and hold. I wouldencourage the residents to sharetheir own memories or storiesinspired by the objects. I have foundthat different items are popular indifferent homes. In one placeeveryone wanted to learn to play aTibetan singing bowl, whereas inanother the residents werefascinated by the materials andcostumes I had brought in.

After the residents discovered I dobelly dancing in my spare time, Iwas asked to do a belly dancing set.Researching famous belly dancers Idecided to set the session inByzantine Constantinople andstarted with a story based aroundthe historical figure of EmpressTheodora who was a belly dancerand actress in her youth. Setting thestory in Constantinople also meantthat we could all sing 'Take me backto Constantinople' together at thestart! After the story, I did a shortdance for the residents and thentaught them some basic moveswhich they could do in their chairs. Ifound that most of the residentsgot involved in some way, whetherit was dancing, trying on outfits orbeating out a rhythm for those whodid dance and, of course, we all hada laugh! I then went on to shareother stories about dancing. Theoldest dancer I've had so far was104 years old!

I have been visiting an average offour homes a month for the firstfew months of 2014 and am excitedabout preparing the next projectfor them: stories behind the oldmusicals!

ANNA [email protected]

What storytellingcan do for youStorytelling is a unique human skilland one of our oldest artforms. Itbrings words and the world to lifetogether, stimulates theimagination, and builds a sense ofcommunity between tellers andlisteners.Storytelling is also versatile. It canbe entertainment, it can be a wayof learning, it creates a sense ofwellbeing, it brings places andobjects to life, it rootscommunities to their areas andbinds social groups together.Telling stories is an important partof what makes us human.So if you have a project, an ideafor an event and are wondering ifstorytelling can be a part of it,chances are the answer is yes, sojust get in touch!At the Scottish Storytelling Centrewe also provide a range of trainingopportunities for anyone whowants to develop their storytellingskills, and offer bespokestorytelling training for groups andprofessionals, including teachers,health professionals, care homeworkers, corporate teams,librarians, tour guides anduniversity researchers.Whether you want to become astoryteller, organise a specialevent, arrange a bespokeworkshop, please contact Davide([email protected] or 0131 652 3272) to discusswhat storytelling can do for you.


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Young people will take pride in theircommunity and their approach willstart to switch from aggressive toprotective. A lonely-looking housewith an old lady inside is a target,but a lonely-looking house, an oldlady inside and a well in its garden,and a story inside the well issomething to tell friends about.And the friends to their friends, sothat a seed planted will continue togrow and flourish for years, and thevalue of the project will extend wellbeyond its completion.

BREAKING THE CIRCLE

Re-offending is commonly due toyoung offenders returning to thesame environment, habits andsocial circles after the end of theirsentence. But how can a youngperson break out of these if there isno alternative there for them?

During my project at Polmontprison I often asked participants ifthey felt they had confidence toattend an interview for college, ajob or even just to talk to someonenew outside of their known socialcircle. No-one did. But when I asked'If you had at least one good storythat you could keep and tell whenyou were with new friends, andsome interesting facts around it,would you feel more equipped toengage in conversation with newpeople?', the answer was invariablyyes.

The feedback I received and thediscussions that took place whilst

Storytelling is the art of thewhat if. Imagine you are atwenty-year-old youngoffender at Polmont, with afather in prison, a youngerbrother on the cusp ofincarceration and a son ofyour own.

If you were asked 'Would you likeyour brother and son to be in heretoo?' I believe the answer wouldbe 'No'. Well, the good news isthat there is a free, everydaypractical key that you can use atthe drop of a hat. Which can helpreduce drastically the chances of ithappening. That key is storytelling.

Young offenders have very rarelybeen told any stories, manycannot read or write, others canbut are too disengaged to doeither. Telling is a platform to self-expression that overcomes thesehurdles and helps create a senseof self-worth. If a father or abrother sincerely feels his voicehas worth, he will start to bemindful of what he says. He willstart to take responsibility forwhat his siblings and children hear.They in turn will recognise this andtake it on board, so theirbehaviour too will change.

Storytelling can also have benefitsthat go beyond each family'sboundary. Storytelling can be usedto raise awareness and oralknowledge of the local area, andthis knowledge becomes socialcurrency.

conducting workshops with youngoffenders, confirmed myimpression that this is afundamental issue. In order for anyindividual to make new friends, theyneed at least ONE person whoenables them to move away from adamaging social circle. Storytelling,that is the ability to partake in basiccommunication, is key to the youngoffender being able to progress,through new friendships, onto amore positive footing, attendinginterviews for employment orfurther education.

