#Vladimir Propp

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Rafal, would you trust me if I gave you something to eat?

Rafal: [flatly] No. Do you take me for a fool? Do you not know one of the most basic rules of fairy tales?

Rhian: [shakes his head] Children these days don't know their interdictions. Even I have to agree with Rafal today since I forbid my Evers from taking any food they're offered.

Rafal: [side-eyes Rhian.]

Rhian: [peremptorily] Vulcan was one exception. Just let me live it down, will you?

Rafal: [shrugs wryly] I just find it funny that Good's Master succumbed to standard, fairy-tale fare. Precautions really have degraded over time. Just look at the "exemplar" with us.

Rhian: I hardly think I—

Rafal: What happened to the old, reliable "shut up and obey" the old crone or shriveled goblin if you don't want to end up dead in a ditch? Do Evers no longer learn the alphabet as well? And "don't invite strangers in" only applies if you recognize the stranger could bring harm. You only have to offer hospitality to the ones who seem ambiguous, so fate doesn't punish you for being stingy. It's binary like the rest of the Woods. How hard is that?

⸻

Reference to what I'm talking about if anyone would like it. See point 2/31 from Vladimir Propp.

[memoriesofstleon]

The Nine Rings: A Systematic Record

1. The Root Ring (Oak of Beginnings):

Forged in the shadow of an ancient oak, this ring embodies the genesis of all things. Its surface, etched with patterns of roots and leaves, speaks of growth, endurance, and the primal connection to the earth. It was said to be worn by the one who first stood watch on the hill, a sentinel against chaos. Its magic strengthens resilience, yet it also binds its bearer to a destiny of guardianship. The root ring often migrates in tales, claimed to flow downstream, its essence carried by rivers, confusing later seekers who stumble upon it unwittingly.

2. The Flowing Ring (Rivers of Time):

Fashioned from the mirror-like water of a sacred river, this ring is fluid in its essence, almost alive. Its inscription is said to change with the current of time, revealing secrets to those who learn to listen. It guards the wisdom of flow—adaptation, patience, and inevitability. Legends place this ring in the hands of river spirits or naiads, always just out of reach of the unworthy. Frazer might call it the ring of rites, while Tolkien might lament its ambiguity.

3. The Stalwart Ring (Peaks of Strife):

Carved from the granite of a thunderous mountain, this ring is jagged yet impossibly strong, a symbol of trials and tribulation. It demands its wearer to climb higher, to withstand storms both external and internal. It is often passed down in songs of warriors and pilgrims, appearing on mountaintops wreathed in lightning. Propp might identify it as an artifact of ascension motifs, while Pound would see in it a Cantos-like purity of endurance.

4. The Verdant Ring (Meadows of Transformation):

Wrought of green-gold and adorned with small flowers that seem to bloom when the sun rises, this ring embodies the eternal potential of renewal. It is said to grant the bearer visions of what could be, urging them to reshape their lives, often at great cost. Hidden in open meadows or fields of wildflowers, its position in myths reflects a paradox—what is visible can often remain unseen. Andrei Bely might liken it to an ineffable symbol of renewal, a distant echo of spring.

5. The Regal Ring (Fortress of Shadows):

Forged in the hearth of a castle long since turned to ruin, this ring is the most intricate, adorned with sharp spires and subtle engravings of labyrinthine corridors. It is a ring of power and authority, but also of imprisonment, for its bearer often succumbs to the very weight of leadership it bestows. Tolkien might suspect it was a cousin to the Rings of Men, while Eisenstein might dream of a visual montage of light and shadow to capture its paradox.

6. The Wild Ring (Forest of Fears):

Fashioned in a glade no human eyes were meant to see, this ring is wild and untamed, with its band resembling tangled vines. Its bearer must navigate the dangers of the subconscious, as it brings dreams and terrors into vivid clarity. Some say wolves and other creatures guide those seeking it, while others claim the forest’s shadows devour the foolhardy. Frazer would undoubtedly locate this in the mythos of the hunt, while Pound might sense the cold clarity of primal experience.

7. The Hidden Ring (Vault of Secrets):

Set deep within a subterranean cavern, this ring reflects the mystery of the unknown. It glimmers faintly, as if capturing the final light of a setting sun. Legends call it the ring of forbidden knowledge, granting its bearer insight into truths often too dangerous to wield. Propp would link it to the “test of wisdom,” while Bely might see in its depths a reflection of a character’s fractured soul.

8. The Burning Ring (Sands of Trial):

Forged in the heat of the desert sun, this ring bears the scars of scorching winds and shifting sands. Its surface is textured with grains of gold, and its power is said to lie in perseverance and survival against insurmountable odds. The sands move around it, as if guarding it from all but the most determined. Eisenstein might stage its recovery in sweeping, desolate frames, while Tolkien might marvel at its harsh beauty.

