Welcome to my portfolio! This is a compilation of stories that I have written over the course of my semester in Mythology and Folklore, based on various reading units of lore from around the world. Take a look around and enjoy!
Friday, November 28, 2014
Week 15: Reading Review
I have had a blast in this course this semester! I enjoyed every unit that I read in the Un-Textbook, and I think that the setup of the class makes it so that everybody can have the same pleasant experience. With all the different combinations of units, there is something that caters to every preference, and one is sure to find stories that interest him or her. The variety was probably my favorite part of the course for this reason.
Looking back at my reading diaries and essays over the course of the semester, I realized that the things I appreciated most about the readings were the introductions that gave background to the unit. Many times, these certainly helped greatly in my understanding of the reading, whether it was historical background, an explanation of certain words in the dialect, or a description of the author's intent. In terms of the actual text, I really enjoyed the different translations of the stories. I had the privilege of reading the Book of Mark from the Bible in the original King James Version, which was something that I had never done before. Later on in the semester, I got to read the Brer Rabbit unit in the original Southern Gullah dialect. Examples like these are why I love the diversity of the Un-Textbook--it expands students' horizons in terms of the vocabulary and styles of language that they read.
As I was taking notes via the Reading Diaries, I realized that I developed different strategies throughout the semester. In the first half of the semester, as I mentioned in my week 8 reflections, I tended to rely more heavily on plot summary of each story as my main method of taking notes. Like I also noticed previously, I liked to take detailed enough notes so that I could simply look back at my Reading Diaries to work on the rest of the assignments for the week. After I made this realization, I continued to try to do this during the second half of the semester, but my note-taking became more reflective: instead of just summarizing the stories, I tried to inject some more of my own thoughts and observations.
My biggest piece of advice for incoming students of this course would be to work ahead and finish assignments early. I got a good head start at the beginning of the course and it was nice to work on assignments week by week at a relaxed pace. Sometime in the middle of the semester, though, I lagged behind a bit and it was definitely stressful trying to get everything turned in on time--this certainly doesn't help with putting in my best effort and generating my best work either. Working even just a day or two in advance helps! It also gives you extra time to do extra credit assignments and possibly finishing the class early so it doesn't add to the stress of finals week at the end of the semester.
Looking back on the semester, this was definitely the most interesting class that I took. The workload was not too great and the reading assignments were all fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed this course--it stimulated interest in folklore from around the world that I'm sure will continue for a very long time!
Looking back at my reading diaries and essays over the course of the semester, I realized that the things I appreciated most about the readings were the introductions that gave background to the unit. Many times, these certainly helped greatly in my understanding of the reading, whether it was historical background, an explanation of certain words in the dialect, or a description of the author's intent. In terms of the actual text, I really enjoyed the different translations of the stories. I had the privilege of reading the Book of Mark from the Bible in the original King James Version, which was something that I had never done before. Later on in the semester, I got to read the Brer Rabbit unit in the original Southern Gullah dialect. Examples like these are why I love the diversity of the Un-Textbook--it expands students' horizons in terms of the vocabulary and styles of language that they read.
As I was taking notes via the Reading Diaries, I realized that I developed different strategies throughout the semester. In the first half of the semester, as I mentioned in my week 8 reflections, I tended to rely more heavily on plot summary of each story as my main method of taking notes. Like I also noticed previously, I liked to take detailed enough notes so that I could simply look back at my Reading Diaries to work on the rest of the assignments for the week. After I made this realization, I continued to try to do this during the second half of the semester, but my note-taking became more reflective: instead of just summarizing the stories, I tried to inject some more of my own thoughts and observations.
My biggest piece of advice for incoming students of this course would be to work ahead and finish assignments early. I got a good head start at the beginning of the course and it was nice to work on assignments week by week at a relaxed pace. Sometime in the middle of the semester, though, I lagged behind a bit and it was definitely stressful trying to get everything turned in on time--this certainly doesn't help with putting in my best effort and generating my best work either. Working even just a day or two in advance helps! It also gives you extra time to do extra credit assignments and possibly finishing the class early so it doesn't add to the stress of finals week at the end of the semester.
Looking back on the semester, this was definitely the most interesting class that I took. The workload was not too great and the reading assignments were all fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed this course--it stimulated interest in folklore from around the world that I'm sure will continue for a very long time!
