Free Write - Orality

There is something powerful about the tool of orality. When I used to ask my grandfather to tell me a story, I always know I was in for an exciting treat. In telling the story, one is able to decide where the setting will take place, who will be involved, the overriding moral.. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Whoever said “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” did not know what he was talking about. Words have life and breath. Stories may change and evolve, but they are almost always relevant to personal events.

Texts, on the other hand, completely preserve story, tradition, information, etc. as a constant. But how often do we go read them? I would much rather hear a story straight from my grandfather than from a book – even if there were slight variations with each time he told it to me. To be honest, I would be content simply to know the stories that matter to me are written down for records sake – that’s it. In examining primal consciousness, I found myself asking, “what is the main difference between ‘textuality’ and ‘orality?’ and is one honestly better than the other?