Snow White Watches from Citizen Watches

I used to be a watch collector so I am always drawn to interesting watch designs. Now I am overly attached to my smart watch, alas. The new Snow White film has helped to inspire some lovely watches with a Snow White theme by Citizen. I am not expecting to sell these but using the Amazon links allows me permission to use the copyrighted images. So here they are:

Citizen Ladies' Eco-Drive Disney Princess Snow White Gold Stainless Steel Case with Blue Leather Strap Watch This one is my favorite and why I am sharing these at all. It charmed me when I saw it. I like the folkloric floral look of the watch and the subtler nods to Snow White.

Citizen Ladies' Eco-Drive Disney Princess Snow White Apple Stainless Steel Watch This one is pretty and in some of my favorite colors. 

Citizen Ladies' Eco-Drive Disney Villians Evil Queen Gold Stainless Steel Case and Black Leather Strap Watch and Pin Gift Set, Black Dial 

Citizen Women's Eco-Drive Disney Villain Evil Queen Crystal Watch and Pin Gift Set in Black IP Stainless Steel And this one looks the most like a Disney product to me. I almost didn't include it. Funny how ubiquitous the Disney Villains have become through various campaigns now.

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 8: Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, a Scottish Snow White

This is an edited repost of a post from 2010:

So I decided to talk about another Snow White variant: Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree.  It, too, appears in my book, Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World.  You can also read the tale in Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs at Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree. 

This tale isn't as obvious a variant of Snow White, but most of the standard elements are there. What's more unusual is that it is a Scottish tale, closely related to a very old French one.

Here's an excerpt from my article about Snow White that appeared in Faerie Magazine in 2009 and that appears again in my Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World:

Another interesting variant, Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, comes from Scotland. In this tale, the mother seeks to kill her beautiful daughter. The father deceives his wife and sends his daughter to another king to be married. Despite these precautions, the mother murders her but her devoted husband refuses to bury her. Eventually he marries again and his second wife revives the first wife. She offers to leave but the king chooses to keep both wives who become friends. The second wife later kills the wicked mother during another murder attempt. Then the king and his two wives live happily ever after together. Since polygamy wasn’t common in Scottish history, scholars speculate that the tale traveled there from a country in which the practice was more accepted.

This Scottish tale bears a strong resemblance to The Lay of Eliduc by Marie de France first recorded in the late 12th century. The lay is a Christianized version of the story with Eliduc as the king. In this version he doesn’t keep both wives. His first wife enters a nunnery instead of living in a plural marriage. Eventually Eliduc and his beloved wife enter into holy orders, too. At first reading, the lay appears unrelated to the version of the tale that is so well-loved today, but its relationship to the less popular variants is obvious upon closer inspection.

An article discussing The Lay of Eliduc, Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, and Snow White by Alfred Nutt also appears in my book along with the full lay of Marie de France, of course. It's an old article, but interesting.  I am fascinated with early folklore and fairy tale scholarship myself and admire Nutt, Jacobs, Lang and so many others who didn't have nearly as much work to build upon as we do today. 

Finally, Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree is one of my favorite Snow Whites. While variants of the tale are about women's jealousies, this version also includes a generous, resourceful woman who saves the day, too. It is also a little shocking with its touch of polygamy but that makes it feel even more ancient and from a different place. No, Scotland is not known for its polygamy tales, so that this one appears there makes one wonder about its full origins.

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 7: Willa: An American Snow White

I haven't shared a film yet for a favorite Snow White and since a film inspired this series of posts, I guess I should offer a few! Today, I offer Willa: An American Snow White [that's a link to the rental on Amazon], an independent film by Tom Davenport that aired on PBS when it was originally released in 1998. Part of the "From the Brothers Grimm" series Davenport produced of American versions of tales, Willa is one of the longest and most interesting of his films. Most of others are much shorter--although I have some favorites in them!

A simple synopsis from Amazon:

An American version of 'Snow White' where Willa joins a traveling medicine show to escape her evil step-mother. Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Award for "Best Children's Video" from the American Library Association.

I really enjoy the carnival/circus elements of the story. I've embedded the trailer below. Some of the production values may be harder to watch almost 30 years later, but if you get past them, there are some really charming elements to this version of Snow White.

