myth-making

Stories — myths, fairy tales, folktales — contain the shared wisdom that shapes culture and community across the globe. Each of these folkloric forms have their own purpose. Mythology provides us with heroic drama and the why of ritual; fairy tales, with fantastic transformations and magic. Folktales, a more secular form, often explain the why of natural phenomena and human relationship to it. All offer lessons in etiquette and morality, how to be, how not to be…

 

If we survey tales from all over the world, we also see iterations of certain narrative tools, like anthropomorphism of nature, as well as archetypes bearing messages and tricksters that cause a shift. There are certain stories that use these tools really well! Check them out HERE and HERE!

 

Passed down from generation to generation, traditional lore inspires us in the creation of modern art, contemporary novels, and films. They also influence discourse and our personal narratives. 

 

At the MassQ Ball, we enter into this moment with great intention to once again become storytellers, griots, and poets! The stories we’ll create will begin as riddles, and end as complete narratives. All you have to do is use the clues to find the symbols that fit the story — Madlib style!

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