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Author
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Comment
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cordsher
Registered User
(2/18/04 10:53 am)
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Magical task tales
I'm working on a children's book set in New York's fairy realm, where all the folklore brought by the various immigrants resides. The plot is looking as if it's going to be based on one of those fairy tales (my Stith Thompson has gone missing) in which a trickster-hero is required to steal a series of magical objects from a series of dangerous personages: ogres, giants, demons, sorcerers, etc. I've got several models for this in Lang's Fairy Books of Many Colors, but they're all European in origin. I was wondering whether this kind of tale exists outside of Europe, and thought you all might know.
Thank you.
Delia Sherman
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winkingstar
Registered User
(2/19/04 6:37 pm)
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Re: Magical task tales
Although it doesn't involve stealing magical objects from dangerous people, the Russian story "Prince Ivan, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf" is about a trickster-hero who steals magical objects, such as the Firebird, the horse with the golden mane, and Princess Elena the Fair. Actually, the hero, Ivan, doesn't do the tricking himself, but he does do some stealing. This tale can be found in the collection Russian Fairy Tales collected by Aleksandr Afanas'ev. There is also a YA retelling of this tale, Firebird by Mercedes Lackey, which is pretty cool. In this novel, Ivan does some of the tricking himself, and also has to outwit a wizard.
Also, some of the tales in Jack Zipes's collection, Don't Bet On The Prince, have trickster-heroines.
I'm not sure if that's what you were looking for, but I hope it helps.
~ winkingstar
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cordsher
Registered User
(2/19/04 9:35 pm)
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Re: Magical task tales
I've got the Zipes, and will check it out. Thanks.
Delia
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Richard
Parks
Registered User
(2/20/04 9:09 am)
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Re: Magical task tales
I've been reviewing my books on Japanese and Chinese folklore and coming up blank. More than a few magical objects, but most are either given freely or acquired by luck (they were not the object of the quest). There are so many parallels to western folklore otherwise (like the broken taboo) that I keep expecting to find this one as well, but so far no luck.
http://dm.net/~richard-parks |
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