Seasons Greetings, Peace On Earth & Goodwill To All (& we do mean All)

Artist sadly unknown

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Gryla, Perchta, Befana, Forest Mother, Iron Tooth, Holle, Baba Yaga and... Mrs. Claus? Ho, ho - yes!

Researching what Baba Yaga would offer for advice (or as warnings) during the holiday season, it quickly became apparent that our favorite, ferocious wise woman has many sisters, quite a few of which are very active during the Winter Solstice and while some of their names are familiar, some are far less so.

Here's some seasonal reading for you on Baba Yaga's Yuletide 'sisters': 

The Lost Female Figures of Christmas Part I 

Mōdraniht - Mother's Night
Santa Lucia - Saint Lucy
Christkind (always portrayed by a grown woman)
Snegurochka - Snow Child/Maiden
Frau Holle 

The Lost Female Figures of Christmas Part II 

Perchta
Witte Wieven - The White Women
Befana
Grýla - Icelandic giantess

In reading about the sisters above, if you pay attention, you begin to see aspects of a modern female figure (that appears during our holiday season), emerge as well. That figure is, surprisingly, Mrs. Claus.

Although considered an American construct, that was quickly adopted by the UK, it's especially in recent times in which she seems to have become "more active", which is interesting. Not only is she helping Santa get ready for his 24 hour Christmas Eve world run, but these days we see references to her attending to small but key details that change the course of lives and sometimes history. She was credited with "saving Christmas" in the 1960's by the tale of the same name, but her character has quietly developed in complexity since then too. It's gotten to the point where she now ventures out on her own Christmas missions, without the Big Guy knowing, to take care of something she's sees as important, in person.

2016 saw her biggest update yet, thanks to a marketing campaign by Marks & Spencer. Take a look at this commercial that's touching a lot of hearts this season:

The ad has caught a lot of positive attention, and one writer, HERE, points out lots of wonderful details which might slip your attention on first viewing, but are worth sharing as they are all symbols of something else: feminine confidence, power and capability. While we won't include the whole description, here's an excerpt:

The ad, which was created by King's Speech director Tom Hooper, sees a little boy called Jake write to Mrs Claus on Christmas Eve for help. ...She reads Jake's letter (while sporting some fabulous thick-rimmed black glasses) and resolves to help him.

...New Christmas ass-kicking outfit on, and her hair subtly transformed into a Hillary Clinton power bob, Mrs Claus gets on her snowmobile and rides over the frozen landscape to an ice cave, where a bright red chopper (called R-DOLF, obviously) awaits. ...in a scene which wouldn't look out of place in a Bond film, Mrs Claus flies her ruby red helicopter from the North Pole to ...deliver the gift. 

(At) a time of year when all around seem to be telling women how to drop a dress size before party season; which shop the best mums go to; or how to plan ahead to ensure everyone else's needs are satisfied on the big day, it's refreshing to see a middle-aged woman tearing through the skies in a helicopter as if it's the most natural thing in the world. After all, in 2016 every little girl should know that she's just as capable as any boy.

It almost seems as if things have come a full circle - or that they're certainly heading that way. This Mrs. Claus, or Mother Christmas, is quite the feminist bad ass. And somehow, they managed to change her from old and frumpy, to a mature contemporary woman who's also capable and stylish, without stooping to either slutty or sickly sweet. She's almost, but not quite, a superhero. She's a capable, feminine, high profile wife, who finds that tricky balance between acting selflessly and enjoying her perks, and doesn't need - or want - the spotlight. (We have a feeling the Winter Sisters - and Baba Yaga - approve.)

So perhaps it's not so far fetched for people to be sending Mrs. Claus requests for help during the Christmas season. After all, her ancestral cousins have been in the business of helping out during the darkest time of the year for a very long time.

Note: "Love Mrs. Claus" got a lot of best-of-the-biz to bring her to life - from award winning writers, to composers and the actress herself having quite a shiny resume. You can read all the behind-the-scenes HERE.

'The Little Match Girl Passion'

Match Girl by Sarah Gooll Putnam 1874

Hip-hop minimalist award winning choral work, based on Bach's Passion? Not your usual seasonal offering but it sounds like an amazing project we had to look into a bit further this year, as it's not the first - or second - time it has crossed our radar.

