How Anansi won the Sky God’s stories

 

Hello ,everyone and welcome back to my blog, so i just bought a copy of The Annotated African American folktales by Henry Louis Gates JR. and Maria Tartar because it’s easier to just do citations and give credit to the authors and also 

 because. African folklore holds a special place in my heart due to the fact that my first grade teacher Mrs Booker read them to my class during African American History month, we also had a lot of folklore based assemblies where audience participation was encouraged. So it is something I associate with my childhood. 

There’s just something kind of fascinating about listening to stories  that are over a thousand years old and come from the other side of the continent and i can’t help but think about how these stories came over to America in the mouths of people who were dragged from their homes chained in a cargo hold, torn from their from families and given absolutely terrible treatment for years and years and years and they managed to keep these  stories which were still bits of their culture alive and pass them on and be inspired by them. 

Honestly it’s why i love folktales  in general because i see it as these little bits of History that have survived the ages and i think we get at least a tiny reflection of the people  the stories come from but you also get these Fantastical elements that are just the imagination going wild and not giving a damn about reality. So it’s really the best of both worlds an exploration of a rich culture history combined with Fantasy.  

And i’ve rambled enough so let’s get to it the story i’m going to be commenting on is an Anansi Story and sense it’s about stories it makes sense to start off with this one. 

 So Anansi goes to the Sky God named Nyankopon with the intention of buying his stories. So naturally he asks for the price and the Sky God replies “ They cannot be bought for anything except Onini the Python, Osebo the Leopard, Mmoatia the Fairy and Mmoboro the Hornets’ ‘ (Tartar,Gates).  Hey people collect buttons why cann’t Sky Gods collect strange creatures? 

Then Anansi not only agrees but offers to throw in his own mother to sweeten the deal. Which suggests that both the Sky and Anansi see value in Anansi’s mother whether it’s because of who she is, or if it’s because she’s an older woman.  Anansi stories are traced back to Ghana and the culture places great reverence for elderly people, as they were often the ones who kept the culture alive, but this is just a guess and it could just be another example of how Anansi really kind of sucks as a person.  Anyway Anansi goes home and it’s like yeah i’m exchanging you for the sky gods stories to his mom and he asks his wife Aso “ What is to be done that we may capture Onini the python?” At this point i’m guessing Anansi’s family is used to his bs and think he’ll trick the Sky God to get his mom  back when he realizes there’s no one to cook for him. 

 

So, Anansi follows his wifes suggestion to cut off a palm tree branch and some string creepers.  I looked them up on google and it appears to be some soft leafy plant.  

So Anansi goes to the stream and fakes an argument with his wife until pythron shows up. Anansi says “ It’s my wife Arso, who is arguing with me and telling me that this palm branch is longer than you are, and I say she is a liar.” (tarter, gates)  so Onini the python suggests Anansi bring the palm branch over and measure him which he does but then he ties Onini up with the rope creeper and then gloats about how he’s completed his first ever kidnapping yay! So anansi takes him to the Sky God.

 Then his wife helps him come up with a plan to trap the hornets he pours water on their nest gets himself wet and tells the hornets its raining but don’t worry they can hide in his gourd. The hornets do so and Anansi gloats again and takes them to the Sky God. You’d think with Anansi’s reputation the other creatures would learn not to trust him. 

 

Anyway he digs a hole for the leopard who falls in and Anansi gaslights him by convincing him he was drunk offers to pull him out as long as he agrees not to chase Anansi’s kids or him. So the leopard agrees and Anansi puts out poles for him to climb on and and smacks him in the head with a knife, then pulls him out of the pit while. Don Anansi finishes his second kidnapping and gloats some more. Then sets about trapping the fairy so makes what is called  “Akua’s child” this refers to a Fertility doll that women carried around it hopes to conceive a child. https://blogs.missouristate.edu/arthistory/akuama-and-akuaba-influenced-art-researched-by-sarah-teel-and-nicole-manhart/

 The origin of this comes from the Akan people, a subset of people from Ghana. It seems to be there as a cultural reference more than anything. 

 

Anyway, Anansi smears sticky stuff on the dolls body then he puts mashed yams in the dolls hand and attaches a string to her. Then he puts the doll at the foot of the odum tree where the fairies like to play. So a fairy shows up and says “ Akua may i eat a little of this mash?” Anansi who’s hiding pulls the string attached to the doll to make it nod. So the fairy is like her sisters “ She says i may eat some” so her sisters are basically like well just do it then. So the fairy does and then she thanks the doll and it doesn’t respond. So she complains to her sisters and they like “ Slap her crying place” which i assume means the face but knowing how kids are spanked i can’t help but wonder if the fairy’s hand is glued to the doll’s buttocks. 

So, the fairy being an indecisive little twit appeals to her sisters for the answers again. So their like give her another slap and she does and gets her other hand stuck and then becuse everyone in this story except Anansi and his family are dumb. She asks her sisters again. So they tell her to push the doll with her stomach because either they are not that bright or they think this is hilarious. So Anansi shows up ties the fairy up and gloats about taking her to the sky god. I guess her sisters either fled or just waved to her as she was flung over Anansi’s shoulder. 

 

Then Anansi goes home and gets his mother and gives her and the fairy to the Sky God so he summons the other gods and is like yes Anansi has completed his payment. “ Sing his praise” because when someone hands you money for goods and services in this universe you apparently start talking about how great they are. That must make trading very interesting to say the least, guy ( Do you have the spices’ ‘ Merchant – Have you read the five stanzas talking about my greatness?  Guy- i’m going to start with that enormous regal nose of yours). So after Anansi’s ego swells up some more the Sky God declares all stories are now Spider Stories aka belong to Anansi. 

Honestly, I’ve read this one a few times and it’s a lot of fun. It’s one of those stories where you notice something each time that you overlooked in your last reading. And there is a lot of personality from Anansi’s sly arrogance,  to the fairy’s inability to make a decision on her own. You do get a sense of what makes these characters tick. Also the cultural references do give a bit of a peek into the fabric of the culture.

 One thing I’ve always enjoyed about older stories is their tendency to encourage problem solving verses just punching or slicing open every obstacle.  When the Leopard and Python are put in situations where their main advantages are size and strength are useless they are unable to adapt. Even the fairy just intends to just hit the doll until it lets her go. None of them stop and think because they are not used to having to. Anansi isn’t the strongest but he is the smartest not only relying on his own intelligence, but also accepting input from his wife to improve said plans. Anansi is a huge jerk but he does use his brain a lot. 

So that concludes this weeks blog topic, though, i’m kinda tempted to do a two month Anansi special with a couple more  Anansi snark pieces and one big essay based on the Tv show American Gods.  This  would cover Anansi being adapted into the modern day era and dive deeply into some of the folklore history.  Another part of me wants to do commentary/ talk about other African folktales and their style of telling based on the culture because their is a lot to unpack there. 

 

So i’ll leave it up to you guys Anansi, or other African folktales please vote in the comment section. 

And speaking of African folklore 

Are you tired of the same old medieval based Fantasy?  Why not take a journey to the lands of Moui Ka, a world once united, torn apart by the mysterious events of The Day the Stars reigned. From the Makedo Kingdom, whose peaks are forever shrouded in fog to the Shitunde jungles where rumors of werecats and shaman echo through the air in hushed whispers, every bit of Moui Ka presents an epic adventure.

 Jelani by mjjj956 is an epic action packed Black Fantasy with  magic, fantastical worlds and strong bonds of friendship. So sit back, take a deep breath and get ready, to join Jalani the great hero on his quest. 

“Jalani”  is one of the many African and Black Fantasy titles currently up on Wattpad whether in support of Black History or year round. There’s a lot of talented authors and good stories on that site that aren’t what you’d get from your average publishing company. So if African based Fantasy is your thing or you just want to try something new. I’d recommend checking out their free stories. 