9. The Abyssal Ring (Ocean’s Cradle):

This ring, formed of coral and pearls, lies beneath the waves, where the tides conceal its secrets. It is a ring of immense depth, granting its bearer an understanding of the endless cycle of loss and renewal. Legends say that it sings faintly, luring seekers into its watery domain. Frazer might call it a relic of water deities, while Pound would write of it as an inexorable pull toward rebirth.

Uncertain Destinies of the Rings

No one truly knows whether the rings’ powers are independent or whether they echo one another, their fates entwined. A scholar like Tolkien might confuse their locations, much as history has, because each ring seems to contain a fragment of the others—a unity fractured across landscapes. Propp would note this as the “splintering of a magical whole,” while Bely might muse on the fractal beauty of such dispersal. Pound, ever a poet of lost connections, might sigh and invoke Confucius: “When the threads are scattered, we weave.”

It remains unclear if the letters describing these artifacts reached their intended recipients or were lost, much like the rings themselves. What remains is their echo—woven into the myths of time and waiting, always waiting, for rediscovery.

[planetoidsfun]

Read us a fairy tale, Uncle Propperino!

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Honestly I don’t think it’s so much about reading comprehension vs no reading comprehension as it is good faith vs bad faith.

I was recently watching the trailer for Damsel, a Netflix movie that comes out tomorrow. It’s the standard “Princess vs dragon, damsel out of distress” story with a bit of fractured “Prince Lindworm” thrown in, not groundbreaking but looks to be entertaining. And yet for some strange reason, a few comments below seemed to have drawn the conclusion that the Princess is the villain of the piece, selfishly trying to stay alive rather than die for the good of the kingdom.

The problem with these people isn’t that they haven’t read Andromeda or St. George or Vladimir Propp’s analysis on how the Princess and dragon trope is a reaction to and inversion of the earlier virgin sacrifice trope. They are perfectly capable of watching a masked cult throw a young girl in a pit to be eaten and reading between the lines to say “I think these are the bad guys”. They comprehend the reading. But since the end product has a faint whiff of feminism, something they despise, they have decided the Princess is better dead than wielding a sword and have narrowed their view until it makes sense.

I am being very cautious with this, because I know that people will use it as an excuse to read genuine misunderstanding as something malicious. Hell, they already do. But ultimately I think there is a significant difference between “people have different experiences and that colors their interpretations” and “willfully misinterpreting the text”. And the most reliable way to tell that difference is to have a genuine, good faith discussion with them, and see if they meet you halfway or hate you for daring to think differently from them.

[lefossile]

seeing different takes and finishing Luminary Wardance very late, I come with my ted talk about the infamous "scaring teen to PTSD" incident and my thoughts about it; you're welcome to disagree btw [sorry for the lack of screen-proofs, didn't play the game in eng, things might've been lost in translation]

tldr: Boothill was 100% aware of what he was doing and wasn't going to actually fatally harm Luka.

I guess we have to start by preface of how the wardance is ever organised or is for and realise that fatal outcomes are outlawed actually, as the whole purpose of wardance is cultural exchange, aside from Xianzhou’s inner workings regarding Jing Yuan and previous events. It’s a show, it’s for fame, for publicity, for getting a message around - as we see many people use it as a platform - therefore it’s not a deathring. It has rules, judges, press-coverage. All that stuff.

And through it we follow Luka, sympathize with him and his struggle, we’re narratively tied with him and his experience, overcoming insecurities, sort of coming of age - it’s the most common myth structure of him venturing to the “new world” to transit from boy to man and undergo a transformation through trial. But also by death and rebirth (more on that later). It’s Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campell or, if you’re inclined, the Morphology of the folktale by Vladimir Propp, or Memo by Vogler and McKenna. That stuff.

To sum up the experiences of him up to that point, it was a straight progression from one opponent to another, gaining new friends and slowly, but surely gaining confidence on the arena and inside himself, because let’s face it, Luka is quite unsure. He’s that ugly duckling, not yet a swan. Despite his accomplishments driven by the need to survive, as he explicitly states, he’s still terrified by lots of things. He still lacks the self-awareness to believe in himself, his accomplishments, but also the procession of failure and death, despite being surrounded by it from a young age. Luka was raised in a communal society, so getting out on his own and on “borrowed” terms is unusual and stressful. But overall he manages and things generally go in his favor. Trailblazer couches him, helps with connections, there are fans, even temporarily stresses, such as the whole Shuojin debacle does end well with Topaz’s help. And he’s about to face the infamous Galaxy Ranger, although without any animosity.

He’s on precipice of “going into the cave”.

