Appalachian Stories and Storytelling

Stories and storytelling have been part of mountain culture since the earliest pioneers arrived. People told stories to while away the time during long winter evenings, or on the porch on hot summer days. Stories were the vehicle that passed on family history, traditions, “old country” memories. They were often used to teach children the accepted rules of behavior. Some stories were cautionary tales, meant to discourage children from dangerous activities. Many ghost stories probably fall into this category.

Storytelling in the mountains has been alive and well for centuries. Many stories have been collected and published in books; still others are still being passed down from parent to child. Below is a list of some collections of Appalachian stories; while it's certainly not an all-inclusive list, it's a place to start if you're interested in the old stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Folktales
Musick, Ruth Ann.
Ballads, Folk Songs & Folk Tales from West Virginia. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 1960.
Green Hills of Magic : West Virginia Folktales from Europe Parsons, WV : McClain Printing Co., 1989.

Barden, Thomas E.
Virginia Folk Legends. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1991. Extensive collection of originally collected by the Virginia Writers Project under the WPA.

Chase, Richard.
Grandfather Tales: American-English Folk Tales. Boston, Houghton Mifflin,1948
The Jack Tales. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1943. Traditional mountain folktales and Jack tales, collected by Chase in the 1930’s and 40’s.

Tall Tales, Lies and Mountain Humor
Sutherland, Herbert Maynor.
Tall Tales from the Devil’s Apron
Johnson City, TN: Overmountain Press, 1970.
You may recognize some popular internet jokes in this collection. I’ve wondered if this is the source of those stories. Creative writing by a newspaperman from southern Virginia.

Credle, Ellis.
Tall Tales from the High Hills
New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Tales collected by Credle in the Carolina mountains.

Harshman, Marc.
Rocks in My Pockets. New York : Cobblehill Books/Dutton, 1991.Based on a tale told by WV storyteller Bonnie Collins

Lepp, Bil.
Inept, Impaired, and Overwhelmed
Quarrier Press, 2001.
The Monster Stick & Other Appalachian Tall Tales. Little Rock, Ark. August House Publishers, 1999. West Virginia’s best living liar, and that's no lie.

Dent, James F.
The Dog with the Cold Nose. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing, 1981
A collection of short anecdotes and jokes.

Ghost Stories
Jones, James Gay.
Haunted Valley: and More Folk Tales of Appalachia. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing, 1979. Ghosts and spirits and strange legends, most of them set in WV.

Deitz, Dennis.
The Greenbrier Ghost and Other Strange Stories. South Charleston, WV
Mountain Memories, 1990 (2nd ed) West Virginia’s most famous ghost story and other tales collected by Dietz and recounted in the source’s words.

Musick, Ruth Ann.
Coffin Hollow and Other Ghost Tales University Press of Kentucky, c1977.
The Telltale Lilac Bush, and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales. University of Kentucky Press,1965. More tales from the queen of West Virginia ghost stories.

Coleman, Christopher K.
Ghosts and Haunts of the Civil War. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 1999. Just what it says.

Price, Charles Edwin.
Witches, Haints and Boogers: Tales from Upper East Tennessee
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, Publisher, 1992. In other words, ghost stories from the Tennessee mountains.

Gainer, Patrick W.
Witches, Ghosts, and Signs. Grantsville, WV: Seneca Press, 1975.
A fine collection of lore and stories from the Glenville State professor who established the Glenville Folk Festival.

Ballads
http://www.contemplator.com Online source

Child, Francis J.
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. Dover Publications, 2003. (reprint of the original 10 volumes, published between 1882-1898, in ten volumes.) The premier collection of ballads by one of the most renowned collectors.

Wimberly, Lowry Charles.
Folklore in the English and Scottish Ballads. New York: Dover, 1965 (reprint) A scholarly study of the folkloric content of the ballads that form the basis of most Appalachian ballads.

Sargent, Helen, and George Lyman Kittredge.
English and Scottish Popular Ballads. Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1932. A condensed version of Francis James Child’s 10 volume collection of ballads.

Sharp, Cecil J and Maud Karpeles.
Eighty English Folk songs from the Southern Appalachians.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1968. Remember the movie Songcatcher? These are the songs collected by the real songcatchers between 1916 and 1918. Cecil Sharp was one of the first to venture into the mountains to find the old British ballads. Maud Karpeles was a teacher in North Carolina who told Sharp about the singing she'd heard there. The result was their collaboration on several books. Their most famous, English Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians, is currently back in print.

Boette, Marie.
Singa Hipsy Doodle and Other Folk Songs of West Virginia. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing, 1971. Fascinating source notes on songs collected in our state.

Into the Fairy Ring

The Road to Fairyland
by
Ernest Thompson Seton

Do you seek the road to Fairyland
I'll tell; it's easy, quite.
Wait till a yellow moon gets up
O'er purple seas by night,
And gilds a shining pathway
That is sparkling diamond bright
Then, if no evil power be nigh

To thwart you, out of spite,
And if you know the very words
To cast a spell of might,
You get upon a thistledown,
And, if the breeze is right,
You sail away to Fairyland
Along this track of light.