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 6: Marigo: An Albanian Snow White with Dragons

This is an edited repost about Snow White that I originally published in 2010.

Dragons, dragons, DRAGONS! If you read enough around the web, you will see references to a Snow White variant in which her hosts are not dwarves--which actually they seldom are--but dragons. 

The truth of the matter is that, yes, in at least one Snow White variant the heroine--here named Marigo--ends up living in a castle with 40 drachen after escaping her stepmother and father. The Albanian tale is "Schneewittchen" and can be found in Johann Georg von Hahn's Griechische und Albanesische Märchen.

The issue is the definition and translation of drachen. Most German dictionaries only offer "dragon (as in mythical lizard)" or "kite (as in go fly one)" as the translation for "drachen." However, there appears to be an almost archaic, less common reference to "heroic men" that doesn't appear in many dictionaries. But overall, scholars translate the drachen in that tale as heroic men, not literal lizardy dragons as wonderful as that may be.

And, considering that in the majority of the Snow White tales from across Europe, the Snow White character ends up with either heroes (such as retired soldiers) or robbers as housemates and protectors, it only makes sense. 

But don't let this news disappoint you. Whether there be lizardy dragons in the tale or not, it is one of the more interesting of the Snow White variants. 

For example, Marigo kills her mother through her teacher's instructions and the teacher then becomes her wicked stepmother. This scenario doesn't appear in many Snow Whites although it is found in other tale variants, such as some Cinderellas. Better yet, the father is not absent but complicit for he tries to kill his daughter as his new wife demands although he is fortunately unable to carry through. At first, he tries the passive aggressive route to murder--abandoning her in the wilderness--which spares her life. [Nope, no huntsman in this one.]

Then when the stepmother learns that Marigo is still alive, she sends the father back time and again in disguises to kill his daughter. So the father is the co-villain for he fails to stand up for and protect his own daughter who is herself not quite innocent having killed her own mother. (As I've said before, you just can't beat a fairy tale for amazing storylines.) This tale also ends with Snow White being revived and married to her prince charming, but her parents are not punished for their crimes. They are simply not mentioned after her revival. The ending is rather abrupt actually, but fascinating for that very reason.

Yes, it is a very interesting variant of the tale, a great horror movie plot for the taking.

(This one is going on my short list of tales I'd love to hand to people who get that condescending tone when they learn I work with and study fairy tales. "Oh, how sweet!"  Sure, if matricide and other forms of murder are "sweet."  This isn't one you'll be reading to your child at bedtime anytime soon, I'm sure.)

I translated the tale from the German and it is included in Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World. as "29. Snow White from Albania." And I kept the term "dragons" in my translation.  It is such a wonderful word that I hated to change it to another less romantic term...

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 5: Snow White: Illustrated Reinterpretation by Jana Haitarova

 

Snow White: Illustrated Reinterpretation by Jana Haitarova (Illustrator & Author), Jacob Grimm (Author), Wilhelm Grimm (Author) uses a lightly modified version of Margaret Hunt's English translation of the Grimms' tale juxtaposed against illustrations that tell a parallel story. I recently discovered this newly published book and although I haven't seen the full book yet, what I have seen is very compelling and already qualifies as a favorite rendition of the tale for me. The dwarves are game pieces and a doll house is included, too. I'm sharing just a few of the 44 illustrations below.

Book description from the publisher:

Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs: Illustrated Reinterpretation (Grimm's Original Story)

This beautifully illustrated picture book offers a psychological retelling of Snow White, presenting the classic tale through a realist lens. Staying true to the original text by the Brothers Grimm, the story is uniquely retold solely through its illustrations, creating a dynamic interplay between image and text.

With a focus on the emotions of a young child, the book delves into the deeper layers of the narrative, encouraging readers to reflect on fantasy as a coping mechanism. Featuring 44 exquisitely hand-drawn watercolour illustrations, this book brings new depth and perspective to a beloved fairytale.

A perfect addition to any collection for readers who appreciate timeless stories reimagined with emotional and artistic insight.

