Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

San Pablo City Campus
Brgy. Del Remedio, San Pablo City

GRADUATE STUDIES AND APPLIED RESEARCH

Course Code: Cognate 202

Course Title: Children’s Literature
Professor: Assistant Prof. IV Nerissa Y. Bilo, Ph.D
Topic: Historical Background of Storytelling
Discussant: Arianne Mae P. Dimaunahan
School: South Lakes Integrated School

Learning Outcomes
 Familiarize with different kinds of storytellers in the Middle Ages
 Recognize the value of storytelling as a tool in education
 Appreciate the importance of the history of storytelling

Discussion
In the Middle Ages
 storyteller was called a narrator, musician and poet
 story singers of Europe were known as bards, minstrels, sagamen, troubadors, gleemen, or
rhapsodists
 A minstrel had to go through 12 years of preparation
 Certain tales were learned and they had to have a repertoire of 350 tales and ballads

Two Types of Medieval Musicians

1. Medieval Minstrels
 a servant employed as a travelling entertainer and then as a castle or court musician or Medieval
Bard
 They often created their own ballads
 They were also famous for memorizing long poems based on myths and legends which were
called 'chansons de geste'.
 The themes of the songs also dealt with chivalry and courtly love but they also told stories of far
lands and historical events.
 They sang about the Dark Age myths of Arthurian Legends featuring King Arthur, Camelot and
the Knights of the Round Table.

2. Troubadors
 They move around and were known as 'Wandering Minstrels'.
 The songs and ballads they sang were traditional English favorites.
 The ballads were about courtly love and they were expected to memorize the words of long poems
describing the valour and the Code of Chivalry

Famous Fictional English Minstrel

Alan-a-Dale - a wandering minstrel who became a member of the band of outlaws, the 'merry men',
led by Robin Hood.

Days of Knighthood
 Storytellers were makers of literature
 They produced romantic stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
 They sang glorious victories of Charlemagne, the bravery of Richard and his Crusaders and the
fame of Haveloc, the Dane
 By the end of 13th Century, they collected legends, anecdotes, allegories and biographical tales
 Period of Decline
 Storytelling was practiced in unprofessional way
 it became a part of woman's job in the home
 Later on, Friedrich Frobel, a German educator and the founder of kindergarten, gave
storytelling a high standing as an educational tool.
 The value of the story is recognized by Sunday School teachers who used biblical stories in
teaching moral lessons.
 Regular storytelling hours are maintained in public libraries and in elementary schools.

Values of Storytelling
 To develop the power of imagination
 To arouse enthusiasm to the story
 Fix proper attitude of appreciation to literature

Conclusion
Stories have existed long before recorded history. The ways and forms of storytelling has changed
throughout the ages, from cave paintings to novels, movies and even the use of social media. Telling
and listening to stories can teach us moral lessons, new insights and entertain us. One thing that will
remain from storytelling is the desire of a person to tell and hear stories and its impact to a person’s
life.

Evaluation
Directions.
1. What are the two types of Medieval Musicians?
a. gleemen & troubadors b. Medieval Minstrel & Troubadors c. sagamen & rhapsodists

2. Who is the well-known fictional minstrel?

a. Alan-a-Dale b. King Arthur c. Charlemagne d. Troubadors

3. A German educator who gave a high standing for storytelling.

a. Jean Piaget b. Freidrich Froebel c. Howard Gardner d. Charles Perrault

4. Troubadors were also known as…

a. Medieval Minstrels b. Wandering Minstrels c. Sagamen d. Rhapsodists

5. How many tales does a minstrel need to memorize?

a. 205 b. 105 c. 305 d. 350

6. How many years does a minstrel need in order to be a have a repertoire of tales?
a. 14 b. 13 c. 12 d. 11

7. Where do we usually maintain storytelling?

a. city proper b. garage c. malls d. public libraries

8. What is the usual theme of a ballad during the Middle Ages?

a. death b. courtly love c. war d. freedom

9. True or False. Troubadors are more refined and fashionable than Medieval Minstrels.

10. What are the values of storytelling?

Answer Key
1. B 6. C.
2. A 7. D
3. B 8. B
4. B 9. True
5. D 10. To develop the power of imagination
To arouse enthusiasm to the story
Fix proper attitude of appreciation to literature