katekintailbc | Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Greece by Virginia Haviland (Reply)

Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Greece
by Virginia Haviland

There are, apparently (because I don't have them all), 16 books in this series from countries all around the world. I read this one in a single sitting in order to release the book, only then realizing my friend isn't going to Greece! So I hope to remember to set it aside for the BookCrossing convention in Athens in 2016.

These were definitely fairy tales, many of which made sense in only a fairy tale logic sort of way (and, even then, not a lot of sense). I feel like these are translated retellings of retellings of retellings, and probably quite a lot was lost over the years/in translation/due to different time and culture. Many did contain a bit of advice or warning, which is present in most fairy tales. And the best advice I got coming out of this is "seriously, don't get messed up in the afairs of faries. It's just not a good idea."

One of my favorite stories was about a boy who outsmarts both his brothers and a dragon (a handful of times!), earning himself a place of nobility under the king for his troubles and cleverness. Though I had a hard time imagining the dragon. A dragon who drives a cart pulled by a horse? A dragon who writes letters to his dragon wife and sleeps in a bed with her? A dragon who can fit in a box sized appropriately for a human man? That isn't the kind of dragon I'm used to! I wish I could learn more about what Greeks envisioned their dragons to be like!

One of the most heartbreaking stories was about a man who falls in love with a beautiful fairy woman and catches her handkerchief, therby owning her. The price for marrying her is that he may never hear her beautiful voice again. He agrees, because he's enchanted with her (and because he's a stupid man) and somehow thinks that she will slip up and speak after all. She doesn't, not even when their daughter is born. And then, one day, she asks him for her handkerchief and, because he is a VERY stupid man, he hands it over. Of course, then his beautiful wife and daughter are suddenly free to leave for fairyland, leaving him behind. He is heartbroken and spends the rest of his life roaming the hills, looking for them.

I think my favorite story might have been the first, where the king's daughters tell their father how much they love him--like honey! like sugar! like salt! He practically banishes the one who loves him like salt. The daughter marries a kind man and they make they way through the world, doing good and achieving praise, until they wind up being honored in court. There, the tables are turned. When asked how he likes his royal meal, her husband declares it has no flavor and could use salt. Oh SNAP! heehee The king realizes he daughter loved him after all.

These were really interesting stories. I could have used a little follow-up for each of them, telling me what significance it had in the Greek culture or maybe about its origins, if those are known, such as what time and place its first documented apperance was. But, as these are meant for children, there were no such notes. There were some lovely illustrations here and there, though. I really enjoy fairy tales from other cultures. Fairy tales are such an important part of culture, this shared understanding of what's important and what to avoid, an acknowledgement of morality and darkness in the world. I had a good time reading these.