John Veverka & Associates

Interpreting Legends, Myths and Fables.
Storytelling when folklore is already part of our cultures.


How the Coyote stole fire (Native American Fable), and the Legend of the Kelpie
(waterhorse) - Scotland.

When I was a Seasonal Interpretive Naturalist with Ohio State Parks and doing my evening campfire programs, the visitors always wanted a story. From ghost stories to Bigfoot to things that go bump in the night - they wanted the story. Amazingly, many legends and myths have some bases in reality, or taught a lesson. For example, the legend of the Blue Man of the Loch in Scotland was told to keep young children away from the lake shores. The Native American fable of how coyote stole fire to give it to humans was teaching about our connections with the natural world. Our cultures are surrounded by legends, myths and fables, all of which had (or still have) important cultural connections. This course is to help you re-discover your sites or regions stories and present them to your visitors, weather around an evening campfire, a guided walk in a historic district or cemetery, through a cultural heritage museum exhibit.

Eight Units - $150.00 tuition,
2 CEU Unit Credits.

Unit One - what are legends, myths and fables? Let's revie the role of each in our different cultures. They are present world wide.

Unit Two - What legends, myths or fables are relevant to my site or region, and to add to my interpreting the cultural and natural heritage of my region to my visitors? Time to investigate.

Unit Three - From your decision of which legends, myths or fables are appropriate for you to interpret - gather your reference materials to compose your interpretation.

Unit Four - Planning for your story presentation. How, when and where will to tell your story? Evening campfire, outdoor amphitheater presentation - guided walk or night hike, exhibit, self-guiding material? Which will you use and why? What will your theme and objectives be?

Unit Five - Story presentation II. What will you need for your presentation? Will this be a costumed interpretation (visitor from the past)? Will this be a gravestone/cemetery tour where visitors meet (at night) past village residents? Will you need any sound effects, graphics, or other teaching aides? Plan using an interpretation planning check list.

Unit Six - Interpretive writing - preparing your script, oral presentation or text copy. Using interpretive writing principles to take your research and story to "provoke, relate and reveal" your story to your visitors.

Unit Seven - Who are your visitors anyway? What would their interest be in your legend myth or fables? How will you "relate" the story to your visitors?

Unit Eight - Put it all together for your presentation plan. Your theme, your objectives, your research, your presentation details (how, when, where), your target audiences, your content and your script or text. This is the final "product" for this course. Looking forward to seeing how you will be presenting this program or experience.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. To register for the course just click on the Pay Now button and we can get you started.

Prof. John Veverka
jvainterp@aol.com
SKYPE: jvainterp