Traveling through Life

There was a time when personal stories weren’t considered folktales. Many thought them not legendary enough or not universal enough to be told to anyone, anywhere. But, that archaic view has changed. Today these narratives are folktales because they have something to 'tell us' about the choices we all must make in one fashion or other about how to live our lives.

In classic folklore tradition, whether verbal, written, or audio/video recording, these stories reflect the personal style of the teller which can be humorous, melancholic, fearful or joyful. And they connect the dots between people in the teller's circle, including friends, colleagues, and family as well as members of the larger global community.

 

This is done with the use of  folklore motifs that include trickster lessons and the hero's journey often presented through archetypal figures, such as risk-takers, thieves, and lovers whose stories reflect time-honored values, such as honesty and courage.

The beauty of these attributes is that they can be updated to be relevant to modern audiences.

For example, in Oracle of Birds; Short Stories for the Fireside, a hybrid collection of poetry, family folktales (personal narratives), animal lore and more, by award winning writer Donna Faulkner (nee Miller), the motorcycle replaces former modes of transportation and becomes a common thread of 'travel' between the writer's past and her present; between herself and her parents, she and her partner.

The first mention of this motorized two-wheeler is in Rag Doll Rider. This creative non-fiction piece earned her 2nd place in Havik (2023). It opens with a remembering of a motorcycle accident she witnessed in youth. The incident appears again when she recalls her father's love of motorcycles and her mother's feelings about the topic. As an adult, Faulkner again uses this contemporary vehicle as a symbol of something she personally shares with another.  

Of the motorcycle, she says, "In the Oracle of Birds I’ve predominantly drawn inspiration from the natural world but have used motorcycles as a literary mechanism, a literal and metaphorical vehicle for navigating through adulthood."

The New Zealand writer whose work has also appeared in numerous publications, including Erbacce, Takahē: Hua/ Manu, The Typescript, Tarot Poetry New Zealand, and New Myths, goes on to note that such a symbol represents the idea of moving through life. "Journeying is universal. Nothing is stagnant. We are all going somewhere. Straddling freedom through surrender, motorcycles also lean comfortably into the archetypal of the horse and all it represents in the psyche. Reconciling the fragility of life whilst accepting the inevitability of death."

The motorcycle theme is also at the heart of Faulkner's poem, Riding Mountains. It is "a conceptual representation of freedom whilst the title alludes to the idea that we think we can conquer anything."

Admittedly, this poem about being present is one of her personal favorites. 

Rich with imagery and meaning, this work opens with Saturation, a stunning three liner that serves as both emotional release and a call to action:

sky knocks on parched ground
let me in. You need my tears
and I need to weep.

and includes other folkloric genres, such as animal lore, fables, and legends. In these she revisions  'The Fable of the Spider and the Housemate' as well as a poetic rendition of 'Baba Yaga', a Slavic forest dweller who can be both helpful or harmful.

About these choices, she explains, "The biggest breakthroughs occur when we explore dark places, look into the heart of what scares us. In writing ‘The Fable of the Housemate and the Spider’ I gathered together the threads of old myths to respin the old narrative and offer up an alternative take. I included the fable in this collection because it complemented the concept of interconnectivity - the overall theme that scaffolds this collection. I'd received a lot of feedback from readers that this fable had made them reconsider their feelings and attitudes towards spiders."

Her decision to conclude this body of work with Baba Yaga whom she describes as the personification of the Crone is because ""Sometimes maligned, often misunderstood, she is wise because she has learned to assimilate the lessons of the journey." 

Oracle of Birds; Short Stories for the Fireside offers the reader a personal  invitation to ride into the mountains with her where:

Valleys applaud 

the engines thrum.

Skirting roadsides 

waving lupins 

painted purple.

Riders taste

sweet 

blossom’s breath.

