|
Author
|
Comment
|
Helen
Registered User
(9/5/02 2:59:25 pm)
|
Positive Portrayals of Wolves?
Dear All:
A friend of mine is involved with a newletter that advocates re-releasing
wolves into protected environments, and asked me if I could think
of any pro-lupine folk or fairy tales that might make for appropriate
references. I mentioned some of the modern retellings ("Riding
the Red," "Wolfland," etc.) that equate feminism
and the natural world against patriarchy, and some of the Russian
folktales that feature the Grey Wolf as a helper to the protagonist,
but came up short after that on tales that portray wolves in a positive
light. Would any of you happen to have any suggestions? Thanks in
advance.
Best,
Helen
|
swanchick
Registered User
(9/5/02 3:40:35 pm)
|
Wolf stories
My first thought was Romulus and Remus. There are a lot of stories like that, IIRC, where this hero or that is raised by wolves.
swanchick
|
Marks
Unregistered User
(9/5/02 4:54:29 pm)
|
Not a fairy tale...
...but if you haven't read it already you should read Barry Lopez's book on Wolves. Maybe the best ever written. I read that about the same time I saw the film "Wolfen" and both blew me away and got me into wolves for some time. In most Western mythology and fairy tales I've ever read the wolf is equated with evil, or at the very least death and destruction. Same with the Raven, which is also an extremely intelligent and complex creature. This is because Europeans have had some pretty bad past experiences with them. I would look to other cultures for more positive roles for the wolf. In addition to Romulus and Remus, there is The Jungle Book, but that was written by Kipling, and not an old myth. There is a book called "Women who Run With Wolves" which supposedly is about the "wild woman myth and archetype." I haven't read it and don't know if it is well researched or just new age hokum. It's received some good notices, though.
There is a current attempt to revise myths to further an anti-male agenda by more extreme types, and this is as unrealistic as the anti-female tendencies of the old boy network. I tend to look for the truth, not warp it to fit a personal philosophy. Changing long conceived erroneous notions and revealing the truth of the matter is quite different, however, and to be encouraged. Stories with female heroes are usually my favorite kind.
|
delin1
Registered User
(9/5/02 5:01:03 pm)
|
wolf-boy
this is not a folk-tale but you may be interested ...
last century in europe a 12 or 13 year old boy was discovered in the wilderness having being raised since infancy by wolves. of course, it may be a fraud - but it was very famous and seemed genuine at the time. the boy had no human language, hunted for his food and was "civilised"
can't remember the name off-hand but there are plenty of works about which deal of it -
|
Terri
Registered User
(9/5/02 11:06:13 pm)
|
Re: wolf-boy
Helen, Clarissa Pinkola Estes's Women Who Run With the Wolves has a lot of wolf material. Hers is a modern psychological take on folk material, of course, rather than strictly traditional re-tellings, but it might be helfpful.
|
unicornchld
Unregistered User
(9/6/02 5:30:18 am)
|
positive portrayals of wolves
though im not sure if its positive dances with wolves seem to be an interesting tale though a bit drawn out.hay you could alwas write a positive story yourself.
|
Gail
Unregistered User
(9/6/02 5:35:14 am)
|
Wolf by Gillian Cross
I highly recommend looking at the award winning young adult novel by Gillian Cross. Within the storyline, a strong contrast is made between the preconceptions of wolves by people who have only heard the "big bad wolf" tales and those who are in possession of the facts about real wolves. It is an amazing book on many levels.
Gail
|
swood
Unregistered User
(9/6/02 6:04:49 am)
|
The Jungle Book
Positive stories about wolves should certainly include Rudyard Kipling's _The Jungle Book_. Mowgli is not only raised by wolves, but guided by their wisdom. Despite Kipling's uncertain status as the voice of British imperialism, this book has gorgeous language and includes an almost environmental stance in regards to man's stewardship of nature.
Highly recommended.
Sarah
|
jess
Unregistered User
(9/6/02 8:48:45 am)
|
feral children
delin:
There is an extensive discussion of language and feral children in Jane Yolen's Touch Magic. There was also an incident this year in Iran where a wolf or a bear (I don't recall which) found a toddler and fed and protected it for several days.
Jack London's stories have mixed treatments of wolves - some positive and some negative. Obviously, these are not fairy tales.
I believe there is a discussion on this board about Pacific Northwest stories about wolves.
Jess
|
pinkolaestes
Registered User
(9/6/02 2:58:10 pm)
|
somewhat outré research
>>>>>>>>Clarissa Pinkola Estes's Women Who Run With the Wolves has a lot of wolf material. Hers is a modern psychological take on folk material,>>>>>>>>>
Well, thank you for the affirmation.
Mi estimadas, what a wonderful site I just found here, and how bright. I would just add my two cents worth here just in general to those interested in creature wolf as I have background in study. (Warning: I am one of the world's worst spellers and often cannot even choose the right one from the plethora offered by spellchecker—grin)--that said -- just wanted to mention that looking deeply into the Romulus/ Remus story will reveal much richness; Think of not relying solely on the tidbits that have survived in various anthologies of "myths." But especially if one looks into the Graeco-Roman pantheon through Ovid's Work, Homer's (yes, I know the very olkd treanslations are rough-water reading, but it is worth it for its original soup, instead of as we say in our family, "water of the water that the duck ran through"), There one will see how the characteristics of the wolf—dedicatedly familial unless too many sexually mature males and not enough fecund females—are oft attributed to human ideals of love, seeking and keeping particularly what is preserving of spirit.
I grew up in backwoods; opportunities to observe these dear creatures were many. I humbly suggest if a person interested in wolves has not already (and probably many of you already have) that they go into a woods' blind, or up to the Canadian or Alaskan plains, (there are many trackers availible to help) and if not that, then to a refuge and first, before looking at one more page of words, to go see, and especially smell, and listen, and be near the creatures and with your other self, the one that comes from being in air that has no ceiling.
This is just my two cents worth. Though I love pages and in our non-literate family as a child, pages were like gold to me, I am still deeply invested in teaching research technique that transgresses the more usual ways alone, as you can see---grin. So much of everything I find in outer culture increasingly seems to have no body any longer attached to its head. But it could be that I am becoming terminally crabby in my old age.
I look forward to seeing how I might help if possible here. But Mio Dio, you have Catja the incredible citer, and Jane Y. the invincible, and likely many more others that I have yet seen from only having glanced at two pages here. Que suerte, suerte, suerte, what fortune!
I have some questions too as soon as I can figure out how to work with the website here to ask them. Please have patience with me; I still write most everything by hand on paper. As a grandmother from immigrant heritage, it is still a miracle to me that I even have a computer, let alone am learning how to learn its many many mysteries. (but then, I am still knocked out by the fact that movies exist too) I apologize for this being too long. Had I more time, this missive would have been much shorter. Next time.
con cariño,
cpe
|
Majicou
Registered User
(9/6/02 4:41:29 pm)
|
Re: Positive Portrayals of Wolves?
Forgive my lack of verbal acuity here. I'm a bit tired.
I seem to recal a series on the Disney channel as well as two movies based on the White Wolf as a positive force...
Additionally, there are heroic wolves in abundance in the roleplaying game "Werewolf:The Apocalypse" Some of the chronicles I've seen have some interesting original research done by the storyteller.
Looking through www.white-wolf.com for storytellers and roleplayers may be of help to you. The game has been in existence for a few years now. Perhaps some of those who play have found information that could help in your research.
|
Terri
Registered User
(9/6/02 11:54:28 pm)
|
Re: Positive Portrayals of Wolves?
Clarissa, welcome to these discussions! I greatly admire your work, and it's a pleasure to "meet" you (via cyber space).
Helen, have you read Pat Murphy's novel Nadya? (If not, you can probably find a copy at Tor, since they published it.) It's not a fairy tale, but it's an engrossing novel about a female werewolf on the American frontier, very pro-wolf, and beautifully written.
-- Terri
Edited by: Terri at: 9/7/02 12:14:17 am
|
Helen
Registered User
(9/7/02 7:01:11 am)
|
Howling with delight ...
Dear All:
Thanks you so much for your wonderful suggestions! I will most certainly pass them along. Only here would someone's name come up as an authority, only to have them lend that authority to the discussion ... nifty, nifty, place. Welcome, Clarrissa! And thank you. Terri - I love Pat Murphy! I actually mentioned _Nadya_ to her (the friend), but she was looking more for short, easily relatable folk or fairy tales to sidebar ... considering the amount of information that you guys have provided, maybe she'll just do a comprehensive overview of all of the ways in which the stereotype of the "big bad" wolf have been exaggerated, and how modern writers are struggling to correct the impression ... Again, thank you all. I'm off to dig through Ovid, Kipling, and White Wolf...
Best,
Helen
|
Kate
Unregistered User
(9/7/02 1:55:35 pm)
|
Late to the conversation
I just read this string quickly and I'm so sorry if I'm repeating someone, but I certainly consider Angela Carter's "The Company of Wolves" to contain a positive portrayal of wolves, in full Carterian (Carteresque?) complexity. Neil Jordan's film version of the story--I believe the script was co-written with Carter--also has great empathy for the wolf.
Kate
|
isthmus
nekoi
Registered User
(9/7/02 2:38:51 pm)
|
Re: Late to the conversation
There's a book out by Susan Chernak McElroy called "Animals as Teachers and Healers" which has a chapter on Wolves. She writes about the changing associations w/wolves as symbols and draws in perspectives from different cultures. The book doesn't contain fictive tales, nor is it very academic, but it might help as a jumping off point for research.
