The Sochi Olympics Are Going to be Epic! (Or Mythic. Or Both.)

You may be wondering why the heck I'm posting a trailer for the Olympics on a fairy tale blog. But then, if you're asking that - you haven't seen it. It's epic, mythic and like something out of Asgard (or maybe Niflheim is more accurate), Middle Earth or Mount Olympus... well, hey isn't that appropriate? Take a look:

Savage North cover by Wayne Reynolds

Frost Giant Jarl for Dungeon Magazine
(Artist Unknown)

I kind of love that the ad is all about conquering nature instead of about "being the best" or putting down other countries of athletes. This focus, while at first seeming grandiose (no - it is NOT a trailer from a new Lord of the Rings movie), the spot attempts to capture just how epic a thing it is that these athletes do at the Winter Olympics. And, in my opinion, kudos to the team that created this for doing so*. This is where it started - with the gods watching and mortal man defying nature, his own nature and the limitations the gods had thought they'd put on humans.

Myth and fairy tale are often linked in very cold regions. Sometimes it's hard to tell where a Norse fairy tale ends and the myth begins. The Frost Giants of legend make appearances in fairy tale, as do ice kings, queens, maidens, trolls and giants.

The chilling voiceover makes it clear: this is a story of epic proportions we're telling here; one future generations will talk about forever. Here's the transcript, narrated at full  grandmaster intensity, by British actor Charles Dance (who plays Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones**):

At the Wall (Game of Thrones Comic #7 cover)
Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister & Ghost

I am the dreadful menace.

The one whose will is done.

The haunting chill upon your neck.

I am the conundrum.

I will summon armies.

Of wind and rain and snow.

I made the black cloud overhead.

The ice, like glass below.

Not you, nor any other.

Can fathom what is nigh.

I will tell you when to jump.

And I’ll dictate how high.

The ones that came before you.

Stood strong and tall and brave.

But I stole their dreams away.

Those dreams could not be saved.

But now you stand before me.

Devoid of all dismay.

Could it be? Just maybe.

I’ll let you have your day.

And can't you see all those fairy tale creatures living in this setting, ready to challenge our modern day heroes? While our heroes wear technologically enhanced athletic gear for speed (and survival) and to gain a prize, are the heroes of our fairy tales seeking treasures in the ice and glass mountains so different? Granted, it's unlikely these people will lose their heads, their fortunes or their families (though they often skirt the edge of mortality) but it's not unheard of for these heroes to win a "princess" (or two) after the trial, or gain the key to the treasure vault of their city (sometimes literally!).

Too often I think we consider ourselves far away from all these old stories, from fairy tales and from myth but really, we're just the modern version of it.

And I love that this ad reminded me of all that.

And I'll be tuning in to the BBC (who have some of the best coverage of all the nations competing at the Olympics IMHO) to watch the athletes go "North of the Wall" and conquer Winter.

Bring on the 2014 Games!
(And snow, please. Sochi could REALLY use a heavy dose of snow over the next few weeks...)

* The trailer was directed by Tomasz Bagiński, polish director and animator. His film "The Cathedral". was nominated for an Oscar a few years ago.

** I wonder how long it took them to decide that there's no way they could have Mr. Dance say "Winter is coming.." without having this epically intense trailer dive bomb into a parody? Although it would have been funny - I'm glad they didn't (but just wait for the memes..!)

Music Video: Of Monsters and Men's "Little Talks"

Here's a video I recently saw for the first time that I thought would appeal to fans of myth and fairy tale. It's by Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men and their music definitely has folk roots while this particular video delves into myth and folklore and has a lot of fun doing so. The song is titled "Little Talks".

What's it about? Opinions vary. You can see the lyrics HERE and draw your own conclusions or scroll down below the lyrics and see people's interpretations...

Ash Lad's Underwear

The Norwegian underwear company DOVRE is starting a new campaign for their underwear this year called 'Enchanting Quality' and uses the popular Norwegian fairy tale character Ash Lad.

Ash Lad plays a similar role to our 'Jack'. He has multiple stories and fills the role of the successful underdog, the mischief maker who wins in the end, the ordinary guy who prevails in extreme circumstances by humor, creativity and wit. The main difference is that he usually has two elder brothers who are, at least initially, more competent and successful. He's also known as "Espen Askeladd", "Askeladden", or, originally, "Askefisen" (you should look up the Wikipedia entry on the name - especially regarding the translation of "Askefisen" - literally "ash-fart" - HERE).

