'Murderer's House' - University of Victoria

which can be fully read and understood. Strand by strand weaving […] is the true
art of the fairy tale–and it is, I would submit, semiotically a female art. (68-71)
But what is the function of these narratives told by women throughout the
centuries? Folk and fairy tales have the important social function of conveying women‟s
lived experience in the form of a story that arouses the curiosity of listeners. As Rowe
explains, through the vehicle of “the mesmerizing voice, wise women […have] passed on
the secret lore–of birthing, dying, destiny, courtship, marriage, sexuality from generation
to generation” (64). Moreover, female storytellers convey social attitudes and
expectations. In Warner‟s words they “pass on [to their children] vital information about
the values and beliefs of the community in which they are growing up, will instruct them
in who is trusted and who is not, about what is considered praiseworthy and what is
condemned, about alliances and enmities, hopes and dangers” (49). Thus through telling
stories, women have traditionally transmitted knowledge, both cultural and personal,
down through the generations.
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