Stories & Soliloquies

Stories & Soliloquies
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    • The Forgotten Tales of the Sand Faeries

      Posted at 12:00 pm by Michelle Joelle, on June 30, 2016

      Beach sand has a way of making sculptors of everyone. That’s because the beach is home to the sand faeries, the kind of faeries most concerned with telling stories. They’re some of the most prolific muses of the faerie world, comparable only to the ocean faeries who are known for inspiring shanties and tales of sea-faring adventures. The sand faeries are their wordless kin, who tell the stories of those who kept no written record of their lives, or for whom no written record survives. They inspire us to make sculptures in the sand as an ode those who have been washed away by the sea, whispering their stories in our ear.

      Most of the time, these stories catch on the wind and leave us as we complete our task, so we do not remember them in great detail. And always, because these are the stories of those who have washed away to sea, so too must our creations wash away, not just to keep the secrets of the sand faeries, but to complete the story.

      Sometimes they tell the tales of animals.

      IMG_3597

      This sea turtle was less washed to sea than welcomed by it, but the sand faeries see little difference.

      They see rather a lot of these, and sometimes they get a little carried away with exaggeration and invention, or mix stories about people with animals, but it’s all in good fun. The thing about sand is that it moves around with the tides, and when grains of sand are displaced and regrouped with new grains of sand, they recombine their memories endlessly. Sometimes they get a little confused about what’s real and what’s not after beach readers leave their books on the sand.

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      Some one at this beach was reading Return of the King recently, else I’d never have inadvertently crafted Minas Tirith.

      And sometimes they even learn a few things from sculptors who come to the sand with their own designs in mind and their ears shut to inspiration. The sand faeries never mind this, as creativity and the visual expression of stories are really what they feed on most.

      But more often than not, they’re telling the story of a lost people, a forgotten fortress, or an unrecorded history. That is why so many of us, especially those of us who play in the sand without an agenda or design, end up building dwellings, and of those dwellings, most are castles and fortresses. And most of them creep upon us as we mold the sand, telling us what to do next with every new pile of sand.

      On my most recent trip to the beach, I let the sand faeries speak to me, and I learned of a rustic kingdom by the sea that was constantly under siege from a neighboring fortress.

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      I began with the inner wall of the city. I had intended to dig only a trench, but before I knew it, I was molding a wall. At first I thought to do something more sculpted, but I ended up with a softly rounded wall instead. Before I knew it I was building an inner castle and digging an outer trench. I felt that this castle belonged to a rustic, isolated people. I imagined that all of their homes would be within the trench, but I couldn’t figure out what they should look like, so I left the land in a state of ruin.

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      I imagined the people who lived here to be mainly agrarian, but filled with a strong sense of community pride, mixing some softer, more hobbit-like round earthen walls with a few sturdier and more stalwart forts and towers. Nothing too elaborately built, however, and nothing too high.

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      At this point, the sand faeries began to whisper into my husband’s ear, prompting him to ask me what they were so afraid of – why did they need a protective trench and lookout towers at every corner? And so he was inspired to build a neighboring city which was far more militarily driven.

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      The result was craggy city on a hill, with rough fortresses built into the walls of a small mountain, their main road headed straight for my little rustic civilization.

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      Whatever happened between these two cities, in the end the same fate took them both. After most of the inhabitants moved to urban centers and towns further from the ocean, the sea levels rose and washed away the old ruins they left behind.

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      Leaving nothing but fragments of their story to be recalled by the sand faeries the next time they came along someone playing the sand, ready to listen to them.

      Posted in Stories | 2 Comments | Tagged beach, creativity, faeries, fairy-tales, sandcastles, stories
    • Mini-Syllabus: Irish Mythology

      Posted at 12:45 pm by Michelle Joelle, on March 17, 2015

      Last year I wrote that I like to read books in coherent clumps. When I pick a book to read, I generally find myself seeking more like it, branching out step by step until I’ve completed what essentially becomes a miniature syllabus. I’ve decided to show off some of these syllabi. Some are more coherent than others, some built chronologically, others by theme, but all of them held together by a central set of questions. My first Mini-Syllabus was on Viking Lore.

      This time, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day I’m turning to Irish Mythology. Because it’s a holiday, I’m going to leave out the critical lens aspect of building the syllabi and keep the focus on open engagement with the stories.

      Dublin 004

      Getting Started:

      1) Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, edited by William Butler Yeats:

      The best way to find your way into Irish mythology, in my opinion, is through folk lore. This collection of short stories is one of my favorites – Yeats’ introduction is engaging and philosophical, and his treatment of the tales is subtle and entertaining, whimsical and full of gravitas at the same time. The stories are divided into categories, each with their own introductions, so you can easily choose a story to fit your mood.

      A great way to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day is to whip up some Shepherd’s Pie (if you’re vegetarian, you can get the same feel with an earthy combination of mushrooms – we call it “Forager’s Pie” in my house), pour some ale, and read a few stories aloud to each other.

      2) Introduction to Early Irish Literature. by Muireann Ni Bhrolchain:

      I know I said I’d keep things celebratory and story-focused, but in this case, you’re going to need some background if you aren’t already familiar the the world of medieval Ireland. This text introduces the main mythological cycles of Ireland, both in their historical contexts and literary styles. To really get into the stories, you’re going to want to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the different ethos of each myth cycle, as well as the overarching view on truth and myth that governs their interconnections. This is a text book, but it’s a text book that will enhance your enjoyment significantly. The Medieval approach to myth and truth was quite different than ours, so you’ll want to be properly prepared.

