Once Upon a Vine-Fairy Tale-Inspired Wine

In Gypsy's latest link roundup at Once Upon a Blog, she shared a Frog Prince inspired wine, which reminded me that a while ago I spotted fairy tale-inspired wines at Marianos and meant to share them here, but forgot!

Once Upon a Vine is a pun just waiting to be made, and I for one am glad they did! Above are their 2013 products "A Charming Pinot," "Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc," "The Big Bad Red Blend," and "The Fairest Chardonnay." There is also a limited edition "Enchanted Woods Bubbly." At $10 or $11 a bottle, they're really quite affordable, although I haven't tried these (I stick to the $3 wines available at Aldis and Trader Joes).

The Snow, the Crow, and the Blood

During the month of March, I thought I'd share some Irish folklore! This tale, "The Snow, the Crow, and the Blood" is included in Surlalune's Twelve Dancing Princesses from Around the World collection in the Grateful Dead section. There are similarities to Twelve Dancing Princesses, such as following a Princess who goes to the netherworld by means of an invisibility cloak, and the title itself is also a reference to the tri-color theme most famously known in Snow White. (And some other interesting themes and similarities with other fairy tales, which we can discuss in the commments!) Enjoy-

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One winter's day, the son of the King of Ireland, Jack, went out to shoot. He shot down a crow, and when he saw the crow in the snow, he decided "he never saw anything blacker than the crow, or redder than the blood, not anything whiter than the snow round about." He decided he would not rest until he found himself a wife with hair as black as the crow, cheeks as red as the blood, and skin as white as the snow.

He told his parents the King and Queen of his quest, who tried to discourage him, because it might be impossible to find such a bride. But Jack insisted and set off with a hundred guineas.

Not too long into his journey, Jack came across a crowd fighting over a corpse. The dead man had owed a debt and the people to whom the money was owed didn't want him buried until they were paid. So Jack took the hundred guineas out of his pocket, paid the dead man's debt, and went on his way. Soon afterwards, Jack was approached by a little red man who offered him his services. Jack protested that he had nothing to pay him with, but the man insisted it would be free of charge. The little red man also knew of the one woman in the world with hair as black as crow, cheeks as red as blood, and skin as white as snow-the Princess of the East, and would lead Jack there.

First they came upon the Castle of the Giant of the Cloak of Darkness. Jack knew of the giant's fearsome reputation and wanted to move on, but the little red man insisted they stay the night. They entered the castle and the red man demanded food and beds. The giant threatened to kill them and Jack was very afraid. But then "in a flash, the wee red fellow whips out his sword" and fought with the giant, and killed him. After a good night's sleep and eating their fill, they left the next day with the Cloak of Darkness.

The little red man did the same at the Castle of the Giant of the Purse of Plenty, as well as the Giant of the Sword of Light-he killed the Giants and took their treasures.

The two men traveled until they got to the East, and Jack went to court the Princess. She was just as beautiful as he had imagined, but she demanded three tasks of any who might court her. If the men failed the tasks, she would take off their heads. She showed Jack her rose garden-there were three hundred and sixty five rose bushes; all of them had a man's head on the flower except one, and the Princess told Jack she hoped to have his head on the last rosebush.

She then told Jack his first task. He must take the gold comb from her hair during the night, but she would spend the night "neither on the earth nor under the earth."

Jack was troubled and told the wee red man his task, and the red friend told him not to worry. With the Cloak of Darkness, he followed the Princess into Hell, where she kissed the Devil and talked with him. The red man snatched the comb from her hair and returned it to Jack, who showed it to the princess in the morning.

She was upset, but gave him his second task; to retreive the diamond ring from her finger. The red man accomplished this the same way, as well as the last task, to retrieve the lips the Princess had kissed, which the red man did with the Sword of Light.

The Princess had to consent to marry Jack once he completed the three tasks. Before the red man left he gave Jack instructions for making his wife good, for she was possessed with devils.

It was then that the red man reminded Jack of the debt he had paid for the corpse that was being buried at the start of his journey. The man told him, "it was I whom you buried, and I have tried to repay you a little. Now, good-bye, and may you and your wife prosper ever after."

