Humans tell stories. It's one of the universal characteristics of being human. But even if a story is the same, each culture will tell it differently.
How Stories are Told Around the World - A quick look at several storytelling types in different cultures.
44,000-Year-Old Story - This cave painting depicting a fantastic hunt may be the oldest surviving record of storytelling.
Circle of Stories - Site devoted to American Indian traditional storytellers. Choose a storyteller, listen to their stories, and learn about their tribes.
Native Daughers - Storytellers, in many Native American cultures, carry lessons across generational lines. The women who tell these stories preserve traditional customs and confront contemporary problems.
Hawaiian Storytelling - Video of three storytellers telling the story of the epic journey of Pele and Hi'iaka.
African-American Storytelling - A wide variety of stories told by members of Philadelphia's Afrocentric Storytelling Group.
Rakugo (in English) - Video examples of Japanese traditional storytelling art. Another example performed in both Japanese and English.
Storytelling in Latin American Cultures - An overview of storytelling themes and styles in Latin America. To explore further, here's some examples: Toni Simmons and Marcela Romero García.
World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts - Puppetry is a worldwide storytelling art. Click on the link and when the new page opens learn about puppetry across the world. Check out the nation-specific links down the right side of the page to see how puppetry expresses itself in different countries and cultures.