Diana Tierney's Blog
Posted by Diana Tierney
Superstition: a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like. (Dictionary.com)
With this definition in mind we can look at why superstitions have such a hold not only on sailors but on society at large. How many times have you avoided walking under a ladder? Or have hesitated when seeing a black cat? How careful are you with mirrors? These are all things that we do whether they are conscious or unconscious based on superstitions that we have been taught.
Our superstitions are a way to cope with circumstances that we can’t understand or are unable to control. Sailors, fisherman and others who face death on a daily basis have traditions or actions that they follow through on to keep them safe. Whether they actually work or not is not the point, it’s the comfort that these acts bring that is significant.
My husband for a long time has been a hockey goalie. In his everyday life he is not superstitious at all, having attained degrees in Law and Biology he is extremely logical. However, that all changes when he puts on his goalie gear, it has to be done in a specific order in a specific amount of time with certain stretches done at certain points of getting ready. Oh and if I disturbed him during this time period I was in trouble. He wasn’t this superstitious when he was deployed. When questioning him about that he couldn’t explain it though some of the common things that the soldiers did was put pictures of their loved ones in their helmets for good luck, put a dog tag on their boot lace (which has a more morbid practical reason behind it as well as a superstitious one) and not walking on or in certain places. In my husband’s case he had his pirate flag and a picture of me and our dogs in a prominent place in his sleeping quarters.
These superstitions that sailors had, no matter how irrational they may seem were comforting to the ones that kept them. In their mind it was a way to ward of the very thing that scared them the most.
Posted by Diana Tierney
There were many women throughout history that sailed as pirates, not just the three that were mentioned in this week’s article (Grace O’Malley, Anne Bonny and Mary Read). In a time when women were supposed to be gentle creatures that took care of the home, these women defied convention. It is said that as a favor before Jack Rackham was hanged, he was allowed to see Anne one last time. She said to him “If you fought like a man you wouldn’t have to die like a dog.” Grace O’Malley was such a good leader that the men in her clan pledged their loyalty to her. She shrewdly negotiated fees from ships for their safe passage, pirated and took part in legitimate trade. When a governor had a personal vendetta against her, trying to stop her by attacking her family and the clans under her control, Grace went straight to the top by seeing Queen Elizabeth.
It is interesting to note that the only intact pirates code that has been found was drawn up by the Bart Robert’s crew. Point 6 in the code states “No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing one of the latter sex and carried to sea in disguise, he shall suffer death.” ( Angus Konstam, The History of Pirates) Though women were not new to Piracy they were still a deviation from the status quo. When Anne and Mary were on trial for piracy there was what could be considered a media circus surrounding them. Women dressed up as men to go out and be pirates caught societies imagination. Even today we are fascinated by these women for entering and succeeded in what could be considered a man’s world.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The story of Davy Jones is a combination of many different legends that were blended together from various different cultures. This was most likely the latent effect of various cultures clashing during the golden age of piracy. The terms and legend of Jones were made popular in various literature pieces such as Washington Irving’s “Adventures of the black fisherman” and “The adventures of Pereguine Pickle” written in 175 by Tobias Smolett. Since the character Davy Jones has played an important part in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy his popularity has grown tremendously. The legend has taken on new aspects as well such as the story of him cutting out his heart out of grief for the woman that he loved and the sailing of the Flying Dutchman.
Many have begun to relate the tragic love story of Davy Jones and Calypso with the story of Odysseus and Calypso (a daughter of Atlas). In the myth Odysseus has a love affair with Calypso while stranded on the deserted island of Malta. Odysseus is rescued but Calypso is left behind to die of grief.
The Flying Dutchman is another myth of a ghost ship that has been interwoven with the Davy Jones story. The true legend of the Flying Dutchman takes place off the coast of Cape Town. A captain by the name of Van Der Deckon decided to sail his ship after unloading all of his cargo even though his crew begged him not to. He sailed straight into a hurricane; the weather was so horrible that he had to leash himself to the helm to prevent him from being swept over board. In the midst of the storm he called out “God cannot even make me change my mind!” and he swore that he would sail on until he reached the end of the earth. Shortly after he said these words the storm died down and a ghost appeared on the ship. Immediately the crew dropped dead and when the captain tried to shoot this figure his arm withered. The ship went red in color and disappeared. It is said that it still sails the waters as it tries to make it around the Cape of Good Hope.
Davy Jones’ legend is an example of what can happen with stories and traditions from various cultures interacting with each other, the blend together to take on a new life. Davy Jones originally has legend aspects that stem from Northern Europe, India and even the Caribbean. As we can also see that over time folktales gain in substance. Every generation adds a little something to them. The Flying Dutchman was never associated with the Davy Jones myth until now. Most likely for generations to come Davy Jones will be associated with the ghost ship that couldn’t make it around the Cape of Good Hope and with the tragic character, Calypso, of Greek Mythology. This is a good thing for the Davy Jones myth, it adds complexity to the already rich legend.
