#Jim Henson's the Storyteller

[laurasimonsdaughter]

What if Disney adapted The Giant with the Three Golden Hairs?

There's no need! Jim Henson's The Storyteller already did an adaptation of this tale type and it is absolutely lovely.

Yes, it was made in the late 80's, but simplicity and whimsical practical effects are exactly what you need for fairy tale vibes! And it has this lovely misunderstood beastie bird!

Everyone in need of some fairy tale charm, please go watch it, the whole thing is on YouTube! (for now)

[adarkrainbow]

Fairytales - the dark season (4)

Today's title: Jim Henson's The Storyteller

Jim Henson's The Storyteller, also known as "The StoryTeller", is a 1987 British television series of nine episodes (I am not counting the spin-off about Greek myths and legends, even though it is an insanely cool series don't hesitate to go look at it). This show was created and produced by Jim Henson, and displays much of his talent and inventivity when it comes to puppetry. You know, Jim Henson, the man behind Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal (he also worked on Roald Dahl's The Witches movie).

Personal categorization: "Fairytales by autumn light"

This anthology show is a collecting of retelling/adaptations of traditional European fairytales. Most of the fairytales of this collection are inspired by German folktales (The True Bride, The Heartless Giant, Sapsorrow, The Three Ravens, Hans My Hedgehog, The Luck Child, Fearnot) - with a few additions from other culture, such as "The Soldier and Death" of Russian origins. The framing device is linked to the title of the show: each episode begins and ends with the titular StoryTeller sitting by his fireplace in a dark, empty castle, chatting with his talking dog, and their conversation always leading them to the telling of a story...

This is not a horror show, or an inherently dark show, as it makes an effort to retell the traditional fairytales in a pleasant and entertaining way, even the most bittersweet of them. But all will agree that this is a show more fit for the dark season than the bright one, as this anthology benefits from all that is wonderfully sinister and beautifully uncanny in Jim Henson's fantasy works.

The narration does not shy away from the shadows and gloom that lurks in fairytales, though it purposefully avoids the most gory or gruesome details to preserve the poetry of it all. The monsters and spirits presented in this world all play into an Arthur Rackham-style of fairytale visuals where the supernatural is tied to a form of grotesque and the fairy-world seems to be one of endless fog and autumn lights. And the very primary setting, the one of the framing device, has a sort of "warm Gothic" feel to it, as we find a pleasant storyteller and his loveable dog to tell us wonderful stories... but they stay slightly uncanny beings all alone in a large, empty and dark castle.

[the-swift-tricker]

The trickster-god Eshu from Yoruba mythology and his mortal lover Oyinlolla as they appear in "Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Tricksters: A Heart That Beats Forever" by Jordan Ifueko

[id a screenshot showing a comic book drawing of a young black woman gently kissing the cheek of a young black man who has a spiral design on his forehead. he asks "you...lied to me?" and she replies "i tricked the trickster." end id]

[princesssarisa]

Another remark about Donkeyskin...

While the different versions of the tale vary in how much blame is put on the king for trying to marry his daughter, one thing seems consistent: the king is always willing. No matter how much the retelling contrives to use outside forces to manipulate him into it, and whether his willingness is attributed to "madness" or not, he always has genuine incestuous desire for his daughter.

None of the versions printed in Cinderella Tales From Around the World make him reluctant about the match in any way.

I only know one version of this tale where the king is reluctant, but feels he has no choice, and it's a modern adaptation: Sapsorrow from Jim Henson's The Storyteller. In that version, the fateful ring that fits the princess isn't just her mother's ring, but a ring that every queen of the land has worn for centuries, and by law, the reigning king must marry the first maiden he finds whose finger fits it. When the ring fits his daughter, the king is just as horrified as she is, but he feels bound by the law to marry her.

I guess that while part of the aim of Jim Henson's The Storyteller was to produce darker, more mature fairy tale adaptations than modern audiences are used to, it was still a family series. They couldn't take the child-unfriendly themes too far.

[thenightling]

My favorite bard characters

The new Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie and The Witcher has popularized the fantasy character class of bard. A bard, in fantasy settings and historically, was usually a storyteller, or a minstrel who would tell stories in song. In fantasy settings they are usually minstrels. In Nordic culture a skald was the term for a storyteller (usually a highly creative and very prized slave).

Here is a top ten list of my favorite fictional bards.

13. Bonus: Loki: I'll start with number 11. Bonus: Loki. There is a viking skald in Loki: Agent of Asgard that is revealed to be Loki in disguise. So Marvel's Loki goes on this list. Loki is believed in by Asatru people so this entry is specifically in regard to Marvel's Loki. He also gained the title "God of Stories."

