I don't think this one is exactly one to research, but someone who's better at research may have better results than I. What I'm thinking about are the ways in which we combat and in some cases overcome times of hardship, even if it's just for a little while, with some sort of folk or home-spun entertainment. The first examples I can thinks of are the harmonica and the "
jig doll," which I always associate with the Dust Bowl for some reason. In fact, that form of dancing doll dates back to 18th century London, and an even earlier form, incorporating a string, goes back to...well, what do you know? Italy, in the 1500s.
Obviously, these home-spun entertainments lend themselves to puppets, but I think other things as well. The point is that people devise entertainment from what is cheap and widely available - we could even consider the Internet itself to fulfill these requirements for vast numbers of young middle-class westerners. Taking it back to pre-computers, however, some forms that initially come to mind:
- Music - singing, beatbox, varied percussion, jug band, cigar-box ukulele, berimbau (capoeira), whistles and flutes
- Storytelling - simple, formal, theatrical, visual/painted, collaborative, sung, danced
- Sports - improvised balls, war games/skills, tug-o-war, dance competition, combat, gymnastics, races
- Games - checkers, chess, tidily-winks, pick-up sticks, jacks, card games, gambling
- Craft - whittling/carving, pottery, sculpture, weaving
- Practical jokes
So how do these things elevate our minds and spirits, help us to carry on through tough times? I find it interesting that all of these things thrive in contemporary situations of deprivation, such as prisons or true rural communities. What does it mean to overcome trying circumstances? Is it a material victory, or a more personal one?
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