Photo by Vincent Camacho.
Stories Matter: They Perpetuate Culture, by Susana Villagomez.
Stories perpetuate culture by keeping traditions alive. Through the telling of stories, children are taught customs and old perspectives on life. In many cultures, traditional stories are passed down from generation to generation, connecting children to their ancestors. They bring into perspective how their ancestors may have perceived, experienced, and taught things. Stories do this in a way that is understandable and relatable.
Chamorro legend
An example would be Chamorro legends. Children are often told Chamorro legends at a young age. These legends are told in a way that could help kids understand and appreciate the culture more. A well-known Chamorro legend is the Legend of Sirena. In the Legend of Sirena, there was a young lady that loved the ocean. She would swim all day, every day, and would often get distracted. One day, her mother instructed her to collect coconut shells along the riverside. Instead, she got distracted and went for a swim in the river. While she was swimming, her mother called her name, expecting Sirena to come back with coconut shells. To her disappointment, Sirena was wasting time in the river. Sirena’s mother was furious. She complained about her daughter’s disobedience to Sirena’s godmother. In her anger, Sirena’s mother put a curse upon her daughter. She cursed her daughter to become a fish. Her godmother, however, did not appreciate the mother’s curse. Sirena’s godmother intervened, and wished that part of her remained human. At this moment, Sirena’s body began to transform into that of a mermaid. Because of her new form and lack of legs, Sirena was now bound to the water. Because of her mother’s curse, Sirena left the river and went out, far into the ocean, leaving her mother miserable and regretful for her words.
Lessons
This story has taught young children two important aspects of Chamorro culture: the importance of obeying your parents and the consequences of your words. Obeying your elders is a very important aspect of this culture. This story demonstrates that importance by showing Sirena’s consequences for disobeying her mother. This story also shows the consequences of your actions, another important aspect of Chamorro culture. In Chamorro culture, children are taught that their actions have their own consequences. This story reinforces that by showing the consequences of Sirena’s mother’s actions.
Stories have the power to teach important things about culture. Stories have the power to keep cultural customs alive. Through stories, important cultural practices can be easily understood and cultivated.