Theater: Last Chance to See "Iron-Brow and Thorn-Coat" in 2019! (Glastonbury, UK)

LAST PERFORMANCE IS THIS WEEK: OCTOBER 24th!

Hedgespoken is a traveling storytelling theater-caravan that converts the home of artist pair Rima Staines and Tom Hirons to a performance place. They take their show on the literal road and are about to have their last show of Iron-Brow and Thorn-Coat for 2019. This show has quickly sold out in many locations so if you are local to Glastonbury, go grab your tickets HERE RIGHT NOW! (We dearly wish we could do this!) 

Hedgespoken performances and events have grown to be the stuff of legend, with Rima and Tom (and their sons) living a mythic traveling life, using traditional storytelling with fairy tales, folklore, performance, puppetry and live music.. combining many artforms, all while living sustainably.

Here's the publicity statement for their show Iron-Brow and Thorn-Coat:

When the sea-foam is red at the end of the Earth, only then will you see me again – until then you will wander the earth and all that you touch will turn to iron… 

Once upon a time, there was a forest...

In the forest, strange changes can take place. There may be kings and queens and princesses and witches, and common folk going about their business, not to mention all the animals. A lot is going on. Love can be found, and lost, and found again. There’s talk of the farthest sea, of a desert of fire beyond the forest, but these are probably just rumours... 

Once upon a time, there was a forest...

A curious hedgehog with high hopes and his iron-browed bride journey to the ends of the Earth. Will they find true love and happiness, or witches and dragon-flames? Beyond a limitless ocean, a woman covered in moss begs for forgiveness, while under a crone’s stone doorstep, two toads endure winter for love’s sake. 

**  **  **  ** 

IRON-BROW AND THORN-COAT is our retelling of a classic Lithuanian folk-tale. Steeped in old magic and half-familiar memories, this is a beguiling tale of magical transformation, love, betrayal and endurance, featuring puppets and masks designed by Rima, plus foolery and traditional storytelling, accompanied by exquisite multi-instrumental music and song. 

Suitable for ages 5+ (it's very much not just for kids, though!)
Duration - approx 1hr 15mins

If you're wondering about the fairy tale Hedgespoken are basing their show on, here's a little more information. The title Iron-Brow and Thorn-Coat is wonderfully evocative, and typical of how Hedgespoken can draw the magic out of the simplest phrase. The original title of this Lithuanian fairy tale is The Hedgehog and His Bride. At first it seems to be a funny and straight-forward little fairy tale about a transformed-to-hedgehog curse, but then, right about where you would expect the fairy tale to end (happily), the interesting part begins. Throw in an iron-curse, some East of the Sun West of the Moon, some Tam Lin, some brooms and some toads and you have quite an atypical fairy tale (compared to those popular in Western tradition, at least). 

Here are some teasers from the text, but you can be sure that Hedgespoken, making the character of Iron-Brow the center of the story will take you on an intriguing journey before and well beyond this.

(From Fairy-Tales.parnas in the Lithuanian fairy tales in English, section):

"And before I go I will put a magic spell on you: whatever you touch will turn to iron."
Off he went beyond the far seas, leaving his young wife behind him, and whatever she touched was at once covered with a thick coat of iron. She touched her legs and they turned to iron. She passed her hand forgetfully over her forehead and her forehead turned to iron, too. This was a harsh punishment indeed and (she) suffered cruelly and wept because of it.
Cursing her lot and moving her feet with difficulty, she came to the house of the old broom-maker...

You can read the whole tale HERE but we recommend you not doing so if you're planning on seeing the show, either now or in the future. (If you do, you will have to prove you are not a robot to enter the site.) There are obviously spoilers, and while Hedgespoken will still make anything expected magical, the twists in the story, if you're not familiar with them, are pretty wonderful and we can only imagine how much fun Tom and Rima have had putting together this enchanting show. (Look at those puppets in progress!)

