reflect, connect, and gain insight through the power of folk stories and sharing circles Fireside Stories

The power of folk stories

From a time beyond memory, humans have gathered around the fire to connect, to commune, to share, and to tell stories. Stories that once-upon-a-time were personal experiences or anecdotes, have been told and retold over centuries until they became folk stories. With every retelling, each story was polished and perfected, like a stone in the current of the river. Over and over, unnecessary details were removed, the essential elements were brought to light, until each story became a perfectly polished pebble of wisdom.

Folk stories carry the wisdom of the generations that came before us. They are vessels that hold observations and truths about our human condition. And like a mirror, they allow us to look at ourselves from a different perspective, sometimes revealing unpleasant truths with unflinching honesty. Yet folk stories are also gentle, full of humor and compassion. After all, no one is perfect! Folk stories reveal and point to patterns in our lives, our behavior, our thoughts, feelings and actions.

Unlike fairy tales, which are populated by heroes and villains and where the good and the bad are clearly separated, folk stories have an ambiguous and sometimes even chaotic nature. In this, folk stories offer a more accurate reflection of our lives, where truth is painted in shades of gray, rather than in black-and-white. Each folk story can have multiple interpretations that can even change and morph in time.