Maria, Tartar and Louis Gates. The Annotated African American Folktales. Liveright, 11/14/2017

The Queen of the Feast of Feasts a Prudence Character Study from the Chilling adventures of Sabrina

 

Prudence Blackwood is first introduced to us along with her fellow witch sisters Dorcus and Agatha confronting Sabrina in the woods and warning her a half breed like her is not welcomed at the Academy of unseeing arts, since Sabrina is half mortal. Then all three of them put a curse on her.  Later we learn all three sisters were adopted by Father Blackwood. They are known as the Weird Sisters and seem like their going to operate much like every other bully clique who hates the protagonist for being different. 

This gets subverted when Sabrina herself summons them to help get revenge for her friend Susie by messing with moral boys who hit her. They strike a bargain that Sabrina won’t join the Academy if they help her get revenge. Sabrina agrees to this but crosses her fingers behind her back (our heroine ladies and gentlemen). 

 

The three of them execute a plan that involves tricking the guys into hooking up with each other and blackmailing them. Then Prudence and her sisters scare them off and are also revealed to have done a spell to control the boys um anatomy. (Honestly the whole thing makes me uncomfortable especially when certain facts about the football players come to light later on, but that’s not what this essay is about) 

Prudence tells Sabrina “ You may be more suited to the academy then we first thought” showing she’s changed her mind. Prudence also reveals she knows Sabrina had no intention of keeping her promise but agreed to help anyway, because she enjoys tormenting moral boys. This reveals a lot about Prudence’s character she is crafty, cruel and biggoted but she can bend a bit when faced with what she sees as potential. 

 

We also learn that Prudence is very wise, since she points out that signing the book of the beast and making a contract with the devil is about giving up your freedom in exchange for power. Prudence  laughs in Sabrina’s face when the half witch suggests they shouldn’t have to give up anything for power and should have it all. This highlights her self awareness and hints that Prudence is far older than her appearance suggests. Which actress Tati Gabriella has confirmed stating that Prudence is really 75 years old.     

 

For the first season Prudence kind of fades into the background other than viciously hazing Sabrina with her sisters which links back to her cruelty.  Until episode seven titled the Feast of Feasts. The Witches of the coven have a tradition where a witch is selected as a sacrifice to be killed and have her flesh consumed by the other members of the coven after they fast. Prudence is chosen and sees it as a great honor “ Prepare me a bath of buttermilk and bring me a plate of macaroons” she orders. 

Prudence goes about sweetening herself to be the best feast she possibly can. 

Sabrina who is chosen by the coven as her handmaiden tries to persuade her it’s all nonsense as she baths her. “ You don’t really believe all that” Sabrina insists.  Prudence reveals she does, she wants to die to be honored by the Coven and to “reside in the Dark Lord’s heart until the trumpets of the apocalypse sound” This shows us Prudence is a true believer who is truly devoted to the Church of Night. 

 

Sabrina bring Prudence to her school and she finds out Harvey is descended from witch Hunters then someone kills a familiar and Prudence thinking its Harvey has to be persuaded out of full retribution mode by Sabrina who informs her “ Harvey didn’t kill that  farmiar” to which Prudence gives the best line of the season “ How is your faith in the mortal boy any different than my faith in the Dark Lord? Why is your faith more valid than mine?” this line once again highlights the fact that Prudence is an old soul who challenges Sabrina to actually think. 

 

Its revealed near the end of the episode Prudence is Blackwoods biological daughter and was only chosen as feast queen so Blackwoods wife could get her out of the way to protect the inheritance of her own children. This sets up Prudences character arch but for now it just spares her from being eaten though she still sits on the throne because she is Prudence and wants to feel special for one night. 

 

She has a slight role in the mines episode where she lets Sabrina kill and resurrect one of her sisters because both Agatha and Dorcus went behind her back and collapsed the mine to kill the Kinkle family. This suggests that Prudence does have a bit of a code despite her anti human stance, she feels there at least has to be justification for killing a mortal.  

 

In Season 2 Prudence  is openly acknowledged by Father blackwood as his daughter. She’s also assigned as her baby brothers wet nurse and in chided in the first episode for letting him cry. However despite  her newfound responsibilities Prudence’s Father and her do not see eye to eye. When Prudence offers to run against Sabrina as head boy, Father Blackwood won’t allow it because he cannot conceive of a witch with a position of authority. Furthermore he will not allow Prudence to have his last name.  

This results in Prudences and the other weird sisters telepathically wire the answers to Sabrina. While i’d rather have Prudence obtain the position for herself because Sabrina shouldn’t get everything she wants. It is at least the first act of defiance toward her Father from Prudence. 

 

During the play Prudence gives Sabrina advice “ lust is not a sin Sabrina” she reasures her. Though the moment is more about Sabrina it does highlight Prudence’s views on sex which does make up her character. Prudence being raised within the Church of Night has always been very comfortable with her sexuality in Feasts of Feasts as queen she requested an orgy and teasingly invites Sabrina to join in. Prudence does not view lust as something to have hang ups about physical desire is something to be acted upon. Within the same episode she pursues Ambrose Sabrina’s cousin flirting with him. Her advances are returned and two of them enter a poly relationship. 

 

The valentines episode isn’t really a highlight except it reveals the fact Prudence and her sisters have prothosized dreams and share a vision about how the spellmans will be the undoing of the Blackwoods which FatherBlackwood dismisses. I’m guessing this a macbeth reference but it does show that Father blackwood dismisses Prudences concern for his safety. 

Later Prudence goes to Zelda blackmailing her into getting the anti pope to declare Prudence a Blackwood. Now whether or not Prudence wants the power that comes with the name or desires to be part of a family is unclear and i honestly think there’s evidence for both. On one hand Prudence does attempt to murder Father Blackwell later in the same episode and only relents when he declatres her “ Prudence Blackwood” but on the other hand she does save her fathers life from Ambrose and when Father Black wood changes Prudence with potecting the acdemy and their family name while their off on his honey moon. 

Prudence takes this vow very seriously replying he can rely on her. 

The next episode we see Prudence honoring this promise she sets about breaking Ambrose who she see’s as a tradior to get him to confess to the murder of the anti pope, refuses to let Sabrina into the acedmy while calling her out for useing her and her sisters all year and saveing her life only for selfish reasons during the Feast of feasts. 

These acts reveals a repressed bitterness from Prudence and hint she sees both Sabrina and Ambrose of using her just to destroy her father which is why she’s so vindictive towards them. Much like trying to kill her Father, Prudences acts of violence seem to come from a place of great betrayal and a sense of her not being important to those she cares for.  Prudence is also high on the fact she appears to have finally gained the approval and affection of the only parent she’s ever known and intends to keep it that way. It’s a response for some children who grow up in emotionally abusive household and Prudence has done so for at least 75 years. 

 

Then a life changing event happens to Prudence making her question evaluate her values. Witch hunters show up at the academy and despite the best efforts of her and her sisters fail to protect the other students. The Witch hunters due to their angel powers (just go with it) overpower the sisters and start killing other witch students as Prudence and her sisters watch in horror while awaiting their fiery pire. Then Sabrina the half breed swoops in last minute and demolishes the angel witch hunters (Gosh it is hard to say that with a straight face) and brings the dead students back to life after respecting herself displaying power beyond that of a regular witch and as aggravating as it is, it does further Prudences arch as she starts to question whether half witches and by extent morals are inferior.  

 

Prudence goes as far as to question Ambrose about Sabrina’s miracles. She also admits seeing Sabrina come back from the dead made her happy. When Ambrose admits he’s scared to die Prudence in a rare moment of tenderness resources Ambrose  there’s no need to be frightened since he’s an honorable man. “ Satan keep you” she tells him sincerely showing us Ambrose has been forgiven and that Prudence is finally being honest about the fact she likes Sabrina (For some reason). Here Prudence is clearly starting to question what she’s been taught.  

 

In the last two episodes of season two Prudences dynamic with her Father reaches its conclusion. When Father Blackwood decides to form his own denomination the Church of Judas. He creates a new set of rules and restrictions Prudence after looking them over states “ These new rules only apply to the witches and not the warlocks” Father Blackwood replies that “Witches should focus on more femmine magics of herbalism and fertility” Prudence asks if the rules also apply to her. Blackwood says as long as she gets the other witches to cooperate she’ll be exempt from the same rules. Offering Prudence special privileges along with the unspoken promise of his affections with a chaste kiss. 

