Little Egypt Heritage Articles Stories of Southern Illinois (c) Bill Oliver 18 July 2004 Vol 3 Issue: #27 ISBN: pending Osiyo, Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, To borrow an opening from the Hallmark show, Dreamkeeper, "I want to tell you a story as it was told to me." ... In the beginning there was nothing but water and darkness, and all the animals were above the stone vault that makes up the sky. Eventually it became so crowded that the animals needed more room, and they wanted to move down to earth. Not knowing what was below the water, they sent down the Water-beetle to explore. Water-beetle dove below the water and eventually came back with some mud from below. That mud grew and grew, and finally it became the island that we call earth. This island of earth was suspended at its four corners from ropes that hang down from the sky. The island began to split into pieces and separate to form the continents. The legend has it that some day when the ropes break from being stretched so much, the earth will sink back into the water. Stories and story telling brings people together, particularly generations. They are a gift from one heart to others. They stimulate our minds to function in remembrance. They honor those who have passed before us and bridge those who are following us. There is an amazement to reading reactions to the way words in these articles are put together. Some make similar comparisons of their experiences, others see comparisons to larger or broader life issues. Some seriousness is evoked and some pure entertainment is enjoyed. The most fascinating thing is to observe the thinking that is fostered. That was always the thrill of teaching ... to enjoy the development of minds. There is adrenalin there. It is the duty of the storyteller to share the legends of people lest they lose their effect on those present and future generations. Everyone has heard the saying, "to forget the past, is to repeat it." That is not to say that some things are not worth repeating; however, we live in an ever changing universe. Everything in our lives is in constant change. Natural disasters and selfishness, vanity, piety, and other adverbs, attributed to humans, have caused much history to become lost to us. Stories may emphasize lessons in patience and humility, courage and bravery, coming to terms with life's problems, of infinite love between people, or, facing the future. Hidden amongst the words and sentences of stories and legends is the wisdom of peoples. The greatest examples are contained in the Tora, the Bible, the Koran, and the sayings of the Budda, to name some. Yet, the most fascinating stories were those told to me by my Grandmothers and my Father. My Grandma Lester and my Father were naturals, putting lots of inflections in their telling. Grandma Lester would often sing a song and then tell a story or part of a story, then return to singing. What a pleasure it was to sit in the kitchen and listen, while being offered bits of the days' baking. It was not hard to be still and listen. Dad didn't need a drum to summon the nephews, nieces and grandchildren. The end of a meal and moving back from the table or to a comfortable chair or stool, was a signal to gather 'round for a story. Dad would become quite animated in his stories. A favorite was about a friend who stuttered. Dad would leave no detail out, emphasizing with his own stuttering, that by the time his friend could speak a sentence, catastrophic events took place. Like ending up in a corn field because the road ended. One would laugh and giggle at all the gyrations. Nephews and nieces would always ask for repeats. My Grandma Oliver was very historical. Her mind related names, dates, places, and incidents of family quite accurately. Few mistakes of facts have been discovered from her telling the stories. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren learned much from her. Quite recently, one of my cousins, the daughter of a "first" cousin, took some of the stories that Grandma Oliver told us Grand and Great Grandchildren and wrote a paper that would qualify as a Master's Thesis, for her Dad's 75th Birthday present. Being well researched and documented makes it very worthwhile. Two of our distant Great Grandfathers died as a result of military service during the War Between the States. There weren't many known facts and the mysteries remained unsolved for many years of my research. Both had been ill for different reasons and were released to return home or admitted to hospitals for treatment. Neither of them made it home alive. One died in Tennessee and the other died in hospital at Annapolis, Maryland. Putting together our limited knowledge and modern access to records, my cousin established the "truth" to Grandma's tales. One did indeed serve time in Andersonville prison even though there is no record at that prison. What a thrill for all of us to establish our legends and traditions as fact. As this article began it was mentioned that stories are told. Some are told generation after generation. What a thrill it would be to say, "I want to tell you a story as it was told to me" by my father's father and his father's father. A story so old it was never written down, but passed from generation to generation until I tell it now to you." Some of the stories are written down and are passed on from generation to generation. However, this method, though great, relies upon the imagination of the reader. I prefer the three methods described above ... the ones which allow the storyteller's eyes to sparkle with the reflection of the ones who are listening. e-la-di-e-das-di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) Wado, Bill -=- PostScript: = = = = http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html