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Images and full tale text here

*I have also just added a tag for Irish folklore if you'd like to read more! A few others will, hopefully, come this month

UPDATE: Gypsy of Once Upon a Blog has shared some more insights and information into the tri-color aspect of fairy tales here, definitely worth checking out!

Police call for Elsa's Arrest

I almost feel like there's no reason to post anything Frozen-related on a fairy tale blog, because Frozen is so vastly different from Andersen's "Snow Queen" it's hard for me to even justify it as a "version" of "Snow Queen". Although now Elsa and Anna are characters in "Once Upon a Time" so that confuses things even more. Frozen is so huge that we in the fairy tale community can't ignore it completely. So very quickly, you may or may not have heard that, as a more creative way for Kentucky police to issue public warnings about the cold, they called for the arrest of Elsa, the Snow Queen, who is causing their unusually cold weather.

Fun fact: I typed "once" into google and the second thing that came up, after "once upon a time," was "once upon a time elsa." It's not just little girls that are crazy about her...

I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in Kentucky, and she's annoyed by it more than amused, and ashamed that the joke started in her state and has now inspired other related incidents, such as a staged arrest of Elsa in South Carolina.

Then the original state had to get in on the action, and the town of Hanahan Kentucky arrested Elsa, 

Frozen products are still heavily featured everywhere, unusually so for a Disney hit more than a year after its release. I'm sure the coincidence of two unusually cold winters for the Midwest and East Coast immediately following the release helps fuel the jokes and comparisons (*shakes fist at global warming for not being there when you need it*...)

The original police announcement:

Harlan City Police Department

Government Organization · 4,133 Likes

 · February 18 at 11:08am · 

All points bulletin!!! HPD has issued an arrest warrant for Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Suspect is a blonde female last seen wearing a long blue dress and is known to burst into song "Let it Go!" As you can see by the weather she is very dangerous. Do not attempt to apprehend her alone.

*Yes, I know global warming/climate change is more complicated than that

Reversible Elsa/Anna skirt for women-available for $40 via HipsterPrincess on etsy

Artist Feature: Paul Friedrich Meyerheim

I was unfamiliar with German artist Paul Friedrich Meyerheim until recently. He isn't primarily known for fairy tale illustrations (unlike beloved illustrators such as Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, and others well-known in the fairy tale community), but he illustrated an 1893 edition of the Grimms' Kinder und Hausmarchen.

He really loved depicting animals in his work, so the illustrations here feature animal tales pretty heavily. Posts like this provide a fun opportunity for "Name that fairy tale," especially with some of the lesser known animal tales. How many can you name? Answers at the bottom...(all from Grimms)

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Answers:

1. Frog King (Frog Prince) 2. Little Brother and Little Sister 3. Goose Girl 4. Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) 5. Hansel and Gretel 6. Little Red Riding Hood 7. Cinderella 8.Snow White  9. Bremen Town Musicians 10. Wolf and Seven Kids 11.  The Clever Little Tailor (Not to be confused with the Valiant Little Tailor...) 12. The Death of the Little Hen

Madame D'Aulnoy: The Origin of the Term "Fairy Tale" and How It Spread like Wildfire

In one of his latest books, The Irresistable Fairy Tale (2012), Jack Zipes builds on what he discusses in his 2006 book, Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre. I haven't read "Why Fairy Tales Stick" but the former is at my public library so I've gotten a chance to peruse it recently. In both books, Zipes seeks to look into and answer the question of the undeniable long-term popularity of fairy tales. Although they have changed over the years, evolving and adapting according to each culture, fairy tales have managed to remain in public general knowledge and popularity for an impressive longevity. In fact, really the only other thing I can think of that compares to fairy tales in its universal human appeal over completely varied human cultures is religion.

Zipes discusses the science of memetics, or to use a term most people are familiar with, "memes." Memes can be more than pictures of cats with funny captions-a meme is anything that captures the public imagination and spreads in popularity. Memes generally rise and fall over time, but fairy tales have stayed afloat for hundreds of years. What makes a meme stick with us is its relevancy. Therefore, general human consensus for most of known history would indicate that we find fairy tales relevant to our lives. Zipes points to the fact that fairy tales start in conflict, as do our real lives. Although I might point out that basically every story has some form of conflict, so there has to be some other common thread that indicates why fairy tales and not other literature remain so prevalent.