So with that in mind let’s briefly switch to Boothill. He hadn’t come to Xianzhou for fame, quote him, he came for revenge. To start off he’s in a completely different standpoint of his own story in contrast to Luka, easily making it through previous matches - and nobody presumably died resulting in his disqualification, that is. He came most likely for Topaz or just to draw IPC’s attention - it is unclear, but his primarily objective IS to provoke. It does not necessarily reflect how he really feels towards any of his opponents, because for one everything is on camera for that.

Then again, every one of the contestants [except Luka prior to a point his arm got replaced], accepted IPC sponsorship quote Topaz, and it is probably not even a NDA information, despite many of Xianzhou’s residents repulsion towards the company. So definitely no hard feelings on that part should come around then fighting. No, it might prove a point actually. It’s not even about the contestants themselves, but IPC’s involvement. Destroying their tech, their reputation, that’s the main goal, not some sort of mindless maiming.

So, passing on to Luka, who had been a promising upstart, an underdog, the one who refused to accept IPC’s deal, who fought for that explicitly, and most likely gathered a lot of sympathy from Boothill. Who, in turn, was probably as daring and full of vigor back when he was Luka's age. Then let’s not forget that Boothill had full access to Luka’s performance by that time - via any means from newspapers to playback of his trial fights, or even watching them live from the tribunes. It’s not private information and more than enough for a cyber eye to analyze, aside from everything else. And following Shuojin defeat and IPC presentation, Boothill was most likely following too (let’s say it was a game of cat and mouse, since Topaz is aware he’s there), he knows about the new hand and it does probably piss him off so much he mentions it to Luka later.

But let’s get into that battle then, shall we?

There’s nothing too malicious going on from the start of it, except for Owlbert joking, but alas.

Boothill makes his warning from the start - drop out and spare yourself the trouble. Not only bc flesh vs cyborg body is not exactly the best match - Luka has beaten some metal before - but because of the difference in experience and objective (fame vs. payback). Luka is, don’t get me wrong, a greenhorn. Yes, talented, sure, survived the hardships of Belobog, but even in comparison to Yanqing, who fought literal wars, he still is. It’s the man vs a child, literally, and especially so if we follow the hero's journey, it’s the obstacle he has to overcome. Maybe not the final, but quite a symbolic one. Also Boothill gives him a way out because for them it is also different - Boothill is willing to get his life on the line, more often than not, what borders on suicidal; Luka is yet not aware completely, what it means to seriously do so. He’s not used (clearly by previous events) of how cruel the outer world can be, out of the familiarity of his own planet (the original state of the world for the hero per se), that there could be people, who will want to harm him without any reason and make it lethal in process. And that’s the question also, Boothill poses to Luka, when he taunts him later. It is almost literal - if Luka can consciously risk his life, if his own beliefs, his determination are strong enough, can he face not only “defeat” in the sense of a wounded pride, but in a way of losing the only thing he truly has, his life. [remember that line, folks]

Then, when Luka objects, he pokes in the wound, unknowingly, of course, but let’s see what Boothill says in retaliation.

“I’ll give it a proper overhaul for ya later”. Do you think he’d promised a poor kid a maintenance, if he was sure to kill him? It’s the same tactic as in the Penacony sidequest when he was threatening the pepeshi sect, really.

But it is also a test of faith. A battle of wills. It’s literally a trial. To which Luka quickly retracts, saying let’s not risk our lives (to which Boothill's expression instantly changes). But it also shows what Luka feels this is, just a sparring, that’s what he had been doing. But it is different for Boothill. And that is a “lesson” he’ll teach Luka soon enough (bc I feel he does like the kid), and he then explicitly says so. And it has been that way for him all the time, even prior, back in “peaceful” days.

Boothill offers a choice: turn tail or take a swing, which for some reason, upsets everyone not only the trailblazer, but really is such an IC thing to do for him. He even get mad if Trailblazer interferes, because it is between him and Luka. Because Luka has to make the decision himself, not with encouragement, not with influence from others. It’s Luka’s own choice. And he makes it. [As in he enters “the cave”, takes the leap of faith.]

And as he does, it’s important what  Luka “hallucinates” when they just stare at each other, not even drawing arms. He sees the shadow of death. It is not coincidental also in the sequences following his defeat. Because Luka has to “die” to be reborn in a new quality and as a new person. He has to face the part of his own subconsciousness, which tells him to flee, it’s an overcoming of an inner turmoil. It’s the first part of transformation (second part is the conclusion he draws after Tail’s help). 

And all that time Boothill waits. He does not shoot, he does not further provoke. He gives Luka space and time to gather his guts, understanding what the boy is going through. Because he still has a choice. Owlbert even comments that they are just standing there instead of fighting, meaning it is purposeful. It’d take Boothill less than a few seconds to really win, with all his prowess and technical level difference. Yet he waits.