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Week 14 Reading Diary: Fairy Tales (Andersen)
This week, I chose to read the compilation of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen.
The Princess and the Pea: I was surprised at how short this story was. I have certainly read versions of this story that were much longer and more detailed. I have always been confused as to why the prince only wanted a princess who was so delicate that she could detect a pea under twenty mattresses and that this would disturb her throughout the night. This never seemed feasible to me; the ruler of a land should be tougher than that, in my opinion.
The Emperor's New Suit: Another story of a leader of a nation who seems unfit to rule. This emperor does not seem useful in the affairs of his state (nor, as it turns out, do his "honest" advisors). This is one of those stories that I can hardly read out of embarrassment for everyone in the story due to the dramatic irony. It is wonderful that the one who calls everyone out on their foolishness is an innocent child--it just goes to show that those who are usually seen as the most naive perhaps embrace it better or are less ashamed of their naivety.
The Wicked Prince: The price to pay for pride as intense as this prince has is surely great humiliation. I didn't think he was so foolish in waging war with neighboring countries, but his attempt to conquer God certainly would lead to his downfall. It is ironic that the prince spends seven years to build up his army; this is a very biblical number. I'm not sure of its exact significance in this story--either way, I am glad that God chose something as small as a gnat to bring about the fall of the wicked prince, and I hope that the prince learned his lesson.
The Little Match-Seller: This was the first story in this unit that I had never read before. What a bittersweet story! It was heartbreaking to read about the little girl's home life, but I am glad that she spent her last day warm and happy and surrounded by (what she perceived as) beautiful things.
The Little Mermaid:
Part 1: This introduction gave the reader a wonderful description of the beauty that is the Sea King's domain. As someone living on land, I would love to see what life would be like under the sea--I guess this is how the youngest mermaid felt too: it is apparently in everyone's nature to not be content with knowing only what s/he already has, but to want to see how the other half lives.
Part 2: It is shocking sometimes how we forget to think of ourselves when someone or something else who is the object of our affection (or infatuation) is in danger. The little mermaid certainly displays this as she strives to save the prince from the storm, all the while forgetting that a piece of the ship could come crashing down on her at any moment and kill her. I did feel bad for her that the prince didn't realize that the mermaid was the one who had rescued him.
Part 3: The wisdom of the mermaid's grandmother is different from any advice that I have ever heard. Andersen certainly came up with an interesting comparison to humans' and merpeople's lives. It was heartbreaking to read at the end of this excerpt, however, the mermaid's decision. The risks that she takes and what she is willing to give up will not turn into fruitful gains in the end, especially not with the advice of the sea witch.
Part 4: Again, it is shocking sometimes the lengths that one would go to in order to find love. The description of the sea witch's lair is terrifying and it would certainly make me turn back and find another way. The little mermaid's perseverance is admirable but questionable--is there no other way to win the love of the prince? Even the witch says that the mermaid's wish is stupid and that it would bring her sorrow, but the mermaid still goes along with the witch's plan. To attempt to gain the favor of a prince who does not even acknowledge her existence by growing excruciating painful legs and losing her biggest asset--her ability not only to sing, but to communicate her thoughts and reason--the entire time I read this part, I questioned the mermaid's sanity. Finally, it should have been a warning sign that the evil polyps guarding the path to the witch's lair shrank away in fear of the potion: that alone should have deterred her from drinking the draught.
Part 5: The dramatic irony in this section was heartbreaking to read. I so wished that the little mermaid could just tell the prince that she was the one who had saved his life, whom he longed for, but due to her bargain with the sea witch, the maiden obviously couldn't. I felt frustrated for her, but I also felt frustrated at her because she did not seem to be bothered by this. The prince's reassurance that he would rather marry her than the daughter of the neighboring kingdom's ruler seems to satisfy her, but I didn't feel that she should have been content with that--if only she could tell him her story.
The Princess and the Pea: I was surprised at how short this story was. I have certainly read versions of this story that were much longer and more detailed. I have always been confused as to why the prince only wanted a princess who was so delicate that she could detect a pea under twenty mattresses and that this would disturb her throughout the night. This never seemed feasible to me; the ruler of a land should be tougher than that, in my opinion.