However, tracing the history of fairy tales themselves is incredibly difficult. Zipes says, "Almost all endeavors by scholars to define the fairy tale as a genre have failed. Their failure is predictable because the genre is so volatile and fluid." Not only that, but he goes on to mention that the term "fairy tale" never existed until Madame d'Aulnoy coined it as the title of a book in 1697. Her collection of stories about fairies prompted a trend with far-reaching impact she could not have imagined at the time. For now we use the term to cover a multitude of stories, but most of them don't actually involve actual fairies. How did that specific term explode to cover the undefinable genre we now call fairy tale?

Rare copy of D'Aulnoy's Fairy Tales-only $5,500 Euros

(Fun fact: the original French, conte des fees, was originally translated into English as Tales of the Fairies in 1707. Sound like a certain blog name?!? I wish I could say my blog title was a direct reference to this original French term, but it was really a quick decision made when I impulsively decided to make a fairy tale blog, and I thought the title should simply convey what I would be talking about. I wasn't very creative.)

Adrienne Segur

Illustration for "The Royal Ram" by D'Aulnoy

Although the French fairy tales were very influenced by the Italian collections of Straparola and Basile, those works were only self titled as "tales" and not necessarily associated with, or strongly featuring, fairies (although a few do make an appearance). Yet D'Aulnoy made fairies central characters and put the word in the title of her book, creating an association between a term and a genre that are inseparable today. Why fairies, and why all of a sudden? And what was it about D'Aulnoy's newly coined "fairy tales" that made them so popular?

D'Aulnoy lived in a time when women's rights were severely limited. She created a world of fiction in which human lives and destinies are governed by powerful female fairies-the fairies influence everything from fertility and birth, to arranging destinies and love. Some fairies are more evil and witch-like, others good and just, but they are all powerful and fearsome, and in control of the fate of humans. In a time when women had little to no power either in society or in the home, she created a world where women could vicariously live through fairies to have responsibility, supernatural powers, and control. D'Aulnoy and the other female writers who followed in her footsteps self-identified with the fairies and used them to create alternate ideals for society.

Madame D'Aulnoy

The human characters in the first official fairy tales turned not to government, or the church, to solve their problems-but to the fairies that were a throwback to old mythological dieties and goddesses. For the first French fairy tale writers, "the fairies in their tales signal their actual differences with male writers and resistance to the conditions under which they lived...it was only in a fairy-tale realm, not supervised by the church or subject to the dictates of King Louis XIV, that they could project alternatives stemming from their desires and needs."

Philip Pullman Grimm Tales for the Young and Old: An Immersive Fairy Tale

Any readers who live in England/will be travelling to the UK this spring? There's a unique fairy tale play going on, Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales for the Young and Old: An Immersive Fairy Tale, adapted and directed by Philip Wilson.

The official description:

"This winter, Philip Pullman’s compelling Grimm Tales return in a brand new immersive storytelling experience that will plunge adults and children alike into the subversive world of the Brothers Grimm.

"An enticingly foreboding shadow is descending over the sprawling Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s South Bank. Here, these delightfully twisted tales, lovingly crafted and theatrically reimagined, will be brought to life before your very eyes.

"Do you dare experience these infamous fairy tales, no longer bound to their pages but trailing your footsteps, breathing softly down your neck and unravelling in wonder before your eyes? From The Frog King to Hansel & Gretel, you’ll encounter some unforgettable characters from Philip Pullman’s book, in a deliciously dark winter experience full of unexpected twists and turns."

And in Philip Pullman's own words:
"When I saw this team’s previous production at Shoreditch Town Hall, I was thrilled with the vividness and fidelity with which they’d carried the tales from the page to the performance space. Imagination, wit, a mastery of all the theatrical possibilities of lighting and costume and make-up and the simple magic of transformation all combined in an experience that was a joy to encounter. I’m sure the venerable Brothers Grimm themselves, if they could see it, would be as delighted as I was."

Reviewers seem overall very impressed with the play, especially the format. Instead of an audience sitting in chairs in an auditorium, they follow the characters through a large warehouse with different sections set up as each fairy tale. Props to the creators of this play for not only staying faithful to the Grimm fairy tales, but introducing audiences to lesser known tales, such as "Faithful Johannes" and "The Three Little Men in the Woods" (which seems to be the audience favorite).

