How do humans use storytelling across different cultures?

Storytelling is a universal human practice used across all cultures to pass down history, moral values, and cultural identity from one generation to the next. Whether through oral traditions, written texts, music, dance, or visual art, stories help communities explain natural phenomena, preserve ancestral knowledge, and establish shared beliefs. Indigenous cultures often use storytelling in ceremonial contexts, while other societies embed narratives in religious texts, folklore, and mythology. Beyond preservation, storytelling serves social functions like building empathy, resolving conflict, and reinforcing community bonds. Cultures use stories to define heroes and villains, teach children right from wrong, and make sense of suffering or death. Though the formats and content vary widely, the fundamental human impulse to construct and share narratives appears to be deeply universal.