This musical work has been performed before in many different ways, using puppets, as well as a more traditional theatrical presentations (one of which you can see some photos of HERE, and another, more contemporary treatment HERE). Every performance has been presented to critical acclaim, but this new staging looks different again, and this time there are dancers.

The teaser trailer doesn't really give much of an idea, unfortunately, but the concept sounds wonderful and potentially very moving. (We're very curious what the dancer roles are...)

From the press release by ArtsWest, in Seattle, CA:

Performance dates: DEC 11 – DEC 22 2016 

Composed by David Lang, 2008 

Based on The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson 

Modeled after Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion, The Little Match Girl Passion is a modern, minimalist retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s tragic winter fairy tale. With only matches to keep her warm, a poor young girl, afraid to go home to her abusive father, takes shelter in an alley on a cold winter night. As she strikes each match, wonderful visions appear: when the last match is struck, the girl learns that the end of her suffering – and her life – is near. Featuring four of Seattle’s most critically acclaimed voices and the lyrical, hip-hop choreography of UJ Mangune, our production of David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning masterpiece is an intimate, unforgettable evening of music and dance. 

“The piece is at once an understated narrative and an ethereal meditation.” – The New York Times 

“David Lang’s retelling of Hans Andersen’s fairy tale is an entrancingly beautiful piece.” – The Guardian 

“Minimalist in form and quasi-medieval in its sublime austerity.” – The Los Angeles Times

Advertising: 'The Shoemaker and the Stars' (Christian Louboutin)

'Tis the season where luxury brands try to woo shoppers with promises of embedded magic in their products... It also makes for some very pretty ad campaigns this time of year. Released Monday December 5th, this commercial for the current Louboutin campaign, is worth a look for fairy tale folk.

“The Tale of the Shoemaker and the Stolen Stars” tells the story of a young cobbler, who is seduced by fame and fortune into breaking a promise. Told in the format of cartoon fairy tale films, this short video plays on consumers' nostalgia. (luxurydaily)

Shoes often get the holiday magic treatment and Louboutin seems to be forming a tradition of fantasy and fairy tale-esque storytelling with regard to their products. Shoes have a long history of fairy tale involvement and it's no surprise shoe companies use this to their advantage. We think it's pretty smart marketing.

From Louboutin's Facebook page:

The Queen of the land planned a magnificent ball to celebrate the birth of her twin daughters. She would invite the most distinguished and elegant people in the land. Beautiful, yet vain, she vowed, “I shall be the finest and the most radiant. I shall shine like the stars. I shall glisten and glitter. Everyone shall call me heaven, for I will be just as wondrous and celestial.” 

Our artisan went to work to make Her Majesty the most beautiful shoes in all the land. He implored the sky to lend him its stars for what would surely be a creative masterpiece. Feeling affection for its unlikely friend, the sky generously agreed, but as midnight struck, it gave the shoemaker a solemn warning to return the stars to the sky or the land would be plunged into darkness. He gave his word to the sky and the stars began to float and then soar towards him, one by one, and then in droves. 

From the precision with which he wielded his knife to carve the elegant wooden forms, to each single star he secured, the shoemaker did it all with consummate care. Turning a completed shoe in his hand, he was astonished by the light it radiated. He admired the graceful silhouette of each shoe. The night was dull without the stars, but as the shoes smoldered, the artisan felt certain they would enchant the Queen. Adding the finishing touches, he dipped his paintbrush in a glossy red lacquer and licked it across the soles. 

When his work was done, the artisan sped to the royal residence. On the steps of the palace, he laid a box bearing only his name, Christian Louboutin. The shoes, snug inside, emitted an incandescent glow. Needless to say, the hard-to-please Queen was delighted with the work of the young shoemaker! And surely enough, her celestial beauty mesmerized guests at the ball, all eyes drawn to her feet as they twinkled across the palace floor. 

The artisan’s reward for his work was a chest filled with exquisite materials and fine tools, the finest he had ever laid eyes on. He imagined instantly all he could create, and the riches these creations would bring him. But the offering from Her Majesty came with a catch. He could only have the chest in exchange for the shoes and the stars...forever. The artisan gazed into the night sky, musing wishfully. Surely the moon and sun would never truly deprive the land of their light? 