In the tale shown above (read the story HERE) Ash Lad is challenging a giant troll to eat more than he can and in the picture he's about to slit his 'belly' (actually a knapsack, but the giant thinks it's Ash Lad's belly) to fit in more food. He then suggests the giant does the same. Needless to say, Ash Lad wins.

The image below has Ash Lad walking in an enchanted forest, (note the tree guy) talking to a bird. I'm guessing this is from a tale called "The Ash Lad and the Good Helpers" (you can read that story HERE).

What this all has to do with underwear I'm a little vague on (you can see the Dovre label peeking out the top of Ash Lad's pants when he's sitting and in the forest pic I think his shirt is actually an undershirt). Maybe the underwear is helping to 'enchant' the giant so he's duped and does as Ash Lad suggests? Or maybe the shirt is magically helping allowing Ash Lad to talk to the bird? I'm not sure. Not even the regular ad campaign people at Ads of the World or Super Punch visitors (where I first heard of this campaign) seem to know quite how these images are supposed to work.

Nice photos/mocks though. And always great to see different fairy tale characters used in advertising. Says a lot about how people view their fairy tales.

"Riese: The Series" - New Steampunk Red Riding Hood Web Series Begins Today

There's a new Red Riding Hood coming to town... and she's more than a little bit steampunk!

A new web series (a show that airs/is released via the internet) starts airing today called "Riese". It's about a girl on the run with her wolf and promises action, drama, intrigue and an interweaving of traditional fables and fairy tales with a little Norse mythology thrown in for good measure.Interestingly, this is one of the first steampunk influenced series/shows to air since steampunk has become so popular in terms of genre, sub-culture and design these past few years (especially this year). That it takes inspiration from fairy tales (one in particular) is awesome and confirms my belief that steampunk and fairy tales are a good match... But back to the series.

From an interview with Co-creator Ryan Copple:

The story first originated as an idea for a short film, actually. The original concept detailed a young girl, who was traveling with a wolf, visiting a strange and anachronistic town with morally questionable customs. We wanted to parallel the idea of innocence that was captured in the Little Red Riding hood stories, while also paralleling it to the conflicts and moral dilemmas and ambiguities in our own, something we still hold true to in the series as it is now.

As for the production, once we decided to convert it into a series, the real fun began with fleshing out the world that this character was inhabiting. That’s when we borrowed from a variety of historical patterns and genres for inspiration. Aesthetically, we’ve been heavily influenced by the steampunk genre as well as dark, textured works such as “City of Lost Children”. For story inspiration, we drew from both traditional fables, like Little Red Riding Hood, as well as Norse mythology.

You can read the rest of the interview HERE at The League of Extraordinary Genres website.

Here's the trailer to give you a taste.

The first episode of "Riese" is due to be uploaded in the early hours of Monday morning and should be available to view by the time you read this. The first episode is called "Hunt" and you can tune in to their WEBSITE, subscribe to their YOUTUBE channel (which is one of the main places they'll be airing the epiosdes) and get updates via FACEBOOK and TWITTER. And there's already a lot of extra content to see on their YouTube channel about the development and making of the show (I believe it was filmed in August this year).

There's a whole lot more information available on other websites too but I suggest starting at these places to see if it's something you might be interested in keeping an eye on.

Wikipedia has a great overview entry HERE, giving you an idea of the look and feel of the series. If you like "Sanctuary"* (a show on the SyFy Channel that started life as a web series as well), there's an excellent chance you'll like this too.

I, for one, will be tuning in. Steampunk + fairy tale + "Sanctuary" alumni = excellent ingredients for an intriguing idea. I hope this one has teeth...

* "Sanctuary" is a science fiction TV show that has the premise of all the beings in mythology and urban legend as being real (called 'abnormals' in the series). The sanctuary of the title is supposed to be a place of safe harbor where abnormals - from mermaids to bigfoot to scary creatures we hope we only imagined - can receive assistance or find a home to live out their lives in peace. Of course, not everyone is of the same opinion... The show is now in it's second season and getting excellent reviews from fans and critics alike for the writing, concepts and acting, as well as for the excellent use of limited effects. It has been nominated for multiple awards and won at least four. You can find more information about "Sanctuary" HERE in Wikipedia and HERE at the official website.