Folk Storytellers and Notes

நாட்டுப்புறக் கதைச்சொல்லி - குறிப்பு

Abstract

This article examines the concept of the "storyteller" (Kathaicholi) as found in Tamil folk narratives, exploring the structural and functional dimensions of oral storytelling within the Tamil cultural tradition. Drawing on Tholkappiyam, the oldest Tamil grammar, the author demonstrates that both written and oral literary forms were practiced simultaneously by ancient Tamils, and that the art of storytelling is foundational to human language development and cultural transmission. The article argues that folk tales serve as a medium for communicating ethical values, social norms, and cultural identity across generations, functioning as vehicles of moral instruction particularly suited to children's cognitive and emotional development. The storyteller is analyzed not merely as an information transmitter but as a creative performer who actively shapes narrative through techniques of connection, sequencing, and contextual adaptation. The study references Vladimir Propp's structural analysis of folktales, noting that story functions across world cultures can be reduced to thirty-one actions, revealing a universal human cognitive unity. The article further examines the role of the storyteller in modern media such as television, cinema, and theatre, showing how oral storytelling techniques continue to influence contemporary narrative forms. Tholkappiyam's guidelines for composition — applicable equally to writers and storytellers — are analyzed in detail, underscoring the intimate relationship between Tamil oral and literary traditions. The article concludes that folk storytellers serve as irreplaceable custodians of cultural heritage, distinct from other information transmitters by virtue of their living, performative presence.