Greetings from the Dead (Grateful and Otherwise)

Day of the Dead Storyteller

Yeah, this is totally dorky on my part (but I am going to do it anyway!) Some of you might already know, but I have a love for and fascination with the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). I also love Halloween. This Day of the Dead figure is also a Storyteller, which is a popular Southwestern Native American figure. Throughout the Southwest, you can find Storyteller figures on sale, especially at Native American arts and crafts stores. Originating from the Pueblo cultures, the Storytellers symbolize the oral transmission of traditional beliefs and rituals through the art of the narrative. While the Storyteller usually comes in the form of a human being, often a woman with children attached at her side listening to her narrative unfold, I have also seen Storytellers come in the form of animals. There is even a Jewish adaptation of this theme that can be found in some Southwestern art stores, with a Storyteller rabbi, complete with tallit and kippah and with children at his side, transmitting Torah to a new generation of Jews. Very cool.  I happen to like the Day of the Dead version myself, and with Halloween being today and the Day of the Dead also this week, I thought a photo of this was completely appropriate. Have a hauntingly happy Halloween and a festive Day of the Dead celebration.