Recent reading

[luzula]

Some reading in preparation for some day writing a fairy tale/folklore AU of Flight of the Heron...

The Other Country: legends and fairytales of Scotland by Marion Lochhead (1978)
Many of these feel awfully familiar, compared with Scandinavian folk tales I've read--I guess there are a lot of similarities at least among western European fairy tales: things happening in threes, animal helpers, etc. Then again, I'm pretty sure I read some of Andrew Lang's books of fairy tales when I was younger, so perhaps I have indeed read some Scottish ones before. Anyway, these retellings are well written, and I enjoyed them!

The Secret Commonwealth by Robert Kirk (1692)
I'd come across references to Robert Kirk in various history books: the minister who wrote a treatise on fairies and then mysteriously disappeared... There's an introduction by Andrew Lang from 1893 which I only skimmed; he spends a lot of time relating Kirk's text to the spiritualism of his day which I wasn't very interested in. Awww, I do like his poem on page vii, though; how charming! Anyway, Kirk's text is interesting: it's quite matter-of-fact in telling us what fairies are like and how they relate to humans. Also there's a lot on the second sight, which of course is useful for fic. I like that he is quite uninterested in condemning people as witches--in fact, he considers the existence of fairies and of the second sight as compatible with Christianity and thinks it might even bring people to religion (by disproving atheism/skepticism about the supernatural).

I suppose this is where Philip Pullman got the title of his book?

Comments

[regshoe]

Oh, these all sound very good—as does the idea of a fairytale Flight of the Heron fic... :D

I guess there are a lot of similarities at least among western European fairy tales: things happening in threes, animal helpers, etc.

Haha, I've been reading some of the nominated canons for Once Upon a Fic today, and I was just thinking something like this—those are definitely very familiar themes.

The Secret Commonwealth is mentioned in Sylvia Townsend Warner's Kingdoms of Elfin, I seem to remember. Anyway, a 'matter-of-fact', philosophically/religiously-informed seventeenth-century take on fairies does sound very interesting!

[luzula]

I definitely want to write a fairy tale AU at some point, but it hasn't quite solidified yet! Meanwhile, there's always hyarrowen's story with the Sidhe...

Huh, I've read Kingdoms of Elfin, but it was a couple of years ago, so I don't remember any mention of The Secret Commonwealth. Interesting!

Oh, and off topic: a Siberian jay sat on my hand today!! They are so sociable and cheeky and easily tempted by pieces of sandwich. ♥

[regshoe]

It's been a couple of years since I read it too, and I don't remember the details—but it's in the story 'The Occupation' (I just looked it up and happened to open the book to the exact page straight away—must have been a helpful fairy...!).

Awww! I've wanted to see a Siberian jay for ages—I love the idea of a crow that tiny, and they're very cute and have such nice colours. You're very lucky :D

[luzula]

I've spent a lot of time in Swedish old-growth forests, which is where they live, so I've seen them fairly many times--but I would say that most people in Sweden have probably never seen one. Strangely enough, for living so far from humans they're often very unafraid of us. It sat on my hand for several seconds, not just enough to snatch the bit of sandwich and fly away! ♥

[regshoe]

What a treat <3 The only jay species round here is Garrulus glandarius, which are always shy and elusive, if not all that rare—I can't see them doing that!

[hyarrowen]

I too have been reading Scottish fairy tales and folklore, when I've had the brain for it. I've just tracked down the one I used five years ago, no, SEVEN years ago, and lost the details of in two house moves - The Lore of Scotland by Kingshill and Westwood. It's organised by region and was pretty useful.

And damn me, I got a request from the State Library to rate the librarian who helped me. Of course I gave her five stars. But what IS the world coming to??

[luzula]

I'm sure there's lots more to dig into, if I want! The vague idea that I have for this story is that Keith is bleeding on the sands, and Ewen makes a bargain with the fairies/sidhe to save his life--but then they steal Keith away as the price of it, and Ewen has to go on a quest to get him back. Also maybe Ewen has the second sight himself.

Poor librarian, having to be rated like that! Yes, what is the world coming to...

[hyarrowen]

I can quite understand why the Sidhe would want to hold on to Keith - I mean, who wouldn't? I'm hoping your otherworld story is progressing faster than mine! It sounds like a corker.

[luzula]

Ha ha, no, I'm not writing that story at all now, it's just a vague idea in the back of my head. I've got to finish the poly story before I write anything else--it just got over 90K but is not done yet.