The history of storytelling

In the beginning

Once upon a time there was a family of cavemen sitting around a fire. Outside the wind roared and the rain came gushing down in torrents. All creatures great and small sought shelter from the tempest. In their cave the family was listening in rapt silence as an elder told a tale of a previous storm and how their ancestors struggled. She told of their trials and tribulations. Of how members of the ancestor’s family had frozen to death without shelter or warmth. Then she explained how the ancestors had found the cave and learnt to build fire. It meant their survival. She finished her story to cheers of delight.

There you have the history of storytelling! Storytelling is as old as man and is one of the earliest forms of education. Through the ages lore would be passed down from generation to generation. In doing so vital lessons would be shared.

As the centuries passed these stories flourished. The telling of stories exists across cultures – from the Panchatantra, a Sanskrit compilation of beast fables from India dating back to 1500BC, to China’s Bore jing Buddhist tales. Some of these ancient stories and fables survive to this day, centuries later. Who has not heard of the Hare and the Tortoise? Aesop’s fables date back to the 4th Century BC but are still going strong.

Stories often have a moral or underlying meaning. I grew up with the German Struwwelpeter and Max und Moritz – filled with cautionary tales of misbehaving children. These tales had clear messaging, for example if you play with fire you will burn to death!

Storytelling today

Today when we think of stories we often think of movies or books. Whether we are aware or not many of our modern stories have messages. Even horror films! How often have you watched a horror film and muttered “don’t go down to the basement” – we have learnt from previous stories that the basement is where the monsters lurk.

The reason we are still so taken with stories – be it via video, text or audio – is that we have centuries of conditioning. Telling stories is as old as humanity. You could argue that telling stories is now part of our DNA. We instinctively listen and react to stories. Herein lies their power – including in the business world.

Whether we like it or not, if we want to get our data across, if we want people to buy our product or listen to our medical advice, the best way to do this is via telling a story. In my next article I will look at the science behind storytelling – because yes it is more than just tall tales!

If you are interested in learning more about how to use storytelling in a business context – whether that be for presentations or communications – then please email me alexandra.fulford@pharmaguapa.com. I offer training and 1:1 coaching in storytelling and presenting for impact.