Our Fairy Tale Mixtape

The soldier lifted the dog down on the floor and opened the chest. Hans Tegner

Adam of Fairy Tale Fandom had a great post quite some time ago now, on Andrew Lang, whom he describes as a sort of (slightly rebellious) "mixmaster", putting together mixes of tales that, at the time, went against trends and sensibilities and crossed many countries and boundaries and even strayed over into myth and legends in some of his color books. (Go see HERE for the whole recap on Lang's contribution to fairy tale book and collections.)

To quote Adam,

If the books of other fairy tale collectors are essentially albums, then Lang is the guy who takes tracks from all these different albums and puts them together into epic fairy tale playlists.  Sometimes it’s familiar hits you know.  Other times it’s stuff you’ve never heard of.  Sometimes he’ll just surprise the heck out of you by including something crazy like Gulliver’s Travels.  Every color fairy tale book is the equivalent of a fairy tale mixtape (or mix CD or Ipod playlist depending on your generation) all set to rock your weekend.

Charles Mikolaycak - Green Mantle

With this image (of Andrew Lang, fairy tale DJ) in mind, Adam created his own epic fairy tale anthology-mixtape and asked us to think what we would include if we made our own.

We've made lists before of favorite fairy tales we'd want to include in a book, but not one based on the "little bit familiar, little bit not, little bit surprising" premise, so we thought we'd have a go.

Predictably, we instantly had over 50, but even our best whittling only got down to 20. At this point it became painful and like the punushment of Sisyphus, edit, add, edit, repeat, so we called a halt and decided we'd just admit defeat and post 20. (After all, who makes a mixtape with only 10 songs?)

In no particular order (we are still sweating from editing this monster down. No way we're up to managing some sort of order of favorites):

1. Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave (Afanasyev)
2. The Wild Swans (HCA)
3. Jack and the Beanstalk (Jacobs)
4. The Boy Who Drew Cats (translated by Hearn)
5. The Tinderbox (HCA)
6. Tam Lin (Childs Ballad)
7. Lady of the Green Kirtle (tale akin to the legend of Morgan Le Fey from the Narnia series)
8. Sweet Porridge (Grimm)
9. Diamonds & Toads (Perrault)

Sidone in the Forest - Kinuko Y Craft

10. Little Snow White (Grimm)
11. Cap O' Rushes (Jacobs)
12. The Pied Piper (Legend, Grimm, Browning)
13. The Day Boy & The Night Girl (MacDonald)
14. Hansel & Gretel (Grimm)
15. Boots That Made the Princess Say "That's A Lie!" (Asbjørnsen and Moe )
16. The Black Bull of Norroway (Chambers/ Jacobs)
17. Jorinde & Joringel (Grimm)
18. The Heart's Door (Finnish fr Scandinavian Folk & Fairy Tales - Ed. Claire Booss)
19. Swan Lake (Russian & German tale hybrid)
20. The Boy Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was (Grimm)

Ta da!

We have a feeling, that as soon as we post it, we're going to want to do a PART II of this post. You know, for the flip side... of (Album I of the Box Set).

We'd love to see your mix of 10-20 (some classic, some lesser known, some other stories altogether) as would Adam, of course. It's a good exercise in making you think about why you like certain tales too. Give it a go!

Reflecting on the rumblings in the newsroom here, wouldn't it be awesome if we had a "new millenium fairy tale bloggers collective mixtape-anthology" of fairy tale must haves? (With pictures please!) There'd be some overlap for sure (at least one of ours is on Adam's list too because it's also a "must" for all here) but there'd be a really interesting variety and cross-section of tales too.

We can dream...

Rima Staines

Fairy Tale Transformation Illustrations from Ivana's House of Fairy Tales

These unusual fairy tale illustrations by Ivo Matić are from Ivanas' House of Fairy Tales, which is a unique multimedia and interactive visitor's center and permanent exhibition, which celebrates fairy tales and their makers. (Located in Ogulin, Croatia) The illustrations are displayed on a tablet though a "secret spyhole" within the exhibition and are just one part of an interactive multimedia display/experience.

Our mission is to celebrate the writings of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić and to use fairy tales to inspire a love of reading, knowledge and creative expression. By promoting the knowledge of fairy tales – a widespread literary genre – we encourage intercultural exchange and enhance the cultural and tourist prosperity of Ogulin, while actively contributing to the development of the city and improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.