Fairy tale theater ad storytelling is always wonderful to see. It's extra wonderful when it's done extremely well and captures a mythic quality in the process. It's even more special when a lesser-known fairy tale takes center stage and enchants a modern audience. It makes you wonder how this tale got forgotten in the first place. Perhaps by re-naming The Hedgehog and His Bride, the fairy tale of Iron-Brow and Thorn-Coat will have finally completed its journey and transformed from forgotten and obscure, to fresh and magical, along with strains of "I've heard of that one!"

We know that there is much power in a name...

Thank you Hedgespoken for using all your many quality skills to bring back the arts and tales, to help us find roots and grow into a better future.

About Hedgespoken (from their website):

Storyteller, mask-maker and writer Tom Hirons and internationally-respected artist, puppeteer and musician Rima Staines tell tales and spark imaginations from the Hedgespoken truck wherever they can, from busy festivals and family camps to quiet laybys and secluded forests.

Hedgespoken specialise in retelling East European and British folktales and also stories from the wide world of the Traveller and Gypsy communities.

Note: All images in this post are from Hedgespoken's promotional materials.

Article: Seanan McGuire on Fairy Tales and Poetry: Pamela Dean's Tam Lin

On tor.com this week, writer of fairy tales and and folklore based novels (among other fun books), got wonderfully nostalgic about Pamela Dean's treatment of another favorite fairy tale of ours, Tam Lin. There's quite a group of people who were greatly impacted by this book, both for the fairy tale themes and the style of writing, not to mention the poetry.

Here's an excerpt:

I liked fairy tales. I liked folk music. When I found a book in a line of books about fairy tales, with a title taken from a ballad, I figured it would be good for a few hours. 

I didn’t expect it to change my life. 

Tam Lin, by Pamela Dean, is one of those books that defies description in the best way, because it both is and is not a fantasy. For most of the book, it’s the story of a girl named Janet starting her college life, with all the changes and chaos that entails. She sees weird things on campus. Okay. Everyone sees weird things on campus. I was already taking classes at the community college across the street from my high school, and I’d seen a man with six squirrels on a leash, a woman attending all her classes in a ball gown, and a person we all called “Troll” whose wardrobe consisted mostly of chain mail and rabbit skins. College campuses are alive with weird things. 

Only her weird things are very real, and eventually they make it clear that the book is a fantasy, and more, that Janet is in some pretty deep sh*t. 

...Tam Lin is a book about choices and consequences, friendships and relationships, and the way our adult selves are built on the bones of the children we once were. It’s also about poetry. If Pamela Dean had never written another word, she would still deserve to be remembered as one of the greats, for this book alone. 

Read it.

You can read the whole article HERE.

I saw this entry on Tumblr this week and found it hilarious so had to share. All the images are from the comic series by Charles Vess that was eventually released in the GORGEOUS book, shown at the top of the post.

From the Tam Lin Balladry Tumblr HERE:

man, ballad tropes are fun

ceruleancynic:

• Anything that begins “as I was a-walking” is probably not going to end well, which is at least a good two-thirds of the ones I know 

• 366 days is the right length of time to wait before you give up on anything 

• If you’re going to drown somebody, for God’s sake weigh the body down with rocks or something so nobody comes along and MAKES A F-ING HARP OUT OF IT ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS because that harp is going to drop the dime on you so fast 

• The Queen of the Fairies has a hoarding problem

(via camwyn)
                      

I am STILL laughing.

My Fairy Tale Romance Is Not For the Faint Of Heart

The cover for Winter rose by Patricia A. McKillip, painting by Kinuko Y. Craft

I'm not usually one to note days like Valentine's Day but with all the talk of love and fairy tales at the moment in the media I thought I'd take the opportunity to share one of my favorite fairy tales ever since it has a lot to do with love.

It's Tam Lin and I love this fairy tale ballad, but not because of the initial passion and "romance", though clearly the girl who insists on exploring "her" land, (despite that it's forbidden) is not some shy, retiring violet. Depending on how you read it, it can be seen as a lust-at-first-sight situation (and she's actually the one who makes the first move) which leaves the girl pregnant. Even if you allow for some time and it not all happening on a first meeting, it's still happens very quickly. While it's all very sexy (and the metaphors within the ballad can be interpreted quite steamily!), it's not really a good basis for a relationship. But it's what happens afterward that draws me in.