Years later, the land was still shadowed in darkness and the princesses had grown into bold, beautiful women. The artisan got word that the sisters were quarreling, so he created a lustrous clutch to captivate them. They thanked him for his wisdom and skill but before he let them keep his creation, they had to grant him just one wish… 

The full fairy tale is revealed below:

Pretty nice work! Props to the artists, writers and filmmakers who did a lovely job of continuing the tradition of the lure of magic shoes.

(Why does this remind us of Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge?)

Merry Krampusnacht! We Are Reading 'He Sees You When He's Creepin': Tales of Krampus'

Tonight, December 5th, is Krampus Night or Krampusnacht - the night before the feast of Saint Nicholas (December 6th). Krampus has had a bit of a revival in recent years, becoming a better known figure in pop culture, but not just as "the horror story of Christmastime" but with respect to him being Santa's partner - his bouncer if you will. Krampus' scary appearance and tools of chains and "switches" are especially for taking the wicked - the Devil through to very bad children - to task.

I have to say, if I was in Saint Nicholas' business, I'd want a formidable counterpart to help me out too! And that's exactly what Krampus traditionally does.

That doesn't mean that's the whole story though.

Kate Wolford - fairy godmother, mentor and cheering leader to fairy tale writers everywhere - has produced a second Krampus anthology, He Sees You When He's Creepin': Tales of Krampus, just in time for the season, and the range of stories are wonderful.

Kate introduces the twelve short stories with one of her brilliant, informative and accessible mini-essays, explaining the basics of Krampus for newbies but also putting some great meat in there for those more familiar with this old holiday character. (We are big fans of all of Kate's intros!)

The previous Krampus anthology released in 2014, Krampusnacht: Twelve Nights of Krampus, also helmed by Kate and produced by World Weaver Press, was a big hit, and hit the pop culture pulse in conjunction with the horror-light movie Krampus hitting the big screens the following year. (We keep hearing praise for that movie from very different sources, so while that's not our usual fare, we think it's time we had a viewing for our newsroom.)

In the meantime, we have been fortunate to have just received a copy of the second anthology and have been visiting Krampus stories right through the weekend, with much enjoyment and relish! Somehow these short stories manage to bring the season into focus, even while Krampus - and the darker side of folk - are in the spotlight, and that's quite an achievement. For example, the opening story, in which Krampus meets a less than saintly Cinderella (and ends up doing some very non-traditional fairy godmother work) was a wonderful surprise. There was much more to this story than at first met the eye and we were thrilled to find other folklore at home in fairyland, woven in as well. We wish we could say more to tease you in, but we don't want to spoil the twists and surprises... just grab yourself a copy and then we can chat. ;)

We may be teasing you more in the coming days up to the Winter solstice, so keep an eye out!

And for digital readers, finishing today - December 5th, aka Krampusnacht, you can get Kate's new second Krampus anthology for $3.99 as an ebook. We would suggest it's a lovely early present to send to someone who could use a dose of the season with a twist - or as a reward to yourself for surviving 2016.

Of Flowers, Ribbons and Hobby Horses... Happy May Day!

Krista Huot* - The May Queen

Did you decorate a flowered maypole (or tree) with ribbons today?

Or get a visit from the "hobby horse"?

We did...

If you're wondering what I'm talking about, you can read a summary of the celebration - which has variations all over the world - (it's not just a UK/Celtic tradition) HERE. The short article explains the history, traditions and various characters that appear on the 1st of May. Beltane, also celebrated on May 1st, isn't discussed but isn't completely separate either, and there are definitely fairies involved with that celebration as well.

You can read a Scottish fairy tale (or perhaps it should be called fairy story) about a fairy horse appearing on Beltane's-eve HERE, titled The Water Horse of Poll Nan Craobhan.

Happy May Day!

*Krista Huot has created many fairy tale illustrations, as well as various fairies, and faery folk and events. What's a May Day without fairies?

Happy Easter, Ēostre, Passover & Spring Sunday!

Happy Easter!

(Or whatever you call this feast day of flowers, egg-hunts, spring goodness and Monster Chicken visits!)

In honor of the day and also to encourage the sentiment of hope and the importance of keeping our tales, fables and folklore alive, I thought I'd post some gorgeous artwork from Rise of the Guardians  - specifically Bunnymund, who's the guardian of HOPE, and spreads that sentiment with extra enthusiasm (and colorful eggs) during Spring on Easter morning.
            
