ABSTRACT
Introduction The art of storytelling presupposes a teller, a tale and, last but not least, an audience. For a long time scholarly attention was focused on the tales, usually in versions that were further removed from performance than scholars cared to admit. In recent years, more and more tales as actually told by professional storytellers have been transcribed, edited and published. In this way, we have become increasingly aware of the central role of the individual storyteller in shaping and creating his or her material. Modern technology has also given us the video camera, which facilitates the unobtrusive recording of actual performances, allowing us to study the artistry of the performers in all its aspects. While the profession of storytelling has suffered greatly in modern times, the study of storytelling as performance has made major advances in recent years.
