How oral traditions develop: a cautionary tale on cultural evolution from the Quechuan-speaking Andes

Area of Science:

• Anthropology
• Cultural Evolution
• Folklore Studies

Background:

• Large-scale comparative and historical folktale analysis declined after early 20th-century diffusionism.
• Cultural evolution frameworks are reviving interest in narrative transmission, neighborly influence, and cultural packages.
• Previous research primarily focused on Old World data, leaving the New World underrepresented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if 41 Andean versions of the Juan Oso folktale exhibit evolutionary phylogenetic development.
• To assess the influence of geographic location and Quechuan language variety on story variation.
• To explore alternative models for understanding narrative change in Indigenous Andean traditions.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of 41 versions of the Juan Oso folktale from Indigenous Andean storytellers.
• Examination of narrative variation in relation to geographic distribution and Quechuan language.
• Evaluation against phylogenetic models of cultural evolution and ethnographic literature.

Main Results:

• Story variation is not fully explained by geographic diffusion or Quechuan language co-evolution.
• Phylogenetic evolutionary mechanisms do not adequately account for the observed changes in the folktale.
• Andean storytellers actively recombine narrative elements to create new meanings reflecting local circumstances.

Conclusions:

• The development of the Juan Oso folktale in the Andes is not solely driven by phylogenetic processes.
• A 'rhizotic' model, emphasizing recombination and contextual meaning-making, may better explain narrative variation.
• Storytelling in the Andes involves dynamic adaptation and reinterpretation of existing narrative materials.