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Comment
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered
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(12/1/05 2:49 pm)
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mirrors and glass
Hello all,
I'm working on a project on mirrors and glass in folklore and fairy tales, and I was wondering what thoughts and references you all might have.
I can think of only two fairytales where mirrors show up: Snow White, and The Snow Queen, and one where glass plays a significant role, Cinderella.
But I also know that there's some folklore about covering mirrors over to prevent a thunderstorm, and Jews cover over mirrors while mourning.
What are your thoughts on the whys and wherefores of these customs? Do you have any other references on the significance of mirrors and glass?
Thanks in advance.
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winkamon
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(12/1/05 3:36 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
I know it's quite a modern one, but I think Lewis Carroll's Alice stories are considered to be fairy tales.
So what about Alice Through The Looking Glass?
Winky
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winkamon
Registered
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(12/1/05 3:40 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
Me again!
(with another possibly irrelevant post)
Not really in the realm of fairy tales, but it's worth mentioning the whole vampires and mirrors thing. As the vampire legend goes, they can't see their reflections.
So apparently, vampires don't keep mirrors in their houses (or castles, or wherever they live!), or if they do, they are covered up or the glass is taken out!
Probably off the point again, but it might help :-)
Winky
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winkamon
Registered
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(12/1/05 3:44 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
Yes, sorry it's me again, but I keep having glass and mirror thoughts (I am a strange lady)
What about the glass slipper in Cinderella?
I always wondered why the fairy godmother gave her glass slippers - she must have either been jealous or had some kind of vendetta, coz those bastards must have HURT!
Winky
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered
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(12/1/05 3:50 pm)
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mirrors
Thanks! I'd forgotten about the vampires...
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Writerpatrick
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(12/1/05 4:05 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
Not all mirrors are made of glass. Prior to glass mirrors, polished surfaces such as silver were used. This would make them somewhat rare and expensive. I think you may want to consider other reflective surfaces such as water as well. The Narcissus story involves a reflection in water.
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered
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(12/1/05 4:15 pm)
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reflections
Oh, I'm
definitely
interested in other reflective surfaces as well. And, hey, I'd forgotten Narcissus, too (even though I keep using the word "narcissism" in my notes--absurd, really). Thanks very much.
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Chris Peltier
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(12/1/05 4:23 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
My understanding as to why mirrors were covered during a period of mourning was to prevent mourners from thinking about themselves, and stay focused on the dead.
The beginning of Andersen's Snow Queen has a magic mirror. Invented by a demon, everything good reflected in it appears distorted and ugly. The demons run everywhere with it, saying that at last they can see humanity's true reflection. They eventually try to fly up to Heaven to mock the angels, but the mirror slips and fractures into a million pieces. A shard falls into little Kay's eye, freezing his heart. It is because of this shard that the Snow Queen can have her hold over him.
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cammykitty
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(12/1/05 4:49 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
And Perseus uses a mirror to slay medusa because he can not meet her eye.
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AliceCEB
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(12/1/05 4:59 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
This is quite modern, but in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, mirrors are doorways to the faery realm.
In the Dorian Grey, the painting is a mirror of his soul.
In the Beauty and the Beast, Beauty is given a magical mirror by the Beast so that she can see her father.
Best,
Alice
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Random
Registered
User
(12/1/05 7:58 pm)
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Mirrors
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's fairytale Feathertop, it is a mirror which reflects Feathertop's true appearance and provides the turning point for the story.
And I don't know if this is old or traditional enough to be considered folklore, but it is certainly children's tradition that chanting in front of a darkened mirror will bring forth monsters (for instance, chanting "Bloody Mary" (or a variation thereof) a certain number of times will cause her to come out of the mirror and kill you). I still find darkened mirrors a bit creepy.
And don't forget the superstitious seven years bad luck if you break one!
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kristiw
Unregistered User
(12/1/05 8:25 pm)
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mirrors
Hmm, I remember reading that mirrors were covered in houses in mourning because the soul of the deceased was still lingering and might get trapped in the reflection. That was in the context of Irish folklore, which has me thinking about mirrors and divination... there were rites a girl could do in front of a mirror and see her future husband looking over her shoulder. Or she might draw her shift across water (if we're talking about smooth surfaces as mirrors) and hang it to dry, and during the night her future husband would come and turn it. Oh, and this might be obvious, but what about the Lady of Shallot's mirror?
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Random
Registered
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(12/1/05 8:43 pm)
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Mirrors
Oh, wow. Can't believe I forgot about the lady of Shalott, since I was talking about her mirror just the other day!
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered
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(12/1/05 8:56 pm)
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Many thanks
Thank you all so much for these excellent points. I can't believe how much I've forgotten/didn't know to begin with!
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Heidi
Anne Heiner
ezOP
(12/2/05 12:18 am)
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Re: Many thanks
Veronica,
Glass and mirrors have been discussed a lot over the years, but the discussion that always comes to mind was back in the earliest days five years ago so you may not have found it. The internal search engine isn't working right now either unfortunately!
Glass...
. Be sure to see the second and third pages especially once the conversation focused.
Heidi
Edited by: Heidi Anne Heiner at: 12/2/05 12:48 am
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AlisonPegg
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(12/2/05 1:27 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
Isn't it all about truth? Does the mirror tell the truth or does it lie?
Inevitably I have a story about a mirror !!!
mysite.wanadoo-members.co...inkie1.htm
Edited by: AlisonPegg at: 12/2/05 1:29 pm
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cwfaerie
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(12/2/05 10:52 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
Your question doesn't specify what kind of project you're working on, but in terms of critical work, Cristina Bacchilega's
Postmodern Fairy Tales
looks at how mirrors function in fairy tales.
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princessterribel
Registered
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(12/3/05 10:20 am)
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Re: mirrors and glass
Try and get hold of the recent brothers Grimm film, it has just left the cinema in the UK. That pays a lot of focus on the magic mirror and how it deceptively reflects false beauty, also when the mirror breaks the witch/queen dies.
erm...thats all I can think of right now...everything else has been said.
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xXRadicalDreamerXx
Registered
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(12/4/05 4:08 pm)
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Re: mirrors and glass
For christians demons can be trapped in mirrors because of how god defies the demons. In some cultures mirrors are thought of portal ways from a monster or a creature.
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered
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(12/4/05 6:55 pm)
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thanks again
I just wanted to post one more time thanking everyone who responded--I really do appreciate the aid and good suggestions I get on this board very much.
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Rosemary Lake
Registered
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(12/7/05 10:43 pm)
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Glass Mountain etc
The glass mountain is in Grimm iirc. Snow White had a glass coffin. I seem to remember glass bridges.... The glass cat was in Oz. I don't suppose Wonder Woman's invisible airplane would count. :)
Was there a glass key?
Max Luthi talks about glass being often used in fairy tales. Hey, "The Glass Bead Game"!
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