A chara, – Although I recognise Nuala Hayes as a skilled storyteller with great personal charm, I disagree with the idea that every good story should make the audience smile or laugh (Arts, November 6th). Good stories, like good films, may elicit a wide range of emotional responses, including fear and pity as well as wonder or triumph.
One of the most impressive storytelling performances I have witnessed was Adam Wilson’s adaptation of the ancient Irish tale, The seduction of Éadaoin, for the SoGo Dublin Arts Festival in 2010, which elicited gasps and groans from the audience in response to the revelation of the anti-hero’s nastiness at the end. On other occasions, I have seen listeners weep or jump in fright, just as they might in the cinema.
The Irish bards – our ancient harpists, poets and storytellers – recognised the need to be able to elicit a variety of emotions, as expressed in the triad of “geantraí” (cheerful song or tune), “goltraí” (lament) and “suantraí” (lullaby). Indian bardic practice recognises eight aesthetic emotions, known as “rasa”, which are applied to dance, music and even film.
If Irish storytellers are to reclaim the ground that has been lost to the other arts, we may need to paint from the same broad palette of emotions. – Is mise,