Comments on: Welsh Water Fairies http://blog.mythicwriters.org/2008/04/09/welsh-water-fairies/ Writing myth into reality Fri, 30 May 2008 18:20:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Laura http://blog.mythicwriters.org/2008/04/09/welsh-water-fairies/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Laura Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:55:55 +0000 http://blog.mythicwriters.org/?p=7#comment-4 Yes, in the real world. The fairies are taking Tam Lin to pay a tithe to hell, as they prefer to sacrifice a human rather than one of their own. I'll try to remember to haul out the poem. "Janet has kilted her green kirtle a little aboon her knee"--it's in the Brian Froud/Alan Lee faery book. (Maybe it's a ballad?) Last year I reread "Fire and Hemlock" by Diana Wynne Jones and "Winter Rose" by Patricia McKillip--both work from the Tam Lin theme. Orpheus comes to mind, too. I need to pull out Bulfinch--I know Orpheus went to the underworld, but I don't remember how he knew where to go. And in the Irish mythology there is at least one story of people who spend ages in the land of faery, arriving by accident; when they return to the "real world," the ones who leave their ship fall to dust when their feet touch the shore. (It's a well-known story, but the names escape me!) Rip Van Winkle interrupts/joins an otherworldly game of bowling (called something else which I don't remember) which takes him into another timestream. I think in folklore that happens if you join a fairy dance or enter a fairy ring. Certain groupings of certain kinds of trees are usually indicative of fairy presence, too. And one last final thought as I stray further and further--sometimes there's an ointment so that faery can be seen (basically it blocks the effect of glamour). Yes, in the real world. The fairies are taking Tam Lin to pay a tithe to hell, as they prefer to sacrifice a human rather than one of their own. I’ll try to remember to haul out the poem. “Janet has kilted her green kirtle a little aboon her knee”–it’s in the Brian Froud/Alan Lee faery book. (Maybe it’s a ballad?) Last year I reread “Fire and Hemlock” by Diana Wynne Jones and “Winter Rose” by Patricia McKillip–both work from the Tam Lin theme.

Orpheus comes to mind, too. I need to pull out Bulfinch–I know Orpheus went to the underworld, but I don’t remember how he knew where to go. And in the Irish mythology there is at least one story of people who spend ages in the land of faery, arriving by accident; when they return to the “real world,” the ones who leave their ship fall to dust when their feet touch the shore. (It’s a well-known story, but the names escape me!) Rip Van Winkle interrupts/joins an otherworldly game of bowling (called something else which I don’t remember) which takes him into another timestream. I think in folklore that happens if you join a fairy dance or enter a fairy ring. Certain groupings of certain kinds of trees are usually indicative of fairy presence, too. And one last final thought as I stray further and further–sometimes there’s an ointment so that faery can be seen (basically it blocks the effect of glamour).

]]> By: Kim http://blog.mythicwriters.org/2008/04/09/welsh-water-fairies/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Kim Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:39:58 +0000 http://blog.mythicwriters.org/?p=7#comment-3 Janet? I don't think I've read any versions where her name is Janet, though it's been quite a while since I read any of the stories...The part I was trying to pin down was if she waited for Tam Lin and the fairies to come into the "real" world, or if she crossed over to rescue him. The rescue takes place in the "real" world, doesn't it? Janet? I don’t think I’ve read any versions where her name is Janet, though it’s been quite a while since I read any of the stories…The part I was trying to pin down was if she waited for Tam Lin and the fairies to come into the “real” world, or if she crossed over to rescue him. The rescue takes place in the “real” world, doesn’t it?

]]> By: Laura http://blog.mythicwriters.org/2008/04/09/welsh-water-fairies/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Laura Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:16:33 +0000 http://blog.mythicwriters.org/?p=7#comment-2 Tam Lin and his lover (Janet, in one version I have) met--under a tree? By a spring?--and he told her when & how to rescue him. She then waited until they rode out, seized him from his horse, and held on to him through a series of shape changes. Tam Lin and his lover (Janet, in one version I have) met–under a tree? By a spring?–and he told her when & how to rescue him. She then waited until they rode out, seized him from his horse, and held on to him through a series of shape changes.

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