My Family’s Griot: ME!
During the early years
of Mali, most people of the area did not read or write. Instead, stories of the tribes were told by
griots or storytellers. Griots memorized
hundreds of years of tales and legends, and shared them with their people by
speaking or singing.
The job of a griot was
an important one. They were like “living
books”. Without them, these stories
might have been forgotten. Young boys
were chosen to become griots and were taught the tales by the older
griots. This way, their stories have
lived on until today.
Even though schools
have been built and students are now taught to read and write, the tradition of
telling or singing stories has not vanished.
Griots remain an important part of life in Mali.
Imagine that you are a
griot and your job is to share a tale of your family’s history. What story would be most important for you to
share with others and to pass down for generations? Think about this and make a list of your
options. Choose one to write about in your
writer’s notebook. You will get a chance
to share your story with another griot!
My
list of story ideas:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment