Long before they knew the written word, the Sapiens had something thrilling to hold onto: the oral tradition of folk tales.
The folktales had everything you name in today’s context: wisdom, belief and community value which spanned across the centuries. The stories passed down orally primarily as a means of preserving history. These tales moulded the otherwise so-called uncivilised Sapiens with a sense of identity and morality. It was ranged from myth, legend through folklore all determined to shape the mass consciousness.
Even with the advent of the written word, the folktales sustained, but probably began to lose the extraordinary wit and wisdom. It is turning out to be even worse with the fast increasing digital technology. The oral tradition is being almost forgotten. The younger generation is now better off without the traditional mode of life. They have the convenient privilege of modern narrative. Social media walls provide an uninterrupted feed of daily narratives which could be considered a tad negative.
The gist of this phenomenon is that the folktales are gradually fading from memory. Digitalisation, however, is only one spoke in this wheel. Globalisation, urban migration, and the decline of native languages kept these stories alive in their original forms.
Communal storytelling has undergone a cultural shift into digital entertainment. It has reduced the presence of oral narratives in daily life.
Literature can be considered a powerful response to this decline. One may consider it as a preservation tool and a platform for cultural renewal. It is the platform that enables the documentation of folk tales and oral histories. We must be thankful to authors, poets, and storytellers who take pains and make sure these traditions are not lost.
Oral tradition
The basis of the human civilisation’s communication sphere is the oral tradition. Throughout these long millennia, it is the very backbone that propped up culture, knowledge, value system and the stories that depicted the communal identities. If the idea of converting a myth, legend, folktale, proverb and even a song into wisdom remained a challenge, oral tradition, then, was the effective artillery. It served to pass down wisdom across generations.
Long before the humankind was trapped in sophisticated communication, oral storytelling served the primary purpose of education. It instilled essential skills in human cubs. Generations and generations got attuned to beliefs. All that became a history and, subsequently, histories. Even in contemporary cultures with rich literary traditions, oral storytelling complements the written word. It adds a unique layer of context which transcends the written word.
In Africa, for instance, griots or storytellers have long held the responsibility of preserving community history. They have made it a custom to recount events, genealogies, and local folklore. The purpose remains what it was in the inception of human civilisation: engaging and educating. Native American elders still use storytelling to teach younger generations about the values of respect and reverence for nature. Indian mythology and epics, such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, have also historically been shared through oral performances. Portions of the Pali Canon are still recited in Sri Lanka and wherever Buddhist spirituality is upheld.
If the oral tradition is such a wonderful art of communication, why is it facing a threat in the modern age – a significant one, at that? Ours is a time and are a generation that loves convenience. It makes us an easy prey to influence. Digital media exerts influence a lot more than storytelling did in the traditional times. We do not seem to mind losing touch with our cultural roots. Migration to urban areas was the first culprit that deviated the modern Sapiens from the exposure to community elders and native languages. The native language evolved and became more of a commodity serving a purpose. It had less use for oral storytelling. In some regions, only a handful of native speakers remain. Sinhala is one such language that becomes increasingly difficult to preserve – let alone the cultural knowledge it encompasses.
This is where literature fits in. The word comes from the Latin word literatura, based on littera, which simply means ‘letter’ or ‘writing’. The word originally referred to ‘knowledge of books’ or ‘learning’, yet its meaning grew over centuries to represent the art of storytelling and cultural memory. Most importantly, literature is the written word that serves as a keeper of knowledge. This root in letters and writing connects to its central purpose and our subject: capturing, preserving, and reimagining the spoken word for generations to come.
Thanks to literature’s arrival, oral traditions are but etched onto the page. Literature granted them some lifeline, though we cannot be certain of its longevity in this digital age. Authors transcribed the folk tales, perhaps because they loved the process of copying words in addition preserving pieces of history and identity. This love of labour has brought forward ancient narratives to the new audiences. These adapted tales and stories continue to give writers a fresh coat of paint. The wordsmiths mould these tales and stories to suit the modern world at times creatively distorting the core.
Distortion is unavoidable. Perhaps it could be euphemised as creative redefinition or reinterpretation bridging the past and the present. What is more important is that the folk tales have a platform to live on in new contexts. It takes the fluid nature of oral storytelling and fixes it in time. Authors leave enough room for the stories to breathe. The metamorphosis is quite interesting. It involves adapting, reimagining, and sometimes even adding a twist to the original tales.
The literature arrangement is the one stop solution to the digital invasion. The entire process of transcribing, adapting, and sometimes reimagining folk tales and oral histories, is what keeps human civilisation sane to a certain extent. Digital atmosphere helps literature breathe fresh life into age-old folk tales by making them accessible to readers worldwide who might otherwise never encounter these cultural treasures.
Literature’s preservation option, however, existed long before we embraced the digitality. One notable example of literary preservation can be seen in the collections of folk tales that emerged in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Brothers Grimm, German scholars compiled folklore from across Europe and transformed spoken folk tales into written works. ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ is another collection that brought the oral stories of the Middle East and South Asia to a wider readership. Sri Lanka too has a colonial legacy when it was Ceylon under British dominion thanks to the painstaking efforts of scholars such as Hugh Neville and Rhys Davids. These works are not mere stories. They are the cultural artefacts. Literati preserved their voices and wisdom in order to show us the imagination of ancestors long past.