And once Luka finally makes the move, it is what it is. Six shots, an empty barrel, a broken mechanical arm. But think of it, would a cyborg with an enhanced eye, a sharpshooter, really miss any vitals, if he wanted? For all shits and giggles and memes, I doubt it. Boothill shot with uncanny precision, aiming where it would be less critical for Luka. His arm, which can be re-built, re-assembled. One could argue he took his anger on the IPC tech, which could be also true enough. But what he actually “spared” Luka is true enough too. Or rather, that he never intended any serious* harm. (can’t help the psychological trauma true, but oh well)

And yes, facing Boothill helped Luka “come out of the cave”, learn truths about himself, his heart, his resolve. It was something careful guidance from before could not particularly achieve, to corner him to look inside deep enough to come out, not exactly a different person. But more mature. Live through his trial of fire, complete the transformation and initiation. 

[To all the people, who would come at me and say BUT HE IS A TEEN!!! Yeah, but so is Yanqing. I don’t see anyone speaking how he is technically a child soldier fighting multiple wars, borisins, Jingliu, Blade and Hulei, who showed little care about him being a literal child.]

And Boothill’s behaviour towards Luka changes after that. There’s no animosity, he later on invites Luka for a talk, explains himself and apologizes.

(The damage was already done, but the thing is how both parties process it and go about it later on, at least that’s the hill I will die on)

But most importantly. He steps down for Luka, so he could go and chase his dream of making it to the top. Under some pretense, of course, but if he was going through with all the bravado, or was set on hurting minors, I feel he’d have no qualms in sparring against Yanqing. He uses the same tactic as before: steps down, warns him, knowing probably full well Luka of all people won’t back down. Boothill tests if the kid had learned the lesson, which even Luka himself is catching on.

In summary of all that I tried to explain, I think the narrators used the most common tools, drew parallels, even if some moments were a bit on the borderline. Our perception could differ depending on age, culture and general experience, but I think narratively everything stayed on point for this event story and watching some grey areas being explored was a treat.

[goopi-e]

"The games in the Legend of Zelda series don't lay on a timeline, they're legends, a corpus of narratives that mutate with each retelling".

...You do realize just how little this solves, right?

I don't know how to properly explain my exact gripe with this idea. It's a cool thought exercise, sure, and one I enjoy partaking in to a degree, but in no way is it a "better" way of interpreting the series compared to a timeline - at least, not in a Watsonian sense.

Like, okay, you made Link et al. entirely fictitious folk heroes. Awesome. Now you don't have to worry about the temporal dependencies between the games. Logistics of whether Link's Awakening comes before or after the Oracles, or how SkSw's time travel works are irrelevant to you.

...But if it's a legend, someone has to narrate it. You still have to invent the society that birthed those myths - is it a Hylian society? If not, why would they tell a Hylian legend? Who gets to choose what details to add or omit? What kind of society would come up with the idea of the flooded kingdoms or falling moons and why? Those are all good questions, but crucially, they're more or less the same questions you could ask if you chose The Timeline as your framework.

..It's like panspermy - sure, it answers the immediate question of "how did life originate on Earth", but doesn't help with solving the broader mystery of "how did life originate in the first place". It's cool to speculate what biases a random Lorulean bard may have, but knowing that this bard has those biases does nothing to address the fact that they live in Lorule.

Vladimir Propp's "Morphology of the Folktale" is not a replacement for a history textbook.

P.S.: Granted, I say all this as a person who primarily cares about the Adult Timeline - and, in a rare turn of events, the Adult Timeline benefits from having those temporal dependencies; WW is better off being a sequel to OoT, while OoT gains significantly less from being a prequel to ALttP. While I'm not an ardent defender of the Very Important Much Canon Nintendo Timeline (I love fan-made timelines with all my heart), I hate it when people dissmiss the value of... events having a linear order of happening so flippantly.

[onekindredspirit]

In the essay 'Morphology of the Hit' (The Empathy Exams 2014), Leslie Jamison discusses Vladimir Propp and his book Morphology of the Folktale. Vladimir Propp proposed a system of classification and structure that could be used as a map for all storytelling. His research was based on Russian folktales. There are 31 functions of storytelling arranged in ascending order. So, like life, one thing follows another but not necessarily all things follow another or happen at all. And so ...

"You can find a program on the internet called Digital Propp. I guess you'd call it a game. You click on the site and it says: "You have reached the Proppian Fairytale Generator." ... You check off the functions you want and it gives you a story. I check: absentation, interdiction, violation, villainy, branding, exposure. I pause, go back, check off: lack. I don't check: counteraction, recognition, wedding. I click the little button called "generate". The site spits back a story: something about a forbidden pear, and then some fight with a bird, some victory having to do with flying. I'm seeing signs of all kinds of functions I didn't ask for: struggle, challenge, victory. There is some fighting and finally some winning: "The soil on my skin turned to sprinkles of gold dust. The people proclaimed me some kind of god." Leslie Jamison *The Empathy Exams* Polaroid - One Kindred Spirit

[adventurer515]

Chapter 18 Sneak Peek 📻🍎

taking an english narrative subject, so ofc i decided to assign spheres of action (character roles in the narrative by vladimir propp) to this fanfic AHAHHAHA,,, and so lucifer in this fic is somehow both the person that sends al off to fulfill the goal of the story AND al's primary motivation/goal which iS POETIC AS HELL xD

(luci is also the false hero (presents false claim to be hero) tho,,, iykyk)

Something in the Static (Here are the first seventeen chapters)

Summary:

“Right, but aren’t angels usually up in heaven?”