      The Finn Cycle:

      3) God and Fighting Men: The Story of the Tuatha De Danaann and the Fianna of Ireland, by Lady Augusta Gregory:

      Lady Gregory’s collection of folk tales is a great transition from peasant lore into high mythology. It can be difficult to jump right into the ancient texts directly, so this folk-style retelling of the Finn Cycle is a great way to ease in.

      4) The Tales of the Elders of Ireland/Acallam na Senorach, translated by Ann Dooley and Harry Roe

      Now we’re getting into the serious stuff. Acallam na Senorach explores of the early days of Saint Patrick, the Irish Otherworld of faeries, and the giant Fenians as Cailte and Oisin tell Saint Patrick the glorious history of Finn Mac Cumaill. This edition has maps and pronunciation guides that are invaluable for those unacquainted with the Irish language.

      5) Fianaigecht, translated by Kuno Meyer

      This is a collection of Irish poems and tales about Finn and his fighting Fiana, with the original Irish on the lefthand pages and the English translation on the right. This text is for those with a high level of scholarly interest – the introduction jumps right into the philological history of Fenian lore and it never really eases up. The poems and stories themselves are full of detail, and the translation, I wager, focuses more on accuracy than art. I “wager” this rather than claim it because I don’t actually know Irish (save for some conversational bits) and am guessing based on the choppiness of the rhythm and the several question marks that don’t correspond to the original Irish version, suggesting missing information or confusion. This text is worth having just for the glossary of rarer words at the back.

      The Ulster Cycle:

      6) Cuchulain of Muirethmne: The Story of the Men of the Red Branch of Ulster, by Lady Augusta Gregory:

      Now that we’re moving over to the legendary Ulster Cycle, it’s a good time to catch our breath with the folk readability of Lady Gregory. I’ve mentioned Cuchulain on this blog before, so if ever you were wondering who he was, this book is a great place to find out.

      7) The Tain bo Cuailnge, translated by Thomas Kinsella

      As it says on the back of the book, this “is the centre-piece of the eight-century Ulster cycle of the heroic tales” of Cuchulain. This primary source translation is extremely accessible to novices yet rich and essential for scholars; it is readable and entertaining, from the historical background all the way down to the art and typography. If you only choose one book from this list, make it this one. If you choose two, make it this one and the Yeats’ collection.

      8) Early Irish Myths and Sagas, translated by Jeffrey Gantz

      This is another great collection of tales about Cuchulain and other characters from the Ulster cycle, and another great translation. The introductions to the stories are brief and more centered on the tales themselves than on their history, but you do get some background to help you along.

      Short Collections:

      9) Ancient Irish Legends and 10) Irish Fairy Tales by Padraic O’Farrell

      These are slim volumes of modern retellings, perfect for those not looking for the investment of primary sources and elaborate pronunciation guides. I find these to be slightly less poetic in their delivery, which is not a bad thing; there’s a drier wit and a straightforwardness that’s appealing, making the stories feel contemporary and thus less distant.

      I know I’ve gone a little bit overboard here, but hopefully the structure of this mini-syllabus will help you carve out a reading list that suits you. You can choose a myth cycle to focus your reading, take the first item from each category for a lighter yet more well-rounded approach, or simply choose what looks most appealing. Whatever you choose, I hope you try reading some of it out loud to friends or family, tapping into the spirit of the seanchaidhe as you celebrate the tales of Ireland.

      Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.

      Posted in Series | 0 Comments | Tagged books, Finn Cycle, Ireland, Irish mythology, myth, Saint Patrick's Day, stories, storytelling, syllabus, Ulster Cycle, Yeats
    • Listen Along: The Best of LibriVox

      Posted at 12:30 pm by Michelle Joelle, on February 16, 2015

      I’ve been listening to LibriVox stories quite a bit lately, and I think I’ve found the perfect set of cozy winter stories, and I thought I’d share them.

      The first is Edith Nesbit’s Book of Dragons. The stories are lovely. They’re written conversationally (a style I love but would likely never be published today) and are just cute. There’s really no other word for it. They’re like perfectly crafted bedtime stories. At roughly half an hour, each chapter is a discrete story, giving me just enough incentive to see it through before heading back inside, and repetitive enough that I don’t fret about missing things if I have to pay attention to my surroundings. If it was one long, continuous story, I’d probably grab a metaphorical bookmark and finish later on, whether I was at the end of chapter or not, so this is perfect if you need to bribe yourself to hang in there a few minutes more, like when you’re on the treadmill.

      The second is J. Walker McSpadden’s Robin Hood. I’ve only listened to the first two chapters of this version of Robin Hood, but it is truly excellent. We lit a candle that smells like a fireplace (in the ideal version, we’d actually have a wood fire), cracked open a couple Nut Brown Ales (which are mentioned explicitly in the first chapter – Sam Smith makes a great one), and curled up under blankets to listen. I’m very excited to hear the rest of the piece, as the first chapter covers nearly the whole of what you get in film and book adaptations of the tale. A lot of what’s to come will be brand new to me.

      LibriVox is a volunteer effort to record books that are in the public domain to distribute freely. It’s one of my absolute favorite sites on the internet. Both of these recordings are exemplary in both reading and sound quality, so I definitely recommend checking them out.

      Posted in The Waste Book | 5 Comments | Tagged audio books, books, children's books, dragons, edith nesbit, LibriVox, reading, robin hood, stories, storytelling
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