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 4: The Unnatural Mother and the Girl With a Star on Her Forehead

This is an edited repost from from 2010 when I first published Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World:

I've read many variants of both Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Snow White ended up being much more interesting than I anticipated, since I've made no secret of my previous lack of favoritism for the tale. 

One of the tales that swayed me is "The Unnatural Mother and the Girl With a Star on Her Forehead" from Mozambique. This was perhaps the spunkiest and most vengeful of all the Snow Whites although there were some strong ones in the mix. In this one, the Snow White character faces her mother (not a stepmother) at the celebratory banquet at the end of the tale. She then describes her horrific experiences at the hands of her mother, who is feeling somewhat ashamed. 

Here is an excerpt:

When they had finished eating, the young wife addressed them: “Silence!” said she. “I am going to tell you a story!” They all applauded. She added: “It is not a very long one. Listen, princes and subjects. When you give birth to a beautiful child, do you dare to kill it?”

The chiefs were astounded at such a question! “We never thought such a thing possible.”

“Well, I have known such a thing,” she said. “Look at my finger!” Then she began, and told them all the story; how her mother had killed her with the slippers, had put her eyes out and cut off the nipples of her breasts. The mother was there, in full view of everyone. Finally the young woman said to her husband: “I wish my mother to be killed today!”

The husband said: “No, leave her alone.”

“No,” said she, “she must be put to death.”

She had a small gun of her own, and with that she shot the mother right before them all. The people picked up the body, and went off to bury it. As for the young woman, she gave a piece of land to her father, who said to her: “You have done quite right; I did not know who you were.”

She gave him a certain sum of money with which to procure another wife, and he settled in her village.

That’s the end.

And, no, this would not be a children's version of the tale with those horrors enacted by her mother.

Usually the new husband metes out the punishment in the Snow White tales, but in this one he refuses and Snow White takes matters into her own hands.  Obviously the story isn't as old as other variants with the inclusion of the gun, but it is a fascinating variation of a tale, an uncommon variation at that. 

On the other hand, the tale is far from satisfying all the same since the mother was beginning to show remorse when she saw her daughter again. Is it remorse over her actions themselves or being called out on her actions? We won't know since she is shot dead. Still, the death by gunshot would have been much more understandable in another tale, "The Magic Mirror" from Romania, in which the mother kills her daughter's newborn babe, a permanent death that is not magically reversed. That was perhaps the most depressing Snow White tale. Although most of the tales describe terrible murder attempts, it is far from a happy ending since there is a real, permanent loss of an innocent baby to overshadow the end.

And that's just two of the 41 Snow White variants included in Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World. 

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 3: Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan

 

Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan was recently listed in The Wall Street Journal as The 20 Best Children's Books of the Past 20 Years by Meghan Cox Gurdon. I was grateful for the reminder. This, like Fiona French's Snow White in New York, is set in New York City, but this time the timeline is centered more around the stock market crash and the tone is classic film noir. The dwarves are street urchins. Phelan's illustrations bring beauty and grace to a dark story filled with bravery and endurance.

Book description from the publisher:

“Phelan’s noir-esque adaptation of the classic fairy tale is atmospheric, clever, and touching. . . . A stunning, genre-bending graphic novel.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

The curtain rises on New York City. The dazzling lights cast shadows that grow ever darker as the glitzy prosperity of the Roaring Twenties screeches to a halt. Enter a cast of familiar characters: a young girl, Samantha White, returning after being sent away by her cruel stepmother, the Queen of the Follies, years earlier; her father, the King of Wall Street, who survives the stock market crash only to suffer a strange and sudden death; seven street urchins, brave protectors for a girl as pure as snow; and a mysterious stock ticker that holds the stepmother in its thrall, churning out ticker tape imprinted with the wicked words: “Another . . . More Beautiful . . . KILL.”

For more about Favorite Snow Whites in this blog series:

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 1: Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 2: Snow White in New York by Fiona French

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 1: Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World

 

Today is the official release date of Disney's live action/CGI film of Snow White in the United States, accompanied by all of its controversies. There's plenty of coverage of the new movie just about everywhere right now in the media machine. I don't really want to tread there myself. So I won't!

