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pigwithwings11
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(12/22/05 12:24 pm)
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blind man who can see evil?
i was reading one of my comics the other day and ran into a fairy tale figure i did not recognize. it was a man named Kay, who had gouged out his own eyes , because he can see all evil in people or all evil deeds done by a person, or something along those lines.
if anyone knows about this fairy tale, or a link to it or whatever you can get me i would greatly appreciate it. it is really bugging me.
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Writerpatrick
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(12/22/05 1:48 pm)
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Re: blind man who can see evil?
King Oedipus gouged out his own eyes when he discovered that he had been sleeping with his own mother. There's also a Chinese story of a blind swordsman, but I'm only familiar with that through a movie based on the legend. But as far as I know, neither has to do with the ability to see evil.
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Gunnlods Cup
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(12/23/05 1:50 am)
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Re: blind man who can see evil?
I can't say I recall a fairy tale with a blind man who can see evil, but blindness, sometimes voluntary, for wisdom, the ability to talk to gods or animals (I think),artistic inspiration or prophetic ability, or as a punishment for exercising them, is a recurring theme in mythology, folklore and modern fantasy.
Odin gives up one of his eyes to gain a drink from the Spring of Mimir at the base of the World Tree, the waters of which gave insight to those who drank it. Phineas and Tiresias in Greek mythology were both blind seers. Legend has it Homer was also blind. There's a blind dwarf in Finula and the Dwarf in the Red Branch stories.
Many poets, bards and storytellers of folk tales are blind; I've even heard of a group of itinerate bards that travelled through Russia until Stalin called them all to a convention and they disappeared.
In fiction, Paul Atreides of Dune and G'Kar of Babylon 5 both are blinded, and are prophetic characters, eventually. Guy Gavriel Kay has used the convention from religious leaders in at least two books, Beatritz de Barbentain, High Priestess of Rian in A Song for Arbonne , and Gereint the Shaman in the Fionavar Tapestry. I'm sure there are more, but I'm afraid that's all I can come up with off the top of my head.
I found this folktale too;
www.sacred-texts.com/neu/.../eft41.htm
I think that Kay in your story may just be a variant on that theme.
Brenda
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coinilius
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(12/23/05 9:20 am)
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Re: blind man who can see evil?
Are you reading Fables?
If so, then the blind guy who gouged out his eyes because he can see evil is from the Snow Queen - in the story, there was a mirror that reflected evil, and some demons flew up high with it to try and reflect God, but dropped it.
It shattered, and shards ended up all over the place, one of them becoming lodged in some guys eye, causing him to see evil :)
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pigwithwings11
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(12/23/05 10:32 am)
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Re: blind man who can see evil?
yep, fables. thanks you
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coinilius
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(12/23/05 10:41 am)
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Re: blind man who can see evil?
No probs :)
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avalondeb
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(12/23/05 11:24 am)
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Re: blind man who can see evil?
tiresias of apollonia was a blind prophet (Greek mythology), sorry, that is the only one I can think of!
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