Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Picture of the day


image credit: darwishh

I find this image compelling, and related to what I have to say on this blog, if only in reverse. The message I havetried to convey is the evolution of fairy tale (or mythological) characters, and examine what these changes demonstrate the paradigm in cultures, when compared from the past to present.

This picture on the other hand, represents the lingering imagery if how modern culture views the settings to these mythic stories. Many locations of popular folklore arrived from forested locations, which as modern day Germany, Scandinavia, Ireland, Norway, etc. Further interaction between the settings with locations of different climate through the process of cross-cultural tranmissons, preserving the setting of the fable while integrating new morals and social behaviors. The woods may also serve as a symbolic template for fertility, as-well-as the dangers that transpire in such places (see A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing post).

The bridge also serves as a stable of traditional modern day fairy tale interpretation. Useful to excess locations previously unavailable through walking, the bridge serves as a link between land. Though this technology made live more convenient for travelers, local stories still had old beliefs that invention did not grate safety as one might had hoped. The tale of Three Billy Goats Gruff, from which the famous story of the troll under the bridge originated.

As such, this image holds onto an idea to the past, where these stories would have had taken place in, and shows that even though we are continuing to adapt these stories into modern context; that there is still strong connection to the past, and in doing so, not only honoring where these fables originated from, but ourselves as while.

These are just my two senses, I am interested to hear what all of you have to say. If you find another image that remain you of fairy tales, feel free to post it.

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