The Emperor's New Suit: Another story of a leader of a nation who seems unfit to rule. This emperor does not seem useful in the affairs of his state (nor, as it turns out, do his "honest" advisors). This is one of those stories that I can hardly read out of embarrassment for everyone in the story due to the dramatic irony. It is wonderful that the one who calls everyone out on their foolishness is an innocent child--it just goes to show that those who are usually seen as the most naive perhaps embrace it better or are less ashamed of their naivety.
The Wicked Prince: The price to pay for pride as intense as this prince has is surely great humiliation. I didn't think he was so foolish in waging war with neighboring countries, but his attempt to conquer God certainly would lead to his downfall. It is ironic that the prince spends seven years to build up his army; this is a very biblical number. I'm not sure of its exact significance in this story--either way, I am glad that God chose something as small as a gnat to bring about the fall of the wicked prince, and I hope that the prince learned his lesson.
The Little Match-Seller: This was the first story in this unit that I had never read before. What a bittersweet story! It was heartbreaking to read about the little girl's home life, but I am glad that she spent her last day warm and happy and surrounded by (what she perceived as) beautiful things.
The Little Mermaid:
Part 1: This introduction gave the reader a wonderful description of the beauty that is the Sea King's domain. As someone living on land, I would love to see what life would be like under the sea--I guess this is how the youngest mermaid felt too: it is apparently in everyone's nature to not be content with knowing only what s/he already has, but to want to see how the other half lives.
Part 2: It is shocking sometimes how we forget to think of ourselves when someone or something else who is the object of our affection (or infatuation) is in danger. The little mermaid certainly displays this as she strives to save the prince from the storm, all the while forgetting that a piece of the ship could come crashing down on her at any moment and kill her. I did feel bad for her that the prince didn't realize that the mermaid was the one who had rescued him.
Part 3: The wisdom of the mermaid's grandmother is different from any advice that I have ever heard. Andersen certainly came up with an interesting comparison to humans' and merpeople's lives. It was heartbreaking to read at the end of this excerpt, however, the mermaid's decision. The risks that she takes and what she is willing to give up will not turn into fruitful gains in the end, especially not with the advice of the sea witch.
Part 4: Again, it is shocking sometimes the lengths that one would go to in order to find love. The description of the sea witch's lair is terrifying and it would certainly make me turn back and find another way. The little mermaid's perseverance is admirable but questionable--is there no other way to win the love of the prince? Even the witch says that the mermaid's wish is stupid and that it would bring her sorrow, but the mermaid still goes along with the witch's plan. To attempt to gain the favor of a prince who does not even acknowledge her existence by growing excruciating painful legs and losing her biggest asset--her ability not only to sing, but to communicate her thoughts and reason--the entire time I read this part, I questioned the mermaid's sanity. Finally, it should have been a warning sign that the evil polyps guarding the path to the witch's lair shrank away in fear of the potion: that alone should have deterred her from drinking the draught.
Part 5: The dramatic irony in this section was heartbreaking to read. I so wished that the little mermaid could just tell the prince that she was the one who had saved his life, whom he longed for, but due to her bargain with the sea witch, the maiden obviously couldn't. I felt frustrated for her, but I also felt frustrated at her because she did not seem to be bothered by this. The prince's reassurance that he would rather marry her than the daughter of the neighboring kingdom's ruler seems to satisfy her, but I didn't feel that she should have been content with that--if only she could tell him her story.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Week 12 Storytelling: The Pig and the Fence
Dear Diary,
The walk was pleasant to begin with: we talked about the changing of the seasons and how she was getting her home ready for the winter. She told me that as she was cleaning, she found a sixpence and decided to go to the market and rescue a pig - me. That was considerate of her. She seemed unassuming enough, if not a bit too talkative.
About this time, though, we got to a very large fenced off area. I struggled and struggled, but it was too high for me to jump over. After a while, the woman got really frustrated at me, climbed over, and continued walking. I thought she was just going to abandon me there.
I stood there in confusion for several minutes, and after that, I began to panic. So much for being rescued; now I was stuck in the middle of nowhere all by myself. My thoughts began to race and I suddenly became paranoid of my surroundings. I began to wander around the fence, but the area seemed to stretch on forever. Finally, I just gave up and went back to my original spot.
