I was in Lhasa a few weeks ago and saw this unusual sight: a storyteller using a thangka painting and telling (or rather, singing and chanting) a traditional story.
Previously I only knew of this custom from old photos from the period from around 1900-1930, when itinerant storytellers who hung up paintings and told a tale seem to have been a relatively common sight. I had assumed that this custom had vanished.
This storyteller used a long iron pointer bound with ribbons to tell the life story of a religious teacher with the aid of the thangka. The painting is so worn that it is difficult to see any details on it. The story is told in chanted verses, pointing at the relevant part of the painting. In between these sections the teller bows, puts down the pointer and chants a prayer while holding rosary beads.
From time to time the storyteller succeeded in gathering a small crowd in this Lhasa back street. The box in front of the painting is for donations and he seemed to be doing quite well. Perhaps because of his great age and the fact that this is by no means a common sight these days.
Previously I only knew of this custom from old photos from the period from around 1900-1930, when itinerant storytellers who hung up paintings and told a tale seem to have been a relatively common sight. I had assumed that this custom had vanished.
This storyteller used a long iron pointer bound with ribbons to tell the life story of a religious teacher with the aid of the thangka. The painting is so worn that it is difficult to see any details on it. The story is told in chanted verses, pointing at the relevant part of the painting. In between these sections the teller bows, puts down the pointer and chants a prayer while holding rosary beads.
From time to time the storyteller succeeded in gathering a small crowd in this Lhasa back street. The box in front of the painting is for donations and he seemed to be doing quite well. Perhaps because of his great age and the fact that this is by no means a common sight these days.
Leave a comment