Storytelling Starters ~ Inspiration
Where to begin? First, because St Valentine’s Day happens next week, I’m offering some background information on the name of the day together with the suggestion that you bend your mind to looking up a love story to tell. Plus – as you can see from my photos – I’ve got a suggestion of something to make which could form a really great prop for your story, not least because it could also lead to some enjoyable craft work on the part of your audience.
Equally importantly, I have a couple of thoughts related to two great comments on last week’s blog that arrived during the course of this week. Both are from people I know and admire. Both show the kind of passion for storytelling and its effects that, in my view, has a much wider bearing on how we all approach our lives.
St Valentine’s Day
First, St Valentine’s Day. I’ve been looking up some background. Did you know – I didn’t! – that St Valentine was a priest of Rome who was martyred for succouring persecuted Christians? Why his saint’s day, 14 February, has become a symbol of romantic love is perhaps connected with the love he showed his fellow human beings.
But because of the link between the days, it appears that St Valentine’s Day also reaches much further back into the story of ancient Rome. There, the festival of the Lupercalia used to occur around 15 February. It involved the wild rampaging of youths on the streets and also the giving of presents.
Zestful energy? Hormones surging? The mating of human beings? It all seems to be part of St. Valentine’s Day. Hence also another old association – with the mating of birds.
A Valentine Heart
Now here’s that prop that you can make. (I actually don’t love the term ‘prop’.)
As in the photo to the left, cut out two paper shapes that look like small, tall loaves of bread. The ones in my photo are 80 mm wide and, excluding the top rounded bit, 80 mm long. Your shapes could be bigger or smaller according to your preference.
Next, as on the right, cut up towards the rounded part of each paper to make six separated legs. With a larger shape, you could choose to have more strips or, with a smaller shape, fewer. Experiment is all. Next:
Now place the two shapes together so that the top rounded parts touch in the middle and start weaving the strips together, in an out, as shown on the left.
Finally, neaten and finish off your heart in whatever way you want.
A long time ago (on 26November, 1989) I made the heart on the right where I added my own and my husband’s names to mark our wedding anniversary. This week I’ve been making something similar for the forthcoming wedding of a godson.
Two Inspiring Comments
Please look back at last week’s blog to read the two comments on it that arrived this week – one from Liz Richards, a great friend of mine in Pembrokeshire, and the other from Amanda Edmiston. Amanda is the storytelling daughter of storyteller, Jean Edmiston, whose thoughts on storytelling in education I published in last week’s blog.
I think what both people say can stand for itself. A main subject in each case is the enormous power storytelling can have in our family lives. I believe, as they do, that this is connected with why storytelling in education is also of vital importance.
Storytelling creates bonds. To me, it is itself a kind of love. When you do it, you are giving of yourself. And such a gift, when it comes from the heart – and hence back to St Valentine’s Day – is appreciated and will be remembered.
Happy St Valentine’s Day!
Tags: ancient Rome, family storytelling, gift, heart, Lupercalia, making, St Valentine's Day