It's getting close to time to think about the wee folk. March isn't far off, and then as the flowers start to bloom there likely will be fairies hiding under petals.





In our meadow, there are rings of dark green that people around here call "fairy rings." These are the places where the fairyfolk dance at midnight, or so they say. Their tiny feet enrich the earth and make the grass grow greener. (There is a vvery mundane and completely unmagical explanation for this at Plantanswers.)



There are also places in the meadow, and, oddly, in the median of the interstate where toadstools grow in circles--also called fairy rings. The fairies, so some people say, live under these toadstools. I've looked but never seen any, but then I didn't have my glasses on so they may have been there.


Fairies can be a force to reckon with--the beautiful ballad of Tam Lin certainly illustrates that. Many plants have fairy superstitions attached to them. According to The Land of Faery :

Foxglove--the name supposedly is a derivative of "Little Folks' Glove, and it is believed that fairies wear the florets as hats or mittens.

Primroses can make the invisible visible. Eating primroses may help you see the fairies.

Ragwort is sometimes used as a horse by the fairyfolk.

Thyme was part of a recipe for a brew to make one see the fairies.

Cowslips are loved and protected by the fairies. They help one to find hidden fairy gold.

Pansies were used in a love potion by Oberon, a fairy king.

Many people connect clover with fairies. If you wear a four-leaf clover, for example, you are supposed to be able to see the fairies. You can use the four-leaf variety to break a fairy spell.

St. John's Wort--if you step on it a fairy horse may rear up and carry you away to who-knows-where. What does St. John's wort look like? See the flower photo at the top of the page (from Wikipedia).

There are so many good books and websites about fairies and magical creatures. I compiled this list for a children's program so it includes craft books:

The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and other Hidden Beings by Lise Lunge-Larsen
Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland by Edmund Lenihan
New York : Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, c2003.

Fairy Crafts: 23 Enchanting Toys, Gifts, Costumes and Party Decorations by Heidi Boyd
Cincinnati, Ohio : North Light Books, c2003.

Swan Sister: Fairy Stories Retold by Ellen Datlow
New York : Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 2003.

Twelve Fabulously Funny Fairy Tale Plays by Justin McCory Martin
New York : Scholastic Professional Books, c2002.

The Book of Wizard Parties: in Which the Wizard Shares the Secrets of Creating Enchanted Gatherings By Janice Eaton Kilby
New York : Lark Books : Distributed in Canada by Sterling Pub., c2002.

A First Book of Fairy Tales by Mary Hoffman
New York : DK Publishing, 2001

An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies and Other Supernatural Creatures by Katharine M. Briggs
New York : Pantheon Books, c1976.

The Broonie, Silkies, and Fairies: A Traveler’s Tales of the Otherworld by Duncan Williamson
New York : Harmony Books, 1987, c1985.

Crafts from Your Favorite Fairy Tales by Kathy Ross
Brookfield, Conn. : Millbrook Press, c1997.

And some websites:

Fairies, Fairies, Fairies--lists poems, stories, lore and more.

eFairies.com is an alphabetical listing of fairy names from legends and stories.

ArtPassion includes many beautiful artworks featuring fairies.


From Encyclopedia Mythica comes a possible source for the word "Fairy".


And at Quotegarden, a whole page of fairy quotes, including this one:

The fairy poet takes a sheet

Of moonbeam, silver white;

His ink is dew from daisies sweet,

His pen a point of light.

Joyce Kilmer

Fold it! Books about Paperfolding

I love playing with paper--folding, cutting, gluing and making stuff. My house has a lot of paper around, and the grandkids make some very creative crafts when they come to visit.

Here's a list of books that offer many ways to change a sheet of paper forever.

Folding, Cutting, Drawing And Telling: Places To Get Great Ideas

Folding: Paper Airplanes
Paper Airplanes: The first thing we think of when we think of folding paper!

Websites
Both of these websites have great step-by-step instructions.
http://www.amazingpaperairplanes.com/
http://www.bestpaperairplanes.com/

Books: Paper Airplanes
Origami Paper Airplanes by Didier Boursin
Paper Airplanes: Models to Build and Fly by Emery J. Kelly


Other Folding Projects:
Go beyond airplanes to lots of other fun things to do with paper.
Websites
Fun and easy-to-do origami projects for kids are on the following webpages. Clear instructions too!
http://www.tammyyee.com/origami.html This website has patterns to print out and fold.
http://www.wipapercouncil.org/paper1.htm Has the instructions for folding a paper cup, as well as step-by-step instructions for making paper.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/origami/index.shtml The Enchanted Learning website is full of fun stuff for kids, including easy paper-folding projects.