The idea behind Ivana's House of Fairy Tales is part of a cultural incentive from the local Board of Tourism to encourage the perception that Ogulin is a unique, beautiful and culturally important place to visit, along with the international Ogulin Fairy-Tale Festival.

The reason it's called Ivana's House, is wonderful and easiest to explain by including some text from the official website HERE:

This idea was inspired by the fact that Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić – Croatia's foremost writer of fairy tales – was born in Ogulin. Tales of Long Ago, her most successful collection of fairy tales, bears traces of the natural beauties of Ogulin, and the intangible heritage of its tales and legends.  

...More than sixty collaborators from different areas of expertise were involved in the various phases of developing Ivana's House of Fairy Tales. Their wide range of knowledge along with a variety of their individual talents and skills makeIvana's House of Fairy Tales a prime example of an interdisciplinary and multimedia team project! The project would surely not have been so successful without the highly motivated local inhabitants, who took an active part in the various activities and showed support for the idea of turning their hometown into a homeland of fairy tales.

We admit we are not very familiar with Ivana's fairy tales but it would seem more than just this Polish fairy tale writer's are represented at the center. We see both Grimm's and Andersen's tales represented in the illustrations as well as Japanese and Russian tales.

Although only a selection of the "porthole illustrations" showing transformation in fairy tales (the pen and ink drawings above) are available to view online (to see the others you need to visit the center), there's a description of the experience on the website and I'm including it here. (Note: I do not intend to breach any copyright but only to encourage people to visit and appreciate the project.)

 

The interactive and multimedia permanent exhibition is based on the principles of knowledge, creativity and the use of new technologies.  

The exhibition starts with the “Magic Forest”: a gateway into the world of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, a world where trees narrate episodes from Ivana's life and stories from her books, a place where clever heads and capable hands can put together a real fairy tale! 

The “Enchanted Castle Hallways” are the perfect place to “get busy with” exploring fairy tales: what are fairy tales, who writes, collects and narrates them, and what are they about – these are some of the things you can learn in the “Enchanted Hallways”, or catch a glimpse of out of the corner of your eye. 

A secret corner of the castle holds the “Magic Mirror”, which reveals the 'wondrous inner image' of all who look into it. But only those who listen carefully can get a 'monstrous' picture as a keepsake! 

The “Fireplace” is the “warm” corner of Ivana's House of Fairy Tales where you can listen to (and later attempt to recreate) fairy tales in the “Fairy-Tale Jukebox”. 

In the “Fairy-Tale Library”, visitors can find numerous books of fairy tales and about them. Special attention is given to collecting valuable first editions of fairy tales. Should you need help browsing through the Library, simply ask one of our very own Brownies – the educators of Ivana's House of Fairy Tales. 

The “Chamber of Mystery” is located in the centre of the “Enchanted Castle”. This is a multifunctional space where you can watch three educational animated films or play an interactive game. This is also the stage for theatrical productions, concerts and other events.

Doesn't it sound like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, or better still, a great project to be part of? One of the wonderful benefits of present day technology is the collaborative possibilities as well as the multimedia and interactive options, providing new options for storytelling experiences and for preserving - and spreading the knowledge of - fairy tales.

Note: The center also has a wonderful project in progress: a database of fairy tales, which you can see the description of below. Clicking on the image will take you to it.

                    

"The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship" Read by Robin Williams

Unable to decipher who the artist is sorry!

I found this recording on Tumblr and had to share, once I tracked down a better version. I had no idea Robin Williams had recorded this fairy tale. He did this project the year before he played the Genie in Disney's animated film Aladdin. It's hilarious, classic. I don't think we'll ever stop missing that guy and the way he made us laugh...

This runs about 30 minutes and is completely suitable for kids to be listening to, in fact, that's recommended.

Take a listen:

Annie Leibovitz Inspired by Nordic Sagas, Slavic Folklore & The Snow Queen for Fashion Shoot

Annie Leibovitz is well associated with fairy tale themed shoots, so much so she is the official photographer-on-call for the Disney Theme Park shoots (which are live action interpretations of a scene from the animated movies). While those shoots are often very creative and do bring some surprises, I always find it most interesting when she steps outside the Disney properties and works with folk and fairy tales for fashion (often for Vogue).

Drew Barrymore's Beauty and the Beast shoot wasn't a Disney shoot, and you can see a lot of 'thinking outside the mold' in that one, which is wonderful. Keira Knightly's Wizard of Oz shoot remains striking, as does her Alice fashion photography with super model, Natalia Vodyanova.