I don't know how much longer I stood there, but eventually I heard the old woman's voice. Overjoyed and relieved, I started squealing in delight. As she drew closer, I saw that she had come back with an entourage of animals. I was surprised to see so many new friends, but I was so glad to be saved that I didn't pay much attention to this fact.
I watched from a distance as the old woman gave a cow some hay. After this, as they walked closer, I realized that this started a chain reaction in a flurry of activity. No, that was an understatement--it was mass chaos. The cow gave a cat some milk, and the cat drank the milk and pounced on a mouse, who was chewing on a rope, which started to hang a man who looked like a butcher. The butcher began to do his job and killed an ox, and as he was doing this, the ox drank some water, which began to put out a fire, but not before its flames engulfed a stick. This stick began to hit the leader of this pack, a dog, who then came charging at me and bit me!
So after that odd and terrifying series of events, before my mind could even comprehend what was happening, I finally launched myself over the fence in fear, and the woman and I walked home in silence. Now I'm in her home, living in terror of her after seeing what lengths she would go to just to get me to do a simple task.
The pig caught behind the fence. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
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-----
Author's note: This week, I retold the story of The Old Woman and Her Pig from the English Fairy Tales (1) unit. This is a cumulative story, where a series of events happens, and with each new event, the story escalates. In this case, a woman brings a pig home from a market and they reach a stile over which the pig cannot jump. In order to get the pig over the fence, she walks further and encounters a dog, stick, fire, water, ox, butcher, rope, rat, and cat, telling each of them to do something, but they refuse unless something else affects them first. Finally, she meets a cow and gives it hay, and the cow gives the cat milk and sets off a chain reaction ending in the dog biting the pig and ultimately getting him over the stile. This reminded me of a very extreme Rube Goldberg machine, in which a lot of energy is expended to perform a simple task (and certainly, a lot of deaths had to occur in this situation just to get the pig over the fence).
Although this one was somewhat morbid, I usually like cumulative stories because of their ridiculousness. I chose to retell this story because it had the setup of a nursery rhyme, which gave me ample opportunity to elaborate on details and provide background. I wanted to show it from the pig's perspective, because I imagine the entire situation would have been quite terrifying for him. This gave me some trouble because the pig would not have been able to see all that happened when the woman ventured on because he was trapped behind the fence, but I decided to remedy this by bringing all of the creatures back to him so he could see the chain reaction.
Bibliography:
"The Old Woman and Her Pig."
Joseph Jacobs, 1890.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Week 13 Storytelling: House of Thieves
I have seen too many women come into this dark place, never to leave again. They waltzed in naively, expecting to see their "one true love" (or so the story goes), ignoring all the warning signs. I didn't understand it, personally--this hovel is in the deepest thicket of a forest filled with dangers; I am baffled as to why the maidens don't turn around and go home immediately after seeing it.
This used to be a den of evil. The men who lived here were thieves and murderers. They went out into the world under charming guises and sought out pretty young ladies with whom to be betrothed. After that, the robbers lured the maidens back to this place, overtook them, and cooked and ate them.
As for me, I am but an old woman. I wandered into this place years ago with no other place to go after some hardships in my life. When the men saw me, they scoffed. I had heard of their reputation, but I placated them, saying I would keep their secret if they would let me stay with them. And so it had been for several years.
One day, a fair maiden--prettier than all the rest--came by this place. I had watched as she made her way down the winding path, looking wholly uneasy the entire way. As she walked, she left a trail of beans and lentils. When she made her way into the shack, my trusty pet bird called out a warning to her: turn back; this is a place of evil. She was visibly shaken, but continued to explore the rooms. Luckily, the men had gone into town for the day, so she was not seen by anyone.
She made her way throughout the house and finally reached the room where I was sitting. When I saw her full fairness and grace, I took pity on her and told her of the dangers of this place. As I was doing this, we heard the thieves barge through the door, hollering with excitement with what I was sure was another helpless maiden. I instructed the lost bride to hide behind a large pot until she could get the chance to escape.
What happened next must have been traumatizing for anyone watching: the men overpowered their victim and cut her into pieces. She had a ring on her little finger, and the thieves tried to remove it to no avail. After a while, they gave up and simply cut the finger off. It flew right into the poor maiden's lap behind the pot, and as I looked over, she was frozen in shock and I realized that she had seen the entire thing.
