Haitian Culture Curriculum Guide

These words begin a story in Haiti. The storyteller calls out "Krik?" (pronounced Creek), which
means, "Shall I tell a story?" The people at the gathering respond "Krak!" (pronounced Crack) in
agreement. The response is good, but not good enough. Again, the storyteller cries out, "Krik?"
now with more enthusiasm; the group responds "Krak!". Sometimes, more than one storyteller is
in the same place so the storytellers compete for the acceptance of the group. Once those present
acknowledge a storyteller by responding "Krak!" they must give their full attention to the
storyteller.
The story begins. The storyteller is an entertainer, who incorporates prescribed gestures,
expressions, and songs into storytelling. Each storyteller has his or her unique version of the story.
Embellishments are permitted, but the group listens carefully to be certain that no details central to
the story are omitted. They participate gleefully, reacting vocally and joining in the story with
familiar phrases and songs.
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