The girl, Janet (or Jennet or sometimes Margaret) stands by her decision to choose this man, against her father's will, against the possibility of losing everything and facing the very real possibility that she will be a disowned single mother with no title, land or resources. Not only that, in order to be with her man at all, she has to go up against the Faerie Queen (think super model with celebrity status, hefty bodyguards and actual magic to boot) to win her man back from the tithe/enchantment he's under - and it's a really tough challenge.

She has to pull him off a horse from the middle of an intimidating (and dangerous) Faerie Retinue that's in the middle of a serious procession,  then has to keep a hold of him as he changes forms, trying to escape her grasp, until he changes back into a man and wraps him in a green cloak. The forms include a bear, a lion, a giant snake and fire (!). Her mantra through all this is to remember he is already committed to her (he reminds her he will be present in the future as the father for their son too) and to "hold tight, don't let go".

It's simple but hefty advice for a couple - to hold tight to your partner, to your relationship and your family, through all the changes and challenges you never see coming.

She wins, of course, and the Faerie Queen is furious but must keep her end of the bargain.

I always imagine the heroine in quite bad shape afterward (not to mention exhausted and worried about her baby that's almost due to be born) while her just-freed man is disoriented, aching and naked under the green cloak she's wrapped him in. It's a tough start for the little family but it's an exhilarating one and it's clear they're not people who give up. He isn't (he's been waiting years for the right girl to bond to and to free him) and she isn't (she's just proven that) and they're about to start a new line of fierce people who love with their all.

Because Tam Lin had kept his human heart - the heart that loved Janet - intact through it all (much to the Faerie Queen's regret), he was able to turn back to his true self and be with the one he truly loved - the one who truly loved him.

I can't think of a better way to show your love for someone than to celebrate them as fully as possible and be proud of that in the good times and to be there with them, side by side, when challenges rise, no matter what happens and how unrecognizable they become in the process.

May we love wisely, well and fiercely!

What is your favorite fairy tale about love, passion and/or romance, and why?

Note:  Apart from the header, images above are by Jill Karla Schwarz from the Time Life Series Enchanted World retelling of Tam Lin. While there are a number of wonderful retellings of the story in novel form, my favorite is still Patricia A. McKillip's Winter Rose, the full spread cover of which is shown at the head of the post. (See? I do have somewhat of a romantic side!)

If Merida Came To Storybrooke...

Modern Merida - Amy Pond (Doctor Who) style - OUAT Fan Art by John Raptor

... what would she be like?

It's so very, very unlikely but wouldn't it be interesting to see Merida grown-up and still rebellious, becoming Janet from Tam Lin in Storybrooke? Perhaps even getting pregnant (or related metaphor) and saving her own-chosen true love from a fate worse than death (ie fairies)?

And think of the potential for magic effects and costume possibilities (because we all know these are important considerations): fairies, an enchanted midnight parade, Celtic influence and superstitions, Tam Lin metamorphosing from one being to another in Janet/Merida's arms (you'd have to include a bear in the middle there of course). There's so much to play with and best of all it works with either world because it's such a human story yet has an actual, very annoyed, Faerie Queen.

Although Brave is mother-daughter focused, the themes of the story are in many ways very similar to those of Tam Lin.

Merida has to hold on with everything she's got, and she has to see her mother inside the bear, with her heart, to break the spell. (Heck there's even a conveniently placed water well for Merida/Janet to douse a flaming sword in!)


Merida goes about her rebellion and her drive to break the spell very similarly to Janet as well. From the cockiness and headstrong actions of a strong-willed fiery red head coming into - and expressing - her adulthood, to how much she would risk, to how deep her bravery really goes and in the deepness in her love/bond.

Also, if Merida were a Janet-character, you could even substitute her mother for the figure of Janet's father, since their view on responsibilities and lineage etc are very similar.

