Word Savvy

In Word Savvy season two, episode one, we shared our life-long passion for fictional stories - at least those written in our favorite genres. They inspire us, entertain us and help us travel the world and through time in our imagination.

The popularity of fictional novels, movies, plays, and television series in most countries would indicate that we’re not alone in our enthusiasm. But we felt it was important to examine a very different and persistent point of view - that fiction is dangerous and can cause permanent harm.

The biggest hoopla about fiction seems to have emerged when lending libraries made cheap, pulp fiction widely available during the 1800s in Europe and the U.S, challenging the “powers-that-be” who were intent on controlling the moral narrative.

Today we’re going back in time to follow another fascinating tradition for preserving valuable information and cultural identity - storytelling through song. As usual, though, our research prompted more questions - like how and why were melody and chanting used to preserve knowledge?

Let’s start with (NI-MON-IKS) mnemonics, a concept which refers to any strategy that helps us remember something - like a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations. The word itself comes to us from Greek language and mythology.

Legends can be thought of as embellished historical accounts that grow over time with each retelling - like those of Robin Hood or King Arthur. Legends have emerged in every place on the planet and during every era, even in recent history.  In the U.S., sports legends come to mind.

I love this quote from the 1993 movie Sandlot in which the baseball legend, Babe Ruth, appears in a dream and says, "Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends; heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” 

An ancient legend that stole the imagination and hearts of many Americans, including mine, was that of King Arthur portrayed in Camelot on Broadway in 1960 and in the musical movie by that name released in 1967 - in part because of its association with a tragic historic U.S. event during that time.

Myths sprang up in every civilization around the world. Where there have been groups of people, there have been myths, many that still linger. Many Americans are probably most familiar with Greek and Roman mythology because of their cultural influence on the English language. But what a hot mess their myths are - like soap operas and horror films wrapped up in one!

It’s safe to say that all myths are filled with lots of drama. So, it’s no surprise that these archetypes have been repurposed and reimagined in numerous ways to create modern mythology told through novels, movies, plays and even comic books!

We thought it would be fun to weave a web between an ancient mythological being and a modern superhero. Megan, tell us about Anansi, a spider from long ago that really seems to have captured your imagination.

Magical plots, magical realms and supernatural beings turn a folktale into a fairy tale. Think magic wands and fairy godmothers. Imagine “once upon a time” and “they lived happily ever after” and you’re there.

And today we’re focusing on Cinderella, one of the most recognized fairy tales with as many as 1,500 variations spread across cultures around the world.

Before you decide Cinderella isn’t your thing, remember the last time you rooted for the underdog sports team that won the tournament or you cheered for a small business owner who overcame adversity to make it big. There’s a reason they’re called Cinderella stories. Tag along!

According to author Philip Pullman, “After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need the most in the world.” What do you think about this statement, Megan?

I agree that my life would feel much less fulfilled without stories.  I recently completed a novel by Emily Henry and this quote stuck with me. “Some books you don’t read so much as live, and finishing one of those always makes me think of ascending from a scuba dive.  Like if I surface too fast I might get the bends.”

In Season One of Word Savvy we talked about the backstory of words that kindled our curiosity on a variety of topics - from the origin of chocolate to the role of viral language influencers. 

However, in this season, we’re focusing on the many ways people use words to spin tales. We all have a story to tell. In fact, our lives are a story.  

While all types of writing can influence our thinking, a story is essentially an account of imaginary or real people and events primarily told for entertainment. 

It’s interesting to note that the Latin words for story are fabula meaning tale or fable and historia meaning account or history - hinting at the ancient beginnings of storytelling.

Let’s hear what some published storytellers have to say on this subject before we go on to talk about why humans are so fascinated with the many different kinds of storytelling.

It seems that almost everyone lights up at the mention of chocolate. Including us. That’s probably why it was the topic of one of the first Word Savvy episodes we recorded. 

And when you look up the word chocolate in the dictionary, it only has one meaning: a food preparation made from roasted and usually sweetened cacao seeds.   

We decided - that to be fair - we had to give vanilla equal time, though it rarely gets star billing. In fact, unlike chocolate, the word vanilla has accumulated a number of unflattering synonyms like plain, boring, ordinary and bland, to name a few.

I fondly remember pulling apart the Sunday paper over leisurely breakfasts. Sipping rich coffee made from freshly ground beans with smooth jazz playing on the radio in the background. Calling dibs on the funny pages and then on the newspaper insert, Parade magazine.  

There is something sentimental about print newspapers and slow paced mornings!  What were your favorite comic strips?

Today, we’re exploring the calendar - another human invention that breaks down time, but into larger chunks called months, weeks and days of a particular time period. Various civilizations around the globe have contributed time measurement systems throughout the ages. They don’t all agree, but the one focus that unites humanity in tracking time is that throughout history we have kept our eyes on the sky - on the movement of the sun and moon, the planets and constellations.