The drunkards seemed to lose interest in the finger, and shortly after their merriment were passed out. The young bride-to-be took her opportunity and bolted out of the den, taking the finger with her.
A few days later, some officials came to the door and arrested all of the men in this band of thieves. Apparently, at her wedding toast, the cunning bride revealed the robbers' secret and proved it with the finger. The men were all condemned for their actions and executed.
Looking back at this place now, I remember all of the horrors that took place in this kitchen, and am thankful that I never have to witness such things again.
-----
Author's note: This week, I retold the story of the Robber Bridegroom. The original story is in the third person omniscient, but I wanted to tell it from the point of view of the old woman who helps the maiden. Not much background is given about her, so it was fun to develop her character and explain where she comes from.
The plot of my retelling is very closely related to that of the original. I changed a few details in the behavior of the old woman as she helps the young woman. In the original story, the robbers want to find the finger with the ring after it is chopped off and lands in the girl's lap, but the old woman deters them from doing so, calling them to dinner and saying that "the finger cannot run away." She also slips a sleeping draught into their wine so that they will pass out and so the girl can escape. In my story, I left out these details and just attributed the girl's safety to the men's carelessness and drunkenness. As I was reading this story, I did not understand why the old woman would go to such lengths to rescue this particular girl when she had previously seen so many deaths. I tried to explain her pity in my story, but I didn't think she would take many more measures to prevent the girl's death than simply telling her to hide. I didn't want to portray her as totally heartless, however--even though she might have been systematically desensitized to the idea of death throughout the years, there is still residual trauma as she goes back to the place where she used to live and reflects on the terrible things that had happened there.
Bibliography:
The Robber Bridegroom.
Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm.
Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm.
Translated by Lucy Crane.
Illustrated by Walter Crane.
1886.
This used to be a den of evil. The men who lived here were thieves and murderers. They went out into the world under charming guises and sought out pretty young ladies with whom to be betrothed. After that, the robbers lured the maidens back to this place, overtook them, and cooked and ate them.
As for me, I am but an old woman. I wandered into this place years ago with no other place to go after some hardships in my life. When the men saw me, they scoffed. I had heard of their reputation, but I placated them, saying I would keep their secret if they would let me stay with them. And so it had been for several years.
One day, a fair maiden--prettier than all the rest--came by this place. I had watched as she made her way down the winding path, looking wholly uneasy the entire way. As she walked, she left a trail of beans and lentils. When she made her way into the shack, my trusty pet bird called out a warning to her: turn back; this is a place of evil. She was visibly shaken, but continued to explore the rooms. Luckily, the men had gone into town for the day, so she was not seen by anyone.
She made her way throughout the house and finally reached the room where I was sitting. When I saw her full fairness and grace, I took pity on her and told her of the dangers of this place. As I was doing this, we heard the thieves barge through the door, hollering with excitement with what I was sure was another helpless maiden. I instructed the lost bride to hide behind a large pot until she could get the chance to escape.
What happened next must have been traumatizing for anyone watching: the men overpowered their victim and cut her into pieces. She had a ring on her little finger, and the thieves tried to remove it to no avail. After a while, they gave up and simply cut the finger off. It flew right into the poor maiden's lap behind the pot, and as I looked over, she was frozen in shock and I realized that she had seen the entire thing.
The thieves with the maidens in the den.
Illustrator: Helen Stratton. 1903. Source.
The drunkards seemed to lose interest in the finger, and shortly after their merriment were passed out. The young bride-to-be took her opportunity and bolted out of the den, taking the finger with her.
A few days later, some officials came to the door and arrested all of the men in this band of thieves. Apparently, at her wedding toast, the cunning bride revealed the robbers' secret and proved it with the finger. The men were all condemned for their actions and executed.
Looking back at this place now, I remember all of the horrors that took place in this kitchen, and am thankful that I never have to witness such things again.
-----
Author's note: This week, I retold the story of the Robber Bridegroom. The original story is in the third person omniscient, but I wanted to tell it from the point of view of the old woman who helps the maiden. Not much background is given about her, so it was fun to develop her character and explain where she comes from.