This campaign was for a company called Moncler and shot in the stunning Icelandic landscape with two up-and-comers on the model scene, a Mormon brother and sister duo from Utah. For this shoot, touting the stylish warmth of this company's clothing, the Snow Queen makes an appearance. I'm always fascinated by how this character is interpreted when it comes to fashion but I have to say, I expected something a little more land-based (as in using the landscape forms of Iceland) rather than something that reminded me of the White Queen from Narnia (which I like better), still they're nice storytelling photos.

One Spanish website (Totumrevolutum) explains the concept of the shoot by summarizing the fairy tale:

"The Snow Queen" (Snedronningen) is a fantasy novel written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845, which tells of the struggle between good and evil experienced by two children, Kay and Gerda.

And from a report discussing the shoot, via the Daily Mail:

The stunning images show Lucky and Pyper keeping warm in a range of Moncler's signature quilted outerwear, while navigating the rugged landscapes, from colossal ice formations to wind-sculpted rocks. 

Annie Leibovitz directs Lucky in a frozen woodland as he is captured by the Snow Queen

The Moncler campaign was apparently inspired by 'Nordic sagas and traditional Russian and Slavic folklore' - here Lucky encounters the Snow Queen on his travels.

You can see more photos from the shoot HERE, as well as more behind-the-scenes pics too, which I think are completely worth the click-through, just to see the incredible landscape.

"The Sad Little Princess" To Benefit Veterans

The Princess Who Never Smiled by Viktor Vasnetsov

Here's an unusual tale with some unusual affiliations: a lesser-known Russian fairy tale (usually titled The Princess Who Never Smiled) has been made into a special-release paper doll book (by an award winning doll designer) and after the hundredth copy has been sold, all the rest of the profits will go toward Hope for Veterans.

I'm not sure why this tale specifically, unless it's to do with bringing happiness back into people's lives, (which is definitely veteran related) or why paper dolls might be related to veterans (although it does say the designer supports this cause personally), but either way, it's wonderful to see.

And great to see a different fairy tale getting circulated too. The English version of this tale, The Golden Goose, (in which the townsfolk end up being stuck to each other in a long chain and dragged about town) used to be well and widely known but sadly doesn't seem to be anymore.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Stacia McDonough, award-winning doll designer and CEO of Neva Dolls, has released her second book, “The Sad Little Princess.” It’s a collaboration between the Bedminster-based doll artist, and the late Tom Tierney, a prolific and talented paper doll artist.

The story is based on an old Russian fairy tale about Feodora, a beautiful, yet melancholy tsarina (a Russian princess), and the quest of her beloved father, the benevolent Tsar, who has offered half of his impressive kingdom to the suitor who can make his precious daughter happy.

McDonough’s verse aims to transport the reader into this whimsical land of make believe, in a tale told with an authentic Russian flair.

...“I am thrilled that this special edition book is being released to the public,” McDonough said. “It was an absolute joy working with the late, great Tom Tierney. He was the quintessential professional, and the absolute finest paper doll artist this world will ever see. Tierney’s dazzling renderings of my original Russian costumes are stunning. The vivid, eye-popping colors paired with my exotic Russian costumes are simply a luxurious treat for the eye to behold. Prepare to be enchanted!”

McDonough is known for her luxurious Neva Dolls. Each doll, “Handcrafted in Russia with Love,” pay homage to all Russian women throughout the centuries, from the farmer bride in the rural village, to the courtly tsarinas. Committed to preserving old-world style through fine detail and sophisticated style, these museum-quality porcelain dolls capture Russia’s history and grandeur with costumes created from genuine furs, exceptional fabrics, and the finest Russian porcelain. The opulent beauties are inspired by Russia’s history, its folklore and fairy tales, and its literature and ballets.

The Golden Goose illustration by Lancelot Speed from The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

For further information or to purchase a book, go to Amazon.com or visit paperstudiopress.com.

Ukranian Folklore & Riddle Illustrations by Valentina Melnichenko

I promised to share these a while back and thought it about time I did, now that I've tracked down all of them (I think!). These are, as far as I can make out, from a book published in 1988 in the Ukraine, on folklore and riddles. (Valentina Melnichenko also illustrated the very "red" Little Red Riding Hood illustrations I shared HERE.)

I love these characters! And there are a couple of familiar looking ones in there too. The patterns are whimsical and fun but take a lot of skill to balance and still look carefree. Amazing work.

 

 
I regret I simply don't have the research time to hunt down where each illustration might be from tale-wise, but if you recognize any (or suspect a certain tale) please do share!