This well-put-together book, published by Written Tales (USA) is available in paperback & ebook at https://books2read.com/u/mdPYX5

 To learn more about Donna Faulkner: https://linktr.ee/donnafaulkner

 

The Poetry of Folktales

Oral Tales as Sonnets

Folktales, whether told or read, have long been stories treasured by people of all ages. Joyful, sad, scary, or funny, they often serve to teach or  explain values important to the society they occur in. 

Many of the more common examples include animals or creatures that exist in the geographic regions where the tales are being told. Most of us are already somewhat familiar with 'trickster' animals such as coyotes, ravens, foxes, and spiders who can outwit others in order to help them learn about the dangers of greed and pride and the virtues of honesty and kindness. Those who bring forth important items, like fire, sunlight, or moon are often the story of myths (a topic for a future blog). 

The true beauty of these tales of folk wisdom is the fact that they evolve over time to reflect the world of the tale teller. This can be seen in today’s webtoons and anime that rely upon modern technology to story tell adventures of animals and people confronted with contemporary challenges, such as computer hacking. 

They have also found their way into revisioning of the classical world of sonnets; 14-line poems, written in iambic pentameter. This form, derived from the Italian sonetto means “a little sound or song.” According to Poets.org, this “popular classical form has compelled poets for centuries." The most common—and simplest—type is known as the English or Shakespearean sonnet. The iambic pentameter rhythm of each line consists of five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (unstresssed) syllable followed by one long (stressed) syllable. A great example can be seen in Hamlet's  To  be, or not to be, that is the question: 

Curious to know more folktales and sonnets, I sought out the work of UK Poet Paul Brookes whose As FolkTaleTeller  is a retelling of folktales in the sonnet tradition. Published in 2022 by Impspired, it contains 33 poems that explore a wide variety of folktales. Here, in part, is our conversation: 

Q: What made you decide to write folktales in sonnet form? Why not free-verse or traditional rhyme?
A: I set myself two challenges, one, to write a folktale in 14 rhymed lines, two to write it from the “monsters” point of view. Also, the folktales would be as contemporary as possible.  I believe writers do not progress unless they challenge themselves. 

Q: How has this challenged you?
A: Boiling something down to its essentials I always find challenging. Also, giving ancient characters modern resonance, surprisingly, when you get into their character the situations described becomes easier. 

Q:  Did exploring various stories and characters expand your own understanding of folktales?
A: It did, immensely. It showed me how relevant they are to our own times. 
Recently, every Summer a young person drowns in our nearby Manvers Lake, so imagining Jennie Greenteeth tempting young folk into her waters becomes a warning as folktale. 

Q: Which poems are among your favorite in this book?
A:  They change daily, which is a good thing. 

I told him I did have favorites. Among them, the opening poem which sets the tone for what follows all of us. 'The Autumnal Green Man' is a wild spirit of the forest. Unafraid of the ever-changing seasons, his grace and acceptance are comforting.  The first four lines read

        Spiders thread my lips lightly together. 

        My leaves become their actual colours 

        and fall from my face, red, yellow, ochre. 

        My voice rustle of green leaves is no more

Here is Paul's recording:  

Q: Do you find yourself wanting to write more of these sonnets? If so, who or what would you like to add to this collection?
A:  Yes. Wyvern, our local Blue Mary, pit ghosts, local Cat and Man tale, and many others. 

Q: What is it you hope readers take away from As FolkTaleTeller?
A: Something memorable; some image, some story, some phrase that stays with them, and even more so lights a balefire of creativity in their own head. 

Q: What are you currently working on?
A: Just finished “Hidden River Or, River Dearne ” inspired by the #promptcombo #rivers by Ronnie Smith on Twitter. I had an idea today to complement this with seven sonnets on the River Dove that flows into the Dearne at Darfield, just across the valley from Wombwell. All my poetry is about place in the finish. 

Want to know more? 

To learn more about Paul, visit The Wombwell Rainbow

To purchase a copy of As FolkTaleTeller