storyteller; narrator
Modern term for a professional or skilled teller of traditional tales, myths, or local history. Often associated with oral tradition and performance.
hereditary court narrator
Historical role in the early Japanese imperial court; a hereditary position responsible for reciting and preserving oral histories and genealogies.
She works as a storyteller who passes on local folk tales.
The children listened intently to the storyteller's tale.
In the ancient imperial court, the kataribe played an important role in transmitting history.
Standard kanji spelling for the modern storyteller sense and the historical court role.
Older kanji form; mainly encountered in historical contexts.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling, sometimes used for a softer or more literary feel.
Compound of 語り (kataru, 'to tell') + 部 (be, 'hereditary occupational group'). Originally referred to a hereditary guild of reciters in ancient Japan.