Category: myth and fairy tale

in the opening of the Grimm Brothers’ The Faithful Animals, a man rescues three animals that had been held captive and forced to dance: a mouse, a monkey, and a bear. the wild does not like to perform. dance itself may be a wildness (my weekly flailing and carrying on at 5 Rhythms tells me… Continue reading wilding

i am pleased that the man’s journey is of little consequence. it is only what happens before, and after. the journey is nothing, save for its dearth of singing, springing larks. If I gave you diamonds and pearls Would you be a happy boy or a girl – Prince and The New Power Generation, 1991… Continue reading diamonds and pearls

The male principle is the one that transforms – the beast – but the woman does all the work. so Meredith writes in her excellent post on The Summer and Winter Garden, Grimm’s Fairy Tale, a tale i didn’t like at all. My edition of the collection didn’t even have it, so i read it… Continue reading transformation and work

in the Grimm’s Fairy Tale #91, The Gnome, i am intrigued by the themes of: this time, i really can’t focus on proof or truth. most of the characters take what is said as the truth: for example, the king’s three daughters tell exactly how they were freed (to a stove, no less), and the… Continue reading the gnome knows

Meredith and I proceed with our Grimm’s Fairy Tale book club. She wrote a reflection that really got me pumped, at once a light, quick, touch, and yet it covered a lot of ground. After reading this tale to myself, I read it aloud to my son. He and I were both surprised that the… Continue reading What jewel?

in which Meredith and i respond to the tale Allerleirauh (All Fur) as collected by the brothers Grimm let me begin by stating how difficult it is to pronounce Allerleirauh for people with a lisp or short lingual frenulum (that little bit of skin attaching tongue to mouth). i was, as ever, intrigued by Meredith’s… Continue reading sun, moon, stars

in which Meredith and i respond to the tale The Two Brothers as collected by the brothers Grimm i was surprised at the length of the story: could it have stopped after the twins reached apprenticeship? so much magic had already happened! they had a trade, they found gold pieces underneath their pillows each night,… Continue reading two times two