Birth of Storytellers

The Story

There was once a time when people didn't tell stories. When information was passed from one generation to the next with no expectations and no structure. Many things were lost during that time, important things which had to be relearned or were forgotten entirely.
Then, one winter, a village in the North was stricken by a terrible illness and many died. "It could be," said one of the old folk, "that this is the same sickness that I heard spoken of when I was but a child. Though there is no way of knowing."
"But, perhaps," said a young person, "there is a way to prevent this from happening again."
"How?" a third person asked.
"Tell me your stories," the young person said. "All your stories. Tell me your truths, your lessons, your histories, and I will tell others, and will teach others to tell them."
The person laughed at the young person. "And what then? Stories do not help us eat, protect us from the weather and the creatures. Stories do not help us."
"But they can, and they will," the young person replied. "I do not need you to believe me, for I can prove it to you. Just watch."
So the young person spoke to everyone in the village, learning their stories and committing them to memory. Some they drew pictures of on the sides of buildings and used as lessons for everyone, others they would only tell to those who needed to hear them.
Soon, the whole settlement knew some of the stories, and when a danger came which they had encountered before, the people of the village recognised it. "This," said one of the villagers, "looks like a sign that a great storm is coming, but I cannot be certain. Let us go and ask one of the old folk who was here for the last great storm."
But when they went to visit one of the old folk, they found that while their body remained, their spirit had returned to the planet. "I know," said another of the villagers, "Let us find the young person who tells stories, perhaps they will know for certain."
When they found the young person who had learned the stories of the village, they asked about the storm. The young person thought for a moment, "Yes," they said, "that does sound like the same great storm. If it is the same, we cannot stay here. That is what they tried last time, but the storm brought the ocean with it and many drowned. We must head inland and for higher ground."
Many were pleased that the person had remembered and quickly gathered their belongings. Others were not so sure. "You are trying to make fools of us," one said. "This is some kind of trick, and I will not go with you."
The young person replied, "You once said that stories cannot protect us. This is proof that they can. Come with us, and if the storm does not come and the village is safe, then I will look like a fool, not you."
So they left the village, everyone together, and headed inland for higher ground. And the storm did come. It raged against the world for ten days, and at the end of this time, when the people returned to the village, they found buildings ruined and the remains of the ocean everywhere.
"The Storyteller saved our lives," one of the villagers said.
"We could have all died," said another.
"Will you keep learning our stories," asked a third, "and sharing them, so that we may pass them on?"
"I will," said the Storyteller. "But I will need others to help me."
So the village agreed that they would make space in their community for Storytellers and that these people would be respected for the information they held and shared.

Summary

This is one of the stories which Storytellers tell to children when they are learning about the Vellich Profession Paths. This one is about Storytellers and is designed to explain the role of the Storyteller to those more practical children who don't understand the benefits.
This story is likely based on some truth. It is rumoured that the village in question is Abna. However, it's also highly unlikely that this is the actual story of how Storytellers came to be. It is far more likely that this was a story which helped to demonstrate their importance and became their founding myth.

Variations & Mutation

Unlike other stories in this group, there aren't many variations to this story, but the one thing which does change from one storyteller to another is whether or not the sceptical character in this story leaves the village for the storm or not. In some versions, the person stays and their body is found when the rest of the village returns.

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Related Articles

Culture	Vellich Profession Paths, Vellich World View, Place of Spirits, @storyteller
Traditions	Path Choosing
Locations	Vellikka
Stories	Where The Spirits Come From, The Great Flood, Return of the Great Spirit

Date of First Recording

unknown

Date of Setting

Rumoured to be Abna, or somewhere in that area

Related Ethnicities

• Vellich

Related Species

• Vellikkian

Related Locations

• Abna
• Vellikka

Related Organizations

• Vellich Profession Paths