All of this shows the power andimportance of storytelling withvulnerable and marginalised people,and I am in no doubt thatstorytelling workshops should be apermanent fixture within prisons.

CLAIRE [email protected] or FacebookStoryteller Claire Druett.

Claire was involved in a storytellingproject between the ScottishStorytelling Centre, Fife College andthe Scottish Prisons Service alongwith Stuart McHardy, Colin McEwanand the Far Flung Dance Companyat Edinburgh (Saughton) Prison andPolmont Young OffendersInstitution. To learn more aboutthis project read Stuart McHardy'sarticle at page 9 of Blethers issue27.

What the Future Can Hold - Storytelling in Prisons


I applied for a research grant fromthe Traditional Arts Fund. That wassuccessful and enabled me todevote time to travel, to be re-immersed in stories from my hometerritory. This brought my thinkingright back to my own firstencounters with oral storytelling.When I began going out in boats, asa boy, I realized that conversationbecame stories, once the enginewas shut down and we werecasting our lines, at anchor. Mymentors taught me more thanknots. There seemed to be aparticular name and a tradition forevery stage of every species of fishwe caught. Later, as a CoastguardOfficer, I was immersed inMerchant Navy colleagues'reminiscences from their travels.And in one memorable watch, Iheard two separate unrecordedstories, a significant part of themaritime tradition of the WesternIsles.So what exactly is a story? I'veconcluded that there is the finest oflines between a person's memoryof a recorded historical event and astory. Then there is the hugenumber of premonition accountsand strange sightings told as aperson's memory of an actualexperience. There are alsoremembered twists of eloquent wit.Examples of all of these had to beincluded as well as tales whichcould easily fit into a worldwidepattern of folktale types. Storiesremembered from different 'ceilidh-houses' exemplify how thecontemporary and the timelessbounce off each other at aninformal gathering.' It is not easy toselect what to publish amongstsuch a huge number of recordedstories. Also, I was keen to demonstratethat storytelling continues and theprocess of compiling is not onlyabout sifting through existingrecordings or transcripts. I havedecided to retell the selectedstories in my own voice, whiletrying to be faithful to theiressential detail and what seems tome to be their true spirit. This hassometimes involved intuition, innavigating between different


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Folk Tales of the Western IslesAbout a year ago I was invited by The History Press to compile a collection of tales from the WesternIsles, as part of an ambitious project to produce a UK-wide series of stories retold, county by county.Other weel kent tellers are mapping the rest of Scotland in tales, area by area.

known versions of the same story,whether from oral or publishedsources. The work of the School ofScottish Studies was invaluable,both at the physical archive and thestories available on line(www.tobarandualchais.co.uk).Recent researchers were alsogenerous in sharing the discoveredtales, as an open resource. RuthBrennan and Stephen Hurrel'sMapping the Sea project, collectslore linked to the names on mapsand charts of the Barra area.Chrisella Ross worked for manyyears telling in Gaelic as theProseact Nan Eilean storyteller, whileMaggie Smith has worked withmany community groups, exploringtraditions told in both Gaelic andEnglish.Sometimes, the gems were so closeto home that I was in danger ofmissing them.One of my mother's brothers,Calum ‘Safety’ Smith, recreated themove of a large family from thevillage of Shawbost to the outskirtsof Stornoway in his memoire,Around the Peat-Fire. Calum Smith,Birlinn, Edinburgh, 2001 (reprinted2004).He portrays my grandfather MurdoFinlay Smith as a spirited storytellerand debater as well as a formidableworker.

Here is one Shawbost story, basedon my uncle Calum's recollection:

When times were hard, as theyusually were, village folk would walkconsiderable distances, across themoor to the town with any producethey thought they might be able tosell. One woman learned how todistill a potent whisky from a littlespare grain. She asked around herneighbours and sure enough one ofthem also distilled the illegal spiritand told her of an address in townshe should take it to.So she set off with her best producein two corked clay jars. It's overeighteen miles from Shawbost toStornoway by the road and still along distance taking the shortestroute over rough terrain, the saddlebetween the hills, barefoot onmoorland.At last, she came out on the oldPentland Road. She followed it intothe town and asked for the streetname she'd been given. She wastaken in and whispered her businessto the man of the house. 'It was no friend of yours that gaveyou this address,' he said. 'This is thehouse of the exciseman.'She realised then that her neighbourdidn't want any competition in hertrade. But the fellow could see thatshe needed every penny to keep herfamily so he whispered anotheraddress she might try.She made her deal there and theprecious liquid was decanted intoother containers once the buyer hadtasted a sample. On her way back,she crossed a burn. Of course shewas thirsty after all that walking. Soshe rinsed out one of the jars andfilled it with cold water. She drankdeeply and walked on. But they sayshe was far from straight in herwalking when she appeared again inher home village.So it must have been a very powerfulspirit, produced at home, in the stillsof Shawbost.