It doesn't hurt for me personally, that in the movie, Bunnymund is specifically Australian, which, we're told is where the original Spring came from.  (Wow, now that's a story and it works very well with the idea of Australia being nicknamed Down Under, as well as the Persephone myth and our sunburnt land's propensity to blossom instantly, and colorfully, back to life at the first hint of rain...) He also has his Warren Headquarters underneath the continent and tunnels that lead to everywhere in the world, so he can race around the globe in seconds.

I know many people have had an exceptionally difficult year-past and the Winter/Christmas season was really rough. You're feeling tired, overwhelmed and unmotivated and that's completely normal. The great thing about Spring is that nature is eager to help you get through that and tries to show you with each new flower, leaf and egg-hunt giggles that there are still good times to be had.

Let some magic make you smile this weekend and remember your child inside:

So this Spring, hold Hope fast in your hearts and watch it spread wherever you go. Tell your stories, encourage other to tell theirs and renew your wonder of the world. It's an amazing place if you remember how to see it.

Blessings to all my fairy tale friends this Easter Day!

Bunnymnd: "That's a lotta hair fer an anklebiter!"
Merida: "Aye. An' you're a lotta hare..."
Bunnymund: "Fair enough. Least you didn't call me a kangaroo. How'dya like yur eggs?"

"Trick of the Tale" illustrated by Tomislav Tomic

While April Fool's Day isn't really connected with tricksters in the tale sense of the term, we all have them on the brain during the day. We do our best to not be gullible and not be fooled, so I thought highlighting a lovely collection of trickster tales (which might give us a few clues about what to do - or not do - next year, since today is pretty much over at minutes to midnight), was appropriate.

Trick of the Tale: A Collection of Trickster Tales by John & Caitlin Matthews, illustrated by Tomislav Tomic
Description:

Celebrate the slyest trickster tales from around the world in a lavish volume that gives a well-loved story tradition its rightful due. 

Enter (carefully) the world of the tricksters, those wily creatures who lie their way out of trouble, cheat when they get a chance, and devise elaborate tricks to get what they want —- with delightfully unpredictable results. This truly diverse, elegantly illustrated collection follows such clever characters as Anansi, Coyote, Brer Rabbit, and others who play a role in a multicultural array of storytelling traditions, from African to Inuit to European, Tibetan to Native American to Japanese.

This collection of trickster tales, retold and edited by John & Cailtin Matthews (a writing pair you see often with regard to fairy tale and folklore collections), is illustrated by Tomislav Tomic, whom you may know from his beautiful work in illustrating the special edition Lang Orange Fairy Book for the Folio Society.

Can you match the titles to the illustrations?

And I'm so glad to see at least one Anansi story here! There is persistent confirmation that Neil Gaiman's Anasi Boys really will be making it's way to screens in the foreseeable future too, as a multi-part mini series of hour long episodes by the BBC... (*whooping and cheering*). Expect a revival of trickster tales when that  - eventually - happens too!

I always greatly approve of stunningly illustrated collections. Yes, of course, I adore beautiful illustrations but every book that captures the attention of people brings these lesser known tales more into focus and back into circulation. More please!

"The Fool and the Fish" illustrated by Gennady Spirin

Today, with fools and tricksters on the brain, I thought I'd offer reference of some tales. Here's this years "fools tale".

There are a number of variations, even within Russia, of The Fool and the Fish. Sometimes the 'fool' is Ivan and sometimes he's Yemelya or Emilian or Emelyan but the result is the same: a foolish (and rather lazy) boy catches a pike and, when it speaks to him, he releases it. His good heart and merciful deed is rewarded by wishes. Lots of them! (We don't hear much from him after he gets his princess, er tsarina, but then when something like that happens, you rarely do..)

Russian fool tales tend to have simple demands, simple wishes and this one is no different. All of the wishes have to do with ordinary things: water buckets that walk themselves home, a sledge that moves by itself (no horse - or person - needed), and axe that can chop wood all by itself. They're childlike in many ways, magical though still not really believable and nowhere near the realm of magical three-headed dragons. They're quite domestic. I think that may be one of the appeals of the Russian fool for me personally - they're pretty down to earth. While they're often considered lazy, they can also be seen as people who take life day by day, season by season, not straining under  the need to be 'more' but enjoying whatever life has to offer. This is a quality that seems to make them level headed rulers, too, when any of them reach that status.