While Prudence does take the bait she also helps Zelda convince Father Blackwood to spare a witch for trying to leave the Church of Judas persuading him i’ll only create a martyr and cause more rebellions in the future. This is usual  for Prudence who was previously fine with the torture and exacution of Ambrose showing a shift in her thinkng. Prudence watching her classmates killed in front of her while refusing to denounce their Dark Lord seems to have caused her to develop more of an appreciation for the lives of the other coven members beyond those who she considered family. 

 

 Later  Prudence catches Zelda admitting she does not support the Church of Judas and the other witch warns Prudence her blood won’t protect her from Father Blackwood. Prudence not only dismisses this but retrieves her half baby sister and tells her Father about Zelda’s deception. Zelda takes Prudence hostage and demands that baby Letica be given back to her. Blackwood dismisses her claiming that since he has his full blooded daughter he doesn’t care if Zelda kills Prudence. Which supports Zelda’s claim that Prudences blood won’t protect her. After Zelda is locked up Prudence asks Blackwood “ Father, what are your plans for baby Letica?” as she now feels doubt about his intentions. Blackwood replies he intends to marry her daughter to her own brother Judas. 

 

Prudence is horrified and frees Zelda from her cell telling her to take her half sister and run. Zelda offers her the chance to join them but Prudence declares she can’t leave her sisters or abandon the rest of the coven. Further conveying her found loyalty that of just the family unit.  

Prudence finds Agatha and Dorcus and convinces them to do a spell to end Father Blackwood. They are interrupted by Blackwood who demands Prudence attend him during an audience with the Dark lord. She silently observes as Blackwood expresses disgust at having to bow to Sabrina as queen of hell. Later he tells Prudence to pack. She inquires as to why they should run from the Dark Lord. Blackwood angrily snaps he “ Will never bow down to a spelman whore!”  When Prudence asks him what about the rest of the Coven. Blackwood reveals he poisoned them a communion. Prudence runs out ignoring Blackwoods warning she’ll never see the baby twins again. 

After a vow to kill Father Blackwood she runs to the church teleporting Dorcus and Agatha to the spellman house and telling the Spellman family “ Blackwood poisoned the entire coven!” Pudences sisters and some of the coven members are saved. The last shot of her shows Prudence beheading Father Blackwood which is not only a  literary representation of what she wants to do to him but also a symbolic rejection of him as a leader and Father. 

 

So what can we take from this? 

 Prudence’s core character trait is her Faith. It’s shown that Prudence has faith in Blackwood despite how many times, he’s let her down, she has faith in her adopted sisters shown by how many times she relies on them, she even starts to have faith in Sabrina. 

 

My reading of Prudences arch is not one of rejecting Faith. Prudences questions are still rooted in religious doctrine even in her last scene with Blackwell “ why are you running from the Dark Lord?” to Prudence, there is no reason to run from the very figure she devoted her life to even if it means bowing to Sabrina this is the ultimate act of religious piety that makes sense for the girl who bathed in buttermilk to make herself a feast. For Prudence no sacrifice is too great.  

Prudence’s arch seems to one of learning to question the leaders of one’s Faith community and whether they have the best interests of those they claim to want to lead. 

The irony is Prudence is heavily implied to be taught the values of faith, family and community by Blackwood, values which he does not share. As show cased by how he uses both his family members and the coven witches and warlocks for his own personal gain and discarding them when it’s convenient.  

It’s not his rejection and endangerment of her that causes Prudence to move against him but the reveal of his plans of an incestus union between his own children. Even then there are hints she may of gone with him had he not poisoned the coven. Acting in the same vein as the witch hunters Prudence was told to protect the other students from. 

 It’s worth noting Prudence is done with him after he proves a danger to the very coven he’s leading because she does value everything, Blackwood doesn’t and as a person of faith Prudence realizes everything about him is a shame.  So she rejects him. That is why Prudence with her morally ambiguous cunning, faith, self sacrifice, intelligence and value of family is the true Queen of the Feast of Feasts. 

Happy African American History Month guys! I’ve been meaning to dive into some African folklore and now seems like the perfect time. So for the next month i’m going to be affectionately snarking some African tales and i may do an American Gods Essay because as a mythology buff, i really need to finish that show.

Also Sandydragon1 from Wattpad wrote an awesome Fantasy story so here’s an author approved promotion with a link so those of you who are interested can check it out if you want to.

Have you ever thought how cool it would be to have an animal companion? One who will always stay by your side no matter what? But what if the creatures that chose you were not quite what you had in mind?

When young Taylor has a group of flies latch onto her, and becomes the subject of bullying and ridicule. It results in a series of events that causes Taylor to rethink everything she knows about animal bonds, friendship, and even people she doesn’t like.
If you want a heartwarming fantasy about the difficulties of growing up, dealing with bullies and the power of friendship. Then check out Quit Bugging me by sandydragon1.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/200211283-quit-bugging-me

 

 

Christmas Fairy tales talk

 

Happy Holidays guys, the original plan was to do a Rise of the Guardians essay but due to finding the movie a bit harder to find then I thought. I decided to just talk about some Christmas fairy tales and now I’m a bit torn because after reading them because man some of these are just depressing.  So since its Christmas, I’m just going to limit myself to talking about the ones who at least end happily because I really don’t want to dampen anyone’s Holiday mood.

The Wooden Shoes of Little Wolff is a French fairytale written by Francis Coppee’  the basic plotline is a seven year old boy lives with his abusive aunt  who quote “ Who never kissed him but once a year, on New Year’s Day; and who sighed with regret every time she gave him a bowlful of soup”

Wolff is of course a perfect sweetheart and not at all messed up because this is a fairytale and that’s just how it goes.  So his mean Aunt manages to send him to a private school where the headmaster and the sons of the upper class treat him like garbage because he doesn’t have as much money.  Honestly guys I don’t even try to find stories containing child abuse in this gene, it just happens. Since the classic mode of gaining audience sympathy was to heap huge amounts of misery onto their main characters.

What follows next are basically descriptions of Wolff being miserable and what I would basically describe as wealth porn before that was an actual thing “They boasted of the midnight treats awaiting them at home. The son of the Mayor had seen, before leaving the house, a monstrous goose larded with truffles so that it looked like a black-spotted leopard. Another boy told of the fir tree waiting for him, on the branches of which hung oranges, sugar-plums, and punchinellos” Give me another reason that description exists other than trying to make readers hate these children more.   Also apparently in this universe The Christ Child aka Jesus is the one who delivers presents shoes instead of Santa. He also puts the goodies in their shoes since in France children still to this day don’t use stockings.

Little Wolff thinks about how he’s not even going to get supper but he’s been good and industrious aka a perfect little doormat who’s not allowed to angry or resentful about his situation and has been good for his abusers. Moving on Wolff and his rich boy bullies finds a child asleep out in the snow that’s bare foot. The rich boy bullies of course respond with kindness because they’re not stock stereotypes and actually behave like human beings. Just kidding of course they are disgusted by the pretty child just because he has no shoes. “Some, the sons of the greatest men in the city, cast looks of scorn on the barefooted one. But little Wolff, coming last out of the church, stopped deeply moved before the beautiful, sleeping child.”  Now I actually do like how Wolff takes off his shoe and gives it to the kid showing how his suffering has not hardened his heart, it’s a nice moment. Though knowing that the French leave wine out for Santa, I’m wondering if the Christ child maybe buzzed and sleeping it off. Why else would he be sleeping out in the cold with no shoes?

Of course little Wolff goes home and his Aunt beats him because he apparently is the only kid in the world who does not know how to lie. Though to be fair his Aunt was going to beat him no matter what because she clearly has nothing better to do but lurk around the doorway rubbing her hands together with glee at the thought of beating a seven year old. Except for on Saturdays where she goes out and throws rocks at baby ducklings yelling “lazy good for nothings!” that is my head cannon and I will stand by it.

