Have you ever looked at the night sky- looking for shapes and naming them? How about the clouds in the sky- what images do you see? Clouds change in an instant, but the stars have their rhythms. Some are always visible, some seem to change places, some appear to disappear and then come back.
In the past, it was crucial to be able to remember a cluster of stars if it only arrives every 6 months. And that’s when the stories are created and passed on to the next generation.
This talk is the book launch for “Folktales of the Cosmos- tales of the night sky from different cultures.” It explores how other cultures view the night sky as well as the Greek centric myths. Mixing some of the tales with examples of the influences their appearances had you’ll be able to start answering “Whose constellation is it any way.”
Janet Dowling has been a professional storyteller for over 20 years, researching and telling stories to audiences across the world. She is a member of the Norman Locker Observatory and sometimes they let her tell stories under the stars! She has been a resident storyteller at the Sidmouth Folkweek for 20 years and regularly contributes to the Sidmouth Biodiversity Group’s column in the Sidmouth Herald relating traditional folk tales to biodiversity issues. She can be found in odd places telling tales for families and adults. Her previous book “Devon Ghost Tales” won the “2020 Storytelling World Award for Best Anthology.” She performs ‘Lust and Revenge; the Passion of the Night Skies’ around the UK as well as her family friendly show ‘The Other Night Sky’, which tells star tales from other cultures. Janet lives in Sidmouth and this is her third title for The History Press.