But while everyone is paying attention to the tale of Snow White, I would like to share other versions that I enjoy, both modern and traditional. I plan to do that over the next week or so, and this post serves as a brief introduction.

I have always had a strong push/pull with the Snow White story. Disney's rendition is my least favorite of the Disney versions of fairy tales if I am forced to choose. However, the more familiar traditional versions are often problematic for me, too. I was taught by loving parents of stranger danger from a young age, so Snow White accepting gifts from strangers was always disturbing to me. Her trusting innocence felt like pure stupidity to my immature black and white thinking brain. Her domesticity and physical beauty weren't compelling for me either. Consequently, I often ignored Snow White in favor of other tales that resonated with me more.

Then I edited and translated a collection of Snow White tales as part of my Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World. During that process of researching and reading about Snow White variants from around the world, I gained a much deeper affection for the tale. And I discovered some gems that are included in that book. I will discuss some of those in the coming days. 

I shared 41 variants of Snow White in Sleeping Beauties. They are from Italy, Turkey, France, Germany, England, Mozambique, Libya, Morocco, Gabon, Algeria, Iceland, and so many other interesting places. It is closely tied to Sleeping Beauty in some versions, especially the earliest published versions. Those 41 tales (and more that I couldn't include in the book) provide a much larger scope for the imagination, and some don't include many of the more controversial elements of the tale. And occasionally, Snow White more actively rescues herself, too. She is innocent and naive, but she is also sympathetic. I have great affection and compassion for Snow White these days and don't want her to be lost in the giant media machine, defined by the most popular version carefully crafted for corporate profit. So please check back in the coming days as I share some of her interesting varieties.

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.  

Favorite Snow Whites, Part 2: Snow White in New York by Fiona French

One of my favorite renditions of Snow White is Snow White in New York by Fiona French, now a classic, first published in 1987. It won the Kate Greenaway Medal for good reason. It is a clever rendition of the tale. My favorite element is the appearance of the famous magic mirror as The New York Mirror, a newspaper, which declares Snow White the belle of New York City. What a perfect and apt modern rendition of the mirror's function in the story, very poignant in our day of media and social media impact.

I also love the art deco illustrations and style. It's a unique take on the story, beautifully illustrated. I've included a few illustrations below.

Book description from the publisher:

Pulsating with the rhythm and vibrancy of the Jazz Age, this dazzling picture book is set in New York City in the 1920s. The story may be familiar, but the cast of characters will surprise you. Snow White is a beautiful jazz baby, protected by seven hot jazzmen. Instead of a wicked stepmother, her arch-enemy is the Queen of the Underworld. And her Prince Charming is a crack reporter from the New York Mirror. The breezy and clever text complements the style and color of the art deco illustrations, making this a picture book of astonishing originality. 

Yes, that stepmother loves to see herself in the newspaper!

New Book: Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy Book 1) by Stephanie Burgis is a new release in a slated trilogy about villain queens. This one is said to be inspired by Snow White's witch which I can see allusions to in the description.

Book description from the publisher:

In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

“Stephanie Burgis is a fresh new voice and I can’t wait to see what she does next.” —Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Bargain Ebook: The Serpent's Shadow (Elemental Masters Book 1) by Mercedes Lackey for $1.99

The Serpent's Shadow (Elemental Masters Book 1) by Mercedes Lackey is also a Kindle Daily Deal for $1.99. I don't read a lot of Lackey but I remember this one being a favorite when I tried this series. This one is inspired by Snow White and I appreciated the Brahmin elements at the time. 

Book description from the publisher:

The first in a series of adult fairy tale retellings full of magic, romance, humor, and suspense—from a Grand Master of science fiction and fantasy!

A richly reimagined Snow White uncovers the secrets of her family’s magical history in an alternate Edwardian London . . .

As the daughter of a prominent British physician and a Brahmin woman of the highest caste, Maya Witherspoon graduated from the University of Delhi as a Doctor of Medicine by the age of 22. But the science of medicine was not Maya’s only heritage. For Maya’s aristocratic mother, Surya, was a sorceress—a former priestess of the mystical magics fueled by the powerful and fearsome pantheon of Indian gods.

