Week 2, Extra Reading Diary, Celtic Fairy Tales

Celtic Fairy Tales

Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree

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I chose to read the half unit of Celtic Fairy Tales. I was most taken in by the story of Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree. It was very familiar to me from childhood Disney cartoon films of Snow White's wicked step mother the Evil Queen. Except this Queen did not consult a magical mirror, she consulted a fish in a pond. He told her that her daughter was the most beautiful in the land. I can see how the scrying in a ponds reflective surface can lead to the eventual usage of a mirror in later stories.


Also, much like the story of Disney's Snow White, the beautiful daughter whom the father adores, causes the mother (but not step mother) jealousy who uses witchcraft to cause the girl, Silver-Tree to fall into a sleep that is under a magical spell. I like this Celtic version better that the mans second wife finds her asleep and removes the magical thorn spell and wakes her from her sleep. It is less creepy than a prince finding a random dead body in the woods being compelled to kiss it.

At first I am very drawn to the subject of the mother, Gold-Tree using the water scrying because I am interested in finding out more information about the River Goddess connected to Melusine. I want to pursue a story based on the magical lore of the magical line that is connected to the families of the Plantagents, Anjou, the White Queen.
The Horned Women
The other story that really intrigued me was the horned women. Parts of the story reminded me of an alien abduction story, that they did something to the sleeping family that made them unable to move or to do as they commanded.
Connla and the Fairy Maiden
I liked Connla and the Fairy Maiden. It reminds me of some of my favorite books by Marian Zimmerman Bradley, the Mists of Avalon series. I do believe that the fairy folk are still there in a mist hidden from those with eyes that can't see. I do believe that there are thin spots in the veil, and that sometimes a fairy person will bring a person into the fairy realm. I often wish I too could go to the fairy realm.

I really didn't like the other stories too much, they were kinda creepy! I don't like the ones with monsters and scary things. Or the repetition that makes reading monotonous like the little creepy creatures that burst.

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