For more reviews, you can read Gaby Woods' at the Telegraph or on The Awkward Blog, the source of all the pictures here

Five Glass Slippers: A Collection of Cinderella Stories

Published last year, Five Glass Slippers has received good reviews so far, averaging 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads. It's a collection of Cinderella-inspired short stories, but each with a different approach and with something for everyone. And it appears that the stories published were winners of a contest-mostly quite young and some never published before, yet readers seemed happy overall. One comment on Amazon I found interesting, and something we fairy tale lovers may come across, was a one star review titled "Who needs 5 rewrites of Cinderella-especially all in one collection?"

Obviously I feel very differently, otherwise I wouldn't have a fairy tale blog, and if you're reading this you probably also love looking at fairy tales from all different angles. I mentioned a few years ago that I had come across this question from a friend and readers shared that they've had the same experience-some people find that one fairy tale is all they need. So for those of us who find we can never get enough, official description with more details on each story in the collection below:

Ella Dolbear Lee

"What happens when Cinderella is so painfully shy that she cannot bear the idea of attending the royal ball? Or when the slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl? What happens when Cinderella is determined to oust an imposter prince from her rightful throne? Or when she is a cendrillon miner working from a space station orbiting a cthonian planet? What happens when Cinderella, a humble housemaid, is sent with a message for a prisoner trapped in a frightening fairy circus?
Here is Cinderella as you have never met her before, wearing glass slippers and off on unforgettable adventures!"

WHAT EYES CAN SEE: Elisabeth Brown
Painfully shy Arella begs her stepmother to let her stay home from the prince’s ball. But kindly Duchess Germaine is determined that her beautiful stepdaughter should be presented at court along with her own two daughters. So, dressed in a gorgeous gown and a pair of heirloom slippers, Arella catches the eye of the crown prince . . . and finds her life suddenly far more complicated than she ever desired.

Margaret Tarrant

BROKEN GLASS: Emma Clifton

The slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl! Rosalind never once danced with Prince Marius at the ball, for she is in love with his brother Henry. If only Rosalind and Marius would stop bickering long enough to invent a scheme, perhaps the three of them can find the real mystery lady. But they must work quickly, for dark deeds are afoot, and the kingdom is poised on the brink of disaster.

THE WINDY SIDE OF CARE: Rachel Heffington
Alisandra is determined to have her rights. She knows that she is the king’s secretly dispossessed daughter, the true heir to the throne. Prince Auguste is an imposter, and if she plays her cards right, Alis will prove it to the world! That is, if charming Auguste doesn’t succeed in winning her heart before she gets her chance . 

Hermann Vogel

A CINDER’S TALE: Stephanie Ricker
It’s a dangerous life, yet Elsa wouldn’t trade this opportunity to work at Tremaine Station, mining cendrillon from the seething surface of planet Aschen. Nevertheless, when a famous deep space explorer and his handsome son dock their starcraft at the space station, Elsa finds herself dreaming of far galaxies beyond Aschen's blistering heat. There is no time for dreaming, however, when danger threatens the space station, and Elsa and her fellow miners are tested to the limits of their courage.

THE MOON MASTER’S BALL: Clara Diane Thompson
After her terrifying experience there several years ago, the one place young housemaid Tilly longs to avoid is Bromley’s Circus. But when kindly Lord Hollingberry begs her to deliver a message to the mysterious Moon Master hidden away among the circus dwellers, Tilly can’t refuse . . . and finds herself ensnared in a web of enchantment cast by the loathsome Mrs. Carlisle and her beautiful goddaughter.

A Tour of Tales of Faerie (With Once Upon a Blog as Guest): [4] The Library

"Oh! Beast, how you frightened me!" she cried. "I never knew how much I loved you till just now, when I feared I was too late to save your life."
"Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am?" said the rich beast faintly. 
... She answered softly, "Yes, dear Beast."As she spoke a blaze of light sprang up before the windows of the castle; fireworks crackled and guns banged, and across the avenue of orange trees, in letters all made of fire-flies, was written: "Long live the prince and his Bride."
(Madame de Villeneuve)

The shadows are getting longer already and I have a special anniversary dinner planned with my Prince, so this will have to be our last stop on the tour, but it's a good one, I promise.