Posted by Diana Tierney
It has been theorized that Sea Monsters are a way to explain the unexplainable events experienced on the ocean, snakes that are miles long, seals that looked human and other such beasts that scared unknowing sailors. There are so many creatures in the ocean, it’s no wonder that when people started to explore the waters they did what they could to explain what they saw. For many people what was once a myth became tangible through evidence of recorded sightings. My favorite part of Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest is when the pirate named Ragetti says “It’s a mythological Creature I can calls it what I wants.”
It seems that in our current age we have lost a bit of that mystery that we held in days past. We know everything now. Why the sun rises, the real reason the plains flood and we have discovered most of the interesting things on this planet. For the most part the mystery is gone. In our generation we have a tendency to be know-it-alls. We know everything there is to know about this planet so therefore there is no need to entertain fanciful ideas such as Sea Serpents, Mermaids and Kraken. It can all be explained away with science and reason.
What if for a moment we don’t try to explain these creatures away? What if we entertain the idea that there is just a little bit of magic left in this world? We haven’t discovered everything, there are still some things left in this world that we can’t explain. It’s entertaining the mythology like the ones of these creatures that allows us to take comfort in the mysteries of the universe. For at least a little while we can forget about what we “know” and take enjoyment in the unknown and through this feel some connection to our ancestors.
Posted by Diana Tierney
No pirate has captured our imagination more than Blackbeard. It can be easily said that he was the inspiration for much of American pirate literature. Why do we like him so much and further more why have pirates held a prominent place in our imaginations?
Perhaps the answer to why pirates capture our imagination lies in the answer to the question: what does it mean to be a pirate? The lifestyle of a pirate was that of freedom and self enjoyment. They thwarted the system to live how they wanted granted it was as Captain Bart Roberts said “Tis a short and merry life!” it was still a life where they had freedom from an oppressive system that was enforced by the officers that were in charge on government ships. The Captain only held absolute power during a time of battle, all other times the ship only went where the men chose to go and the position of the Captain was one that was chosen by the other sailors. For all intensive purposes a pirate vessel was a small democracy. These men may have been cutthroat murderers but they were able to keep an egalitarian system in operation on their ship.
As far as Blackbeard is concerned he fits the pirate stereotype: flamboyant and deadly. He had a style about him in both battle and life form the weapons and clothing that he wore to the rope that he burned from under his hat. It’s the pirate’s style that separates them from common thieves and it’s this very style that causes us to romanticize them. Even Jack Rackham became a legend based on his style even though he was not a very successful pirate. However, Blackbeard is a household name because he didn’t just have style, he was also successful.
Americans love a good success story. We also love the “outlaw hero” the guy who breaks all of the rules but saves the day in the end. The true pirates weren’t heroes but they have all of the other characteristics; they break the law, fight an oppressive system and “sail” away the victor. In our way of romanticizing them we turn these pirates into heroes, even though they have just pillaged a whole town, murdered some people and broke God knows how many other laws, in our minds they are heroes.
Whether we feel that Blackbeard was a classic outlaw hero or just a glorified thief that had a little style, it is undeniable that this pirate has certainly commandeered our imagination and is the inspiration for current popularized fictional pirates.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The Wizard of Oz is a tale that many of us grew up with; the book has become a staple of children’s literature and a standard of modern folklore. Simple in its context it has many themes that both parents and children can relate to. Oz is a place that is full of wonder and childlike innocence that is a treasured resource. Perhaps that is why many parents choose to share this story with their children, so that they can relive their childhood for just a little bit.
Much of modern folklore is based on the principle of childhood imagination (I.E. Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Just So Stories etc). To a strict adult mind most of Oz is absurd; a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man that talk, flying monkeys and wizards that grant wishes are ridiculous. However to the mind of a child this isn’t too far out of the norm. For the most part children have active imaginations that engulf their world, the Wizard of Oz plays to that. According to L. Frank Baum’s biography he had a heart condition that limited how much he was able to play outside with other children. Perhaps it was during this time that he created the world of Oz. It’s quite possible that this fantastic land that Baum created stemmed from his childhood and carried through in his adult years where he would tell stories that enchanted local children to the point that he decided to put his fictional world into print. However, it is through these “ridiculous” characters that we learn valuable lessons about life and take a further look at ourselves.
The most important lesson that we can learn from this story is that we don’t need to look to other people to find what is already inside of us. The Tin man was desperate to get a heart from the Wizard for he thought that he couldn’t feel anything without it but when the Queen of the field mice was being chased down by a cat it was his axe that saved her. Why? Because he couldn’t bear the thought of her being eaten, it saddened him too much. Perhaps the most important lesson was the one we learn from Dorothy. From the time she left Munchkin land to her final stop in Quadling Country to see Glinda, Dorothy looked to others to help her but it was the shoes that she wore on her feet through out the land of Oz that would take her home. The whole time all she needed to do was click her heels together, she had to look to herself to find the answers she needed and not to someone else. As with most things in life, we just have to look at the tools that we have already been given to be able to accomplish our goals.