So Little Wolff has a Cinderella moment where he cries himself to sleep and the next morning his old aunt wakes up to find “the great fireplace filled with bright toys, magnificent boxes of sugar-plums, riches of all sorts, and in front of all this treasure, the wooden shoe which her nephew had given to the vagabond, standing beside the other shoe which she herself had placed there the night before, intending to put in it a handful of switches.” Luckily Little Wolff gets up before she can toss it in the fire place and the two of them hear laughter outside and apparently all the peasants are gossiping about “Oh, a most amusing and extraordinary thing! The children of all the rich men of the city, whose parents wished to surprise them with the most beautiful gifts, had found nothing but switches in their shoes!”

Also the pastor finds a golden circle upon the stones where the Christ child laid his head realizes the beggar was the Christ Child “and had rewarded the faith and charity of little wolf” but I was kind of too busy gaping at the implications Jesus is suggesting families beat their kids so they’ll be more like Little Wolff. Shouldn’t the Christ child have switched Auntie since she’s the one dishing out beatings? Honesty time I know I’ve been very snarky but I actually do like this story. The prose is beautiful and I adore the flowery visual descriptions. I also love to hate Wolff’s evil Aunt in all her cartoon villain antics and I do love the dark humor bit at the end with the switches even if it makes the story’s stance on abuse confusing. It’s a fun time with an uplifting message about showing kindness even in the worst of times. Now onto the next one

Legend of the Thunder Oak by William S Walsh is a Scandinavian folktale it’s also really, really preachy. Here’s one of the lovely descriptions “Thither, under cover of night, heathen priests were wont to bring their victims—both men and beasts—and slay them upon the altar of the thunder-god. There in the darkness was wrought many an evil deed, while human blood was poured forth and watered the roots of that gloomy tree, from whose branches depended the mistletoe”  So remember kiddies next time your trying to kiss your crush thank the Pagan priests for spilling the blood of innocents so that this tree remained watered.

Basically it’s a pretty simple concept our story starts with some of Thor’s priests performing a sacrifice on the Thunder Oak Thor’s tree but being interrupted by Saint Winfred and his followers. I can’t find any reference to this saint the closest I came was Winifred who was a female saint. So if anyone wants to prove to me this guy wasn’t made up, I’d be extremely grateful because, it’s driving me nuts.

Anyway Saint Winfred draws his axe and cuts down the Thunder Oak and it gets struck by a blast and a young fir tree grows out of it. And then comes the best part “This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the tree of peace, for your houses are built of fir. It is the sign of endless life, for its leaves are forever green. See how it points upward to heaven! Let this be called the tree of the Christ Child. Gather about it, not in the wildwood, but in your own homes. There it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of kindness. So shall the peace of the White Christ reign in your hearts!” instead of scratching their heads and asking who are you and who is the white Christ? The heathen worshipers take the tree put it in the house of their chief and celebrate Christmas. I guess the implication is their Christens now? It had one or two fun moments but overall I just found it boring and over far too quick to really get into.

I liked this next entry way better Saint Nicholas and the Children a Canadian Fairy tale

Who kids named Estella and Pierre live with their grandmother and we get an interesting description of them “a boy and a girl, Pierre and Estelle by name—and except for their dress it was not easy to tell them apart.”  This makes me think Pierre is a very pretty boy which is fine with me. Everything is fine for them until grandma gets sick And she said, “I want meat broth to make me well and I must have good meat to make it. If I do not get meat I can have no broth, and if I do not get broth I shall not get well, and if I do not get well I shall die, and if I die you two children will surely starve and die too.” Which wow Grandma Way to guilt trip and scare your grand kids into doing your bidding.

Anyway Estella and Pierre set off to find meat to make broth and run into an old man making whistles which he says are for Saint Nicholas. Apparently grandma never told them not to talk to strangers because they basically tell him everything. The old man claims he can’t give them meat because he quote lives on other food but I call BS since he lives near the forest and a butchers shop.

But the old guy’s not completely heartless so he warns the kids the butcher is shady because children disappear in his shop all the time. The old man also gives them whistles and says “Saint Nicholas will always hear it; you must never blow it except when you are in great trouble or distress, and when Saint Nicholas hears it he will know that you are coming to grief or that harm is already upon you and he will come himself or send someone to your assistance. But you must blow only one blast.”

So the kids leave and wonder if their being set up by the old guy and decide to stay away from the butcher shop which honestly makes them some of the smartest child protagonists I’ve seen in fairy tales. But sadly this doesn’t last as the plot requires them to be dumb so they decide to enter the butcher shop. They do decide to blow the whistle just in case but Pierre is the only one who blows in time but Estella insists on blowing anyway even though he tells her not too. Though I think it’s kind of stupid that two blasts don’t work since to me that suggests urgency but I’m not the one telling this story.

Anyway despite knowing their distress call didn’t get through they go in anyway and the butcher gives them food and lights a fire. Then the narrator gives us this bit of information “Now the butcher was really the friend and partner of a wicked giant who lived in the forest. The giant’s greatest delight was to eat little children. He liked no meal so well as a meal of little children, two at a time, pickled first in brine.” Now I do like the fact the butcher has a motive for his evil he sells kids to the giant in exchange for game the giant hunts which he then sells. Its sick but it makes surprising sense for a fairytale bad guy. Though it’s weird how the butcher’s point of view focuses on them being pretty I don’t know maybe beauty equals tasty child steaks in fairytale land.

Anyway butcher tells them he’ll lift them up to the top shelf so they can get some onions picks them up and proceeds to slam their heads together and throws their stunned bodies into brine barrels. “Then he uncovered the barrel in the corner and showed the giant the two little children sticking head first in the pickle. The giant smacked his fat lips and chuckled and rubbed his great hands, so pleased was he with the sight of so good a meal. And he said, “We will let them steep well in the brine until tomorrow. I always like them very salty.” They covered up the barrel, and then they bargained about the purchase of the meat.”  The butcher is actually surprisingly smart for a fairy tale protagonist and that actually makes him quite terrifying.

Meanwhile Saint Nicholas hears their whistle blasts but takes his sweet time because thanks to Estella he hears two blasts which means the danger isn’t near. Which again makes no sense I’d say two blasts means urgent but Saint Nickolas gets there eventually and tells the butcher he wants meat they go to the backroom and now it’s the butchers turn to swallow the idolt ball? Saint Nickolas says he wants meat from the brine barrel and when the butcher bends down to get it, and good Old Nick flat out drowns him. Then he pulls the same trick on the giant only he hits him with a bone to knock him in the barrel. Then Saint Nicholas proceeds to bring the kids back to life with magic they go home, grandma gets cured and everyone lives happily ever after.

I love this one Santa throwing down with child predators to come to the aid of the kids is very satisfying. I’m glad this exists and if I can forgive the magically bringing kids back to life. I can forgive the IQ point drop of almost every character involved in this story. It’s still a very fun read and I like the Santa is a bad ass angle.

So that’s all for now, Happy holidays!  I only mentioned three stories but if you want to read more Christmas stories I do have the link where you can find the stories i talked about and more tales for the Christmas season.

https://fairytalez.com/blog/a-christmas-tale-5-international-christmas-fairy-tales-featuring-the-holiday

https://fairytalez.com/blog/5-more-christmas-stories-and-folk-tales

 

Top Nine Alpha Bitches in Fantasy

 

I have a confession to make if the girls who bullied me in high school were as good at comebacks as most   fictional mean girls and even remotely as dedicated to ruining lives. I’d still hate their guts but I’d at least feel a tiny bit of respect for them.  My point being, I love fictional mean girls and guys and lucky for me the trope crosses gene even Fantasy has gotten to the point where the protagonist can’t deal with the greatest evil without some alpha bitch getting in her face. Which I love because usually the protagonist is an overly special wet blanket who gets praised for every belch she or he lets out. So I wanted to do top ten alpha bitches in fantasy list. Though it ended up being nine because I wanted to save one of them for another list.  Also huge spoiler alert because some big evens/reveals get covered here.