I wanted to add a note I found, too, in the book What Every Russian Knows (And You Don't) by Olga Fedina. She writes:

"You cannot talk about the genre of (fool) tales, about "simpletons" with mentioning the role that the yurodivy, the "holy fool" - has played in Russian culture. Holy fools were those who rejected (or fell out of) normal life to live on the street, abasing themselves completely, going around in rags and acquiring a reputation for being clairvoyants and close to God. This figure, present in many traditions and religions, has been very important in Russia. Being mad or simulating madness helped the yurodivy to detach himself from society and the social hierarchy. They were believed to be divinely inspired, and their utterances, usually in the form of riddles were given a lot of attention. Harming a holy fool was considered a terrible sin, and even the tsars listened to what they had to say."

But back to the wishing fish. A little background on just how the pike is considered, helps shed a different light on the tale as well.

Schuka is a pike fish. The Slavs of old assigned terrifying abilities to this fish – people thought it could swallow a man and that the Water Spirit rode it in the watery kingdoms. (FTNH edit: it's easy to see how this then translates to a fish with magical powers.) In Russian fairy tales, the pike assumes more reasonable proportions and a more harmless nature.

(FTNH edit: a little sampling of artist renditions of the pike from various nations below- it's a monster fish!)

                          

 

I couldn't find artist names to credit for these unfortunately.
The bottom one has a fairly clear name but as I can't read Russian I can't even type it.
See HERE for more info on the legendary size of this fish.

In fact a meeting with a pike fish brings good luck, as the fish can even grant wishes. But you have to catch it first, as Yemelya the Fool (or Ivan in some versions) does in the fairy tale of the same name, and then release it back into the water. There is no limit to the wishes you may ask. Yemelya gets eight wishes in his tale. The tale here is “The Fool and the Fish.” (source)

This version is illustrated by the incredible Russian artist Gennady Spirin, who seems to have an affinity for illustrating fairytales, no matter where they hark from. The text for the 'original' tale can be found (in English) HERE.

In the book Russian Folk Tales by William Ralston Shedden Ralston (not a typo - that is actually his name), there are some notes accompanying the story Emilian the Fool, of which I have taken some pics to include below:

 Did you know that in France, which is thought to be the origin of Aprils Fool's Day, the day is actually called Poisson D'Avril, meaning, literally, April Fish. Children commonly attempt to stealthily stick a paper or cardboard fish on their friend's backs and when it's discovered shout "Poisson d'Avril!" What the connection is between April 1st to fools and fish seems to be unclear. There is a whole history about the need to move the date (as in, change the calendar to start the year on a different date), which was supposed to take effect on April 1st, though some refused to acknowledge this and become the butt of pranks because of it. That makes the fool part clear but not the fish.

There's one theory that changing the date affected changing the end of Lent, in which people weren't/aren't supposed to eat meat. When Lent was over, fish was/is the common meat given and eaten so it's likely fake fish were given to those believing Lent was (finally!) over, only to find they couldn't eat meat at all (yet).

And now I feel foolish that the day is almost over and I haven't had time to post this yet... at least I got it on the right date - even if it was after midday.

Happy April Fish, er, First!

Fairy tale bonuses of the day:

Emelya beer label

Useful Russian expressions based to The Fool and the Fish:
There is a great saying associated with the fairy tale used in every day Russian language.
"By the pike's command" - you can use this phrase when talking about something good that comes out of nowhere, as if by magic.

Or you can use a different version of the same phrase (it sounds different in Russian but translates to be the same in English) to tell someone he is lazy and wants everything to happen by magic."By the pike's command."






Advertising references:

You can see above that there's a beer names after the lazy Emelya but there's a bunch of Russian snack food I found as well. (interesting..)

Fool and the Pike by Lev Ovchinnikov 

You can also find reference to this fairy tale today in a make of Russian car seat heaters called "Yemelya" - the marketing being "it is twenty degrees below zero outside, but you are nice and comfortable in your car, as though it was a magic Russian stove you were driving around."

There is also a special truck line called Yemelya that was used to first reach the North Pole in a motorized vehicle. The trucks were named after the fairy tale character who did not like to leave his stove and preferred to travel with it. In fact in this version of the story the oven is magic and could cut trees for fire.

“The joke is that the vehicle is built so well that it’s good for lazy people,” says Yelagin.

(A discussion on Russia and their relation to stoves and ovens is a whole other fascinating subject!)