Posted by Diana Tierney
Acting with out thinking first is never a wise thing to do as the young man learned in the story of the three apples. This story has many pertinent morals that can be learned. Over-reacting isn’t just the stuff that soap operas are made of, it occurs regularly in everyday life. Whether it is political or personal there are examples everywhere. As well, what we say to people, whether we mean for it to be cruel or not can cause damage.
In the story the young man reacted immediately to the words that a perfect stranger said over that of his wife who honestly didn’t know what had happened to the apple. Letting go of his logic and reason which composes one’s rationality he gave into his emotions and killed her. The sad thing about it is that it wasn’t until the deed was already done and there was no turning back did he learn that he murdered his wife for no reason because it was his own mischievous son that took the apple from her. She was good to her husband from beginning to end but was tragically punished for something that she didn’t do. How many times in our personal lives have we acted on information that we thought was correct before weighing out all of the facts?
It doesn’t always have to be with a lover or a spouse that we jump to conclusions. It can be with our friends or family, automatically thinking the worst and not giving them the benefit of the doubt especially when they have done nothing in the past to make us rationally think that they could hurt us in such a way.
The slave was given all of the blame for what happened in the story. If it wasn’t for him stealing the apple from the boy and lying about it to the young man the wife would still have been alive. There is a reason why there is the saying “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Words often cause more damage than physical blows. What someone says can bring about chaos, peace, used to justify a war or help someone feel better. It all depends on what we say and how we say it.
It’s in keeping our cool and being rational that we find the truth when things get to be too heated. Patience may be a virtue but rationality is a trait of wisdom and as Socrates said “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.”
Posted by Diana Tierney
The question is often posed “do the ends justify the means?” Theseus had a goal of becoming a hero much like Hercules. However, while in search to attain his goal he failed to think of others in his climb to the top. Does wanting to be a hero for all of the wrong reasons still make someone a hero?
The modern definition of a hero is one who is distinguished with ability, admired for their deeds and noble qualities. One can question whether or not Theseus had noble qualities. The princess of Crete betrayed her family to help Theseus and the children of Athens and she was left on a deserted beach for her reward. In the end she was ok; the god Dionysus brought her with him in his journeys. However, Theseus didn’t know this nor by the evidence presented did he care.
As well when Theseus’ wife claimed to have been violated he didn’t look at the whole picture. He immediately rushed to anger and had his own son killed to seek vengeance for his deceased wife who had lied.
Doing what we can to reach our goals is a noble thing. From the time we are children we are told to have goals and in achieving them we will be happier. However, if we step on other people to get to where we want to be does it justify our happiness? Or are we doomed to fail as punishment for our past crimes?
Corporate America is the big generalized bad guy. Gone are the days of my grandparents when there was nothing but small family run operations where you could talk to the owner directly on a first name basis. These large companies have ultimate goals of making money and having a strong hold on the consumers that they live off of but at what cost? Almost every day news channels announce some company making cuts to pensions, pay rates and health insurance making it harder for the average American to put food on the table while those that sit on the board of trustees get a little heavier around the waist. It as the age old saying states; the rich get richer and the poor keep getting poorer. At the same time pay rates and benefits are cut the price of needed items go up. Corporations step on the backs of their employees to reach the top. When they fall is it deserved? Or is that just the way the world is; the strong survive on the weak as if they are an expendable commodity? There is a point where we should draw the line but where that line is drawn is up to us.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The story of White Lotus Magic is certainly an interesting fairytale. It is an excellent example of the Chinese Fairytale, for though they do not have the same structure as that of its western counterparts it still has many valuable lessons that we can learn from it. The morals that we take away depends upon how we interpret the story.
Being a believer in the principle of Karma which states that in the end the universe will catch up to you and whatever you put out into the world whether it is good or bad will be what you receive in the end. The master magician harmed one of his followers by having him killed for falling in love with his concubine. It is possible to entertain the idea that because the master misused his magical powers he was punished by being eaten by a giant. The story never says were the giant came from or where it went to after it had eaten the Master and his family.
On the other hand, the giant could have been a figure that was conjured to save him from the emperor. The master was a powerful magician with many devoted followers. The story showed more than one instance where he exemplified his power and talent. It is possible that the master could have conjured the giant as a distraction so that he could get away, demonstrating that some people just seem to be able to get away no matter what we may do. Sometimes other people’s fates are not up for us to decide or even to see.
It can be so easy to get caught up in wanting revenge or to watch that person who hurt us so badly, squirm in the punishment that they receive. However, when all is said and done is that going to help us get over it?
One of my favorite quotes is from Gandhi “An eye for an eye will leave a country blind.” Revenge never solves anything. Sometimes it is just better to just let go. In letting go we can be able to move on with our life and not be consumed with making sure that the “villain” is caught and their punishment is tangible. The world doesn’t always work the way we want it to, the bad guy can get away and justice isn’t served in a way that we can see.
