Storytelling: The Culture Of The American Indian Caddo

The Importance of Storytelling Storytelling dates all the way back to before there was writing or even a spoken language. It began during the period of time when people drew on cave walls and sat around blazing fires. Storytelling is crucial for many reasons such as; for entertainment, to spread culture and/or religion, describe the unknown, inflict or express emotions, to share our past and predict our future, etc. Stories are the root of culture and without them we wouldn’t have quite the spread of it that we do today. Before technology was around people used storytelling as a way of entertainment through the treacherously long days. This has become a way of life that is still used from day to day. Most often people think of storytelling

According to this text, death was created at the hand of a coyote. The coyote blocked the path of the spirits from resurrecting the dead, thus making death Permanente. Although this story is mainly concerning death it does explain the creation of another mystery, the whirlwind. The text states,” Now whenever anyone meets a whirlwind or hears the wind whistle, he says: “someone is wondering about” which gives a meaning to an otherwise unknown fenamidone (Erdoes 577). This piece also gives an idea of how coyotes act the way they do to this day. Its stated that, “Even after that, he has run from place to another, always looking back first over one shoulder then over the other” it also says, “And ever since then he has been starving, for no one will give him anything to eat” (Erdoes 577). Those two quotes give a reason to why coyotes are so skinny and skittish, because they are always afraid of what people will do to them and can’t get food from anywhere or anyone. All the ideas in this story play a big role in establishing the culture of this place of origin. This text gives a theme that you shouldn’t do things in disregard of what other people

The Five Helpers is an African dilemma tale, meaning it leaves an individual with a question to contemplate. This story is laced with person after person preforming an incredible ability that they possess. At the end of the story it asks, “Now which of those five men did the best?” which is an extremely interesting way to end a story (Cardinall 510). There is no right or wrong answer to this question it is just left for anyone to debate about. Because of this aroused question, it brings one to the message of team work that is displayed throughout this piece. Without the presence of any one of the five helpers, they wouldn’t have collectively been able to work together like a relay