Stories contain many layers
Giving a “performance” of a story with my sister and my cousins were the most fun and precious moments of my childhood.
We usually did this during the heyday of ‘Sinterklaas’ and Christmas. We often “told” our versions of a ‘Sinterklaas’-story or of a Christmas story.
Stories have been a part of me all my life.
So nobody was surpised that I choose to study Dutch Literature at the university and specialized in medieval literature. My graduation thesis was about “New Year’s Songs” in the 16th centure. The time of the religious wars in the Netherlands.
At first glance, each song seemed like a harmless carol. Song by the poor passing the doors to collect money or food. But if you studied them carefully, you discovered a story between the lines.
A story in which faith and the choice religion came to the fore.
A story that was much less innocent than it seemed to be.
Every story, both fictual and true, contain more layers that pass information to the storylisteners. Stories touch us consciously and they cling to our subconscious without us being aware of that most of the time.
That is the power of stories.