Posted by Diana Tierney
It is often a good thing for us to question our beliefs and our morals for in questioning them we become stronger and more secure in where we stand in our lives. When these questions come they are not to prove one set of belief better than another but as a means to find out more about ourselves and others. In the case of this African folktale the question at hand is: is blood thicker than water? Further more what constitutes that blood, genetics or kinship ties that we create ourselves?
In the case for the Arab who had adopted the boy, he gave him everything, treating him better than his own father. Of course, money doesn’t mean everything but the wealthy Arab brought the boy into his home and not only gave him whatever he wanted but he gave him the opportunity to move up in a strict social class system so that he could have a good future, a better life than what he could have accomplished as a simple squirrel digger. As many people believe, donating sperm doesn’t make a person a father. What makes a father is a person’s behavior and treatment of the child in question. Surely the kinship ties that the Arab created for this boy were enough for him to be considered the boy’s father?
On the other hand though, his father is the man that gave him life. He helped bring him into this world so there fore he should hold claim to his destiny. His father’s genetic ties to him are an unbreakable code, for giving him life the father deserves his son’s unwavering loyalty. One could say that he was born into the position that he was meant to be in, to forsake by moving up in stature would be wrong.
There is no right or wrong answer to this debate. The boy certainly doesn’t have an envious decision to make. For this story we can create our own ending with our imaginations, which makes this type of folktale all the more interesting. However, in reading his story we must put ourselves in his shoes and think about what position we would take. Would we kill the Arab because genetic ties are the ties that bind or should the father die because we would have the opportunity to move up in society and have a better life or simply because the Arab acted more like how we perceive a father should? Who would we kill?
Posted by Diana Tierney
Koalas are a beloved mascot of Australian culture. Interestingly koala is an aboriginal term meaning “no drink.” The koala is able to go for long periods of time with out drinking water. It is able to find the water that it needs from the leaves of the eucalyptus trees which contain large deposits of water.
The story of how koala tricked the tree kangaroo is not the only myth as to why the koala lost its tail. In the other myth there was a drought in the land however koala did not seem to be affected. After further investigation it was found that the koala was hording water for itself within the hallow of the tree. A bird blew up the tree relieving the rest of the animals from their dire thirst but koala lost its tail in the explosion.
The climate of Australia at times can be very harsh, when a drought came leaving the Aboriginal people in severe thirst it is easy to imagine their wonder as to why the koala seemed not to be affected. Reality gave way for mythology or a way to explain the unexplainable. The desire to explain the unexplainable is what gave the basis for our religions and the mythology that accompanies them. We humans are curious creatures which, means that we have to know why everything works the way that it does, when a reason for its operation could not be identified we then created a “logical” explanation for it. Why weren’t koalas affected by the drought? They were hording water or tricking other animals into getting it for them.
One can also say that these myths are dual purpose. Most of the animals that reside in the trees have tails, for some reason the koala doesn’t but yet they are able to live in the trees with just about as much ease as those with tails. In the minds of the Ancient man there had to be a reason for it and perhaps they lost their tail as a punishment for their selfishness.
We may not hold much faith in mythology anymore but if anything there is still a pearl of truth in the stories whether it is our own ancient musings or with the reasons we thought things worked. Either way the koala’s myth about how he lost his tale serves as a reminder as to what can happen when we think only of ourselves.
Posted by Diana Tierney
It’s easy to think that we are stuck with the life that has been given to us. We may have been dealt a bad hand and it can seem impossible to move up in status. There are just times when nothing seems to go right and every door is slammed shut, it’s as if everything we want is not in our hands. Is it possible that our seemingly poor fate is all be in our head?
The age old saying “The Devil made me do it” is used in reference to blaming something else for the actions that you did as a cop out for taking on the consequences of your actions. The same thing can be said for “Fate made me do it” allowing ourselves to give up and sit crying into our beers about how our fate sucks and there is nothing that we can do about it. There is something to be said for those who do not accept the fate that has been projected upon them by society. These are the people that for one reason or another have been given the lowest percentage of being able to do something with their life after all the “chips” have been counted. Whether it is the child from the inner city or a victim of an unfortunate incident these people are not projected as not being able to do much with their lives, however, they are able to become the great success stories that give other people hope for what they can do with their lives.
Even though our everyday lives may not be as dramatic we are not powerless to change the things that we don’t like about it. The sage’s children were able to make things better for themselves by just being a little creative with the cards they were dealt. A bag of rice and a cow that once offered a substandard existence to a family was turned into a means of being able to fill all of their bellies and had enough remaining to give back to those who were not as fortunate. This paved the way for something better to open up to them. We too can change our fate as well, the future is not set in stone, it is always evolving and changing based on the decisions that we make, this in turn will change the outcome for our fate.