I hadn't thought about it so much before but perhaps that's one of the big reasons I've grown to love Merida so much. She's like a slightly-younger Janet. With serious archery skills.

By the way - there are more Merida channeling Darryl Dixon pics (from The Walking Dead) by cosplayer Zoisite-Virupaksha HERE. It works ridiculously well. Between discovering a Merida/Tam Lin/Doctor Who cross-over potential and Merida being ready for the zombie apocalypse, (this modern Merida HERE by an unknown artist, is pretty great too), I'm on the verge of petitioning OUAT creators Kitsis & Horowitz to just go there already!

(And now I need someone to do some Merida as Tam Lin fan art to make my day...)

Merida cosplay by Hidden Writer Spirit

"The Devil's Widow" aka "The Ballad of Tam Lin" Released On Blu-ray

How did I miss this release at the end of September??

Despite being one of those obscure films only Tam Lin fanatics (yes, I'm one of them) and fairy tale folk well versed in film (and possibly die-hard Ava Gardner fans) know about, The Devil's Widow has had enough studio backing to make it to Blu-ray. It's a film that ended up with a couple of titles (not always a good sign) and it's interesting to see that this time around Tam Lin made it on top. When it was released on VHS you had to ask for it by it's more provocative title, The Devil's Widow. (I'm definitely considering getting a copy - my VHS copy is really difficult to sit through, let alone find a player to play it on these days.)

The reviews are more favorable than I've seen about the film in the past. Perhaps the transfer has helped the filmmaking and subtlety of the performances shine (yes, there is subtlety, despite the drug-induced modern-faerie psychedelia!), although it IS a pretty odd film - definitely a product of the experimental '60's (it was originally released in 1970).

With Ava Gardner playing a decadent and aging-despite-herself (faerie) queen, Ian McShane playing the under-the-influence Tam Lin role and Stephanie Beacham (known primarily for her Dynasty role/s and partnering Marlon Brando) playing Janet's role it's an interesting lens on the time period with a psychadelia-meets-fae twist, but the tale is definitely recognizable. This version is told more from Tam Lin (Tom Lynn) in this film and deals with his coming to grips with his... "situation".

It's not a version of Tam Lin that I like very much (and easy to dismiss as a cheesy B movie) but what Ava Gardner does with the possessive faerie queen character is fascinating and she gives a rarely seen, almost personal, exploration of that archetype - just like an inevitable force that can't truly be stopped, like nature, despite herself at times.

The pulp-meets-trippy design of the cover is a good clue to the overall sensibility of this film. It's definitely not for everyone (I wouldn't watch it if it weren't for the Tam Lin connection), but if you, like me, cannot get enough of the fairy tale ballad and haven't seen this, it's worth renting for a once through.

Here's an excerpt from DVD talk:

1970's Tam Lin (or if you prefer The Ballad Of Tam Lin or The Devil's Window) has no shortage of curiosity value, given that it's the one and only feature film directed by prolific actor Roddy McDowell.  

The story itself is based on an old Scottish folk tale, McShane plays Tom Lynn, a young man who gets involved with a wealthy and possessive older woman named Michaela Cazaret (Ava Gardner), who has a habit of surrounding herself with young adults so that she in turn will retain her youthful vigor... 

Definitely a product of its time, Tam Lin is nevertheless a pretty interesting movie even if it does get off to a bit of a slow start. On the surface, the tension wouldn't seem to mount until the last half hour or so but pay attention to the early scenes of partying and note some of the more vitriolic dialogue that works its way into these moments. There foreshadowing of the darkness to come is definitely there, and it's often times delivered in clever and effective ways by the cast members. As Michaela and her ensemble indulge themselves we're treated to a look at the counter culture movement of the era through some decidedly non-rose tinted glasses. These are spoiled children playing with an equally spoiled benefactor who is using them for her own needs with no concern as to what happens to them. They are her toys, and Tom is the one she likes best. 

Performances are very good here. Ian McShane is a good lead, he's not the foul mouthed villain it's so easy to see him as these days but instead a reasonably dashing and charming young man, making it easy to see why an older woman might take interest in him. Ava Gardner is the real star here, however. She's pretty diabolical in her methods, particularly once Tom has crossed her and she decides to take action against him for it... 