Books
Paper-folding Fun!: 50 Awesome Crafts to Twist, Weave, and Twirl by Ginger Johnson
Paperfolding by Clive Stevens
Fold-Along Stories: Quick and Easy Origami Tales for Beginners by
Christine Kallevig


Drawing Stories:
Websites:
http://www.drawandtell.com/ Stories to draw! With clear instructions to print or to follow online.


Story Fun:
Websites:
http://www.fema.gov/kids/trtlppt.htm Turtle puppet to make with paper. Use it to tell the stories on this webpage: http://www.okc.cc.ok.us/bwise/Turtles/Turtle_Stories.htm
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/little_red_riding_hood_section.htm Online storybook with lots of papercraft activities to do!
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/princessandfrog/princess_and_the_frog.htm The classic story of the Frog Prince with a paper puppet you can make.

Books:
Stories to Play With by Hiroko Fujita and Fran Stallings
Cut and Create!: Mother Goose by Kim Rankin

Daycares, Preschools: Storytelling for the Younger Set

Many tellers quiver with fear when asked to tell stories to children under five years old. Why? Because these can be the most difficult audience of all. They may crawl away in the middle of a story, come up to sit in your lap, interrupt with inappropriate, long stories of their own, or cry. It sometimes feels like you're doing an improv act as you adjust to the behavior and attention span of the group in front of you.

BUT--it's rewarding, exciting and fun. These little ones love to hear a story. You'll be teaching them how to listen, an important literacy skill. They will be learning how to interact with a storyteller, how a story is told and what signals a storyteller might give that invites group participation, and when it is okay for them to contribute to the story.

Some rules for survival for the storyteller and for a rewarding learning experience for the children:

1. Use shorter stories. Children in this age group need stimuli changes more frequently. Yes, some can listen to longer, more complex stories, but most will not have the skills for that. Give them shorter stories with a few characters and lots of action words.

2. Provide opportunities for them to be part of the story. By this I mean chants, songs, or actions they can do as part of the story. Look at your story from a different perspective. If someone pets a dog in the story, can you add that action so that the children all pet the dog, or hold up a treat for the dog, etc? In Goldilocks and the Three Bears, what actions and chants can you introduce so the children can join in?

3. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Cumulative tales, stories with repeated words and lines are excellent choices for the preschool age group. These kinds of stories develop learning skills they will need later on as they begin to read. Stories like The Old Woman and Her Pig are great choices.

4. Don't ask them a question, unless you want a long answer--and from several children! They will be happy to tell you at length why they think the old woman's pig won't jump over the stile.

5. Don't worry if they crawl under the tables--they're probably still listening! Don't have the same behavior expectations of them that you might have of older children. They'll learn, just give them time to grow up.

Need sources for stories? The following booklist is a good place to start:

MONDAY MORNING PRESS
Nursery rhyme crafts by True, Susan.
ABC puppets by Marilynn G. Barr
Animal rhythms, alphabet by Cindy McCord
Storytelling with puppets, props, & playful by Huff, Mary Jo.

ALLEYSIDE PRESS
Alleyside book of flannelboard stories by Bay, Jeanette Graham.
Sound and action stories by Jerry J. Mallet
The storyteller's cornucopia by Cooper, Cathie Hilterbran.
A treasury of Asian stories & activities for by Spagnoli, Cathy.

TEACHER IDEAS PRESS
Full speed ahead: stories and activities for children on transportation, by Jan Irving and Robin Currie
Frantic frogs and other frankly fractured fairy tales, by Fredericks, Anthony
Raising the roof : children's stories and activities on houses,By Irving, Jan,
Straw into gold: books and activities about folktales,by Jan Irving & Robin Currie

BY AUTHOR JEAN WARREN
Short-short stories, Everett, WA : Warren Pub. House ; c1987.
Storytime theme-a-saurus, Everett, Wash. : Warren Pub. House, c1993.
Teeny-tiny folktales, Everett, WA : Warren Pub. House ; c1987.
1-2-3 puppets : simple puppets to make for... , Everett, WA : Warren
"Cut & tell" : scissor stories for winter, Everett, WA : Totline Press, Warren
Make & take concept rhymes,Everett, Wash. : Warren
Toddler theme-a-saurus : the great big book, Everett, WA : Warren

By Author Valerie Marsh
A Treasury of Trickster Tales
Puppet Tales
Paper-Cutting Stories for Holidays and Special Events
Mystery-Fold : Stories to Tell, Draw, and Fold

OTHER TITLES FOR STORYTELLING TO YOUNG CHILDREN
Storytelling activities kit: ready-to-use techniques, lessons & listening cassettes for early childhood. Jerilynn Changar & Annette Harrison, Center for Applied Research in Education
Easy-To-Tell Stories for Young Children by Annette Harrison. National Storytelling Press, Jonesborough, TN
Stories to tell a five-year-old selected by Alice Low . Little, Brown, and Co