Posted by Diana Tierney
“It’s Saint Pattie’s day, everyone’s Irish tonight. Why don’t you pull up a stool and have a drink with us.” ~Boondock Saints.
The Saint Patrick’s Day holiday has been a popular celebration for decades that celebrated everything that had anything to do with Ireland. According to a 2004 US Census, 34.3 million people claim Irish ancestry, that’s nine times the population of Ireland itself.
Though its roots may have been in the catholic religion it has certainly moved away from it. Popular ways of celebrating the holiday are to drink beer (sometimes dyed green), enjoy parades and wear green. American’s consume 22 gallons of beer per capita during this holiday. Today the holiday is more of a means for people to get together to celebrate a culture.
Though many people may see this day as just another excuse to drink excessively, it’s a unifier. Even though a person may not be of Irish decent they are still welcomed to celebrate in this holiday. St. Patrick may have been a saint who drove out some mythological snakes from an island but the ultimate message of this holiday has become one of comradary. As with the quote above, it doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is, you can join in with others, share a beer and enjoy life.
Our holidays, traditions and folklore evolve overtime. This holiday may have started out as a religious remembrance of a patron saint. Though the saintly undertones of this day have nearly died out it is still a way for people to come together and celebrate an oncoming spring through friendship. There are many holidays in the united states that celebrate various ethnic groups (such as St. Joseph’s day or cinco de mayo) however, none of them hold the mass appeal that St. Patrick’s day does. Perhaps it is because it has held such a mass appeal or because it is a holiday that celebrates an ethnic group that is so prevalent within the US. Either way, this holiday has found a niche within our society.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The legends of the American Wild West are filled with tales of men that were dangerous, ruthless and lived life like each day would be their last. However, the unsung heroes that are often over looked are the women that helped build this chapter of American History.
Like many of the stories the real Calamity Jane was not like her folktale counter part, at least in looks and quite possibly morals. She was not a pretty lady and according to legend a person could tell the hard life that she had lived at first glance of her. She was a jack of many trades or so she claimed having held several different occupations from an Army Scout to a nurse. Stories of her adventures include shooting bar owners for not serving whiskey to women, having multiple lovers and could entertain bar patrons with her own rendition of “It’s a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.”
However, Calamity Jane was not the only wild woman of the west that was as dangerous as the men. Poker Alice (Alice Ivers) moved from England with her family to Colorado where she married a mining engineer. After his death she became a professional dealer, which gave her a good living. Later she opened her own place and became known as a gambler, madam and a bootlegger. There was also Pearl Hart who became famous for being a female stagecoach bandit. When arrested she was quoted saying that she “would never consent to be tried under a law she had no voice in making.” My favorite woman of the west is Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp, the untamed spirit that married Wyatt Earp and survived a life in Tucson, Arizona and various other adventures that she followed her beloved husband into.
In a time when women had no say in politics and were seen as the “fairer sex” by all of the experts of the day, these women were pioneers not only in the Wild West but for women in general. It was a scandal that a gentle and fragile woman could actually rob a stagecoach, ride a horse well enough to beat a man and even hold her own and out live the men in an area of the country that had a life expectancy that was much lower than the rest of the country. They paved the way for women today to be able to have a say in their government, business and affairs outside of the home. The folktales of these women maybe exaggerated but truly pale in comparison to the real adventures that these women had.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The common misconception in regards to luck is that we don’t have to do any work for it. All we need to do is throw some salt over our shoulders, hang a horseshoe or carry a rabbit’s foot and the world will be at our feet. The clouds will part and all will be right with the world.
The reality is that unless we take “luck” into our own hands things won’t happen. As Emily Dickinson said “Luck is toil; fortune’s expensive smile is earned.” We earn our luck by doing the work to get to where we want to be. Antuco for example was able to receive good luck not because he felt he was deserving of it but because he held hope and followed the instructions for the tasks that were laid out before him.
Luck didn’t tell him that he was just going to get rich by doing nothing. He had to help a stranger and then take a chance on a possible genie. It was quite possible that he could have given up, sitting on his butt waiting for it to all come to him. It was only through his patience and perseverance that he was able to have a life that was beyond his wildest expectations, especially for someone with his position in society. Antuco met Luck half way, luck brought him to the stranger but Antuco was the one who befriended him. Likewise when his new friends told him about the genie that came to them in their dreams, Antuco could have done the same thing that they did and scoffed it up to a dream as a result of eating before bedtime. However, Antuco trusted his instinct and followed the lead to his ultimate reward.
It’s the same thing in everyday life. There is such a thing as luck but it just doesn’t come to us while we sit on our rear ends and watch soap operas, it comes through hard work and taking advantage of some good fortune that may come to us which may mean being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes it is buying that lottery ticket on just the right day or keeping your eyes open for that $20 bill on the sidewalk. Whatever it is it means that we have taken some of the necessary steps to bring us on the right path.
Whatever our view is when it comes to luck we should keep in mind that it’s there whether we choose to recognize it or not. We may need to do some work towards the ultimate reward but in the end we can look back and say that yes we worked hard for our goal but luck was on our side.