The plot of my retelling is very closely related to that of the original. I changed a few details in the behavior of the old woman as she helps the young woman. In the original story, the robbers want to find the finger with the ring after it is chopped off and lands in the girl's lap, but the old woman deters them from doing so, calling them to dinner and saying that "the finger cannot run away." She also slips a sleeping draught into their wine so that they will pass out and so the girl can escape. In my story, I left out these details and just attributed the girl's safety to the men's carelessness and drunkenness. As I was reading this story, I did not understand why the old woman would go to such lengths to rescue this particular girl when she had previously seen so many deaths. I tried to explain her pity in my story, but I didn't think she would take many more measures to prevent the girl's death than simply telling her to hide. I didn't want to portray her as totally heartless, however--even though she might have been systematically desensitized to the idea of death throughout the years, there is still residual trauma as she goes back to the place where she used to live and reflects on the terrible things that had happened there.
Bibliography:
The Robber Bridegroom.
Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm.
Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm.
Translated by Lucy Crane.
Illustrated by Walter Crane.
1886.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Week 13 Reading Diary: Grimm's Fairy Tales (Crane)
This week, I read Crane's translation of a collection of fairy tales. I chose this one based on its description and those of the other fairy tale units. After last week, I wanted to read a collection of fairy tales to compare to the versions of the stories in the English Fairy Tales unit.
The Fisherman and His Wife: Oh, the lessons one could learn about being greedy. As I read through this story, I got more and more frustrated with the wife's demands and increasingly sorry for the husband. In the end, I hope the wife learned her lesson--to be content with what she has and not to constantly want more. In a way, this is a good moral for everyone as it could apply to daily life: we should be happy with the season of life that we are in and live in the present, and not continually be anxious about the future, or the "next step" in life.
Aschenputtel: The familiar story of Cinderella (German translation: Aschenputtel). I kept thinking throughout this story that Aschenputtel is both really quick-witted and quick on her feet. To be able to escape through the pigeon house, change out of her dress, and return to the house to sit by the fire in such a short time must have taken a lot of effort. Minor details, though...
I have loved this story since childhood because it puts its characters in their proper place. Aschenputtel, with her piety and goodness, deserves what she received in the end after enduring such harsh torment from her stepmother and stepsisters. The latter, although their punishments were extreme and gruesome, certainly got their dues as well.
The Robber Bridegroom: This story was comparable to the one of Mr. Fox in the English Fairy Tales unit (and indeed, as I look back at said story, the introduction states that Dan Ashliman has made a compilation of Robber Bridegroom variations). Who knows how many of the terrible crimes the gang had committed, but I was certainly glad when the young bride-to-be unmasked them.
The Six Swans: What I found interesting about this story was that it said nothing about the stepmother being evil until she finds the clew of yarn (although the king must have been relying his instincts when he first meets her, but this is not explicitly stated). Therefore, for the first part of the story, I was confused as to why the children had to be locked up.
The rest of the story was empowering. For the young sister to have the willpower to remain completely silent for six years is inspiring and a true testament to her love for her brothers. It is sad to see evil try to tarnish such a pure love, but it is encouraging to see that this evil is not rewarded.
King Thrushbeard: In this story, the moral that one should not judge based on appearance pervades strongly throughout. The maiden at first loses opportunities to marry a worthy king like Thrushbeard because she scorns his appearance (and that of other suitors). Then, when she marries the beggar and is sent to work in the marketplace selling pots, people buy her wares at first because she is beautiful, but she finds that she cannot depend on this for very long. In the end, she ultimately learns her lesson and it is fortunate that King Thrushbeard maintains his love for her long enough for her to humble herself.
The Three Spinsters: This was the first story in this unit that I hadn't heard before (or a variation of it). The entire time, I was expecting the maiden to go back on her word and not invite the spinsters to the wedding, or act ashamed of them, but I am glad that she did not do so. It is interesting, though, that this story seems to reward laziness--overall, the girl did hardly anything and successfully escaped spinning in the end.
Snow White: Ah, the classic fairy tale. I grew up with this story and I have heard countless different versions of it, so I was curious to see how this played out overall. Whereas in the original Disney movie, the evil stepmother only tries one time to kill her (with the poisoned apple), in this story, she attempts three times. Even though Snow White is only seven years old (which is, admittedly, a very young, naive age), I get frustrated at her for falling for the queen's tricks over and over again. However, the rest of the story was as it is usually told, and I am glad that Snow White ends up happy and the stepmother is brought to justice.