9. Lori from Unicorns of Balinor by Mary Stanton

For those who are unfarmiar the main plot a long lost princess named Arianna is nearly killed by the sorcerer who apparently kidnapped her entire family. So now she has no memories of who she is. Arianna and her bounded unicorn Chase are sent to the real world to hide. They get sent back though a magic portal to Balinor.  Confession this is series I never finished even at 12 years old I was starting to find the heroes boring and insufferably self-righteous. Lori Carmichael was the only reason I read as long as I did. She starts out the series as the spoiled rich girl who Arianna was supposed to teach how to ride Chase.  After they go through the magic portal Lori follows them and becomes trapped in a magical world. While the series mostly uses her as emotional punching bag for the good guys. I enjoyed Lori’s snark and the fact she actually questioned things. Also she tried to help Arianna and saved her butt a few times without so much as a thank you. Is she still whiny, greedy, and lazy yes but this mean girl has Arianna’s back and even after she gets home Lori still goes back to help save a world that’s not even hers. How can I not like her?

 

8. Monica Morell from Morganville vampires’ series

Monica is the daughter of the Morganville Mayor she may or may not be responsible for setting the house of the protagonist’s boyfriend on fire and accidently killing his sister. And she is introduced pushing the main protagonist down the stairs at collage. While I do think the writing behind her is a bit all over the place at times and kind of over the top even for a vampire story.

Where she grew up does explain why she is so awful even if it doesn’t justify her actions. Morganville is a town controlled by vampires and the only protection humans get in the book series is other vampires. While this seems like a reasonable arrangement the series reveals that several of the vampire protectors abuse their power in various ways. Monica had Brendon as her protector and he’s basically vampire Gaston only he doesn’t respect age of consent laws. After he dies she joins forces with the main characters admitting it has nothing to do with likening them but their best chance at surviving. I enjoy her cold pragmatism and empathize with her motive of self-preservation since she grew up her whole life knowing she was prey. Is it that shocking she turned herself into a predator among humans? I love all the protagonists of Morganville but darn it if I don’t also have soft spot for Monica Morell.

7. Draco from Harry potter

For the first four books I didn’t think anything of this character. He was rich snobby, bigot who nearly got Buck Beak killed, gloated about Hermonie being petrified and I enjoyed watching him get in constant trouble. Then Draco was assigned the role of killing Dumbledore and suddenly I remembered this was a very young   teenage boy whose family was being punished by Voldemort. Someone who was being asked to commit murder or him and his family would be killed. Also he couldn’t bring himself to actually commit murder, despite how much was at stake for him to me that speaks volumes about how Draco is a jerk, but he never could become the full monster everyone expected him to be.  JK Rowling is baffled how anyone can see any good in Draco but she herself wrote him as unable to pull the trigger even under threat of death.

6. Prudence the Chilling adventures of Sabrina

As someone who grew with Mellissa JoAnn hearts version of Sabrina. I have mixed feelings about the darker remark and I ‘m frankly annoyed at how everything needs to be edgy now days.  Fantasy is also about whimsy and fun and you can often times have both, not everything needs to be Game of Thrones.

That being said Prudence is a great character the illegimate secret daughter of the head warlock and head of the Weird Sisters. While its fun to watch her do magic to mess with morals and just revel in the fact she is a powerful witch. What I personally find compelling about her is her faith. In storytelling lot of alpha bitch characters are set up to fail to make the protagonist look better. And when they do have faith in anything it’s treated as utterly ridiculous or false. However when Sabrina tries to get Prudence to agree not to be the church of Nights sacrifice to dismiss it as nonsense. It’s revealed Prudence really does believe she’s been chosen by the dark lord and isn’t afraid to die in the name of that belief.  And while the show does reveal her being chosen was a political plot on the part of her father’s wife to get rid of an unwanted heir.

It treats Prudence’s beliefs with respect with her even saying to Sabrina “How is your faith in the moral boy any different than my faith in the dark lord?” even after that episode Prudence still believes, she’s just starting to question some of the authority leaders and when her views, loyalties do change its because of her experiences and her own thoughts changing and not because Sabrina made her see the light. While brutal to the point where she has no problem hurting the guy she used to date. Prudence is an ally to Sabrina just as often just as often as an antagonist this duality makes her fun watch and even occasionally root for.

 

5. Ciel phantom hive Black butler Manga

This one is going to get me a lot of hate but when a stuck up rich boy walks around with a posse of servants willing to kill anyone he tells them to. Has girls and guys enamored with his looks when he’s barely past puberty. Actually did become Mr. popular after taking down the precious alpha bitch at the private school he went too.  I call it like I see it. What is enjoyable about Ciel is how he’s not actually really Ciel and really his shy twin brother who due to horrific and traumatic torture choose to pose as his brother after selling his soul to a demon. His goal is revenge no matter the cost to himself or those around him. Fake Ciel will manipulate, lie and flat out use even those he may have a spot of affection for to a degree that is downright sociopathic to achieve his goals. And his power extends beyond the halls of high and into the street of London due to his position as the Queens Watchdog.

4. Pacifica Northwest: Gravity Falls

This mean girl only gets three main episodes but still manages to be one of the more memorable characters in the colorful cast of Gravity Falls. A spoiled overachiever who picks on and shows up Maple Pines on various occasions. Also she finds the word share to actually be a word she has never heard before. She starts to undergo a change after Dipper reveals that her family actually never found the town. This leads her to question everything she knows about her family. When her family manor is invaded by a ghost who returns to make sure the Northwest’s honor an ancestral promise that their family broke and the lengths her parents go to not to invite the town to their lavish Christmas party. Even if everyone at said party is going to be turned into actual wood. Pacifica finds her conscience and inner strength to do what her parents won’t.  In the series final she’s one of the Gravity Fall survivors fighting Bill Cypher to protect her home and save her parents.

 

3. Eric from Dungeons and Dragons

Eric fits the alpha bitch quota to a t. I mean he tells a guy “I really must get the name of your tailor” at one point in the series and constantly talks about his servants, big house and how important his dad is. Face it, if he wasn’t currently trapped in a Dark Age style fantasy realm.  Eric would be the guy sitting on a lounge chair under an umbrella sipping a Marti and telling the landscaper he missed a spot in a really snarky way.

Eric is also one of the protagonists of this cartoon eighties children’s TV series based on the game. Six teens got on a dungeons and dragons ride and get sent to another world. Some old magic guy called Dungeon master gives those magic weapons that the realms evil overlord just happens to be after.

Eric’s the whiner of the group who gets punished for disagreeing and or being immoral. Like when he agrees to a political marriage with a queen. Eric nearly gets killed because how dare he, object poverty and no resources to fight an evil threat to the kingdom are far more admirable.  I have mixed feelings about Dungeons and Dragons stance on morality and may talk about the series in the future.

What makes Eric enjoyable is he has the types of reactions most teenagers would have being trapped in a world where many things want to kill you and there’s no indoor plumbing. And yeah Eric’s not as brave as the others he freaks out, he hides but he’s also the guy who puts himself and his magic shield in front of various members of the group. And as someone who finds mentor characters fairly annoying.  I enjoyed how Eric called out Dungeon master for being cryptic and often times unhelpful. Heck he gets mad at their wise powerful mentor on quite a few occasions. And in the unaired final episode  it actually comes down to Eric to make the big final decision about what to do and who or what to put his faith in and the choice he makes speaks volumes about how he’s not the same person he once was even though his negative traits and trust issues aren’t  magically wiped away.  It’s rare to see that type of nuance for an alpha bitch character in children’s television even now days.

 

 

2. Margo: The Magician’s TV Series

The Magicians is basically Harry Potter meets Game of Throne with less focus on sex and more emphasize on the conquence’s for the choices you make.  Margo is the ultimate alpha bitch rich, popular throws all the best parties and generally treats her romantic partners like crap. She also tries to sabotage the relationship of her bisexual best friend Elliot because she’s worried he won’t have time for her anymore.

However since an evil magical creature wants to kill them all, Margo along with the rest of the cast is pushed into situations of survival where their forced to go along with a prophecy and become High Kings and Queens in a magical land called Fillory. Margo and Elliot become high king and queen.  Turns out in season 2 the prophecy is a joke the gods just pick whoever they think will be amusing to place on the throne but by this point Elliot and Margo have invested so much into trying to get this place functional. They flat out choose to try and rule the crazy magic kingdom that’s brought them grief anyway.