“Yes, usually, but I’m your guardian angel,” Lucifer says, nodding and standing, the bounds around his hands and body falling away like water. Alastor watches in awe as it happens, shoulders stiffening in slight alarm, but Lucifer simply beams and offers his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Charmed,” Alastor says as he takes the offered hand, shakes it, then pointedly wipes his hand on the front of his suit, much to this angel’s consternation.

Or: Alastor attempts to murder the local coffeehouse's barista, but accidentally invites his guardian angel into his life instead.

Alternate Summary: basically, this fic is if u grab what we know of alastor’s backstory, research the 1920s like a thesis, and then slap a silly goofy angel roommate-situationship on top

[mrhaitch]

Hello Mr.Haitch!

I’m in a little hurry right now and so very sorry to jump this on you, feel free to ignore this if you’re busy right now, I’ll truly understand if you do!

So to give a gist- I’ve got my exam tomorrow, and the prof has given us *nothing* so far. And the way she has so far progressed in the lectures, honestly I’m looking at all my notes I made myself and I’m drawing up blank. I’m worried, because these concepts are flying over my head.

I was wondering if you could give me any source that I could read from or anything really that could help me understand these concepts today or like get a simple idea so I can atleast wing the rest in the paper tomorrow ;-;

These are the topics-

Structuralism, Post-structuralism, New Formalism—Tzvetan Todorov

Structural Analysis of Narrative—Vladimir Propp

Morphology of the Folk-Tale—Jacques Derrida

That Dangerous Supplement Of Grammatology— Jacques Derrida.

Roland Barthes—The Death of the Author

Marjorie Levinson—What is New Formalism?

Thank you so much in advance. And again you don’t have to answer if it’s too much!

Oof that's some heavy reading - Derrida in particular can be a challenge.

Some online resources can be useful, particularly for summaries and overviews. Here's a few that I've found:

Those should give you some kind of foothold, to start with. Your best bet for developing that is looking for any kind of commentary on those texts in your university library. Anything that offers an overview of postmodern literary theory.

I'm sorry I can't offer anything more substantial, this kind of nuts and bolts stuff was never really my forté. I know enough for light discussion and to find my way around for a research project, but beyond that I'm quite hopeless.

[starburst2000]

Make way for more of the National Engines' carriages!!!!

🍲Khernovina is Turnov's Dining Car. She and Turnov have been working and racing together since the late '60, and eventually had two sons, Vladimir and Boris (like the famous authors Vadimir Propp and Boris Pasternak). Her red and white motives on her outfit are inspired by classical Slavic embroidery, while the name comes from a Siberian sauce made out of horseradish.

(@spiral-pilled and @goblinlovesmusicals this is for you!!!)

🏵Xochitl is Cesar's Yellow Caboose. Her name means "Flower" in Nahuatl, and she's in a poly relationship with Cesar and an Horse Car named Bronco. She got the painted flowers on her chest during a Guelaguertza celebration.

🍵Mateo is El Pibe's Bar Car. On him, the most popular drinks are coffee, chocolateada, dulce de leche liqueur, and, naturally, yerba mate (where he gets his name from!!), whose plant of origin is represented on his apron.

🎨Evaristo (pronouns 🇧🇷 elx/elu 🇬🇧 they) is Carioca's Passenger Carriage. They're in some ways similiar to Flat-Top, (graffiti, hair, body mods) but their personality is the polar opposite: Evaristo is cheerful, easygoing, and always ready to start their day with a smile on their face. They're enby, abrosexual, and gay, and made friends with many of the graffiti artists who painted them.

[arwainian]

Reading This Week 2024 #5

orange means actually read, blue means skimmed. i am so deeply in the grad school reading hole it is So/Too Much and i have to read and grade student papers this coming week...

Finished:

The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem, translated by Sinan Antoon

said my thoughts on this last week! i will add that unfortunately at times the translation is sloppy/there were many typos.. i still really liked the book

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 6 by Bisco Hatori, translated by Naomi Kokubo & Eric-Jon Rössel Waugh

just a fun read. debating if i should just read whatever next volume is available through my library, even tho its not the next one

Orange, Vol. 3 by Ichigo Takano, translated by Amber Tamosaitis

held my breath and got through the moment that i stopped reading on a few weeks prior and got past it! the story remains cute!

