[Bards] Situations That Ruin Bardic Circles

[barrett1 at cox.net]

"Also, period story telling
> was typically done in verse.  We have been trying to find evidence of
> "no-kidding-there-I-was" stories in period but have failed to do so."

Quick comment to clarify. A large number of existing stories from multiple cultures in Medieval Europe and the Middle East were not recorded or reported to have been performed in verse, even in cultures that regarded poetry as a noble craft. 
Storytelling was not typically done in verse, poetry was. If a story is written and performed in verse, it's a poem.The distinction is poetry was often used to convey a dramatic narrative as often as pure storytelling. Beowulf and the song of Roland are poetry, any way you slice it. A filidh is a filidh (poet) and a seanachie is a seanachie (storyteller).

 Oh, and there certainly are tales of "no-kidding-there-I-was", but they use different phrases, like "So now do I, Maynard of the faithful Dominican brethren, relate to you the reports of wonder from a certain small hamlet in the west country were I was but only recently called upon to assist the local abbey in matters concerning binding and preservation. It seems that a local man had eaten an apple which had fallen into the footprint of a wolf..."

On the timing issue, I agree with Kenneth.

~Finnacan

> 

---- Ken Theriot <kentheriot at ravenboymusic.com> wrote: 
> Esther,
> 
>  
> 
> I hear you, but the period story tellers you mention were performers BY
> TRADE, performing at the command of their lord, or employer for pay, for
> other interested parties who were not all hoping to "get a turn" to do
> performances themselves.  There are venues for long stories in the SCA
> (bardic showcases, feast, camps with few or no other bards, etc.).  But
> bardic circles are usually made up of many performers who want to share.
> I'm not saying to NOT come to the circle.  But I have seen the serialization
> of stories over 10 minutes done successfully.  Also, period story telling
> was typically done in verse.  We have been trying to find evidence of
> "no-kidding-there-I-was" stories in period but have failed to do so.
> 
>  
> 
> I don't want to banish story tellers!  I know many tellers of stories who
> keep a majority of their tales under 10 minutes.  The longer pieces should
> either be kept for other venues, or serialized.  Again, my opinion.
> 
>  
> 
> Kenneth   
> 
>  
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: bards-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org
> [mailto:bards-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of Esther
> Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2007 11:30 PM
> To: Ansteorran Bardic list
> Subject: Re: [Bards] Situations That Ruin Bardic Circles
> 
>  
> 
> You know, I'm a story teller, not a singer or a musician. Most of my stories
> run over ten minutes. 
> 
>  
> 
> So I guess bardic circles are out for me. See you at the Hafla!
> 
>  
> 
> Might I suggest, it's not the length of the story, it's the skill of the
> story teller. Perhaps short pieces are better for bardic circles, but I ask
> you, when are the long pieces "acceptable"? The long pieces are more period
> for most of us, after all. A bard/skald/minstrel was supposed to be able to
> hold the attention of his audience for longer than ten minutes, a feat
> stand-up comics and story tellers seem to have no problem with in the modern
> world.
> 
>  
> 
> Well, what the heck. To each their own, better to have short pieces and a
> popular bardic than a dead bardic. They can always go to the movies to see
> Beowulf.
> 
>  
> 
> Esther
> 
>  
> 
> 
> > 2. Problem: Stories that are 20+ minutes long!!!! Reason: Hogging airtime.
> > Solution: If you have a 20 minute story, serialize it into 10-minute
> > increments and do one increment per turn. Circle leader must state a
> > 10-minute (or some other agreed-upon time) rule up front, and periodically
> > thereafter. 
> > 
> anything over 10 minutes will kill an audience. If they don't get up 
> now, they likley just wont even come back next time.
> 
>   
> 
>   _____  
> 
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