Week 9 Essay: Believable Atmospheres

Because the stories in the American Indian Fairy Tales unit were about early Native Americans, all of them were set in the great outdoors. I loved the different atmospheres that Iagoo created through is storytelling. These natural environments were so believable that they made the story events seem more realistic even when they had to do with magic. The seasons were also a key factor in the stories. The storyteller used the undesirable elements of the current season to bolster his story about the season everyone was wishing for.

In the first story, an unknown narrator introduces Iagoo as the future narrator for the other stories. Iagoo's stories are often motivated by the weather. So when it is a cold and blustery winter, he tells stories about balmy summers. In Iagoo, the Storyteller, the author does a wonderful job of incorporating the body's senses into the mix. "The snow lay deep on the ground" brings in imagery for the audience, and "the North Wind came howling from its home in the Land of Ice," gives the environment sound. "Iagoo sat by the fire of blazing logs" helps the reader feel the heat of the fire.

 

(Image information: "The North Wind" from American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae 1921.)

The scene that is set in the story of how Shin-ge-bis Fooled the North Wind is also very encompassing. "When he breathed upon the land, violets appeared in the woods, the wild rose bloomed on the yellow prairie, and the cooing dove called musically to his mate." This description gives enough details for the reader's imagination to take off without bogging down the plot with over-description.

I liked the atmosphere in The Fairy Bride the best. So much of this story depended on the reader coming to understand Neen-i-zu's fascination with the fairies. The description of the environment was important here, but I think the imagery of the fairies was even more key. "It was just the place for leap-frog and all-hands-'round; in the twilight of summer days they were said to gather here in little bands, playing all manner of pranks." This characterization of the fairies made me want to meet them as much as Neen-i-zu did.

Storytelling for Week 9: Rose Fairy

Once upon a time, there was a Native American girl named Rose. She was only two months shy of turning eighteen, and then she would have to get married.

Her mother and father loved her dearly and only wanted the best for her. They had spoken with the parents of Running Bull about an impending wedding. Running Bull was nineteen and a hunter. All he cared about was tracking animals, killing animals, and eating animals. Rose got tired of hearing about it.

Their tribe lived in a field that brushed up against the woods. Tepees and fire pits dotted the area, and the tribe members worked merrily at gardening, crafting, and preparing food.

But when Rose wasn't supposed to be helping her mother weave baskets, Rose sneaked off into the forest to look for the tiny fairies. She had heard stories about the miniscule species growing up. They left little footprints in the soft sand by the brook in the forest. They wove ropes from grasses and coaxed lightning bugs to land on them to make garlands of twinkling lights.

Rose was entranced by the evidence that the fairies left, but she had never seen any.

"Rose, darling, if you spent more time with Running Bull and less time wandering around in the woods, you might like Running Bull more," Rose's mother said.

Rose just rolled her eyes. No matter how much time she spent with Running Bull, she would never like him.

"Mother, do you believe in the fairies?" Rose asked to change the subject.

"I heard the stories about them when I was a girl, but it's hard for me to believe in something I cannot see, Rose," her mother said.

"If I could show you the fairies and how much they mean to me, would you not make me marry Running Bull?" Rose asked.

Rose hoped that her mother would find the deal so farfetched that she would agree to it, and she got her wish.

From then on, she spent even more time in the woods searching for the fairies. She didn't have much time to prove her mother wrong.

On the day of Rose and Running Bull's wedding, Rose stole off into the forest during her last hour before the wedding. The guests were already dressed and waiting for the ceremony to start.

Rose ran through the woods in her flowing white wedding dress. She wore a crown of flowers in her hair. She had to find the fairies.

"Come out! Come out!" she called.

Suddenly, she stopped. As if the fairies had finally understood the urgency of her request, one appeared to her.

(Image information: "Fairies Looking Through a Gothic Arch" by John Anster Fitzgerald 1864.)

He was only about eighteen inches tall. He had raggedy brown hair that hung in his eyes, ivory skin, and deep green eyes. His translucent wings stretched far above his head.

 Rose fell in love with him instantly.