She also mentions a book by Barry Lopez called "Of Wolves and Men". I've never read it myself, but she recommends it as a 'virtual wolf bible'.
Back to Carter; she's written many great wolf stories, weaving lycanthropy, wolf-children, vampirism (is that a word?) into her wolf tales. The wolves are ambiguous figures, as all symbols are I suppose. I really liked her spin on Peter and the Wolf - unfortunatly, I can't remember the title of the story... it's probably Peter and the Wolf :P
|
Marsha
Sisolak
Registered User
(9/7/02 3:01:06 pm)
|
Re: Late to the conversation
Amber van Dyk's short story, "Sleeping, Waking, Nightfall",
which made its appearance in the May, 2002 Lady Churchill's
Rosebud Wristlet, portrayed a sympathetic rendering of a were-girl.
It's a lovely stream-of-consciousness piece.
|
Rebecca
Unregistered User
(9/7/02 3:52:35 pm)
|
Re: Late to the conversation
There's a small collection of transformation myths by Teresa Pijoan called White Wolf Woman. It is broken up into sections by animal (with Wolves being one of those sections). There were two tales in it that seemed particularly sympathetic toward the wolf: "Ghost Hunter" and "White Wolf Woman" that I think could easily be retold to fit in a sidebar if that's what is needed.
|
janeyolen
Unregistered User
(9/7/02 11:44:11 pm)
|
wolves
Clarissa--my gawd! I have always wanted to meet you. Welcome.
I think the boy raised by wolves referred to above is Victor of Avyron. Mordicai Gerstein recently had a literary coup--a picture book and a novel about Victor (both brilliant) on the same list at Farrar Straus.
I have two books about the wolf girls of Midnapore India (and a short story) out: CHILDREN OF THE WOLVES (a novel from Viking/Penguin) and THE WOLF GIRLS: An Unsolved Mystery from History with Heidi E. Y. Stemple (non-fiction, S&S.)
Jane
|
pinkolaestes
Registered User
(9/8/02 7:30:05 am)
|
janewolf
mi Jane, and I you. I you.... I have thought of you so often as I have been post-trauma specialist at Columbine High School for the last three years since the massacre and have given your story about the brown-haired princess as "homework" so very often. Is there a way to find email for each other? May you, especially in this coming week be Written Into The Book of Life.
And to all here on list, I would like to thank you for kindly welcoming me so warmly, and thank you those who are trying to help me with that "where the heck is it/who wrote this?" funeral/bookseller story...still trying to pin it down. And may you ALL ALSO be written into The Book of Life.
Re wolves, I would like to recommend a book I endorsed by Orenstein "Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked." It is brand new in the stores. Catherine Orenstein compiled a lively and transgressive work on this tale, gathering together material from pulp to pornography, from folklorist research to academic commentrary. "Caterina" is a Harvard grad and just whips this tale of life --displaying many persons' thoughts on the lupine in this tale from many angles.
Hope this helps a little.
con cariño,
cpe
Just thought I would mention it, my colleagues and friends call me cpe
still one of world's worst spellers. Mio Dio, shouldn't there be a crown or something for such a superb disaccomplishment, instead of that pointy hat with the bad name? (Although it does look suspiciously like the 'hat of wisdom' worn by old Teutonic women as recently as 19th century. )
|
DonnaQ
Registered User
(9/8/02 11:45:52 am)
|
Pass the hat!
Well, it's good to know I'm not alone. My spelling (or rather, lack of any sense of it) drove my professors crazy when I was an undergrad. They couldn't figure out how I could be such an avid reader, a decent writer and still not be able to spell. At least now I have a computer to help...
I like to think of misspellings simply as a tangential form of creativity
and cpe - I love the idea of gaining a crown / hat for "such
a superb disaccomplishment" !
|
tlchang37
Registered User
(9/8/02 9:40:21 pm)
|
Re: Late to the conversation
Sorry if this is no longer relevant, I just returned from a long-weekend illustrator retreat and am catching up.
There is an interesting article on wolves in folklore at the Wolf Song of Alaska site:
www.wolfsongalaska.org/wolf_folklore_menu.html
There are some more references there to wolves in a positive light - though many more where they are made out to be foolish or evil.
Not folklore (supposedly), but one of the wolf books I loved as a kid was "Never Cry Wolf" by Farley Mowat.
Contemporary retelling children's books include "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig" by Eugene Trivizas (I love the wolves building a house of flowers), and 'The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Jon Scieszka where the poor wolf is terribly misunderstood.
Tara
p.s. Just wanted to add that I very much enjoyed cpe's book "Women Who Run With the Wolves"! How fun to read her posts as well!
|