By the time the movie ends, McDowell has taken us into some expectedly dark and deliriously psychedelic territory. The movie doesn't necessarily end the way that you think it's going to and it turns out to be a rather strange, although very deliberate film. Some pacing issues aside, this is a pretty interesting curio, a mix of genres skewed through a singular vision intend on updating a story spawned from his own heritage to a modern audience not necessarily aware of the direction in which they were heading. This makes Tam Lin a smarter film than it might at first seem, and in turn makes it all the more worthwhile.

Here's the closest thing I can find to a trailer for it on YouTube:

I'm a little grumped there are no extra features on the Blu-ray - not even behind-the-scenes photos or marked up script pages. I hope they include the Roddy McDowell's intro that was on my VHS copy. It would have been nice to get some additional insight into the research and writing of the movie as part of the new package but... oh well. A decent copy to watch makes it a lot easier to see the Director's subtleties and intent. I'm curious if I will like it any better when I see it next. 

If you'd like a copy of your own, you can buy it HERE.

Article/Lecture: Haunting Scottish Ballads "Empower" Women

We're speaking specifically about Tam Lin, of course, as well as Tam O'Shanter. I would love to go hear this lecture!

Here are some excerpts from the article:

An academic is to explore why Scotland's cultural heritage is full of sex and the supernatural. 

Dr Donna Heddle said she also found "interesting patterns of female empowerment" while researching works for a lecture at Celtic Connections.

... Dr Heddle said: "This lecture is about the shape-shifting supernatural creatures like selkies and faeries which inhabit Scottish ballads such as Tam Lin and Robert Burns' Tam o' Shanter. 

"I'll be discussing their nature, their history in oral ballads and their legacy in written literature. 

"I'll also be exploring what these creatures and their associations with sex say about the society that created them, asking why do the Scots need the dark and sexy world of the supernatural?" 

The academic said that as well as finding the male and female supernatural beings she had expected to find in the literature, she also "noted some interesting patterns of female empowerment".

Now you want to go too, don't you? :)

Dr Heddle will give her free lecture - called Selkies, shapeshifters and sex - later at the Glasgow Royal Concert Halls during the music and arts festival.

If you're in Glasgow at the time, please go and take some notes! I'll happily post them if you do.

It's a bit difficult to pick which parts of this article to highlight for you so I suggest, if you like Tam Lin and/or Celtic supernatural folk tales (or sexy Scottish folk tales), that you just go ahead and read the whole article HERE. I'd love to see a video, or a transcript, or even some notes from this lecture.

I wonder if there are any Scottish film people working on Celtic fairy tales right now? Though The Devil's Widow (1970) did an interesting, if "rather 60's inspired", version of Tam Lin I'd love to see someone tackle it smartly and artistically today.

The beautiful artwork shown here is by Moscow-based artist, Julia Menshikova and is apparently work in progress, though I haven't seen any more added to this since 2009 (yes, it's been in my little private digital scrapbook of random Tam Lin illustrations for that long!). You can see more of her work, all quite different, HERE, she has a beautiful blog HERE and a lovely lovely Livejournal site HERE in which she shows many works in progress.

Tam Lin & "Grimm"

Castle of the Enchantress by Alan Lee

I'm not normally a promoter of fan fiction but I'm making an exception for this recently written story since it does two things: 1) it makes good use of the fairy tale ballad Tam Lin (a favorite of mine) and 2) shows some of the (unused) the potential of NBC's Grimm.

Although this is essentially a fairly straight forward retelling of Tam Lin (with Juliette as Janet, Nick as Tam Lin in need of rescuing, Captain Renard as the fairy queen (king?) and the ever-helpful Monroe as sidekick), I think it does a good job of showing the sorts of places these characters could go, as well as illustrating how much fun a series arc could be, especially if it too is based on a fairy tale. Also interesting is the response of other fans to this piece. It's become very popular and is being linked to from all over the place. To me that says a lot about where this show could go.

