Register of Good Safeguarding Practices
The Diversity of Legend Telling in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
Legends differ from fairy tales thanks to their local character. The orally conveyed literature is related to the regional cultural and natural heritage and remains alive through active storytelling.
Fact & Figures
Crucial date: Throughout the year
Inscription: 2021
Domains: Good Safeguarding Practice
Where to find: Nationwide (and abroad)
Legends appear credible because they are linked to real places. An example of this is storytelling in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, where regional groups keep the tradition alive. There are a total of 50,000 legends in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. To maintain them, the S-A-G-E-N programme was developed, based on five pillars: "S" stands for "Sagenwelt überblicken" (get an overview of the storytelling world); "A" stands for "Akteurinnen und Akteure kennen" (know the actors); "G" stands for "Gesellschaftsstruktur beachten" (respect the structure of society); "E" stands for "Erhalten von Kultur und Natur" (preserve culture and nature); and "N" stands for "Neue Medien nutzen" (take advantage of new media).
Six forms of legend telling
There are six main forms of legend telling: oral storytelling, storytelling as theatre play, pictorial storytelling, storytelling with objects, storytelling in collaborative projects, and storytelling in mass media. The diversity of storytelling is also evident in many other formats: guided tours in nature and cities, as well as lectures, multimedia shows and lectures in universities, and storytelling exhibitions in museums, help to stimulate interest in stories.
Keeping storytelling up to date today also means telling stories with modern tools. Social media is used to reach younger target groups and introduce them to the storytelling world. The CRYPTONEUM Legenden Museum puts stories from Mecklenburg-West Pomerania on the internet and also integrates them into geocaching. The aim of the project "Heimatschatzkiste" (treasure chest of local history) of the Heimatverband MV e.V. (Historical society of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania) is to attract interest in stories from Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. In addition, the communities are increasingly establishing contact with similar initiatives from abroad.