Elliot has to go on a quest in season three and Margo is forced to rule alone and make really tough choices. She really grows into a responsible adult and her alpha bitch tendencies and ruthless streak make her an effective ruler who is ready to do what’s nessacery for the Kingdom. She’s not perfect and she stumbles a lot but that only makes me like her more. Honestly don’t even think this post is enough to describe how awesome Queen Margo is.

 

 

1. Nanami Kiryuu from Revolutionary girl Utena

Nanami starts out as the girl who humiliates and destroys any girl who dares to take her older brothers attention away from her. I’d feel bad for Touga except I honestly think he dangles his affection before Nanami like a carrot. She also has it out for Anthy since she’s the weird girl and Nanami is obsessed with conformity. Also Nanami totally subverted the minion posse throwing mean girl out and mean girl finding solstice with the unpopular kids. Instead she proceeds to beat her female minions into submission after one of them tries to usurp her.  While Nanami spends a lot of time being the butt of comical high jinx and humiliations though the first half of the show. The reason why she’s a great character is because she’s one of the characters that most reflects the series theme that idealization isn’t a good thing.   This is reflected with Nanami’s obsession with her brother Touga who is seen as the ideal princely figure and she starts to fall apart when this relationship that she’s build her whole identity upon is revealed to potentially be a lie. She also gets glimpse of how much more toxic her and Touga’s relationship could get in the future, if she proceeds to stay his codependent little princess. This causes Nanami to reevaluate what she thinks of as important and her relationships in general and it’s a really well written character ark.

So that’s my list, sorry it took so long to get up. Also, some personal stuff has come up. So I need to focus on other things for a while. I don’t know if I’m going to post as frequently. I just wanted to let you know so you don’t think I’m abandoning this blog. I promise you will have new content when things settle down a bit.

Once again I want to thank everyone who liked, commented and subscribed and I’d like to know if you have any suggestions or ideas about how to improve this blog. Or even suggestions about content you’d like me to cover as long as it fits into the fairy tale, folklore, myth, Fantasy bracket.  Please leave comments down below and once again thanks for the support.

Fairy Tales for Unwanted Children Podcast: Why its Great

 

Hi, as a lover of fairy tales. I really love listening, to the Podcast known as Fairy Tales for Unwanted Children. This is a series of original fairy tales written and read by a lovely gentleman named Scott Thrower. While these stories do remind me somewhat of Hans Christen Anderson’s style. In the sense that they don’t focus greatly on royalty or tailors who become Kings but instead are more concerned with the common folk. However Scott’s tales tend to go into a bit of a greyer area then Anderson’s more Victorian based morality collection. Drawing heavily from folk tales and fairy tales the stories tend to have dark twists and thoughts on various topics such as death, love, the value of heroism and many more subjects.  They also introduce delightful characters such as Darkness and the Witch who make repeated appearances in a few tales. Even the characters that get one story are pretty memorable.  I often found myself feeling sorry for characters, which may not have deserved sympathy because they were so well written.

I want to talk more about the podcast but I don’t want to spoil any of the great stories on it, so don’t take my word for it come check out the podcast for yourself.

https://scottthrower.ca

And if you do like what you hear there’s also a discussion page on face book that goes along with the podcast. So if you like your fairy tales both spine tingling and magical check out Scott Throwers Fairy Tales for Unwanted Children.

Top Ten Creeped Out Episodes

 

Hey everyone, Happy Halloween to celebrate I thought I’d talk about one of my favorite Horror Anthologies the recently aired on Netflix.  The English Canadian Show Creeped Out.

It has elements from like shows such as “Are you afraid of the Dark” or more of a kid friendly “Black Mirror” which I honestly also love. It’s a combination of supernatural tales and stories about technology going wrong with pretty bad results. Since there’s only two seasons so far I’m going to list my top 10 favorite episodes and why so let’s get started. Also for once, I’m not spoiling so these will be pretty vague and I won’t give away any big twists.

 

10. Marti

High school girl Kim gets a smart phone it develops a mind of its own and uses the fact it can control all of her accounts bank statements etc. to basically control her life. This isn’t my favorite episode because of the annoying high school cliché’s that even had my teen sister rolling her eyes. But as someone who has witnessed both the addiction people have to their phones and seen girls let emotionally abusive guys take over their lives this one does strike a chord with me especially the ending.

9. Slapstick

It’s a pretty simple premise girl is embarrassed by the fact her parents have actual personalities and quirks because she wants to impress the popular girl. She makes a deal with a puppet master and turns her parents into living puppets only to realize she likes the fact her parents had personalities. The only reason it’s on the list is that evil puppet is creepy as Frick and the ending is pretty bleak for an episode that was played for comedy.

8. The Side Show

I thought the twist was actually kind of dumb but the idea of a circus master who kept a bunch of kids with powers as a part of his circus act and the way he manipulated them into staying with him no matter what and the air of mystery about the whole thing as the main characters struggled to find who they were and what the memories they had actually meant. Also it’s not like they didn’t set up the twist it just wasn’t my cup of tea but I still enjoyed the story.

7. Candlesticks

The worst baby sitter likes to scare the kids so her and her boyfriend can have the house to themselves. Except the kid for this house is a little weird and isn’t scared so easily.  I enjoyed this episode because I like trickster characters who take things to extremes are enjoyable and you actually did feel bad for the girl who was the antihero protagonist of the episode. So it was really well done.

6.  The Take down

Girl on the wrestling team named Alexa asks for super strength from a mysterious supernatural force. I like this one because most shows would make the girl the strongest on the team as over compensation from the get go. Instead Alexa has an advantage that has nothing to do with her muscles but Alexa herself doesn’t respect this advantage hence why she wants super strength.   I also like the male cheerleader as Alexa’s best friend that’s just kind of a casual thing.  And I really, really like how the heart of this this episode is the relationship between Alexa and her dad.

5. Bravery Badge

This one managed to creep me out and that creepy, creepy singing was stuck in my head long after the episode ended. I’m not talking about specifics because this one is better when you go into it not knowing what to expect but man did it give me chills.

4. Tilly Bone

This one is a weird experience the events are shown completely out of order so it’s one of those put the pieces together as you watch kind of episodes but I really like this one because it has some things to say about fan culture, bullying.  The creators really wanted to do something different with an episode that’s shot like someone playing back video edits with really makes this one stand out.

3. No Filter

A self-obsessed Teen buys a filter app that allows her to take flawless selfies. This one though exaggerated in that horror story way does have very good lessons about how you should be careful who you let see and use your image and also the read the fine print before you sign or agree to anything. It’s really a message everyone regardless of age should keep in mind.

2. Splinta Claws

The evil Santa thing has been done to death but here they mix things up this evil robotic Santa kills nice children instead of naughty ones. I like this episode because it really questions the nature of naughty and nice as concepts vs reality and the protagonists are actually forced to make decisions for survival. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you’re like me and always found the concept of who survives the horror movie being the most virgin, cherry pure person. Instead of all the ones who fought and clawed their way to survival ridiculous. You may actually enjoy this one but be warned this was unsettling.

 

1. Cat Food

A boy pretends to be sick to stay home from school and notices his creepy neighbor an old woman is behaving strangely. It’s still my favorite episode for one thing it draws on very old folklore. The whole episode is  a cat and mouse game between the protagonist and antagonist and once again I’m not spoiling but everything about this episodes bad guy was just chilling.

So those are my top ten favorite Creeped Out episodes and I’d recommend them and the series itself if you are into horror more for the messages then the jump scares and gore. Its got some really unsettling moments and some of these young actors have really, really great acting chops.

Do you agree with the list? What are your favorite Creeped Out episodes? Or what Horror Anthology do you like best? What episodes did you enjoy? Drop me a comment down below.

 

 

 

Freeway 1996: Who exactly is the Wolf?

 

Warning I’m discussing a rated R movie, so this piece is rated R discussing topics such as sexual assault, prostitution ect please proceed with caution if you find these topics too upsetting.