One of the main criticisms of Grimm is that it's taking far too long for any series arc and character development to take place. Juliette (the MCs girlfriend) is frustratingly under-used and obvious repercussions of Nick's actions as a "Grimm" aren't being explored much, if at all. This fan fic tackles all that while managing the keep the characters true to the show, bring together hinted at plot lines and still leave the world wide open for exploring.

I could see certain aspects of a Tam Lin device developing over a few episodes, rather than this being told hurriedly in one, though I think "Anonymous" did a nice job. I'm not assessing this for the writing quality (think quickly written first draft with fairly good pacing that hits all the important points) but more for how apt it is for the show, characters used, genre and for the fairy tale angle. In other words, there's a ton of potential here I'm finding myself wishing I'd see explored in the actual show.

By the way, this little gif below, ties in nicely with the Tam Lin angle so thought I'd add it to help provide some visuals while you're reading. :)

If you like Tam Lin, or are wishing (like me) that Grimm's Juliette would be more of a major player in Nick's double-world, then take a few minutes and have a read. It's light, fun and Monroe bantering with a capable, smart Juliette is something I'd really like to see.

You can read the whole story (posted in 4 parts) HERE. (Scroll down past the "prompt post".)

I only wish I could properly credit the author. Clearly they've hit on something with Grimm fans.

A final observation: while Once is being talked about in forums, blogs and podcasts in a speculative sense, it's Grimm that seems to be inciting fan fiction. Clearly viewers see a lot of potential in the show's premise and world of Grimm creatures and tales that just isn't being explored. I too, hope that changes, and soon.

One note re the site: Try not to get put off by the site's name. I found this fan fic by searching for recent Tam Lin additions to the web, not by looking for Grimm news or because I was previously aware of this forum. A quick look around this site turned up a lot of NSFW adult content so I feel lucky to have stumbled across this at all. Despite this, you can be reassured that the story itself is completely clean and safe for work, as are the comments to date.

Tam Lin - Wallpaper by Stephanie Pui Mun Law

© Stephanie Pui Mun Law

 I love* the story of Tam Lin (Child Ballad 39A - a.k.a. The Fairy Tale Ballad) so am always on the lookout for new art and media based on it.

First I have to show you this beautiful wallpaper. (Click on image above to see fullsize please or go to her website and see the images even larger with detail image options - recommended.) I've been following artist Stephanie Pui Mun Law since before she when to college and have been so pleased and proud to see her develop into a much sought after full-time fine artist today. You can see a lot more of her amazing work on her website HERE (lots of fairy tales!) and on deviantArt HERE. I didn't realize she had been working on a triptych of the story until recently so am over the moon to find it.


*I even have several projects gathering dust based on it at this typing! Whether I will have the opportunity to do with them what I want to is yet to be seen but they're never far from my mind.

Tam Lin - Sims Animation (New)

(This was originally part of the above posting but in the end I thought each person should each have their own. :)

I don't think I've ever seen an animation of the story of Tam Lin (oh how sad the project Neil Gaiman and Wendy & Brian Froud were attached to a few years ago tanked!) but someone has been working very hard at home with a medieval Sims program to create the characters and world so they could.

Screen capture from Sims animation by BonnieLaurel

 As you can see from the screen capture above, this type of animation isn't the professional movie studio animation we're now taking for granted on our screens but more like gaming animation. That's, in fact, where it came from (kind of like build your own characters, put them in an environment you 'dress' and play the game). Unlike where Sims started current Sims can be very sophisticated and is a far cry from where Sims began. The medieval world and costuming here is quite impressive, as is the range of movement and animation possibilities now available gamers (and others) at home.

This is the result and I thought it worth posting for anyone who loves Tam Lin as much as I do:

If you liked this, do go let creator BonnieLaurel know. She must have lost weeks and weeks of sleep putting this together!

The music is by Coyote Run who make wonderful contemporary Celtic music, retelling Celtic legends and other literature in song. If you love Celtic music you must check these guys out.