How did oral storytelling change when myths and folktales were written down?

When myths and folktales of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas are transcribed into writing, they often lose the essential elements that defined their original power and purpose. Oral storytelling was a dynamic, performative experience, relying on the narrator's skill, gestures, songs, and the specific cultural context of the audience to convey meaning.1

The transition to a written format alters these traditions in several ways:

• Loss of Performance: The dramatic effect, rhythm, and audience engagement—such as the repetition of incidents used to inculcate stories into the listeners' minds—are difficult to capture on the page.1
• Decontextualization: Readers often lack the necessary understanding of the specific worldview, ethics, and sociocultural setting in which the story was originally told, making the text feel less impactful or even "boring" compared to the living performance.1
• Fixity vs. Fluidity: Oral traditions are inherently flexible, varying within established limits to suit different circumstances and narrators. Writing tends to create a "fossilized" version of a story, which contradicts the nature of oral literature that thrives on adaptation and plurality of versions.213

Today, there is a significant emphasis on recording and transcribing these traditions to conserve them, though it is recognized that these texts are reflections of a once-living, multifaceted oral art.34