Though Maya felt the stirring of magic in her blood, her mother had repeatedly refused to train her. Yet it was Maya’s father’s death shortly thereafter that confirmed her darkest suspicions. For her father was killed by the bite of a krait, a tiny venomous snake, and in the last hours of her mother’s life, Surya had warned Maya to beware “the serpent’s shadow.” Maya knew she must flee the land of her birth or face the same fate as her parents.

In self-imposed exile in Edwardian London, Maya knew that she could not hide forever from the vindictive power that had murdered her parents. She knew in her heart that even a vast ocean couldn’t protect her from “the serpent’s shadow” that had so terrified her mother. Her only hope was to find a way to master her own magic: the magic of her father’s blood. But who would teach her? And could she learn enough to save her life by the time her relentless pursuers caught up with their prey?

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

Bargain Ebook: Sister Emily's Lightship: And Other Stories by Jane Yolen for $1.99

 

Sister Emily's Lightship: And Other Stories by Jane Yolen is on sale for $1.99 in ebook format and includes some fairy tale inspired short stories.

Book description from the publisher:

In these twenty-eight magnificent tales, which include two Nebula Award winners, Jane Yolen puts a provocative spin on familiar storybook worlds and beloved fairy tale characters

One of the most acclaimed and honored authors in science fiction and fantasy, Jane Yolen has been called “the Hans Christian Andersen of America” for her brilliant reimagining of classic fairy tales. In her first collection of short stories written for an adult audience (after Tales of Wonder and Dragonfield), Yolen explores themes of freedom and justice, truth and consequence, and brings new life to our most cherished fables and myths. Here are storybook realms rendered more contemporary, and cautionary tales made grimmer than Grimm: Snow White is transported to Appalachia to match wits with a snake-handling evil stepmother and Beauty’s meeting with the Beast takes a twisty, O. Henry–esque turn; in Yolen’s Nebula Award–winning “Lost Girls,” a feminist revolt rocks Peter Pan’s Neverland and in the collection’s glorious title story—also a Nebula winner—the poet Emily Dickinson receives some unexpected and otherworldly inspiration. Sometimes dark, sometimes funny, and always enthralling, Sister Emily’s Lightship is proof positive that Yolen is truly a folklorist of our times.  This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book.

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here. 

Bargain Ebook: Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson for $2.99

 

Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson is bargain priced in ebook format for $2.99. It is a science fiction novel with tropes from Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. The description includes a reference to a glass coffin! What fun and the concept of mixing those tales with cryogenic sleep has become a subset of retellings, but still not common. I have a soft spot for science fiction with fairy tale inspirations.

Book Description:

Andra wakes up from a cryogenic sleep 1,000 years later than she was supposed to, forcing her to team up with an exiled prince to navigate an unfamiliar planet in this smart, thrilling sci-fi adventure, perfect for fans of Renegades and Aurora Rising.

When Andra wakes up, she's drowning.

Not only that, but she's in a hot, dirty cave, it's the year 3102, and everyone keeps calling her Goddess. When Andra went into a cryonic sleep for a trip across the galaxy, she expected to wake up in a hundred years, not a thousand. Worst of all, the rest of the colonists--including her family and friends--are dead. They died centuries ago, and for some reason, their descendants think Andra's a deity. She knows she's nothing special, but she'll play along if it means she can figure out why she was left in stasis and how to get back to Earth.

Zhade, the exiled bastard prince of Eerensed, has other plans. Four years ago, the sleeping Goddess's glass coffin disappeared from the palace, and Zhade devoted himself to finding it. Now he's hoping the Goddess will be the key to taking his rightful place on the throne--if he can get her to play her part, that is. Because if his people realize she doesn't actually have the power to save their dying planet, they'll kill her.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here. 

New Book: Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson

 

 

Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson was released earlier this summer. It is a science fiction novel with tropes from Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. The description includes a reference to a glass coffin! What fun and the concept of mixing those tales with cryogenic sleep has become a subset of retellings, but still not common. This one is higher in my TBR list since I have a soft spot for science fiction with fairy tale inspirations.

Book Description:

Andra wakes up from a cryogenic sleep 1,000 years later than she was supposed to, forcing her to team up with an exiled prince to navigate an unfamiliar planet in this smart, thrilling sci-fi adventure, perfect for fans of Renegades and Aurora Rising.