The Fisherman and His Wife: Oh, the lessons one could learn about being greedy. As I read through this story, I got more and more frustrated with the wife's demands and increasingly sorry for the husband. In the end, I hope the wife learned her lesson--to be content with what she has and not to constantly want more. In a way, this is a good moral for everyone as it could apply to daily life: we should be happy with the season of life that we are in and live in the present, and not continually be anxious about the future, or the "next step" in life.
Aschenputtel: The familiar story of Cinderella (German translation: Aschenputtel). I kept thinking throughout this story that Aschenputtel is both really quick-witted and quick on her feet. To be able to escape through the pigeon house, change out of her dress, and return to the house to sit by the fire in such a short time must have taken a lot of effort. Minor details, though...
I have loved this story since childhood because it puts its characters in their proper place. Aschenputtel, with her piety and goodness, deserves what she received in the end after enduring such harsh torment from her stepmother and stepsisters. The latter, although their punishments were extreme and gruesome, certainly got their dues as well.
The Robber Bridegroom: This story was comparable to the one of Mr. Fox in the English Fairy Tales unit (and indeed, as I look back at said story, the introduction states that Dan Ashliman has made a compilation of Robber Bridegroom variations). Who knows how many of the terrible crimes the gang had committed, but I was certainly glad when the young bride-to-be unmasked them.
The Six Swans: What I found interesting about this story was that it said nothing about the stepmother being evil until she finds the clew of yarn (although the king must have been relying his instincts when he first meets her, but this is not explicitly stated). Therefore, for the first part of the story, I was confused as to why the children had to be locked up.
The rest of the story was empowering. For the young sister to have the willpower to remain completely silent for six years is inspiring and a true testament to her love for her brothers. It is sad to see evil try to tarnish such a pure love, but it is encouraging to see that this evil is not rewarded.
King Thrushbeard: In this story, the moral that one should not judge based on appearance pervades strongly throughout. The maiden at first loses opportunities to marry a worthy king like Thrushbeard because she scorns his appearance (and that of other suitors). Then, when she marries the beggar and is sent to work in the marketplace selling pots, people buy her wares at first because she is beautiful, but she finds that she cannot depend on this for very long. In the end, she ultimately learns her lesson and it is fortunate that King Thrushbeard maintains his love for her long enough for her to humble herself.
The Three Spinsters: This was the first story in this unit that I hadn't heard before (or a variation of it). The entire time, I was expecting the maiden to go back on her word and not invite the spinsters to the wedding, or act ashamed of them, but I am glad that she did not do so. It is interesting, though, that this story seems to reward laziness--overall, the girl did hardly anything and successfully escaped spinning in the end.
Snow White: Ah, the classic fairy tale. I grew up with this story and I have heard countless different versions of it, so I was curious to see how this played out overall. Whereas in the original Disney movie, the evil stepmother only tries one time to kill her (with the poisoned apple), in this story, she attempts three times. Even though Snow White is only seven years old (which is, admittedly, a very young, naive age), I get frustrated at her for falling for the queen's tricks over and over again. However, the rest of the story was as it is usually told, and I am glad that Snow White ends up happy and the stepmother is brought to justice.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Week 12 Essay: Fairy Tale Transformations
This week, I read English Fairy Tales (1), which included excerpts from a compilation by Joseph Jacobs. As I read through the unit, I was struck by how many stories were based off of more well-known versions of fairy tales, and I was also surprised that even if they didn't contain the same story line, they still had similar themes and motifs.
The first story, Tom Tit Tot, was strikingly similar to the more famous Rumpelstiltskin. The background provided in the Un-Textbook was helpful; I had heard different variations of "Rumpelstiltskin" but I wasn't aware of other versions that incorporated different names. After skimming through Dan Ashliman's compilation of these stories, it was fascinating to see so many different styles and tones of storytelling in what is essentially the same tale. Tom Tit Tot and each of the other stories in this collection all had different introductions and ways in which the author set up why the daughter must spin straw into gold (or whatever the materials may be), but the trajectory of each story remained the same throughout the compilation.
