The Lady at Number 16

A ghost story from the city of Valletta, Malta. Told by storyteller Dale Gilbert Jarvis, and recorded live at the "Voices in the Vaults Summer Storytelling Series" on Friday, August 29, in the Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.

A classic ghost story, incorporating motif E281 - “Ghosts haunt house.” While this story could be told about countless port towns, this particular tale is based on a story from the walled city of Valletta, on the island of Malta. A printed version of the story can be found in my book "The Golden Leg and other Ghostly Campfire Stories" (St. John's: Flanker Press, 2007).

The story is said to be true, and the street in question is St. Ursola Street, in the heart of the old city. An early version of the Maltese tale was written up in Blackwood’s Magazine in the 1800s, and a more recent version can be found in Joseph Attard's book “Ghosts of Malta” (Malta: Publishers Enterprises Group, 1997). Another good source for Maltese stories of the supernatural is Vanessa Macdonald’s “The Unexplained: Ghost Stories From Malta and Beyond” (Valletta: Progress Press, 2001). When I was in Malta in 2006, I had the privilege of meeting Vanessa and her family, and sharing ghostly tales from both sides of the Atlantic. I would certainly recommend her book to anyone with an interest in true hauntings.

Meet the mysterious lady by clicking here.

OggVorbis and streaming audio versions of the story available from archive.org

Foolish Jack

Newfoundland has a great tradition of Jack stories, and I've been telling a lot of Jack tales to my storytelling students in grades 4-6 at Holy Cross Elementary in St. John's. This is a story recorded live with one of my classes on Friday, 11 April 2005.

"Foolish Jack" is a Jack tale from Appalachia, and while I had heard many versions of the story, I had never considered telling it until I heard it told by storyteller Elinor Benjamin last November when we told stories together at a few schools in Conception Bay as part of the St. John's Storytelling Festival school outreach program. For more information on the origins of the story, and for references to other versions, visit:
http://www.ferrum.edu/applit/bibs/tales/FoolishJack.htm.

You can listen to the recorded version by clicking here, if you have the sense you were born with!

The Origin of Death - Dale Jarvis

A week ago a friend and valued member of the local arts community passed away, very suddenly. Ever since, I've been thinking a lot about this particular story, so I decided to record it, and put it up here. Just a little something to think about...

The City of Art

A man dreams of a city of art, and upon waking, sets off to find the place he has seen in his dreaming. Told by storyteller Dale Gilbert Jarvis, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. January 6, 2008.

I first heard this story told by Irish storyteller Ray McGrath at the St. John's Storytelling Festival in 2005, and it stuck in my mind. The music in the background is "Estampie" from the Naxos CD "Landini and His Time". Listen to the story here.

The Body In The Box

This is one of my favourite old ghost stories from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The story involves a young bride who goes missing, her heartbroken husband, and a terrible secret that emerges some time later. I've told this story over the years on the St. John's Haunted Hike, and it is always a favourite. This version was recorded live at The Rooms, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, on (appropriately enough) Hallowe'en night, October 31, 2007! Listen here, if you dare!

Away: An Evening with the Faerie Folk

The tradition of fairy stories in Newfoundland is most likely as old as European settlement on the island. The hidden people of Norway and Iceland, the gentry of Ireland, the little fellows of West Country England, and the bogles of Scotland all came together in Newfoundland to create a new fairy race, similar to their European ancestors, but very much their own people, with their own stories and their own way of interacting with us larger, clumsier folk. Storyteller Dale Jarvis talks about his most recent storytelling show, "Away: An Evening with the Faerie Folk" on CBC Radio Noon, St. John's, NL, August 3, 2007. Listen here

Jack and The Little Man Under the Stove

For the past few months, I've been telling stories and teaching grades 3 to 6 the basics of storytelling at Holy Cross Elementary School here in St. John's, Newfoundland. On May 31st, 2007, we had our final night storytelling competition and concert, and the kids told their remarkable tales.

At the end of the night, I was asked to tell one final story, and this is it. In the story, our hero Jack takes on a job as a cook in the house of a rich man, and discovers that he is not alone in the kitchen...

Listen here!

The Mother-In-Law

A terrible tale from the Brothers Grimm, recorded in a live performance by storyteller Dale Gilbert Jarvis in 2004. A king rides off into battle, leaving his wife and two infant sons with his extremely hungry mother. This tale was found in a compilation by folklorist Maria Tatar, and is based upon a story fragment recorded by the Brothers Grimm, but which was not included in their book of tales in a finished format. Enjoy it (with relish). Listen here!

World Storytelling Day Concert 2007

Started in Sweden in 2003, World Storytelling Day has grown in a few short years to a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling, celebrated every year on the first day of spring. On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many languages and at as many places as possible, during the same day and night. Participants tell each other about their events in order to share stories and inspiration, to learn from each other and create international contacts. World Storytelling Day 2005 had a grande finale on spring equinox, Sunday March the 20th. There were events from 25 countries on 5 continents, and 2006 saw the program grow further. 2007 was the first time a storytelling concert was held in Newfoundland to commemorate World Storytelling Day. The concert featured Corner Brook storyteller Elinor Benjamin with host storyteller Dale Jarvis, and was sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, The Rooms and The St. John's Storytelling Circle. Recorded live at The Rooms, St. John's, Newfoundland, March 21, 2007. Running time 1:04:05. Listen here!

The Devil and Mr Kinchler

A story from Fortune Harbour, Newfoundland, about a man named Kinchler who dearly loved playing cards, and who once boasted that he would play a game with the Devil himself. Recorded live July 30 2004 at the Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site, St. John's, Newfoundland. Listen here!