When Andra wakes up, she's drowning.

Not only that, but she's in a hot, dirty cave, it's the year 3102, and everyone keeps calling her Goddess. When Andra went into a cryonic sleep for a trip across the galaxy, she expected to wake up in a hundred years, not a thousand. Worst of all, the rest of the colonists--including her family and friends--are dead. They died centuries ago, and for some reason, their descendants think Andra's a deity. She knows she's nothing special, but she'll play along if it means she can figure out why she was left in stasis and how to get back to Earth.

Zhade, the exiled bastard prince of Eerensed, has other plans. Four years ago, the sleeping Goddess's glass coffin disappeared from the palace, and Zhade devoted himself to finding it. Now he's hoping the Goddess will be the key to taking his rightful place on the throne--if he can get her to play her part, that is. Because if his people realize she doesn't actually have the power to save their dying planet, they'll kill her.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here. 

From the Brothers Grimm Series on Folkstreams Vimeo Channel: Activities During Coronavirus

Last week one tweet I read that made me laugh was a mother stating emphatically that she's not going to do anything educational while stuck at home with her young kids. They would watch too much tv. They would eat too much junk. Essentially, they would escape anyway they could during the Corona shutdown. I laughed. I liked that she was lowering her expectations and not putting too much pressure on herself. But even those activities will get old in my opinion, so I will keep looking for fairy tale related options to share. Fairy tales and folklore are about surviving trying times.

But on the note of watching TV, I wanted to share links to the From the Brothers Grimm series by Tom Davenport. These are rentable for a few dollars each on the Folkstreams Vimeo Channel. This is just an FYI service from SurLaLune--there is no affiliate earnings with these. Davenport Films made these many years ago so they are not HD and have a folksy feel. They are also mostly set in Appalachia. They are more suitable for older kids, I'd say 3rd grade and up.

I've linked and embedded the films below but some may not embed due to privacy settings. Just follow the links to learn more. They are all viewable for a $1.95 month long rental each.

My husband's favorite (and thus one of my sentimental favorites, too) is Soldier Jack or The Man Who Caught Death in a Sack:


Soldier Jack or The Man Who Caught Death in a Sack from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Jack and the Dentist's Daughter


Jack and the Dentist's Daughter from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

I remember when this aired on PBS, the last film they produced, Willa: An American Snow White:


Willa: An American Snow White from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Hansel & Gretel: An Appalachian Version


Hansel & Gretel: An Appalachian Version from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Ashpet: An American Cinderella


Ashpet: An American Cinderella from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel


Rapunzel, Rapunzel from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Mutzmag or The Girl Who Killed the Cannibals. This tale appears in many of the strong women of folklore collections.


Mutzmag or The Girl Who Killed the Cannibals from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

The Frog King


The Frog King from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Bristlelip is a version of King Thrushbeard.


Bristlelip from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

Bearskin or The Man Who Didn't Wash for Seven Years--Another favorite tale of mine. Really gets the feel of how disgusting Bearskin is!


Bearskin or The Man Who Didn't Wash for Seven Years from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

The Goose Girl


The Goose Girl from Folkstreams on Vimeo.

SmartGames Fairy Tales Themed Games: Activities During Corona

So these games look fun even if they are meant for the youngest gamers. I love the designs, especially the Sleeping Beauty maze which makes me think of garden labyrinths, of course. And is suitable to the tale's theme with the prince trying to navigate the thorns to reach the castle.

SmartGames Sleeping Beauty Board Game Description:

Discover the magic of the classic fairy tale with this original puzzle game. Can you help the prince reach Sleeping Beauty’s castle? Or maybe you’d prefer to help Sleeping Beauty escape on her own? Try to find the path from the entrance of the maze to the castle…without getting lost! Or perhaps you prefer to play as the dragon? Then the object of the game becomes the opposite! Place the dragon in the maze so that he blocks all paths to the castle, preventing and the knight and Sleeping Beauty from reaching each other. Sleeping Beauty includes 48 challenges (24 with the dragon and 24 without). It also features a family friendly picture book with a modern twist on the original story.