I have a confession to make, Little Red Riding hood is my favorite fairy tale. In all of its forms cute and childish cartoons to the more adult 2011 Little Red Riding hood movie to the Play into the woods, to the various oral stories written down by different authors to modern rewrites.   Even before I was old enough to get the darker implications of the story there was just something chilling about a polite wolf who leads a little girl off the path with the intent to devour her and her sweet Granny.

While older versions of the story are more interested in what Red shouldn’t have done. As Charles Perrault himself puts at the end of his version of the story. “Moral; children especially attractive, well-bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may provide dinner for a wolf.” However in modern times we are far less interested in what rules were broken and ponder a much deeper question. Who exactly is the wolf?

The answer to this question depends entirely on the adaptation. The 2011 version really taps into this theme with the whole movie constantly playing with the audience. As Red riding hood is given reason to suspect almost everyone in her town of being the werewolf. I could honestly talk about who is the Wolf is in any one of the hundreds of adaptations of the tale.

However, I’m going to talk about the Wolf in one of my favorite modern fairy tale takes. I’m taking about a black comedy, postmodern film known as “Freeway” Freeway was a 1996 crime film starring Reese Witherspoon as the little Red Riding Hood character. A teenage girl named Vanessa Lutz who is a complete one eighty from the usual depiction since even most modern takes tend to go with the image of a wide eyed innocent. Whereas Vanessa is a foul mouthed, rough around the edges barely literate girl with a juvenile record. Which I will get back to the signifigence of this portrayal later.

Her mom is a prostitute and her step dad is a drug dealer both are arrested and Vanessa handcuffs her social worker Mrs. Sheet’s ankle to the bed. Then runs away intending to go to her grandmothers, rather than be put back into foster care. Vanessa gets a gun from her gang leader boyfriend Chopper a brief nod to the Brothers Grimm version. This is then followed by a polite dismissal of the source material in the form of Chopper being shot by a rival gang barely five seconds after Vanessa leaves. And because this story has no shame when it comes to admitting its inspiration was a fairytale which is so refreshing in a world of edgy rated R films that are ashamed of their children’s media Zack Snyder films I’m looking at you.

Vanessa meets a guy called Bob Wolverton on the freeway after her car breaks down.  Bob. So how is the Big Bad Wolf depicted in Freeway?  Wolverton is a Councilor for Troubled boys he’s soothing and understanding offering not only to give Vanessa a lift but also buys her dinner and offers a listening ear to her problems. He’s clearly smart and talks to Vanessa in a sophisticated  manner to the point where Vanessa feels the urge to apologize, for swearing in front of him during their first meeting.  But as time goes on Wolverton starts to seem off.  This is emphasized by him looming behind Vanessa really close as he presses her to “Work through her issues” later he tries to use her trauma to um get off.

When Vanessa screams at him to pull over his earlier attributes are presented in a more sinister light. His calm soothing manner is downright chilling since he never loses his cool even when threatening Vanessa while grabbing her by the hair. His intelligence becomes not only frightening but also reveals a kind of intellectual snobbery. When he tells Vanessa “Well that’s an open ended discussion, dealing with deep philosophical ramifications something you could hardly grasp” in a very condescending manner. Then proceeds to tell her “Take it from me a professional you’re an absolute f******** moron” When Vanessa asks him why he’s killing girls. Wolverton depicts himself as cleaning up society claiming   “I call them garbage people and I assure you, you are one of them” However it’s interesting to note Bob’s monolog is not the only time we see this view from a character.

Earlier in the film we get a news report about a serial killer whose killing young runaways who happen to be prostitutes. Yet its Vanessa’s mother who is a prostitute is the one grabbed and handcuffed by the cops who are there to stake out whose selling sex rather than who’s killing sex workers. It seems whoever controls the police too wants to clean up society by cracking down on its less desirable members.

When Wolverton picks up Vanessa and gets her to open up she tells him about some of her bad experiences in the foster care system. “Bob, sometimes them places are ok but most of the time them people are just in it for the check that the state sends for your upkeep” Vanessa tells him. When Wolverton asks if one of her foster parents was punished for hitting her so hard she had to have her jaw wired shut for three months Vanessa scoffs and replies “Are you kidding a pillar of society like Mr. Morales?”

Later after Vanessa shoots him she gets arrested as a car jacker who put an upstanding citizen in the hospital. In a repeat of the Mr. Morales incident. Vanessa tells the detective’s the absolute truth about Bob being the I-5 killer but they don’t believe her. “Why didn’t you turn him in?” One of the detectives’s asked “I wanted to but that perv said it would be his word against mine” Vanessa responds. She talks about how one ever believes you once you’ve been in the system. The detectives question her about her criminal record and the second detective states smugly “Just doing what comes natural” in an echo of Wolverton’s earlier implications that Vanessa was a whore who manipulated men.

“Oh I’ve had my look councilor and I’ve been listening too” the female judge declares before saying she’s going to make sure 16 year old Vanessa is to be tried as an adult rather than a teenager. The head of juvenile facilities declares Vanessa a sociopath and diagnosis’s her as “ Too far gone to benefit from corrective behavior modification” Almost every adult in this movie repeats some form of Wolverton’s views on Vanessa they see her as dumb, dangerous, a little monster will never amount to anything.

”How dare the media talk about how horrible her life is. What about us?” Mimi Wolverton’s socialite wife says. Every adult character is this movie focuses on Vanessa’s language , bad temper and lack of book smarts and criminal changes when she was a minor to the point of dubbing her guilty before she walks into the courtroom. While Bob Wolverton is a respectable member of society with a high paying job. The kind of person that society gives value to so of course everyone takes his side even calling him a hero despite the fact he’s not fighting anything.

They may not be serial killers but they don’t exactly care about the quote garbage people the I-5 killer is removing from the streets and Freeway shows us this lack of concern from society does have its affects. In the beginning of the movies despite her juvenile record Vanessa has a kindness to her sure she cuffs her social worker but apologizes and turns her around. She also tells her exactly how to get out of the cuffs. The gun Vanessa is given by her boyfriend is meant to be sold to fund her trip not be used on anyone. And even after Bob makes his intentions to harm Vanessa clear and she realizes he’s the killer she says “ Mr. I’m a human being” at this point Vanessa despite her past of being abused thinks that she can reason with Wolverton perhaps because of the connection he created between them to gain her trust. She only pulls her gun on him when he makes it clear he can’t be reasoned with and even then she says “I’m gonna turn you over to the police” it’s not until he reminds her people like him don’t go to jail that she shoots him and afterwards Vanessa pukes and tells God to watch over her mom and Stepdad and she hopes “You doesn’t hate me anymore then you already do”

Vanessa even tells the police everything and is calm up until the second detective sneers at her for soliciting when she was younger then she yells racial slurs at him and tries to beat him with the chair. At the trial Vanessa is very nasty towards Bob crueler then even when she was pointing a gun at him. She knows she’s going to lose this trial and as she said earlier to the first detective “He didn’t say sorry, so I wanted to piss him off” about the second detective. Later in the juvenile detention center Vanessa states she’s going to escape and one of the other inmates asks “ What about the guards?” to which Vanessa says “ Only perverts would work in a place like this”

This is a change from the beginning of the movie where Vanessa didn’t question Mrs. Sheetz intentions or think twice about Wolverton having ulterior motives for giving her a ride. Now Vanessa thinks those who help people like her must have sinister intentions and why shouldn’t she? Wolverton was a counselor for troubled youth who told her she was worthless and wanted to hurt her just because she existed. Vanessa trusted the detectives to be fair enough to listen to her and they weren’t. Vanessa is let down time and time again to the point where she can only count on herself and other kids like her.

So it’s not surprising when Vanessa no longer cares when one of her fellow inmates kills the Juvenile detention center supervisor and even stabs a guard herself to make her escape, though she does not kill him. Freeway is trying to say when society stops caring about certain people then they lash out and eventually grow more callous towards others. Vanessa starts the movie fighting to have her humanity recognized and respected only to start to behave in a more monstrous manner toward the end of the movie. “Why are you doing this?” the guy she’s robbing asks “Because I’m pissed off and the whole world owes me. Now gimme your money” she orders.

