Introducing Sign Language Literature, Folklore, and creativity Chapter 5
Songs - Defined by Form & Origin
Songs & Song Lyrics are part of a Symbolic System that is 'the Language of Music'
Within Religious Groups, Signed Hymns are Acts of Worship
Translations of Other Songs, Particularly of Contemporary Music, are Increasingly Common
Hymns are translated with attention to the poetic principles of sign language, they can be art forms in their own right
Some versions are close translations of the anthem's words & some are freer adaptations or interpretations of the ideas within the national anthem
often Performed in Unison by Signing Choirs, & For Deaf Members of these Religious Groups, the act of Participating, Using their Own Language is Important
The genre of signed song is somewhat controversial, as it does not originate within Deaf culture
Despite this, many Deaf communities have traditions that include signed translations of songs
Cynthia Peters notes that rhythm & music have always been associated with the body as people clap, stamp & dance, & this bodily aspect of music finds its way into some forms of sign language literature
Videos of these are often posted on the internet
This last type of translation is sometimes done by Deaf signers (particularly those with residual hearing)
Predominantly done by hearing signers, often language learners who are enjoying playing with their new language, & for whom the double-sensory experience of hearing the song with its music & seeing the signs is particularly satisfying
Fictional Stories for Children - Defined by Intended Audience
Different Content & Form
Some Storybooks are Written especially for Deaf Children
Sign Language Stories for Young Children use Simple Signs & Have Deaf Characters in them
Depends on whether they are aimed at young children, older children, young adults or adults
Aims to encourage Deaf children to read
Teaches Deaf children about the society & culture they share with Hearing People
Include Deaf Characters and positive images
However, most storybooks a Deaf child reads do not contain Deaf characters or refer to the Deaf world, even if the stories are translated into sign language
These stories often contain the magical elements popular in children's stories. Including anthropomorphism
Original fiction stories may also be created in sign language especially for younger children
Setting of these stories are ones they can relate to, often with a Deaf child in school or with their hearing family
May be challenges set for the Deaf character who is able to overcome them
Action stories & realistic situations are preferred but the settings are still those that the Deaf children & young adults can relate to from their experiences
Traditional Deaf Stories
Traditional Stories in the Canon
'Lamppost Trope'
Deaf Schools
Had their own traditional stories shared among the pupils
The canon of a Deaf community's sign language heritage are defined not so much by their content or form but by their origin
Referring to often-repeated stories of Deaf people standing around under lampposts to continue to sign after the Deaf club had closed for the night
traditional stories passed down to each new generation within the school
The school is a national focus point
Traditional stories may be known nationally, but there are plenty of well-known regional Deaf stories too
The traditional Deaf stories most likely to be passed on are Deaf jokes & although jokes form a specific genre, a request for a traditional Deaf story in many countries often results in a traditional Deaf jokes
Narratives of Deaf Experience
Narratives of Deaf Experience are Categorized by their Content as they all Relate Something of Deaf People's lives
Some tell of the experience of the 'Deaf Everyman' - an ordinary character that the storyteller hopes the audience can relate to
Others are more directly personal life stories that may be considered a type of memoire
Memories usually take the written form, people also frequently recount stories about memorable things that happened in their lives
Narratives of Personal Experience are Central to the Storytelling of Many Deaf Communities
Deaf people tell them so that other Deaf people may learn from their life experience
These are stories that could have happened to the signer or someone like the signer, they offer insight to Deaf people's experience & ways to discover a Deaf identity
Most of the longer life narratives ('this is my life story') by Deaf people are found in written form, while the shorter accounts ('an event that happened to me or can happen to someone like me') are more likely to be signed
As Many Original Fictional Sign Language Stories Arise from the Personal Experience of their Creators
There is no clear division between genuine, accurate narratives of personal experience & clearly fictional narratives that have a Deaf protagonist
All told from Deaf perspective but their form can vary
The stories may be told in a traditional narrative form but they can also be told in a more poetic form or as a theatrical drama because their content is the key focus & how they are told is less important for their categorisation