SmartGames Little Red Riding Hood Deluxe Board Game Description:

SmartGames Little Red Riding Hood is an enchanting puzzle game for young children. Can you help Red Riding Hood find Grandma’s house in the forest? Can you out-smart the wolf when he appears?

Play Little Red Riding Hood by arranging the puzzle pieces on the gameboard so that a direct path is created from Red Riding Hood to Grandma's house. Then, in the last 24 challenges, players have to create two paths: one for Red Riding Hood, and the other for the Wolf! A great introduction to Spatial Insight, Planning and Problem-Solving skills for kids.

Little Red Riding Hood also includes a family-friendly picture book with a SmartGames 'twist' on the original tale.

SmartGames Snow White Description:

• DEDUCTION FUN! Can you find out where Snow White goes? SmartGames Snow White Game, A Preschool Puzzle Game & Brain Game for Kids, Cognitive Skill-Building Challenges, Ages 4-7
• BRAIN GAMES BUILD SKILLS: Your children can build upon their spatial insight, language, problem solving and flexible thinking while playing the Snow White preschool board game. It’s so fun to play, they’ll forget they’re learning!
• PUZZLE INCLUDES: Large vertical house/game board, Snow White, Seven Dwarfs, Evil Queen, challenge booklet with solutions and a bonu colorful picture book.
• AGES 4-7: Snow White is perfect for kids ages 4-7. With the 4 different skill levels of Starter, Junior, Expert, and Master, your little one is sure to find the perfect challenges to tease their brain and help them think outside the box.
• AWARD-WINNING: SmartGames is the worldwide leader in multi-level, logic-based family fun games. Our award-winning games offer multi-level play from easy to challenging, and we pride ourselves in making family board games that are perfect for players of all ages.

SmartGames Three Little Piggies Description:

Can you help these three smart pigs build their houses? Can you set them up so that the pigs can play outside? If you spot the wolf can you help the pigs stay safe inside their houses?

Three Little Piggies is a great brain game for young children. It features 3 big puzzle pieces that are easy to hold, and kids will be intrigued by the way the pigs fit inside the houses and look through the windows. The game includes a story book with images and booklet with 48 challenges (24 with the wolf and 24 without). Also helps develop early Spatial Insight, Planning and Problem-Solving skills.

SurLaLune's Small Print:

As an Amazon Associate, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale site earns a percentage from qualifying purchases as a referral incentive which helps support the site. Your cost does not increase by using the links on this site. Read SurLaLune's Privacy Policy here.

New Book: Craving Supernatural Creatures: German Fairy-Tale Figures in American Pop Culture by Claudia Schwabe

Craving Supernatural Creatures: German Fairy-Tale Figures in American Pop Culture (Fairy-Tale Studies) by Claudia Schwabe is officially released this week.

The book description below describes the book exceptionally well. As I thumbed through the review copy I received, I appreciated all over again the influence of German folklore on American pop culture. I especially liked for my own personal interests the 2nd chapter on evil queens and witches and the 4th chapter on dwarves. Disney's influence is addressed here, too, for those who study Disney fairy tales. Those Disney dwarfs! When I first started SurLaLune when the internet was in its toddler stage, I was inundated with requests for the seven dwarfs names every day. The internet has grown past my site being needed to answer that question but it reminds me of how much the online information highway has changed since I started playing on it.

Book description:

Craving Supernatural Creatures: German Fairy-Tale Figures in American Pop Culture analyzes supernatural creatures in order to demonstrate how German fairy tales treat difference, alterity, and Otherness with terror, distance, and negativity, whereas contemporary North American popular culture adaptations navigate diversity by humanizing and redeeming such figures. This trend of transformation reflects a greater tolerance of other marginalized groups (in regard to race, ethnicity, ability, age, gender, sexual orientation, social class, religion, etc.) and acceptance of diversity in society today. The fairy-tale adaptations examined here are more than just twists on old stories-they serve as the looking glasses of significant cultural trends, customs, and social challenges. Whereas the fairy-tale adaptations that Claudia Schwabe analyzes suggest that Otherness can and should be fully embraced, they also highlight the gap that still exists between the representation and the reality of embracing diversity wholeheartedly in twenty-first-century America.

