Hello all! I'm starting a fun little project where I read you AESOP'S FABLES! Since they tend to be short I can post them directly here. All will be captioned! To start, this is a little thread about Aesop's Fables, the edition I'm reading from, & the artists in it. Enjoy! 1/
First, what is a fable? A fable is a distinct type of folk tale that features anthromorphized animals, plants, objects, or natural phenomenon and features a moral lesson. This moral may be written explicitly at the end as a concise saying, as is the case with Aesop's Fables. 2/
Aesop's Fables, also known as Aesopica, is a collection of fables credited to an Ancient Greek storyteller & slave named Aesop. Despite his crediting, these stories weren't written down until three centuries after his death & some of the material didn't actually come from him. 3/
In fact, some of the stories aren't Greek at all. But as works of folklore tend to do, Aesop's Fables has evolved over the years & is still in a state of evolution today, with more stories still being added. 4/
In addition to the text changing, the social framing has also evolved. While originally, Aesop's Fables were aimed towards adults, during the Renaissance and onward, they have been used largely for the moral instruction of children. 5/
The specific version of Aesop's Fables I will be reading in this series will be the Barnes & Noble version with illustrations by Walter Crane, Ernest Griset, & Arthur Rackham. I will try and include these illustrations in the videos when possible during editing. 6/
Walter Crane (1845-1915) was extremely influential in children's book illustrations. He used watercolor frequently & illustrated many books of nursery rhymes & fairy tales for children. He also wrote & illustrated 3 books of poetry. He also illustrated for socialist causes. 7/
Ernest Griset (1843-1907) was a painter and illustrator noted for his humorous depictions. His illustrated version of Aesop's Fables (1869) was commended for the way he expressed human emotions on animal subjects. 8/
Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a leading figure during the Golden Age of British Book Illustration, with his technique being ink drawings combined with watercolor, influenced by his background as a journalistic illustrator. He illustrated a wide range of classic books. 9/
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy listening to these stories as much as I have enjoyed reading them! 10/10
The Carpathian Mountains are a European mountain range full of myths and folklore, most notably from Romanians and Hutsul people (between Romania and Ukraine). I'm going to share with you a few of these legends and myths today! #FaustianFriday 1/
A 16th century legend said dwarves in the Carpathian Mountains had cursed the ore to make miners contract a fatal respiratory illness termed "the mountain disease". They discovered later that the culprit was the radioactive pitchblende produced from mining. #FaustianFriday 2/
The Carpathian Mountains are also the home of two Romanian legends of the same name, Baba Dochia, used to explain the Babele rock formation. The legends concern a woman named Baba Dochia who is very different in both stories. #FaustianFriday 3/
Lady Isabel & the Elf Knight (Child #4, Roud #21) is a large class of European ballads where a young woman defeats a man who tries to murder her. There are a number of variants, categorized below. 1/ #WyrdWednesday
In the variant Child's A "The Gowans Sae Gae", Lady Isabel meets an Elf Knight who leads her to the Greenwood intending to kill her, as she discovers. Isabel tricks him into falling asleep, usually either with a charm or by singing & kills him with his own dirk. 2/ #WyrdWednesday
"The Gowans Sae Gae" variant of this song can be heard here: or here: 3/
Happy International Labor Day! Enjoy this thread about labor related folk tales and songs! I encourage you today to think about all the things we can accomplish when we join together and demand what is ours. #FolkloreSunday
"A Miner's Life" (Roud 3510) is an American union folk song. It's aimed at rallying miners to unionize. It advises workers "union miners, stand together. Do not heed the coal board's tale. Keep your hand upon your wages and your eye upon the scale"
Music has an important history in labor organizing. The Industrial Workers of the World, for example published multiple editions of "The Little Red Song Book" throughout the years full of songs they used in their organizing efforts.
Happy New Year's! I'm here to tell you about a New Year's Eve tradition called "Sitting Out," where some people would try and catch elves to ask them about their future. This practice originated in Norway and was originally on Christmas Eve, but was later moved. 1/
Originally in Norway, this was practiced deep in the forest or on elf-mounds. This practice was later outlawed as witchcraft in Norway, but it persisted later in Iceland, where the designated location was at crossroads where all 4 directions lead directly to churches. 2/
In order to "sit out" on New Year's Eve, the reputed "moving day" for the elves, in Iceland you'll bring a grey cat & lay on top of a sheepskin, cover yourself completely with the hide of a seal or elderly ox, & stare at the edge of an axe blade, being in place by midnight. 3/
The Arabian Nights is a fascinating collection of folklore with a rich & enthralling history. The history and discourse around the translation of the Nights is also incredibly fascinating. In this thread I will share a bit about each of the main translators! #FairyTaleTuesday 1/
First, it is important to note that there are two main versions of the Arabian Nights: the Syrian & the Egyptian. The Syrian manuscripts are much shorter, but older & more "authentic." The Egyptian manuscripts are much longer with many more tales added later. #FairyTaleTuesday 2/
Antoine Galland was the first translator of the Arabian Nights to bring it to a Western audience, and was the one who popularized it in the West. I have already made a mini-thread about him, which you can view below. #FairyTaleTuesday 3/
Nursery rhymes, or "Mother Goose" rhymes, are traditional poems or songs meant for children specifically. They originated in the mid-16th century, & while most prominent in Britain, have originated from many different countries. Here are some of my favorites! 1/ #FairyTaleTuesday
Down at the station, early in the morning,
See the little puffer-billies all in a row;
See the engine driver pull his little lever-
Puff puff, peep peep, off we go! #FairyTaleTuesday
🖼: Rosemary Wells
Warm hands, warm,
The men are gone to plow,
If you want to warm your hands,
Warm your hands now. #FairyTaleTuesday