Started and Finished:

"Gender, Race and the Regulation of Native Identity in Canada: An Overview" by Bonita Lawrence

Giving an Account of Oneself by Judith Butler

"What is an Author?" by Michel Foucault

Introduction & Afterword from Critical Discourses by David Sancher

"Hansel and Gretel" and "The Juniper Tree" from Grimm's Fairy Tales

"Morphology of Folktales" by Vladimir Propp

"Theory as Liberatory Practice" by bell hooks

"The Attempted Dispossession of Kwe" Chapter 3 of As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

"The Man of Professional Wisdom" by Kathryn Pyne Addelson

"Whose Words? Whose Reality?: THe Politics of Representation and Interpretation" Chapter 3 of Ethical Dilemmas in Feminist Research: The Politics of Location, Interpretation, and Publication by Gesa E. Kirsch

"Trapped in the Wrong Theory: Rethinking Trans Oppression and Resistance" by Talia Mae Bettcher

^^ really liked this one

The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

what a page turner! and thank god it was bc it was 333 pages and i had to get through it all last week... wish me luck with the 360 pages book i have to read this week

I Think Our Son Is Gay, Vol. 4 by Okura, translated by Leighann Harvey

continue to find this very cute, and every time i read this series it reminds me of the wild feeling of my dad gifting me the first volume (being out to my parents has weird side effects like this)

"Postcolonial Studies and the Challenge of Climate Change" by Dipesh Chakrabarty

Selections from an Unfinished Book, "3,000 Years Among the Microbes" by Mark Twain, from Appendix V of Mark Twain: A Biography by Albert Bigelow Paine

^^WILD. human man shrunk down to microscopic scale talking about microbe society and philosphy

S.T. Coleridge on Fancy vs. Imagination

so many student paper proposals...

Ongoing:

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, specifically read the first 5 pages of part 2

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

read another chapter of this to the gf! every so often i interrupted myself to complain about weird word choices. seriously... "armed" used as a verb to mean "wipe sweat of one's forehead with their arm"???? bad

[mariacallous]

Cute hand-painted Baba Yaga hut on chicken legs candle holder.

Measures 4 1/2" in height and 3" in width. Made in Estonia.

In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a supernatural being (or a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed or ferocious-looking old woman. In Russian culture, Baba Yaga lived in a hut...usually described as standing on chicken legs!

Baba Yaga may help or hinder those that encounter her or seek her out. She may play a maternal role and has associations with forest wildlife. According to Vladimir Propp's folktale morphology, Baba Yaga commonly appears as either a donor, villain, or may be altogether ambiguous. Her depictions vary greatly across tales, ranging from a child-eating monster, to a sweet grandmother helping a protagonist find his missing bride.

[monstrousgourmandizingcats]

I've seen the musical and it handled this about as well as it could have--depicting the guy as personally sympathetic for the most part, making it clear that there is a good reason why Anastasia cannot and should not return to Russia, etc.--but it's all still good execution of a pretty bad idea.

It also has him say something (endorsed by the narrative!) along the lines of "the new Russia has no need for fairy tales", which prompted a tirade at @eucatastrophicblues about Vladimir Propp and how much of the foundational work in modern fairy tale and folklore studies was done in the Soviet Union (i.e. a LOT of it).

Anastasia 1997 is such a funny movie in that it's opening sequence is like, "the Romanovs died because rasputin put a curse on them AND NO OTHER REASON DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHY THE ROMANOVS ARE DEAD OKAY IT WAS RASPUTIN"

[backgroundnoisewithaview]

Vladimir Propp! Now that's a name I've not read in a while.

[elfin-grot]

A Love Letter to the Legend of Zelda as a Post-Modern Fairytale- Humanity's Myth Addiction

Since it's release in 1986, the Legend of Zelda has captivated audiences with its fantastical setting, mystery and classic Nintendo charm. But this text seeks to look beyond its exterior, and observe the series as a testament to humanity's enduring fascination with mythic story-telling.

Recently, the relationship between humans and stories has swirled in my mind. After watching Heretic (2024) with Hugh Grant, seeing his character compare religion to Monopoly's different versions and iterations, how many epic myths are re-tellings of each other, but especially this scene:

I was struck, and could not help but keep thinking about it. During this time I was also playing copious amounts of the Legend of Zelda I could not help but think about the film themes, Vladimir Propp's narrative theory, Joesph Campbell's Monomyth, and Zelda's mythos. I aim to investigate Zelda's stories in relation to the theories above and what they say about humanity and our obsession with myths.

Birthed from the early human need to survive, stories provided community, culture, information, morality and meaning to our strange world. Joseph Campbell's Monomyth/Heroes Journey is a result of his life long study of popular myths and stories across time.

