Satses

Satses is a fictional term used here to describe a traditional communal storytelling performance in the imagined culture of the Satsesh people.

Satses are performed during seasonal festivals and rites of passage and are central to the community’s oral history. The term derives from the Satsesh language and is typically translated as "binding voices." A satses typically lasts between 20 and 40 minutes and is led by a senior storyteller who is accompanied by a chorus of five to twelve singers and, when available, percussionists. The performance centers on a core repertoire of stories, with space for improvised verses by chorus members. The presentation alternates between solo narration, chanted refrains, and call-and-response exchanges with the audience. Visual elements may include symbolic hand gestures and ritual cloths.

Content and themes: Core narratives address ancestral memory, moral instruction, and communal values. Common motifs include resilience, reciprocity, hospitality, and conflict resolution. The language of performance is usually the village dialect, with occasional phrases in a ceremonial register that marks auspicious moments. The satses often incorporate audience participation as a mechanism for memory and social bonding.

Transmission and variation: Traditionally passed down within families and through apprenticeships with elder storytellers. In modern practice, satses are staged at regional festivals, schools, and cultural centers; some ensembles record performances for archives and online audiences, producing regional variants while preserving core motifs.

Cultural significance: Satses function as a vehicle for education, identity formation, and social cohesion. They accompany rites of passage and seasonal events, and hosting responsibilities are shared within the community, sometimes with gender- or age-based roles that vary by locality.

See also: Oral tradition, Folklore, Performance arts.