Native American tribes are extremely varied, and each has its own traditional culture, language, polity, history and social structure.
Myths in Native Americans’ cultures traditionally passed by word of mouth from generation to generation carrying the sacred information, were presented at ceremonies and rituals during the calendar cycle. Some myths were composed into songs, ritual prayers at all gatherings of the tribe. Thereby myths ensured spiritual and physical survival.
Ceremonies with spectacular performance of some myths were intended to maintain balance and harmony in the world, for the continuation of life of the tribe itself and all life on Earth. Naturally, central place in the community life took the Word. Native Americans had a particularly reverent attitude to the Word.
Man is born with an almighty Word, from which the whole world is woven. People live and die with stories and songs consisting of words. There is a special phenomenon in Native Americans’ cultures - Storytelling. Traditionally storytellers enjoyed were held in respect of the tribe. Every member of community listened to their stories - young and old alike, their presence is an inalienable part of many festivals and ceremonies.
Native American oral tradition is a way to establish relationships inside the community, their past and between people and nature. Storytelling passes on cultural traditions from one generation to another and carries a set of functions like description of the entire world order, narration about the history of the tribe, explanation of events and phenomena, biographies of specific people, inheritance of experience and knowledge. In the stories of Native Americans we can find a clash of two different cultures, see their confrontation and interaction. One of the traditional events is telling stories around the fire.