The fairy reached out his hand to Rose, and when she took it, she began to shrink. When she, too, was only eighteen inches tall, the two ran off into the woods together.

And Rose was never seen from again. But every year on her mothers birthday, she wove a rope of grasses and hung miniscule woven baskets.


Author's Note: This story is inspired by "The Fairy Bride" from American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, with illustrations by John Rae 1921.  In the original, Neen-i-zu is supposed to marry a hunter, but she doesn't want to and spends most of her time daydreaming about the fairies. In the end, she does become a fairy. But the rest of the story seemed very slow and passive to me. So in my story, I gave the main girl a more active goal in trying to prove the existence of the fairies in order to get out of an arranged marriage. I chose to retell this story because I really liked the imagery of the fairies.

Reading Diary Week 9: American Indian Fairy Tales

For this week, I chose to read the American Indian Fairy Tales unit.

In the story about Iagoo, the Storyteller I really liked the atmosphere that is set by describing the snow, the wind, and the moon. It made me want to get comfortable and enjoy the stories much like I'm sure the children did.

The king in the story about how Shin-ge-bis Fooled the North Wind reminded me of the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe in the way that we wanted the whole earth to be covered in snow year-round.

This story continues to use the settings that draw the reader in. "When he breathed upon the land, violets appeared in the woods, the wild rose bloomed on the yellow prairie, and the cooing dove called musically to his mate."

It makes since that Iagoo would tell this story about longing for lighthearted summertime during the winter. The children would probably be tired of the cold and snow and would be able to understand winter personified as the antagonist. 

It's interesting to me that the people knew that the South Wind was magic and that he could turn himself into a duck, but they didn't believe that he was powerful enough to beat the North Wind. They must have been very scared of the North Wind.

I like the inclusion of the song about the North Wind. Songs are something that children pick up very quickly, and I think it would make the story more fun for them.

At the end, I thought it was interesting how the South Wind was strong enough to conquer the North Wind in his own cold environment. It shows who truly was the most powerful.

I liked this story a lot. It might be a good one to use for my storytelling assignment.

In the story about The Child of the Evening Star, I thought it was interesting why her sisters didn't like her. "They could not understand her; so they ended by despising her as a silly and unreasonable girl." This is unfortunately many people's reactions to things they don't understand.

In the story about The Boy who Snared the Sun, Iagoo talks about how there used to be only one fire source guarded by two witches. This makes me wonder where the fire came from. Did the witches create it for their own personal use?

I have a real problem with the gender roles in this story. The brother thinks himself high and mighty for shooting the birds, but his sister made the coat. And then he just orders her around, telling her to weave a rope together. You can't act all strong and independent when really it's a team effort.

I know that this story is a myth and that it doesn't have to be super factual. But there is no way for the brother to wait at the hill where the sun would come up because the sun always appears far away on the horizon. I think that if the story is going to boast about a bot snaring the sun, then there should be something a little more exciting to it. And then ending didn't make too much more sense either. I wasn't a fan of this story.

In the story about How the Summer Came, the father knows that he doesn't have to worry about dying because the son can hunt for game. "If some accident should prevent O-jeeg from supplying the family with the game upon which they lived, his son felt sure that he himself could shoot as many squirrels and turkeys as they needed to keep them from starving." This is very illustrative of what it might be like to constantly be in search of your next meal.

I really like this description: "Some wise old men had somewhere heard that the sky was not only the roof of our own world, but also was the floor of a beautiful world beyond, a land where birds with bright feathers sang sweetly through a pleasant, warm season called Summer." I wonder if this could be a version of Heaven. 

In the story of The Fairy Bride, I really liked this description of the girl's eyes. "Her eyes had the look of one who has dwelt in secret places, and seen things strange and mysterious."

The fairies in this story are so mischievous that they remind of the brownies in The Spiderwick Chronicles. 

 

(Image information: "Tam Turtledove, a common house brownie" from Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide, restored by Holly Black and Toni DiTerlizzi, 2005.) 

I think I've decided to retell this story this week. But I'm going to make it much more active. Neen-i-zu and her mother are going to strike up a deal that if Neen-i-zu can prove that the fairies exist, then she doesn't have to marry the hunter.