Ancient Legends
Enlightening Us
Through an in depth look at the
Tulalip tribe and their folklore and legends, I was intrigued by what the
elders of this tribe felt were the most significant and important stories to
pass down to the next generations. A
major and significant reason this took place was because of the rising reality
that language can be forgotten and then the culture can be lost. By reading these tales and learning about
context, it made me think about one of my hobbies and how the lack of
understanding a culture’s context within a story, and how you lose a crucial
portion of the message when this occurs.
I am referring to watching and reading Japanese Manga and Anime, and
losing part of the story due to there being a phrase or word that means more
than what is translated on the screen.
For example, kodama, is a term used for “tree spirit”, we in western
culture have a difficult time understanding this concept because in Japanese culture
all living things have a spirit and it isn’t weird to see a kodama or
understand why or what this creature is and what it is doing in a forest. These minute alterations in translations of
these stories can really have an impact on a culture and their history.
“Stories, with their multiple
levels of meaning for listeners of all ages, and with the demands they make on
the memory and judgment of the audience, were the most effective way of
introducing and reinforcing the skills a person needed to be successful in a
demanding world. Moreover, it is not just the telling of the teachings, but the
practice of reflecting on and figuring out every part of the teachings, that
provide the full measure of what stories continue to bring to us.” (Legends,
The Tulalip Tribe, Vision Mission Values)
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