IAN [email protected]


Reading Fairytales to ChildrenIn January this year I was involved in the CulturalRucksack Storytelling Project in South Ayrshire. I went toeight Primary Schools and told stories but alsoencouraged teachers to read fairytales to the children.Reading stories? We all know the value of telling frommemory and how it can really make a story come alive,but although this comes naturally for some, for others itrequires work and devotion to overcome difficulties andconstantly improve. The crucial thing is that the morechildren are exposed to fairytales, the better.

Fairytales are important for language and story writingskills, discussion, imagination and values.

The language of fairytales is structured, while storylinesare simple with repetitive descriptions. Every fairytale hasa hero/heroine, a place where the story happens, aproblem which needs solved and help is often needed byway of cunning or magic. At the end there is usually areward and often a moral or social lesson of sorts. If youread fairytales you will recognise the format. Fairytalesare brilliant for discussions about good and bad, about

behaviour andfriendship, and themotifs andsymbolism areeasily absorbed bythe children. Theywill learn themodular structureof the story and then use the images in their head tocreate their own stories.

It is impressive just how much vocabulary a child canabsorb from a fairytale. Children can build theircommunication skills, improve their verbal language andunlock their imagination through fairytales, and are alsoable to learn about life and its values. In short, fairytalesequip the children with the basic tools for understandingthe world around them, and more than anything else theyare fun!

KATI [email protected]

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T: 0131 556 9579 E: [email protected] Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR


Blethers Issue 28 Spring 2014

First up this time is the ongoingrenaissance of the picture storybook. Picture Kelpies are a fineexample of Scottish publishing inthis field. They have also cottonedon to using excellent storytellersincluding Janis Mackay and LariDon. See amongst the most recentadditions Lari's The Magic Wordand Janis's The Wee Seal, withillustrations respectively by ClaireKeay and Gabby Grant, both fineproductions. This kind of book willmultiply.

Lari Don is to the fore again withBreaking the Spell - stories of magicand mystery from Scotland. Thereare ten classic tales retold withillustrations by Cate James.Excellent for telling and forreading aloud.

The Hidden Door is a labour of loveby latter day 'sagaman' DavidBrown, who has been telling theclassic Norse tales for twenty-fiveyears. Here he offers his craftedversions of both prose and versetales, along with background notesand advice on metres and rhythms.It is often forgotten how much apart of Scotland's story Norseculture is and David has done us aservice in bringing these tellings

Book Blethers

together. The book is designed foradults and young adults.

More generally, watch out for theexpansion of Stuart McHardy andDonald Smith's Journeys andEvocations series with LuathPublishing . The Arthur’s Seatvolume is now complemented byone on Calton Hill, linked with theSeeing Stories European project forthe recovery of urban and rurallandscape narratives. Keep aweather eye open too on theHistory Press storytelling serieswhich will have more Scottishvolumes out this year.

As for pamphlet publishing, SheenaBlackhall's fecund imagination inpoems and stories has no equal.Most recent additions includePirrins and Magnus and Hare's Foot -see sheenablackhall.blogspot.comfor full info.

May 2014 bring many more finebooks to light - inspired byScotland's storytellers!

THE WEE SEALJanis Mackay and Gabby GrantPicture KelpiesISBN 978 1 782500 20 9

THE MAGIC WORDLari Don and Claire KeayPicture KelpiesISBN 978 0 863159 9 54

BREAKING THE SPELLLari Don and Cate JamesFrances Lincoln, Children's BooksISBN 978 1 847803 4 29

THE HIDDEN DOORP.D. BrownBright PenISBN 978 0 755215 7 51

JOURNEYS AND EVOCATIONSStuart McHardy and Donald SmithLuath PressISBN 978 1 908373 85 4

Documents

Scottish Storytelling Blethers