Posted by Diana Tierney
It’s almost impossible to keep our noses out of other people’s business sometimes. It can be so tempting to try to force them to go along with our way of thinking sometimes because we have been there and we know better or in some cases we just think we know better, as is the case with the ox and the donkey.
The donkey certainly thought he knew better about how to help the ox. He advised him to go on strike so that he would have to deal with being treated so badly. The only problem with this is that when the ox went on strike someone had to replace him. The donkey didn’t think far enough ahead to assume his own consequences. If he had kept his nose out of it, he wouldn’t have had to struggle with the burden that was then given to him.
This story was told to Shahrazad by her father when she had decided that she wanted to step in to stop the King from killing so many women. She was already safe, at least for the time being because the King was not about to hurt his most trusted advisor by killing his daughter. If he had betrayed the Vizier it would be an extremely foolish move since traditionally Viziers hold nearly as much power as the King himself, it would have been political suicide. In the Vizier’s eyes his daughter was risking her neck for something that she had simply no business being involved in. The advice the Vizier gave her was quite wise, if her plan backfired she would be under the same fate as the women who had married the King before her.
The same lesson that the Vizier offers to his daughter is good for us as well. If we do not think about what our involvement is before we get plunged into it. If we don’t think before we get caught up in someone else’s problems we are likely to end up with the consequences that were meant for them while they are worry free with the fate that should have gone to us. Our intentions may be good but the results could be catastrophic. Sometimes for our benefit we have to just step back and bite our tongue unless we are to have the same problems that the person seeking the advice is having. Even though it may be a lot easier said than done.
Posted by Diana Tierney
It was said by author Donna Tartt “I think innocence is something that adults project up children that’s not really there.” In her desire to keep Rapunzel from the danger of the world out doors the witch did what she thought was best to keep her innocent. Even though she locked her in a tower with only one way in or out, adulthood still came in. The loss of innocence in many ways is part of growing up. Being innocent in a childlike sense is not necessarily a good thing for adults. The world is not kind nor does it take those who are innocent and naive kindly, they are typically the ones that get chewed up, spit out and left by the side of the road for dead.
Even though Rapunzel didn’t have the knowledge about what she was doing she still had to pay the consequences for it which was to get pregnant for having sex. This is a major reason why I am a strong supporter of sex education. Under many people’s belief, virginity is the last stronghold of innocence. So we tell our children they must remain innocent that they shouldn’t have sex and really I agree young people shouldn’t have sex. However, we can’t lock them in towers so that they can stay that way forever. Being a teenager who had it shoved down her throat that I should remain a virgin until I was married I can say all the propaganda doesn’t work all the time. I knew the propaganda but I chose to rebel against it, knowingly, under no one else’s coercion. For those kids who choose not to listen is it better for them to be prepared for what can happen and how to protect themselves or to allow them to be subject to all of the harsh realities that irresponsibility can bring?
Part of the experience of growing up is to shed the “shackles” of childhood. Whether we choose to lock our children up in towers or to let them run free we have to understand that their innocence isn’t going to always be there. Even though innocence can be our projection upon childhood it is what makes it special for us in our memories. If we still had our childlike innocence would we be able to value childhood has much as we do? Perhaps this is the moral that Rapunzel teaches us, that though we value innocence we should learn to let it go in its natural timing.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The news is constantly blaring stories from the war and violence that occurs with in our own backyard. It makes the idea of a utopian society seem like an unattainable goal. It’s not like us mere citizens who sit in front of the television watching the images showcased before us can do anything to change it for the better.
There was a story I heard once. An old man was walking along the beach one morning after the high tide, as he walked he saw an enormous amount of star fish on the sand that had been washed up. He didn’t think much of it so he continued walking, a few paces up he spied a little boy picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. He called out “Hey! What are you doing foolish child you are never going to save all of these starfish!”
The little boy looked at the starfish that he held in his hand and then back at the old man. He smiled and responded “But I can save this one!”
We too can’t save every “starfish” that we come across but we can save one. Hiawatha was just one man. Whether we believe that he had divine intervention or not he diligently worked towards a better future. Though his own children were the victims of violence he worked so that someone else’s child wouldn’t have to die and another parent wouldn’t have to mourn.
The story of Hiawatha is not just a story of how a man united a people together, it’s about a man who didn’t give up in seeking peace and didn’t resort to revenge or violence to get it. When Hiawatha faced the man who was responsible for his daughters’ deaths I am sure that there was a part of Hiawatha that would have loved to have killed him. According to legend Hiawatha was a skilled warrior, so gaining vengeance for their deaths would not have been difficult. However, Hiawatha didn’t take the route of vengeance or retaliation. He spoke to his enemy, he spoke of peace and of love. An eye for an eye will leave a country blind. When we seek retaliation for something that had wounded us our victim will then seek to get vengeance for their hurt. This cycle can continue until there is truly nothing left.
