ABSTRACT
For the Belize Maya with whom I have worked in archaeological excavations since 1961, traditional storytelling has three distinct functions, only one of which is given overt recognition by both the teller and the audience. One of the three functions, the providing of diversion in the work setting, has very probably existed since Maya culture first took shape, perhaps as early as 2000 b.c. The second, the maintenance of tradition, has almost certainly been a feature of storytelling from the outset as well. The third, which involves storytelling in the establishment of solidarity or resistance, is certainly a post-Conquest feature, and may in fact largely be a product of relatively recent social forces. Whatever the time and form of their origin, however, all three functions are played out in today's Maya world, especially since the mid-1980s, each time a session of raconteurship begins. I say “raconteurship” because only a few individuals, recognized for their knowledge of traditional tales and for their speaking abilities, adopt the role of principal storyteller and are expected to hold forth whenever appropriate circumstances arise.