K: Don't these doors look just enormous?

G: The carving on these is gorgeous but they are intimidating.

K: Wait till you see what's inside. Close your eyes for a minute.

G: Seriously? OK then. *closes eyes, puts one hand over as show of good faith*

K: Good. *whoosh of air then takes Gypsy's hand, guides her forward* Step this way, step, step, left a little, now stop. Ok -open.

G: *blinks and gasps in astonishment* Oh you weren't kidding! This place is amazing! Look at your collections! OK, talk me through the goodies. What are your favorites here?

K: Oh, there's so many! When it comes to Beauty and the Beast research, every scholar needs a copy of Betsey Hearne's Beauty and the Beast: Visions and Revisions of an Old Tale, and Jerry Griswold'sThe Meanings of Beauty and the Beast: A Handbook. 

G: Great choices. And is that a computer I see over by the window?

K: Why yes! In this day and age the internet is a pretty important resource in researching fairy tales. I still rely heavily on the Surlalune main site, as well as the many wonderful blogs that help to cover so many aspects of fairy tales in history and the way they are being reshaped today! (My link list can be seen to the right)

G: And how many versions do you REALLY have of the Beauty and the Beast tale? (Not counting the whole SurLaLune book on the subject, that is, because, that's a given if you're serious about the fairy tale.)

K: Here is my Beauty and the Beast book collection: I have picture books by Friere Wright, Eleanor Vere Boyle, Marianna and Mercer Mayer, and my very favorite, Angela Barrett and Max Eilenberg. I have the SurLaLune collection as well as the Oryx Multicultural Folktale Series collection. Of course there are a couple Disney versions in there, including the "Making of" book by Charles Solomon. Some of my most unique books are the French text of Villeneuve's story (even though I'm not even close to fluent in French...), a copy of the Charles Lamb poem, and an old linen picture book from 1897.

G: I just... *whispers* wow! If I come over again and disappear, you should probably look for me here first.

K: *smiles* That's pretty much what I tell Beast as well. Why don't we have some fresh coffee and rest our feet after that hike? *hands Gypsy a full cup*

G: Ah! You read my mind. *takes a grateful sip* So, apart from your Beauty and the Beast research, what are your other main go-to resources when you begin researching fairy tales home?

K: I also really love Marina Warner's From the Beast to the Blonde: Fairy Tales and their Tellers, really anything by Maria Tatar, and the whole series of SurLaLune's Tales from Around the World. 

*clock chimes five*

G: Oh my. Time flies in this place! I'd better get back. And you have a dinner to get to! *gets to feet* Thank you SO much for the tour today. I feel so honored to have been brought into your beautiful, private fairy tale here. I love everything about it.

K: *blushes* Thank you for coming. We should do this again some time. And soon.

G: Yes let's. But first, I'm going to need some help finding my way home...

K: Ooh - here. You'll love this: push on that lion's head finial on the stair there... *Gypsy pushes, two bookshelves move outward and fold back on themselves, revealing secret door*

G: *jumps up and down with delight* Are you kidding me!! This is possibly my favorite thing yet! Where does that door lead to?

K: *grinning* It's s shortcut to the front courtyard. Your horse is already there waiting for you.

G: Oh wonderful, thank you! *quick hug* This has been the best day. It's your anniversary but I get all the presents! Thank you! 

K: You're welcome. Ride safe!

G: I will! HAPPY FIFTH BLOG-A-VERSARY! *waves as exits* Oh man - secret door... I have to get me one of these...

*door slides closed once she's through it*

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed this little peek into Tales Of Faerie! 

I appreciate every one of your visits, your reading the blog and your comments. Tales Of Faerie has become so special and I've met so many amazing people because of it. What makes blogging so exciting is the opportunity not just for me to spout my own ideas, but to have conversations with all sorts of wonderful people and learn from you as well!

Thank you for all your support over five years. I can't wait to see what the next five will bring.

Catch you on the blog later!

Note: All illustrations used, unless otherwise indicated, are from the picture book version of Beauty and the Beast, written by Max Eilenberg, Illustrated by the amazing Angela Barrett (2006).

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LATE UPDATE:

 Received a letter via bluebird from Gypsy after she left. Many thanks to all of her hard work in making this tour happen!