Long before books or even the written word, stories were told not by the pen, but by mouth.
However, as literacy rates rose throughout the centuries man has walked the earth, oral tradition, or storytelling, practically died out. Folks began lighting a candle and opening a book rather than sitting down and allowing a professional storyteller to take them on a journey.
While oral tradition may be dead in most of society, for some area residents it is quite alive.
The Surry County Storytellers Guild, originally called the Imagine That Storytellers, formed about 10 years ago, according to member Sue Olchak. The group includes storytellers from Surry County and surrounding areas.
Olchak said when long-time actor Terri Ingalls wanted to start storytelling she formed a group of friends. It was the beginning of more than a decade of good times, friendly fun and the resurrection of oral tradition in the area, said Ingalls.
Ingalls said they initially received instruction from Mike Lowe, a storyteller from Lowgap.
“He was very kind to mentor us,” Ingalls said of Lowe’s contribution to the group.
Now Ingalls says the group is out and about telling stories “as often as we get the opportunity.”
She said storytellers have performed at events such as the Carroll County Fair and the Horne Creek Farm Corn-Shucking Frolic. Ingalls said she is taking her storytelling abilities as far as she can, with a stop planned at the Peach State Storytelling Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.
She said the Surry County-area group is also part of a larger North Carolina Storytelling Guild and the Southern Order of the Storyteller.
Saturday evening the group held an annual event at the Mount Airy Public Library. Eight storytellers from the group had about 20 people laughing at times and on the edges of their seats at others.
Area resident Dick Olchak told a story about his marching band days with Blood, Sweat and Tears co-founder Chuck Winfield, and Ingalls told a story about how the ghost who lived at her first apartment had possibly saved her life. She said she was thankful “William” was on the lookout when somebody had tried to break in.
Mount Airy librarian Pat Gwyn said Saturday evening’s event was part of an international “tellebration,” which occurs every year on the Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday.
She said the group meets at the library every first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. At the monthly meetings Gwyn said storytellers listen, practice and critique each other. She said anybody who is interested is encouraged to stop by on those nights.
“Some storytellers are more experienced than others,” explained Gwyn. “They aren’t all necessarily professionals.”
Gwyn added that those, like Engalls, who have taken their talents to another level encourage and often mentor younger storytellers.
She said the group is inclusive, and crowds at the monthly meeting range from just a few people to crowds of 30 or more storytellers.
Gwyn said events such as Saturday’s make fore an enjoyable night for storytellers and listeners alike.
