The Storyteller's Memory Palace

Storytelling and remembering rely on similar practices: they both arrange images in an ordered structure. A story is initially memorised by the author in a mental structure which is transferred to the page via the author’s choice of location, organisation and imagery. An interpretation that emphasises these features enhances the natural capacity for comprehension by mimicking the memory process. This study describes and uncovers memory systems (including the memory palace and the memory journey) in medieval texts. The ancient memory techniques are compared to cognitive psychology and used to interpret four modern novels. A practical method of interpretation is devised which provides the reader with direct access to a story by opening the door into the storyteller’s memory palace.

The Author: Hanne Bewernick was born in Flensburg in 1968. She studied English Literature at the University of Cambridge and Medieval Studies at the University of London. After fifteen years in England, she returned to Germany in order to write her doctoral thesis. She works as a freelance editor and lectures at the University of Flensburg.