Peace and harmony is not a choice that we simply make one day and then forget about, it is a choice that we need to make every moment of every day. By showing peace and compassion to our brothers or sisters we can help them. By not going down a road of violence and malice we can maybe one day have our utopian society, one starfish at a time.
Posted by Diana Tierney
As we go about our lives it is easy for us to be selfish, thinking of only what we want. We voluntarily put on blinders never stopping to think about what consequences will result from our actions.
Aoife, the third wife of Lir, could only think about her ultimate goal; to get rid of the four children so that she could have her husband’s attention all to herself. What she didn’t stop to think about was that by getting rid of what she perceived as barriers she was bringing pain to her husband and her father. Her husband mourned the loss of two wives that he cared for deeply, Aiofe never stopped to think of how he would react to the loss of his children for whom he obviously loved.
As one of my favorite quotes goes “Lying is in the details” (from the movie Cheats). Aiofe was so blinded by her hatred that she didn’t stop to think about how to best cover her tracks after she cursed her step-children. She tried to tell her father when she arrived at his home that they had stay behind and would be coming with Lir. However, when Lir showed up not only were the children not with him but he had also discovered them in their swan form on his journey.
Aoife paid dearly for her actions. At that time the most feared creature was the crow. This animal was seen just before a person’s death and was considered to be one of the forms of the Celtic goddess Morrigan who was a goddess of war, life and death. Aiofe was transformed into a crow and not just any crow, a scary blood dripping version that was a representative of the goddess Morrigan. She was then cursed to remain in this form for the remainder of time.
However, not all of the consequences that we face directly affect us. It is true, what goes around comes around but sometimes others get hit in the crossfire. Though the curse that was laid upon them was discovered, it could not be undone. The children of Lir were robbed of their childhood and their lives. They spent centuries in pain and sorrow being separated from the ones that they loved. When children loose their childhood it is a great tragedy that we all feel since childhood is a time that we all treasure. The children had to grow up very fast, loosing out on many great events that are considered milestones in our lives. When they were finally freed from their curse, they did get to live happily ever after but it wasn’t in this world. It was in the afterworld, where they were able to finally be with their loved ones that had since passed.
Posted by Diana Tierney
Growing up in upstate New York helped me gain an appreciation for the changing of the seasons. There was a distinct change in the air itself when the seasons began. One of the most dramatic changes was winter into spring. The temperature was warmer, the grass would show through the melting snow and people were wearing a few less layers. Even though there were snow banks that were as tall as me still lingering, I was in shorts and a sweatshirt because it was fifty degrees. It was such a relief after the long cold winter to see some sun and feel a little bit of warmth.
Transporting ourselves back into the mindset of our ancestors it’s hard for us to imagine what they had gone through. Today we have heaters, insulation and grocery stores that have all the food we could eat. Winter to us nothing more than a time of the year that we put up with a regular inconvenience, unlike our ancestors who found that it was the toughest time of the year in which to live. During the winter season it was literally a struggle to survive. There were famines, death from frostbite and worse. It was a never ending battle for their life, any sign that spring was coming bringing with it warmth and food was a welcome friend.
As the article said there were various different animals that people looked to for signs of the on coming spring. Bears, badgers and just about any animal that hibernated in the winter were looked to for the signs of the coming spring. Ground Hog day isn’t just about some furry little creature that seems to be able to tell the future. For our ancestors the Ground Hog gave people hope that their suffering at the hands of nature was at an end giving them hope that life could be slightly easier.
Though Ground hog’s day is a holiday that has been demoted to just a minor commercial holiday that holds maybe about five minutes on a local news cast it still has the remnants of a holiday that stood for hope. Whether it was called Imbolc or any other name it was a day for people to look towards a better, warmer tomorrow. It wasn’t just our ancient ancestors that looked towards tomorrow; it was the farmer who relied on the oncoming spring to be able to plant a new crop which was their livelihood. If they couldn’t plant their crops they were financially ruined. They not only needed the reassurance that spring was coming but also that it could potentially come early so that they could get a head start on what they needed to do.
Though this holiday has evolved it still has honorable roots in something that is characteristic of human behavior which is a desire to keep hope and to know what lays ahead in the future.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The key character in Arabian Nights is Shahrazad. It was through her courage and wit that lives of women in the kingdom were saved and a King’s trust was restored. Not every hero in mythology or folklore has to be a swashbuckling warrior. Sometimes it takes someone with a little more guts on the inside to be able to save the day.
In the world of Shahrazad there was a great injustice going on. Women were being killed for the crimes of one woman, the King’s first wife who betrayed him. Shahrazad had an idea to save the women where she lived, the very same women that a King by theory is supposed to protect. She risked her life by taking their place and thus keeping the King occupied so he could not kill any other women. In time her plan worked.
