Things Come Full Circle
John Ink2Quill
www.ink2quill.com

Before the days of all digital screens like TV, electronic billboards, computer screens etc. much information and entertainment came from the radio. You can say that before screens we had the spoken word. It was a period we could say when we had an oral tradition like some cultures in Africa. When the screen came it changed everything and took over… up until today. Today, we live in the days of, not only the internet but of podcasts where people can listen and not necessarily watch their entertainment or news. The explosion of influencers, and some of them are really good, in our lives has brought back the oral tradition culture stronger than ever before in the West. We no longer regulate listening to the radio for the car’s commute we can now listen to our favorite podcasts at any time of the day. The best podcaster’s popularity has eclipsed the mainstream media even. We do live in interesting times.

Our culture has made a kind of full circle, returning to a mode of expression that has always worked and that’s probably a very good thing. So many people in the West were brought up to believe that oral traditions, be they story telling, historical events or have you are not reliable and as effective as the written or screen media. This is simply not true and the times we live in prove it.

A podcast guest who talks about their life’s work or challenges on a podcast is probably the best way for them to convey their story. Movies, videos even books are just not as effective. With a podcast you really feel like you are sitting around the metaphorical campfire with the guest involved in the conversation. And of course most podcasts are also in video so we also see the guests. It’s just such a better way to experience the conversation of people without physically being there.

Examples of stories that were spread through oral tradition before being written down are Homer’s “Iliad” which was passed down by poets before being written down. This is a piece of work that has had so much influence on culture in the West. It is said that Alexandre of Macedon (Alexandre the Great) used to keep it by his head at night to read it over and over again in the wee hours of the night.

Another example is the story of Camelot and the legend of King Arthur. It was spread through oral tradition from the 9th Century and eventually written down. That is why we are able to enjoy it today. So many of our stories in the West have been influenced by the legend of King Arthur and it would even be safe to say that the literary genre of Fantasy Fiction is a result of that masterpiece.

Joan of Arc is another figure whose accomplishments were first conveyed through the oral tradition when the powers that be did not fully recognize her achievements. It is thanks to the oral tradition that we have not lost this hero’s accomplishments to oblivion.

Other works include Robin Hood, Johnny Appleseed, the Loch Ness Monster and even the Abominable Snowman. These are all stories and myths that were passed down from oral tradition and there are many more.

So, now, today we have a way of listening to some great people and not-so-great people as they basically shoot the sh*! with us, the listener, the viewer.

So, our cultures have come full circle. We have returned to something that works and it’s a good thing. I think this proves that the oral tradition of expression and passing on information is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

John Ink2Quill

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