While the detectives do discover the truth because when they investigate rather than dismiss Vanessa’s claims like before ,they realize there may be some truth to her story. They go to the Wolverton’s upper class house and find kiddie porn in Bob’s shed while his wife stands there in horror.  “ Those were …….” She trails off unable to finish the sentence. While we ask ourselves who is the big bad wolf?  Freeway warns us we may not like the answer to that question. It can lead to uncomfortable and even horrifying realizations.

You see Bob Wolverton is merely a reflection of the real Big Bad Wolf in this adaptation. A societal perception of personal value is the real Wolf in Sheep’s clothing. “Children, just like the Lutz girl we’ve been dying to see strapped in the gas chamber” says the second detective. This quote reminds us Vanessa is a child who the whole city wanted to see burn since she hurt a contributing member of society one of the upper class and no one listened when she tried to tell them Bob was a monster because it didn’t fit with their perception of the world. Vanessa is a one eighty from the wholesome image of little red riding hood popularized by the likes of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm because Freeway is not concerned with the “Well-bred young ladies” but the girls society would gladly devour.

Mimi kills herself after she finds her husband’s stash not because he’s the wolf but because she realizes Bob wasn’t the only one leading the hunt. She too was willing to feast on the flesh of a child along with all of Los Angeles. Freeway asks us to examine what human beings we do and don’t value and what exactly determines whose side we take when it comes to the law and whether it’s defined by physical evidence or our own biases and feelings toward said individual. So who is the wolf? According to this postmodern Little Red riding take we all have the potential to aid or even become the wolf willing to open its jaws and swallow little red rideing hood whole.

So do you agree or disagree? What did you think about Freeway as a Little red riding hood adaptation? And what’s your favorite version of the story? What do you think about the Wolf? i’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment below and lets discuss.

Pendragon Publications

Hello my lovely readers, one thing about me is i love to critique other people’s stories. I think all of us as writers are always learning and growing. Sometimes a helpful bit of feedback is just the push a writer needs or could give them that extra confidence boost that keeps them going.

That’s why i set up a face book page called Pendragon Publishing. Its a cite where you can send me your short stories and i promise you a fair and honest critique, without the hassle of your story being lost among thousands of other pieces. I promise you one on one attention via online feed back with focus on your needs as a writer.

Pendragon Publishing, we want to help you tell your story.

https://www.facebook.com/Pendragon-Publications-115490179856499/?modal=admin_todo_tour

What’s going on

Hey sorry i didn’t post anything last week but to make up for it.   Fairy Dust and Dragons Breath is getting a series of one shots from a collection of shorts i wrote called. ” The Dark Muses Price” all of them are about Human artists and their relationships with their Lenan sid he.

So if you like Horror, Fantasy or even Dark Romance, i’d suggest checking those out.  I’ll leave the link below.  Also if you like my anime character essays i’m currently into Banana Fish and i wrote a few Essay’s i put up on Archive of our Own under the user name Sparkle 94.

Though i’m curious if people actually want me to write more about Black Butler since i’ve gotten some really great responses for those posts. Also i’m curious what would you guys like to see more of in terms of content?

Drop me a comment below, i’d  also like to give a shout out to Tentuil and Chumlyfelix for their utter enthusiasm and very lovely likes. Yes my ditzy self did not think of this sooner, but i assure you my previous commentors, i do appreciate you too, i’m just a bit slow on the uptake.

https://wordpress.com/posts/dragonbreathandfairydust.wordpress.com

Dragon Dearest

It began with a Knight, a beautiful faerie Knight with six silver tails and eyes like storm clouds. One who laughed in the face of monsters as they waved their tentacles or flashed their teeth at him. As they barred their claws and let their slimy saliva fall on his bare cheek. For neither their teeth nor minds were sharper than his. One by one they fell to his blade and their eyes, tongues, and scales he claimed for himself.

A Knight bored and frustrated at fawning servants and distant fathers, rode to the ogre kingdom and there he met a girl. A girl with bird bones and doe eyes whose skin shown like starlight, who stood in front of her male mirror image, teeth gritted as the ogress’ rolling pin came down upon her back, bits of her green blood staining the hyssop flowers that surrounded them.   

A Knight performing his obligation to the girl and having his beautiful sword and shield snatched away and the Damsel is shoved into his arms. His whole estate releases a collective sigh of relief. 

A Damsel, sharp-witted and bitter, who puts her hands all over him, but flinches from his sudden touch. 

A Knight who pinches his own waist while forcing a finger down his throat until it burns under the sharp gaze of the estate’s Countess. They lay on opposite sides of the bed scared to even catch the other’s gaze; the sweat from their bodies smells like carnations.  

 A Knight and Damsel enter the ballroom, smiles plastered on their faces, all eyes on them appraising, calculating, sometimes hungry gazes that burn their skin as they glide across the room. Catching hushed whispers that cause them to move closer together in a ballroom full of blooming valerian. 

The Damsel who locks herself in her chambers, whose delicate body is wracked by violent tremors, and who’s throat closes up as she struggles to get air into her lungs. A Knight who bolts from the room, desperate to find her mirror image, so that she can return to being whole.

The Knight grows restless and rides out to meet a Dragon, a magnificent dragon with scales of gold and eyes as red as the rubies, she’s turned into a throne. When he draws his sword the Dragon gazes at him through her lashes once he catches her strong lavender scent, he’s lost. 

The Damsel shrugs with careless indifference as the other Seelie Court ladies tut in empathy and turns her attention to her own human lovers who hunger for her inspiration and to winning over the estate’s Countess through her decadent desserts which the woman greedily devours. The secret ingredient the Damsel tells her with a smile is basil. 

The Dragon takes the Knight hunting, no unicorn, griffin, or beast escapes her wicked claws or his bow. He now has even more trophies to line his walls and a lover to nuzzle his cheeks with her scaly nose. Sometimes, she even lets him ride upon her back as she swoops down the both of them laughing as the other fairies scatter, bleats of terror escaping them.   

The Knight squeezes the Damsel’s hand, catching her lip purse as the Faerie King and estate monarch discuss how their little dark muse is going to use her powers to their benefit. Later the Damsel holds the Knight after she hears the shrill voice of the estate’s matriarch echoing through the halls, and doesn’t say anything when tears run down his cheeks. Her slender fingers thread morning glories into the strands of his black hair. 

 The Dragon grows possessively annoyed at how long he’s away and snatches the Damsel with her talons, they fly over an open field of tansy flowers. The Knight rides to her rescue. The battle ends with the Knight and Dragon locked in a naked embrace.

 Inside the cave, the Damsel catches the scent of honeysuckle and resigns herself to the fact she’s going to be waiting a while. 

The Dragon makes this a habit, the Damsel starts bringing a knapsack full of poetry books and two bottles of good old fashioned Scottish Whisky everywhere, just in case. 

The Damsel, Knight, and Dragon locked themselves in a cycle until they didn’t.

A disease, a terrible disease, swept throughout the Seelie Court and a Knight weakened by lack of food succumbed.  

The Dragon raged, crushing bones beneath her claws, and leaving ash where there were once villages. “It’s the Countess’ fault,” she hissed. The Damsel who picks at the empty empty bottles crumpled at her feet agrees. 

A Damsel and a Dragon united to avenge their Knight, they find the Countess, her usually sharp eyes red and puffy but she still has a smile on her painted lips. And she is surrounded by Eastern Dragons. As the golden dragon is weakened by the water they breathe, she turns to her partner in crime desperately only to catch the scent of dahlia flowers as her companion walks over to the Countess’ side.    

The Dragon realizes with disbelieving despair that they have switched rolls without her knowledge, only there’s no knight around to save the day. The Countess raises her son’s sword and brings it down.  

The once Damsel places purple hyacinth on the graves on the Knight and his mistress, as she itches at the iron collar that’s always been wrapped around her scaly throat and wishes she could breathe fire.   

 

The End        

Want to read more short pieces? check out my other blog https://wordpress.com/posts/dragonbreathandfairydust.wordpress.com or head to

https://www.wattpad.com/myworks to check out all my recent stories.