Inspired by previous stories and influencing many more, these stages, perhaps not always all, can be reflected, subverted or rearranged, these stages are a foundation for the mythic tales humanity loves. This monomyth can be boiled down into a straightforward structure: we're made to be interested in a hero with a goal, motivated by an understandable reason, who encounters obstacles and struggles, meets allies, gains resources, and said obstacles are overcome, with a new normal established and changed characters. As obvious as it sounds, this general structure for most interesting stories speaks to what values and lessons are compelling to us. We like to identify with human or human-like characters, struggle and obstacles make the story interesting, and no change makes a story feel pointless.

Every Zelda game employs these stages, whether it is as a convention, re-imagining, re-ordering or deconstruction. For example, Link's call to adventure has taken many forms throughout the series. Often tasked with saving someone, fulfilling a promise, or a failed hero who has to piece together his past and remember what he is fighting for. The different supernatural aids that accompany Link, (Navi, Midna, Tatl, King Daphnes, Fi, etc). These characters all provide a different angle in what seems like a live and ongoing character analysis of the broad role of magic companion. Two worlds, Crossing Thresholds, Road of Trials, etc are all represented and revisited throughout the series with the shape of these stages being stretched and moulded, testing how far from convention they can stray, while remaining true to traditional fairytales. Majoras Mask and Ocarina of Time have Link freely crossing different worlds, time periods and taking on new forms. Majoras Mask in particular has Link traversing Three days in a new world, separated and dispatched on the first, and must return to the beginning on the last, resetting the story. This places this mythic tale in a strange place between space and time, much like the intangibility of humanity's myths and legends. A story of repeated heroism, journey and struggle that constantly folds in on itself with details and elements changing with each repetition. The Zelda Series expands on this idea with its timeline, bridging the characters and events across games, reinforcing the cyclical aspect of it's Mythos.

Campbell's narrative structure offers a framework through which we can understand storytelling, alongside Zelda's embodiment of the repetitive and cyclical nature of story. However, Vladimir Propp's findings provide a more granular scope into characters and their roles. Propp outlined the seven archetypes/spheres of action. Having studied countless fairytales, he claimed to have identified Seven spheres of action, each playing a particular role in every fairytale:

The Zelda series has many iconic characters that play these roles, Donors and Dispatchers like the Great Deku tree, King Rhoam or the unnamed man who utters "It's dangerous to go alone, take this." The games often explore the false hero archetype with the mysterious shadow-link and the faux hero characters. Also, the previously mentioned magical helpers, all explore that archetype through their effect on gameplay, their relationship with Link, their personal motivations and the shapes they take. The princess, more often a helper, sometimes disguised as Sheik; aids Link's journey and subverts the idea of the Princess being solely the "sought-after" damsel, with her wisdom.

It is the Hero, Princess and Villain, who are set up as a trinity in the Zelda series, each possessing a piece of the Triforce; an ancient and powerful relic made by the gods, granting ultimate power to its wielder. Ganondorf, in his many iterations, seeks to cause some "form of misfortune, damage, or harm" with malevolent acts, through deceit and disguise. As a reincarnation of the demon Demise, enemy of Goddess Hylia, he has a hunger for power and hatred for forces of good. Demise's hatred is cursed to be eternal and cyclical at the end of Skyward Sword, the beginning of the timeline, cementing there will always be a struggle between good and evil, no matter how many villains are slain. Demise binds himself, Zelda's descendants and Link's reincarnations into a power struggle lasting for eternity, forcing them to become the archetypes they represent, reborn into different legends future Hylians will tell their children. Stories retold will always have Ganondorf seeking power, control and conquest, where his malevolence will turn him into the pure evil form of "Ganon."

Link's fabled destiny and spirit constantly referred to as "the hero" enhances the meta storytelling of the series. He is a character with some varying personality, but embodies the archetypal hero convention which we relate to through play. Considering the timeline, the constant struggle between good and evil, characters like Link, Zelda, and Ganon do more than fall under the hero, princess and villain roles, but are those central titles personified, who reincarnate in every legend and story, reinterpreted in every installment.

Zelda and Link especially, possess Christ-like qualities: Zelda being descended from the incarnation of a goddess with a divine duty, and Link being a reborn saviour on whom Hyrule depends. But as Hugh Grant describes in Heretic, this is a wildly popular myth that humanity has told and retold stories of miraculous acts, heroism, sacrifice and revival of divine flesh. Zelda performs many selfless acts, sealing Demise and herself away, giving her life to Midna and self draconification. She is sometimes revived or saved from these gruelling fates she is bound to, similar to Link, who sleeps for 100 years, fated to fight again, dying from "Game Overs" to which he is reanimated by a fairy or the player pressing "Continue."