Another story in this unit that struck me in a similar fashion was the one about Cap o' Rushes. This story was another version of Cinderella, except, like in Tom Tit Tot, the introduction was different. In this tale, the maiden is kicked out of her home because her father asks each of his three daughters how much they love him, and Cap o' Rushes gives an unorthodox answer: "I love you more than meat loves salt." Because of this, her father believes that she does not love him at all, and sends her away to find another place to live. She finds work with a family elsewhere, and is treated kindly. When the prince of the state holds a ball, she claims that she is tired and chooses not to go (as opposed to the original Cinderella story, where the maiden's stepmother and stepsisters do not allow her to go). Later in the evening, she decides to attend the ball anyway. The rest of the story is the same: she goes to the ball, the prince falls in love with her, and they live happily ever after--including Cap o' Rushes's father, who realizes that meat really does love salt at the wedding feast.
In the story of the Rose-Tree, similar themes to those found in the original Cinderella popped up as well. I had heard a version of this particular story before, but I was curious to see if it borrowed ideas from Cinderella. The fact that the brother's tears watered the ground where his sister was buried, enough so that a tree would grow from it, reminded me of the fact that Cinderella's tears watered the ground where her mother lay and a tree also sprung from the land. In the original story, this became a place of guardianship, and Cinderella's mother watched over her and provided her with necessities. In the Rose-Tree, the brother gets the same kind of protection, and even though the rest of the story and the revenge that the sister takes is morbid, it was sweet to see this familial relationship.
After reading this unit, I realized that it reflected the themes that have been emphasized in this class. Throughout the semester, we have learned different methods of storytelling, and these fairy tales embody the very essence of good storytelling. The fact that, for example, Tom Tit Tot is just one version of a multitude of the same story shows the power of small changes within the themes of a story. If nothing else, this was certainly an inspiring unit to read; it gave me new ideas for different forms of storytelling.
The first story, Tom Tit Tot, was strikingly similar to the more famous Rumpelstiltskin. The background provided in the Un-Textbook was helpful; I had heard different variations of "Rumpelstiltskin" but I wasn't aware of other versions that incorporated different names. After skimming through Dan Ashliman's compilation of these stories, it was fascinating to see so many different styles and tones of storytelling in what is essentially the same tale. Tom Tit Tot and each of the other stories in this collection all had different introductions and ways in which the author set up why the daughter must spin straw into gold (or whatever the materials may be), but the trajectory of each story remained the same throughout the compilation.
Another story in this unit that struck me in a similar fashion was the one about Cap o' Rushes. This story was another version of Cinderella, except, like in Tom Tit Tot, the introduction was different. In this tale, the maiden is kicked out of her home because her father asks each of his three daughters how much they love him, and Cap o' Rushes gives an unorthodox answer: "I love you more than meat loves salt." Because of this, her father believes that she does not love him at all, and sends her away to find another place to live. She finds work with a family elsewhere, and is treated kindly. When the prince of the state holds a ball, she claims that she is tired and chooses not to go (as opposed to the original Cinderella story, where the maiden's stepmother and stepsisters do not allow her to go). Later in the evening, she decides to attend the ball anyway. The rest of the story is the same: she goes to the ball, the prince falls in love with her, and they live happily ever after--including Cap o' Rushes's father, who realizes that meat really does love salt at the wedding feast.
In the story of the Rose-Tree, similar themes to those found in the original Cinderella popped up as well. I had heard a version of this particular story before, but I was curious to see if it borrowed ideas from Cinderella. The fact that the brother's tears watered the ground where his sister was buried, enough so that a tree would grow from it, reminded me of the fact that Cinderella's tears watered the ground where her mother lay and a tree also sprung from the land. In the original story, this became a place of guardianship, and Cinderella's mother watched over her and provided her with necessities. In the Rose-Tree, the brother gets the same kind of protection, and even though the rest of the story and the revenge that the sister takes is morbid, it was sweet to see this familial relationship.
After reading this unit, I realized that it reflected the themes that have been emphasized in this class. Throughout the semester, we have learned different methods of storytelling, and these fairy tales embody the very essence of good storytelling. The fact that, for example, Tom Tit Tot is just one version of a multitude of the same story shows the power of small changes within the themes of a story. If nothing else, this was certainly an inspiring unit to read; it gave me new ideas for different forms of storytelling.
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