Mythology and Folklore

Godfather Death ( Wikimedia ) Story Lab Week 14: Storybook Research New Story for Retelling:  Brothers Grimm: Death's Messengers I needed a story to base the final chapter of my storybook on and so I decided to do Storybook Research to find a source for retelling. I wanted this last chapter to reveal the narrator, who is also the final trickster Reynard has to face, Death. I searched the UN-Textbook and the first story I found actually fit perfectly. I found the Brothers Grimm: “Death’s Messengers” Story. Within the first part death is injured and a young man helps him so death promises to send messengers before he comes for him himself. I think this part of the Brothers Grimm story will be a flashback within a dream in the Storybook Project. Reynard will take the place of the man and the dream will recall a past arrangement between Tricksters. As the story continues the young man grows old and is surprised to see death, who then claims that he sent many messengers in the f...

Bearskin ( Wikimedia ) Week 14 Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part B Bearskin: · Soldier experiencing same problem many veterans in the United States face, could be modernized to a scenario like that or to be even more intense a soldier returning from Vietnam · Interesting dialogue for the fancy guy, might be fun to try and replicate · Ah, fancy pants is the devil · Moral of the story so far: money talks · I like the generosity of this character, but generosity is easy when you have unlimited money, potentially interesting twist if he only has so much money to last the seven years, still gives it all away and then still receives riches in the end · Hilarious that the devil has to clean Bearskin · This is a pretty grim ending, the two older sisters just go and kill themselves and then the devil gloats, potentially re-writing option for a happier ending Hans the Hedgehog: · Very little explanation / exposition here as to ...

Allerleirauh ( Wikimedia ) Week 14 Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part A Hansel and Grethel: · Wild that the mom’s first instinct is to abandon the children, is she actually the witch or related somehow? Might make an interesting retelling · Ah, Step-mother, maybe even more likely that she and the witch are in cahoots · Interesting that he uses stone’s to find way back, I had always heard it as bread crumbs but I suppose the creatures of the forest would eat that · This story has a really nice balance of narrative description and dialogue keeping the plot flowing, some descriptive imagery details might enhance it though. · Ah, here are the bread crumbs · And the birds ate them, there we go · First interaction is interesting, no explanation given for why house is made of food · Interesting that she forces Grethel to take care of her brother and make him fat, this story seems to lack a little bit of dialogue here between ...