In ancient Mali the people told stories of the great deeds of the legendary (though once very real) King Sundiata. In these tales Sundiata faced seemingly overwhelming challenges, and through wisdom, bravery, cunning, and strength, he always won out, usually over tremendous odds.

Mostly of the time the telling of these tales was idle recreation, but in times of trouble or indecision, the griots (a role akin to bard or shaman or shanichee) would gather the people and ritually recite one particular tale or another, as it fit the situation. The ritual tales of the griots were mostly true, though they also contained "additional" and sometimes fantastical embellishments, and they evolved over the years (Sundiata lived, I believe, in the 14th centuryCE). These tellings were treated as virtually sacred, and often took several days, with competing versions of details being offered, and with considerable debate also.

Such part-real, part-embroidered tales would, in such times, help to inform the people about what the wise and great Sundiata might do in such troubled times, and how they might follow his example. In a non-literate society this process played a legal and/or political role; the tales were a sort of "constitution" to be guided by.... Read More

I think stories like those above play a similar role for us today - in that they give us an almost idealized - though true enough - role model to follow. If the times in the stories weren't tragic or troubled, they would have less to teach us.