The book's four chapters are structured around different supernatural creatures, beginning in chapter 1 with Schwabe's examination of the automaton, the golem, and the doppelganger, which emerged as popular figures in Germany in the early nineteenth century, and how media, such as Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow, dramatize, humanize, and infantilize these "uncanny" characters in multifaceted ways. Chapter 2 foregrounds the popular figures of the evil queen and witch in contemporary retellings of the Grimms' fairy tale "Snow White." Chapter 3 deconstructs the concept of the monstrous Other in fairy tales by scrutinizing the figure of the Big Bad Wolf in popular culture, including Once Upon a Time and the Fables comic book series. In chapter 4, Schwabe explores the fairy-tale dwarf, claiming that adaptations today emphasize the diversity of dwarves' personalities and celebrate the potency of their physicality.

Craving Supernatural Creatures is a unique contribution to the field of fairy-tale studies and is essential reading for students, scholars, and pop-culture aficionados alike.

Fairy Tales in Advertising: Health Insurance in Brazil

I'm still always fascinated by the many ways fairy tales are used to promote products all over the world.

Here are two commercials created by Draftz, Brazil for Unimed Araçatuba for health insurance. Rapunzel and Snow White get happy endings earlier than expected with the help of some insurance cards. There is a third in the series that uses Romeo and Juliet but I decided I wouldn't include it here since that's not a fairy tale.

New Book: Snow White Learns Witchcraft: Stories and Poems by Theodora Goss

Snow White Learns Witchcraft: Stories and Poems by Theodora Goss was released this month. It is getting great reviews including at The New York Times.

Book description:

A young woman hunts for her wayward shadow at the school where she first learned magic--while another faces a test she never studied for as ice envelopes the world. The tasks assigned a bookish boy lead him to fateful encounters with lizards, owls, trolls and a feisty, sarcastic cat. A bear wedding is cause for celebration, the spinning wheel and the tower in the briar hedge get to tell their own stories, and a kitchenmaid finds out that a lost princess is more than she seems. The sea witch reveals what she hoped to gain when she took the mermaid's voice. A wiser Snow White sets out to craft herself a new tale.

In these eight stories and twenty-three poems, World Fantasy Award winner Theodora Goss retells and recasts fairy tales by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Oscar Wilde. Sometimes harrowing, sometimes hilarious, always lyrical, the works gathered in Snow White Learns Witchcraft re-center and empower the women at the heart of these timeless narratives.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Grand Master Jane Yolen, in her introduction, proclaims that Goss "transposes, transforms, and transcends times, eras, and old tales with ease. But also there is a core of tough magic that runs through all her pieces like a river through Faerie . . . I am ready to reread some of my new favorites."

New Book: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress) by Julie C. Dao

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress) by Julie C. Dao was released late last year. This is a Snow White retelling with an unusual protagonist and setting. I had the opportunity to hear Dao discuss the book at last year's Southern Festival of Books here in Nashville, TN. It was a great session and I was intrigued by her vision for the novel fueled by her personal experiences in becoming a published author. The book has received great reviews since then so I'm not the only one fascinated with this one.

Book description:

The Wrath and the Dawn meets Snow White and the Huntsman in this dark and mystical East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress.

"A richly developed fantasy world . . . Julie C. Dao is a talent to watch."—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her.

Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

Set in an East Asian-inspired fantasy world filled with both breathtaking pain and beauty, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns possesses all the hallmarks of masterful fantasy: dazzling magic, heartbreaking romance, and a world that hangs in the balance. Fans of Heartless, Stealing Snow, and Red Queen will devour this stunning debut.

Praise for Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"A richly developed fantasy world coupled with an ambitious anti-heroine of complex agency, this story shines and surprises at every turn. Julie C. Dao is a talent to watch."—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites

★ "A masterful reimagining of the early life of Snow White’s Evil Queen."—Booklist, starred review

★ "Lushly written . . . tantalizing reading."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Rich in detail and full of gore and blood, this dark novel will satisfy ‘Game of Thrones’ fans."—School Library Journal