|
Author
|
Comment
|
shiara
the witch
Registered User
(11/22/03 5:16 pm)
|
The Firebird
I need to write a book report on the similarities between The Forests of Serre by Mckillip and the fairy tale The Firebird, but when I read the fairy tale it was different than the one I remembered. The one I remember had Ivan help animals, and kill an evil wizard by stealing his heart which was in a box. Does anyone know if this tale is just under a different name, or am I going insane lol?
|
Lavengro
Registered User
(11/30/03 12:17 pm)
|
Re: The Firebird
Shiara,
You are certainly not going mad just because you remember the tale of the Firebird differently than when you originally read it. This is one of my pet hates and annoyances, and is, I feel, rather more than an inconvenience. It seems that somewhere in about the mid 1980s (perhaps before) someone decided to take out the guts of our historic fairy tales and make them more 'PC' (politically correct). In doing so this idiotic person has undermined the very fabric of our heritage and rendered a useful scource of wisdom into insipid nonsense.
The tale for example of the Three Little Pigs, which hopefully everyone knows about, has been so much changed that the entire outcome and rhythm of the tale is alien to the original. In the original - the pigs all chant the same rhyme to the wolf in reply to his own unerring rhyme. I quote: -
WOLF: "Little pig, little pig, let me in!"
PIG: "Not by the hair on my chinny chin-chin, I will not let you in."
WOLF: "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
If you buy this book today, in the ladybird cover, or at any time since about 1985, the rhyme is likely to be missing, and the Wolf says that he will blow the house "..down..". A great shame in itself. Further destruction of this great tale comes about when you realise that in the modern version, the pigs from the house of straw and of sticks - "run safely to their brothers house.." Instead of being eaten up by the wolf. Then, when the wolf comes to the house of bricks, and, upon finding he can't get in by huffing and puffing, he clambers onto the roof and drops down the chimney - instead of falling into the boiling pot of water the wily pig has cleverly set on the fire, AND DYING making an excellent soup for the pig; in the latest versions, he simply scalds his tail and runs away never to be seen again - while the THREE pigs (who all survive) are dancing round and singing.
The essence of stories such as this are to instill a sense of real danger into the hearts and minds of children. A sense that life has real dangers and we should do well to behave with care and sense if we are to avoid the pitfalls in this life. The bothers who are eaten up, in the original show that if we do not heed the warnings we might well end up in mortal danger, while the surviving pig makes the best of a sad loss by eating the wolf who ate his brothers.
I mourn the loss of such essence in tales, and I place the blame partly at the door of such enterprises as Disney.
The story you seek called The Firebird is superb, and there are many versions of it. Originally a Russian tale, I would suggest you seek a Dutch publication of the tale if you cannot find it elsewhere in its original form. In The Netherlands, there are lots of books printed in English, but the originals tend to remain true. Best of luck. Here is a cover of a book from 1920s - maybe this is still in print?
clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~t....html
If anyone is reading this and would like to pass on comments to me or the community about what I have said - please feel free to do so.
|
Helen
Registered User
(11/30/03 1:07 pm)
|
Russian folktales ...
Dear Shiara:
I think that the tale which you have in mind might be known as "The Frog Princess." It bears certain similarities to "The Firebird," in that both possess enchanted maidens who must be won through the performance of great feats: however, the latter features animal helpers who help to defeat the sorcerer Koschei the Deathless. Hope this helps!
Best,
Helen
|
AliceB
Registered User
(12/1/03 8:35 am)
|
Re: Changing tales
Lavengro,
I must respectfully disagree. Although I dislike Disney as a rule, and also see a great deal of dumbing down of tales, I also see a lot of creative takes on old stories. No tale should be set in stone -- I have trouble with the "definitive version" of anything. As our society changes, so do our voices and visions. I find it interesting -- no change that -- I find it fun to see all the different ways that the same tale can be told, even if some of the versions are insipid. It is wonderful to get an original version (one of the very many reasons I love the SurLaLune site), but without re-tellings, we wouldn't have had ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine, FRACTURED FAIRY TALES by A.J. Jacobs, and so many more.
All the best,
Alice
|
Lavengro
Registered User
(12/1/03 2:21 pm)
|
Re: Changing tales
Dear Alice B,
OK, OK, I was kind of harsh, though I withdraw nothing I said about the Disney Corporation. The manner and direction of their agenda is not helpful. Tales such as Grimms have inbuilt moral warnings, and the rhymes and rhythms help to capture childrens imagination. Happy endings are not a foregone conclusion, much like in life itself. Neither do I like the politically correctness of newer versions representing the originals - Ladybird books for one.
On the other hand, I can find myself agreeing on your claim that some deviations from the original are to be acclaimed. Roald Dahl's - Hairy tales and Nursery Crimes are superb.
But, I admit, I have not read the others you mention - yet.
|
Valkith
Registered User
(12/1/03 4:18 pm)
|
Re: Changing tales
I find myself walking a fine line here.
While I dislike the 'dumbing down' of many stories, what I truely despise is the 'PC' versions, the lack of any morals within the story.
My son has a Big Book of Bedtime Stories, which I have renamed the Big Book of Foolishness. The original Jack in the Beanstalk for example is abut 8-12 pages long, forgive me I don't have the book in front of me at work, in my son's book it is 2 and a half pages. The giant doesn't fall on his head, instead he falls into the ocean, presumably the author who remade this seems to think the giant will survive, when in fact hitting water from that assumed great height would be like hitting concrete. There is no harp, and no Fee Fie Foe Fum either.
It is not just Disney, Disney is not that bad compared to other re-makes.
|
|