These characters as vessels for traditional fairytale archetypes, embody a form of divinity within Hyrule. Bound to their duty of repeating the struggles between good and evil. Reincarnating and reenacting iterations, and stages, of myths humanity has consistently told itself; creation myths, Heroism, the supernatural, great floods, wars, hysteria, other worlds, political instability and apocalypse. Link's name reflects his heroism linking between two worlds or times. Still, his very nature as the conventional hero, rarely displaying his personality, allows for us, the player, to project ourselves onto him. This is reminiscent of the idea in fairytales, audiences are generally made to like and relate to the hero, but a videogame format furthers that concept, putting it into action as we control the hero throughout a linear narrative. Links ambitions and ours are the same, because we crave stories and legends.

I find Princess Zelda to be the most interesting character. Despite the recent political sleights on women's rights, society has progressed and women have more autonomy. The very first Zelda games started with the princess conventions of classic fairytales, the damsel. But during this time, films and stories were beginning to negotiate a new convention for the princess archetype. 90's Disney for example, featured princess stories that granted more autonomy, adventure and wisdom to their heroines. Evolving from perhaps reductive conventions seen in classic Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, popular 90's fairytales were now the Little Mermaid, Mulan or Beauty and the Beast. These heroines, retain aspects of the princess role, where they are still a 'sought for' character, but they are updated to have more personality and autonomy. The Legend of Zelda explores these two sides to the princess archetype very deeply when you stop to reflect on her many iterations of roles in the games.

Zelda's humanity has grown throughout the series, the weight of her divine duty casts an enormous expectation from others onto her. This can be reflective of a wider issue many female characters face, being merely objects in a story rather than a person. The cultural shift in demanding better for female characters is stark when measuring it through Zelda's character evolution. Speaking broadly, Zelda is typically the occasional and perfect aid to Link's quest, Breath of the Wild, presents Zelda as a fledgling princess, an academic but lacking in her divinity. Much less of a Madonna, she is a tragically disappointing descendant of Hylia. Insecure in her lack of powers, which only show up much later, Zelda is shown to finally be capable of flaws, much like Link/the player. I always find Zelda's sacrifices moving, but in games such as BOTW and TOTK, her overcoming and enduring add much more gravity to the princess archetype.

The characters of the Zelda series have evolved from being what they represent. These archetypes, their reiterations and evolutions, scratch the human itch to find meaning, accomplishment and connection through storytelling. Social attitudes change but the desire to overcome and establish new norms persists. Propp and Campbell provide interesting frameworks for understanding stories, however, I believe Zelda takes it further. I think Zelda exhibits how these narrative frameworks and representations change over time, reflecting dominant cultural concerns. Referencing, repeating, reimagining and subverting these ancient stories to create familiar, yet new myths. Myths help assuage humanity's existential fears, so as long as humans live, we will plumb new depths to the repeated symbols and tales we decorate our existence with. Ultimately, Hyrule's many legends and figures act as a testament to this enduring truth of the human condition.

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In Slavic folklore, the rusalka is a typically feminine entity, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water, with counterparts in other parts of Europe, such as the French Melusine and the Germanic Nixie. Folklorists have proposed a variety of origins for the entity, including that they may originally stem from Slavic paganism, where they may have been seen as benevolent spirits. Rusalki appear in a variety of media in modern popular culture, particularly in Slavic language-speaking countries, where they frequently resemble the concept of the mermaid.

According to Vladimir Propp, the original "rusalka" was an appellation used by pagan Slavic peoples, who linked them with fertility and did not consider rusalki evil before the 19th century. They came out of the water in the spring to transfer life-giving moisture to the fields and thus helped nurture the crops.

In 19th-century versions, a rusalka is an unquiet, dangerous being who is no longer alive, associated with the unclean spirit. According to Dmitry Zelenin, young women, who either committed suicide by drowning due to an unhappy marriage (they might have been jilted by their lovers or abused and harassed by their much older husbands) or who were violently drowned against their will (especially after becoming pregnant with unwanted children), must live out their designated time on Earth as rusalki. However, the initial Slavic lore suggests that not all rusalki occurrences were linked with death from water.

It is accounted by most stories that the soul of a young woman who had died in or near a river or a lake would come back to haunt that waterway. This undead rusalka is not invariably malevolent, and would be allowed to die in peace if her death is avenged. Her main purpose is, however, to lure young men, seduced by either her looks or her voice, into the depths of said waterways where she would entangle their feet with her long hair and submerge them. Her body would instantly become very slippery and not allow the victim to cling on to her body in order to reach the surface. She would then wait until the victim had drowned, or, on some occasions, tickle them to death, as she laughed. It is also believed, by a few accounts, that rusalki can change their appearance to match the tastes of men they are about to seduce, although a rusalka is generally considered to represent universal beauty, therefore is highly feared yet respected in Slavic culture.

Mermaids, 1885 Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky