by Sara C. Snider | Apr 29, 2014 | A to Z Challenge, Fairytales and Folklore
I find Yggdrasil to be somewhat confounding, but maybe that’s because the Edda isn’t exactly the clearest of texts. But I’m going to try to patch it all together in a way that I understand and, hopefully, you will as well. Simply put, Yggdrasil is the world...
by Sara C. Snider | Apr 28, 2014 | A to Z Challenge, Fairytales and Folklore
Xbalanque and his twin brother, Hun-apu, are described as “hero-wizards, warriors and mischief-makers, both the pride and torment of Guatemala.” (Garner p. 16) In one story, Xbalanque and Hun-apu take on Vukub-Cakix—a troublesome creature in the form of a great bird....
by Sara C. Snider | Apr 26, 2014 | A to Z Challenge, Fairytales and Folklore
The wood woman, or wood wife, is a fertility spirit that lives within forests. In Sweden, she is the skogsfru (or skogsrå)—a woman with a hollow back who couples with men and will sometimes bless their hunting endeavors. In Greece she is the hamadryad, and all the...
by Sara C. Snider | Apr 25, 2014 | A to Z Challenge, Fairytales and Folklore
Verdandi is a norn that is said to determine the fates of men. She is one of the three most important norns in Norse mythology: Weird (“happened”), Verdandi (“happening”), and Skuld (“future” or “debt”). What is interesting about norns is that they are said to be...
by Sara C. Snider | Apr 24, 2014 | A to Z Challenge, Fairytales and Folklore
The story of Uncle Wolf begins with a greedy little girl who was upset when she didn’t get any pancakes at school because she fell asleep in the privy. She goes home to her mother and cries. Her mother, taking pity on her, says she will make her some pancakes....
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