The saying goes “The pen is mightier than the sword” our words last longer and cut deeper than any sword. The words that Shahrazad said had a lasting effect upon her husband. This is a prime example as to how words can resolve conflict over force. When force is used the risk is run for retaliation and an endless cycle of revenge. Words can allow the people to either reach a common ground or persuade the person towards your point of view.
An unsung hero of this story is the Vizier. No father wants to put his child in harms way. One of the characteristics of fatherhood is protection many times even putting themselves in the child’s place and having a stubborn driven daughter makes the job even harder. I know this to be true, since I am one of those daughters who have put her father through quite a bit of stress. When reading the discussion between Shahrazad and her father the Vizier I couldn’t help but think of some of the discussions I had with my father, who like the Vizier would use a fable to illustrate his point. The Vizier told his daughter about the donkey who stuck his nose in the business of the ox. The donkey got involved with the ox’s problems and in turn he had to do the ox’s job which was far too straining for the poor little donkey. However, as most fathers do, the Vizier relented to his daughter’s request. After the initial attempt to protect his child from danger the Vizier came around and saw that his little girl was no longer a little girl that needed protecting, she was an adult with the freewill to make her own decisions. In her own time she made her father proud by not only accomplishing what she had set out to do but being a reflection of the man that had a hand in raising her.
Posted by Diana Tierney
The story has very strong roots in the Dutch/Northern German culture. These two cultures are extremely similar from their language to their mythology, including the mythology of little people ie: Fairies, Dwarves etc. According to the folklore Dwarves are a category of fairy that live underground and carry on with very similar behavior to humans. Looking at the story of Rip Van Winkle we find very common events that are present in most fairy literature dealing with Dwarves.
In advice with dealing with fairies and Dwarves it is recommended that people stay away from knolls and hills for this is were many of the little people dwell. In one German folktale there were a group of dwarves that lived in a knoll. When the poor people of the town were in need they would go to the knoll and knock on it. When the dwarves responded the poor townsperson (or people) would make a request for their need. The dwarves would happily comply; in return the people that were given the gifts would leave a thank you present at the knoll for the dwarves. There are several other stories involving fairies, knolls and the interaction of humans.
In many cases humans felt that they had to protect themselves from fairies, not all were intentionally harmful, especially in the case of dwarves but the libations and goings on of the little people does not agree well with human physiology. In folktales where people accidentally come across fairies dancing and are lured in find it impossible to stop dancing. They continue with the dance until they die from exhaustion. Similar cases occur with fairy wine. To say that beer and ale are important to the German culture is an understatement. To drink the same drink as one of the little people would be dangerous, it could cause a person to sleep for years as with our friend Rip or it could kill a person.
Another common trend in the fairy mythology was the time of day in which fairy activity occurred. It is during the evening or early morning hours when it isn’t quite day and not quite night when the fairies would come into the human realm. It was during the early evening that Rip Van Winkle decided to relax upon the knoll and was then visited by the dwarves.
Rip Van Winkle is another classic tale created by Washington Irving that catches the essence of colonial New York. These little bits of mythology are cultural remnants from the Dutch that were brought to the new world that made what our country what it is today.
Posted by Diana Tierney
Lewis Black said it best when he said “New Years is something that we made up. It’s a made up holiday.” The holiday was made up centuries ago so that we could keep track of time so that the population knew when it was planting season etc. As with just about every holiday that we celebrate today this one too was banned by the church. The New Year celebrations were moved to Christ folklore such as the circumcision of Christ and his birth etc. Obviously that ban was lifted and ever since people have rung in the New Year by drinking too much and making resolutions.
Every year you hear about the New Year resolutions that people make. According to the website About.com the resolution that is made the most is to spend more time with family and friends. Being more fit in the New Year only comes in at number two, which is ironic because there are an overwhelming number of ads for fitness centers during the month of January. Really though, are we actually going to keep these resolutions? It seems that by the end of February, March at the latest that resolution that we were so determined to fulfill in the beginning of January is completely forgotten. And that gym membership we purchased, well the membership card is already collecting dust in the deepest darkest corner of some desk drawer. I gave up on making New Year resolutions when I was in high school. It wasn’t for my own laziness, well maybe it was. I just came to know myself well enough to know that I wasn’t going to do that resolution I had set my mind too. I have a low attention span so for my by the second week of January I had given up. Is the problem with New Year resolutions that they are something new we are trying to fit into our schedule or our hopes so high that if we don’t get immediate results that we just give up?
As I look around my home, that quite frankly has yet to recover from the holidays and my office that is in serious need of organization I am wondering, is it time for me to start making resolutions again?
Perhaps instead of trying to bring in this radical change to our lives, if there is something that we want to change we should strive to make resolutions continuously throughout the year. As the old saying goes: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Perhaps this same philosophy can be taken on with our resolutions as well, one step at a time. After all it’s like Lewis Black said, New Years is just a holiday that we made up. We don’t need it to make an immediate significant change in our lives just because of this holiday. If we want to make a change we should be able to make it at any time because we want it.