Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part A

· I love that Arthur didn’t know the significance of what he was doing. I also don’t particularly trust Kay, and am not sure how I feel about him having a high position within Arthur’s court. I could write about how Ector and his wife reacted and how odd it was when Merlin brought them Arthur. I could tell the tale of that night, almost like the opening chapter of Harry Potter.

· Wow, that is a super ominous prophecy thing. The hero is going to go about already knowing the source of his own defeat, and that things will eventually go poorly with him.

· It’s strange that it isn’t shameful for Arthur to be rescued in battle by Merlin, while Merlin casts his opponent into deep sleep. It simply isn’t what I would have expected.

· So the sword in the stone wasn’t Excalibur?

· Wow Arthur liked Guenevere because she’s beautiful but not necessarily good and Merlin says as much but then is like “Oh well. You like her, so it’s not to be helped and you have to marry her.” That’s so foolish.

· Haha I could write a satire where there are 150 knights at the round table (which is how many it fits) and they try to have conversations but can’t hear each other, because come one. One circular table seating 150 people is a bad idea acoustically.

· This isn’t an original idea (I know C. S. Lewis did it, and maybe Ursula LeGuin or whatever her name is), but I could write about someone finding Merlin. It seems as though he wouldn’t die, but merely go on, buried.

· Wow, maybe it’s the music I’m listening to, but the story of the dream of the young man who was to accompany Arthur was very eerie. I kind of like all the creepy imagery, with the church in the graveyard.

(The Drawing of the Sword, by H. J. Ford)

Bibliography:  King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table, by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: Welsh Fairy Tales, Part B

· I like that the title of that tale was “Owen goes a-wooing” when that’s actually a very little part of the story. I think this story was cute, and I liked his loyalty, but I’m not sure how to do much with it.

· I don’t understand what’s wrong with getting money from fairies. Are they like demons, basically? Maybe I could write some sort of backstory as to why one ought not to take money from fairies. Also, why do they stop coming when the wife knows? Once again, could there be a back story in that?

· I like that leprechauns (or whatever they are. Fairies?) are willing to accept apologies and move on. I would like that to be a thing in my stories. Vindictive characters are no fun.

· Nooooo you can’t just grab her and not let her go!

· Hmmm I think that there seems often to be a theme of happiness and love disturbed by silly or arbitrary rules. He accidentally tossed some dirt at her, so their happy marriage had to end. Like, that’s so sad.

· Wow, I really don’t like stories that have to do with the devil or witchcraft, and I certainly won’t be writing one.

· I really like that this story involved someone coming across a beautiful maiden in the woods without being enchanted by her or wanting to marry her, but rather simply with blessing her. Maybe I should write a story about something like that.

· I could write this from the perspective of one of the women being fought over. How horrible…

· I do like stories that are basically overcoming monsters, pure and simple. I could write something rather similar to the story of Hu Gadarn, where basically they capture and chain a huge, dangerous beast.

· Ahhh I’m sad for the little dog :(

(Why Deunant has the Front Door in the Back, by Willy Pogány)

Bibliography:  The Welsh Fairy Book, by W. Jenkyn Thomas

Reading Notes: Welsh Fairy Tales, Part A

· Wow! I really liked that. Perhaps I could write a tale wherein it really is time for Arthur and his warriors to come back, and destroy the enemies of the Cymry. I suppose that if I were to do that, I would need to read all the Arthur stories so I would have a solid base from which to start.

· “You must find a child born without a father, put him to death, and sprinkle with his blood the ground . . .”. It sounds like a Christ figure.

· Woah it was Merlin!! This also reminded me of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. I really like the element of justice, when the youth is spared and the guilty magicians are the ones who end up being killed (although the king is rather guilty too). I could write some about the lesser-known Arthur stories, where all kinds of cool things end up pulling everything together.

· Are you serious? “I’ll follow you, oh beautiful woman, to the ends of the earth, but first let me say goodbye to my wife.”

· Does Angharad want an explanation or anything?

· Wow, he was gone for a long time.

· I’m glad this story ended happily.

· I’m glad that the barber isn’t punished in this one. Also, I feel like one of the main ideas of this tale is that if a secret is let out, it spreads. I could write a tale with that theme. It could be turned into a warning against either vanity or gossip, or both.

· Folk tales feel so random sometimes. I don’t think I want to use the one with the cow.

· I kind of like how much of this is left a mystery. We know that the harper was saved, but not really how the devastation came about, or why he was spared, or if anyone else got away.

· “to return to the lowlands with his woolly charge.” I love that.

(Einion and the Lady of the Greenwood, by Willy Pogány)

Bibliography:  The Welsh Fairy Book, by W. Jenkyn Thomas.