Storytelling

Anansi the trickster spider:

educare alla multiculturalità attraverso i racconti

 

 

Lo storytelling è un metodo di lavoro che riveste un ruolo di primaria importanza nell’insegnamento di una lingua straniera in quanto la narrazione facilita l’apprendimento linguistico, stimola la fantasia dei bambini, e ne sviluppa le potenzialità creative.  

Le nostre scuole si presentano oggigiorno come un caleidoscopio di culture diverse e lo storytelling in questo contesto si configura come un’attività integrativa per sviluppare, consolidare o potenziare alcune tematiche relative all’educazione interculturale. Lo storytelling  è infatti una tradizione che accomuna molte culture.   Attraverso la lettura di storie appartenenti a culture diverse si potranno proporre attività finalizzate ad abituare i bambini alla valorizzazione delle differenze e degli aspetti propri della nostra e delle altre culture e ad apprezzarne le diversità come una vera ricchezza.  

Il filo conduttore di tutte le storie proposte in questo laboratorio è la presenza del  trickster, una figura chiave che con le sue caratteristiche stimola la curiosità dei bambini e  favorisce la possibilità di cogliere somiglianze e differenze tra le varie culture.  

La favola (trickster tale) è una breve storia che utilizza personaggi di animali con caratteristiche umane allo scopo di trattare delle verità universali sulla natura e il comportamento umani e tramandare saggezza di generazione in generazione in modo che sia parte del vissuto.

 I tricksters (imbroglioni) di solito non sono né buoni né cattivi. Fanno ciò che vogliono e spesso creano guai.   Le Trickster tales si suddividono in quattro categorie: ƒ

Ø  storie divertenti  ƒ

Ø  storie con una morale 

Ø  storie eziologiche o Pourquoi (forniscono una motivazione degli eventi successi)  ƒ

Ø  storie etimologiche (spiegano l’origine di certi nomi)

Sono di solito racconti orali che sono stati successivamente scritti. Il narratore greco  Esopo ha raccontato le sue favole in forma orale prendendo spunto da tradizioni indiane.

Le forme di trickster più popolari sono la volpe, il coyote, il corvo, il ragno, la tartaruga e la lepre. Nel folklore europeo e cinese, c’è la volpe, in alcuni popoli dell’Africa il ragno o la scimmia. Quest’ultima è presente anche in storie dell’estremo oriente. In India, il trickster è in genere un topo mentre tra le culture degli Indiani d’America è spesso il coyote oppure un corvo. Da queste storie folcloristiche prendono spunto i cartoni animati che vedono come protagonisti Bugs Bunny, Wil il coyote e Daffy Duck.

La favola del ragno Anansi deriva dal popolo ghanese degli Asante

 

 e fu portata nelle isole caraibiche e negli USA dagli schiavi africani trasformandosi nelle favole di Brer Rabbit. Anansi è appunto un trickster che, nonostante venga scoperto, non impara mai la lezione. 

 

ANANSI AND THE MOSS COVERED ROCK

 

Anansi was a very famous greedy spider. No matter how much food he had, he always wanted more. One day he was walking down a path......through the jungle in Africa... ...and he was thinking about food. He was walking along saying to himself: "I wish I had a banana... ..a juicy mango would be very nice... ..or a yam... mmmm..."  

 

 

Suddenly, Anansi stopped. There was something there on the ground in the middle of the path. Was it food? No. It was only a rock. But when Anansi looked at that rock he saw that it was all covered with moss. He looked at the rock and he said: "My! What a strange moss-covered rock!" And as soon as he said those words... BOOM... Down he fell on his back into a deep sleep!

 

  He fell asleep and slept for a long time. Finally, he woke up. He looked at that rock, and he said: "My! What a strange moss-covered rock!" And... BOOM!... Down he fell on his back into a deep sleep again! He woke up. He looked at the rock. He said: "My! What a strange... ! WHOA! Wait a minute! I better not say those words again. If I do, I will fall down and go to sleep. This must be some kind of magic rock... Hey! That gives me an idea!"  

Anansi ran off and went to Elephant's house. He knew that Elephant had a lot of nice ripe bananas at his house. He knocked on the door and he said: "Elephant, it's me, Anansi! Come with me. I have something interesting that I want to show you!" And he led Elephant off down the path to the rock. When Elephant saw the rock, he said: "My! What a strange moss-covered rock."  And... BOOM! ... down he fell into a deep sleep!

 

 And while he was sleeping, Anansi went back to Elephant's house and stole all of Elephant's bananas.  

Now Anansi had lots of food, but he was a greedy spider and he wanted even more. He remembered that Leopard had a lot of juicy mangoes at his house. He knocked on the door.and he said "Leopard, it's me, Anansi! Come with me. "I have something interesting that I want to show you..." And he led Leopard off down the path to the rock.  When Leopard saw the rock, he said: "My! What a strange moss-covered rock." And... BOOM... ...down he fell into a deep sleep!

 

 And while he was sleeping, Anansi went back to Leopard's house and stole all those juicy mangoes.  

Anansi  ran to Monkey's tree and he called up: "Monkey, it's me, Anansi! Come with me, Monkey. I have something interesting that I want to show you!" Anansi led Monkey off down the path. But he didn't realize that someone had been watching: Little Bush Deer

 

 He had heard what Anansi was saying to Monkey. Little Bush Deer was hiding in the bushes, watching and listening, when they got to the rock. He heard Monkey say: "My! What a strange moss-covered rock!" And... BOOM!... Down he fell on his back into a deep sleep. Bush Deer  was watching when Anansi went to Monkey's tree and stole all of Monkey's yams.

That greedy spider was very busy that day. He played that trick on Anteater and Frog. He played that trick on Ostrich and Water Buffalo and Giraffe and stole all of their food. 

 

Now Anansi had a ton of food, but he was so greedy that he couldn't resist playing that trick on Bush Deer as well. He knocked on the door and he said: "Bush Deer, it's me, Ananasi! Come with me" I have something interesting that I want to show you. And he led Bush Deer off down the path to the rock. 

 

When Bush Deer saw the rock, he said: "What is that thing, Anansi?" Anansi said: "No, no, Bush Dear, that's not what you're supposed to say..." Oh?" said Bush Deer. "What am I supposed to say?" "You're supposed to say: 'My what a str...' Ummm... Ummm... You know! You know!" "Alright," said Bush Deer, "If that will make you happy, Anansi, I will say it.... My what a str...' Ummm... Ummm... You know! You know!" "NO!" cried Anansi. "You're supposed to say those magic words." "Okay..." said Bush Deer. "...those magic words..." "NO! NO! NO! You're supposed to say what all the other animals said, for goodness sake!" "I will try, Anansi... what all the other animals said, for goodness sake!" Anansi got very angry. He stamped his feet and he shouted: "Don't be stupid, Bush Deer You're supposed to say: My! What a strange moss-covered rock!... Ooops!" And down Anansi fell into a deep sleep.  

And while he was sleeping there, Elephant went to Anansi's house and got back all his bananas. Leopard went and got back all his mangoes. Monkey got back all his yams. In fact, all of the forest animals that Anansi had tricked that day... ...got back all their food. When Anansi woke up all he saw was that rock. All of his food was gone! He gave that rock a kick and went off down the path saying to himself: "I sure wish I had a banana, or a mango or a yam..."