Storytelling techniques
Writers around the world continue this tradition. They use literature as a way to honour and reintroduce oral stories to new generations. In African literature, authors like Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o have incorporated local folk tales and oral histories into their novels. They integrated oral storytelling techniques, themes, and characters. Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie have drawn on Indian mythology and folklore to enrich their stories.
Children’s books are a powerful medium for sharing folk tales in ways that appeal to young readers which instils cultural knowledge early on. Graphic novels and illustrated adaptations introduce visual elements that bring traditional stories to life in captivating new ways, particularly for readers accustomed to more interactive or image-driven media. Poetry collections based on folk themes, too, fit the bill.
A diverse group of creatives—writers, filmmakers, and artists— rejuvenate the oral traditions. They adapt the folklore into novels, movies, and visual art. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and N. Scott Momaday incorporate elements of folk narratives and ancestral wisdom into their storytelling. Adichie’s novels are rooted in Nigerian culture. She draws upon the themes, characters, and moral lessons of Igbo folklore. Pulitzer Prize-winning Native American author, N. Scott Momaday, centres his works on Indigenous oral traditions. His themes are nature, spirituality, and resilience drawn from his Kiowa heritage.
The medium may have changed, but the themes of oral storytelling—identity, community, and moral insight—remain powerful and relevant.
Animated films and documentaries allow audiences to experience these folklore narratives visually and emotionally on screen,. ‘Song of the Sea’ takes us back to Irish folklore. It explores the legend of the selkies (seal-people) through a story that appeals to all ages. Documentaries focusing on Indigenous communities and their storytelling practices provide an authentic glimpse into the oral traditions of cultures worldwide. It offers us a visual archive of these practices.
Digital media and online platforms have expanded the possibilities. Storytelling initiatives and oral history projects are using social media, podcasts, and video platforms to make folk tales accessible to global audiences. Projects like StoryCorps in the United States and the Oral Traditions Project in Canada gather and share personal stories and cultural memories. It is a digital archive established to preserve the cultural narratives – by way of audio recordings, interviews, and storytelling performances.
Graphic novels like Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá draw on regional folklore and ancestral storytelling techniques. It uses visuals to bridge cultural divides and introduce readers to stories that might otherwise go untold. Performance artists and musicians draw on folk tales in their works, using dance, song, and performance.
Challenges
Things are not as rosy as they seem. Artistes working with folklore face a challenging trifecta: authenticity, cultural sensitivity, and creative freedom. They are required to respect the original stories while making them relevant to modern audiences – a task easier said than done. It requires thoughtful consideration and a deep understanding of the culture from which the stories originate.
One primary challenge is the balance between authenticity and modernisation. Oral traditions are inherently flexible. The storytellers have adapted tales over the centuries to reflect the immediate needs, concerns, or values of their audience of the time. However, when these stories are written down or adapted into other media, they can lose some of the fluidity and adaptability that characterised their oral form. Writers must decide how closely to adhere to the original narrative versus making changes that might enhance the story’s appeal to contemporary readers. We can conveniently buy the theory that digitalisation makes these stories more accessible. However, we must also heed the counterargument that it risks diluting their cultural and historical significance.
Cultural sensitivity and appropriation are the decisive (derisive too, at times) concerns that come to play in the adaptation of oral traditions. When stories from marginalised or Indigenous cultures are adapted, we cannot overlook the risk of cultural misrepresentation. This misrepresentation may often occur due to oversimplification, especially if the storyteller is an outsider to that culture. Many Indigenous communities have emphasised that not all stories are meant for public consumption.
Content creators
Some folktales have sacred or restricted meanings that must be respected. Content creators must be mindful of such and must approach these narratives with respect and an awareness of the respective cultural importance. Anthropologically speaking, these content creators can opt to consult with community members or representatives to ensure that the story’s integrity is preserved. Else, adaptations can lead to cultural appropriation, where traditional stories are taken out of context and used without permission or understanding.
Another challenge is the tension between tradition and creative interpretation. Adaptations are meant to bring fresh perspectives or artistic flair to old stories. It gives writers and artists some license to explore themes relevant to contemporary issues. However, this creative license may lead to conflicts with the traditional purpose of these tales, which may have specific moral lessons or spiritual meanings that are altered or lost in the adaptation process. For instance, folk tales that were originally intended to convey warnings or life lessons to specific communities may be reframed in ways that shift their original message. What happens is that the stories are stripped of their original depth. It loses the entire purpose.
And then there is the practical challenge of translating the nuances of oral storytelling into written or visual forms. Oral storytelling includes rhythm, gestures, and an interactive relationship with the audience. These elements are difficult to capture fully on the page or screen. Artistes generally use voice modulation, pauses, and audience reactions to enhance the experience, to lessen the gap and make each telling unique. Replicating these dynamic qualities in literature, film, or art requires skill and creativity. These adaptations must find new ways to evoke the same emotional connection that oral storytelling naturally provides.
What matters most is the effort—the dedication to adapting and preserving oral traditions. Challenges are inevitable, but literature’s role in bringing traditional stories into modern contexts allows us to continue evolving while keeping the window open to our ancestral origins.
The ancient narratives must evolve with contemporary storytelling methods. Then only would they help us live on the legacy that reflects our collective cultural diversity. None of this could have been a possibility without the written word. Literature deserves kudos for its role as a custodian of cultural memory.