12. Morpheus AKA Dream of The Endless AKA The Sandman. Morpheus is The Lord of Dreams in Roman mythology and in Neil Gaiman's the Sandman . In The Sandman he is also known as The Prince of Stories.

11. Lucien The Librarian and Cain and Abel from The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Lucien was changed to Lucienne for The Sandman Netflix series but they're pretty much the same character. Lucien is the keeper of the largest library in the multiverse and was also the host of the horror anthology comics Tales of Ghost Castle. I'm sort of cheating a little here by mentioning Lucien and Cain and Abel since they're not actually bards but I love horror hosts. Cain, Abel, Lucien, Eve (Raven Woman), Destiny (Destiny of The Endless), The Hecate (The Three Witches), and The Mad Mod Witch (The Fashion Thing) all started as horror hosts for DC's horror anthology comics. I'm reserving this spot for Lucien, Cain, and Abel. Hosts of Tales of Ghost Castle (which only ran for three issues), The House of Mystery (DC's oldest comic), and The House of Secrets (Spin-off of The House of Mystery and comic where we first get introduced to the concept of Swamp Thing).

Before Neil Gaiman used these characters in The Sandman they told scary stories in DC's horror anthology comics which were DC's answer to EC's Horror anthology comics which brings us to... 10. The Crypt Keeper, Vault Keeper, and Old Witch. The Crypt Keeper hosted the Horror anthology comics Tales from the Crypt. The Vault keeper hosted Vault of Horror. And the Old Witch also told scary stories for EC comics. The Crypt Keeper hosted HBO's Tales From the Crypt TV series as well as Tales from the Cryptkeeper animated series. Season 2 of Tales from the Cryptkeeper was co-hosted by The Cryptkeeper, Vault Keeper, and Old Witch. They also collaborated as hosts for the joke book called Jokes from the Crypt. Again, I admit I am sort of cheating here by listing horror anthology hosts instead of actual bard characters so this is the last Horror anthology hosts for the list.

9. Peter Vincent in the 1985 film Fright Night, the 1988 film Fright Night: Part 2 and the Fright Night comic books. In Fright Night Peter Vincent is a has-been horror movie actor who now hosts a late night TV show where he shows his old movies.

Peter Vincent meets a teenage boy whose neighbor turns out to be a real vampire and Peter overcomes his own cowardice to become the hero he always pretended to be. Though Peter Vincent was originally just a stage name the character eventually embraces it to become a hero and protector of the innocent.

In the comic books Peter Vincent continued to host his late night horror movie TV series while working in secret to help Charley thwart the forces of evil. I consider Peter Vincent to be a contemporary bard character.

I would put Peter further on the list at number 3 perhaps but I left him at number 9 because he is an unconventional addition to this list.

8. Evyn AKA Shadow from the novel The King's Shadow.

Evyn wanted to be a bard but was mutilated in a brutal attack His tongue was cut out and he was left mute. His own uncle sold him into slavery. But thanks to fate's benign intervention Evyn was able to learn to read and write so he was able to become a storyteller as a scribe and eventually became an adopted son of the king.

7. Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess. Gabrielle was Xena's travel companion and very likely love interest (Lucy Lawless, the actress who played Xena) believed they were practically married in the end. Xena: warrior Princess was the spin-off of Hercules the Legendary Journeys. I have often described The Witcher as being a gender inverted Xena: Warrior Princess. Gabrielle was a novice bard who wanted to write about Xena's adventures and to eventually go on those adventures, herself.

Just as I sort of perfer Jaskier with longer hair, I actually liked when Gabrielle's hair was cut short later on in Xena.

6. Essi Daven. I'm a little confused to if Priscilla (Callonetta) from the Witcher video games and Essi Daven from The Witcher novels are supposed to be the same character or not. Essi was from The Witcher novels. I suspect they are the same character but I've seen arguments that they are different enough that they count as separate characters. But I have also seen people try to claim that Jaskier and Dandelion are different enough to count as different characters as well and Jaskier definitely is Dandelion. Dandelion was just what he was called in the English translations of the novels and in the English language video games. Essi is a woman bard from The Witcher who was very much in love with Geralt though Dandelion (Jaskier) had feelings for her. Sadly she eventually died of smallpox. The burden of living in a medieval-esque society.

Dandelion was in love with her.

5. Priscilla AKA Callonetta is a woman bard from The Witcher video games. A rival and romantic interest to Dandelion (Jaskier). Possibly the same character as Essi Daven but some Witcher fans have argued that they are not the same character so I am listing them separately.

4. Edgin. Edgin is a character from Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among thieves. In fact he is the main protagonist. He is a "Harper" that has fallen from grace. A Harper is a spy that poses as a bard to gain info and to stop criminals. So he is a bard but he used his status as a bard to work as a spy, hence the term "Harper." Later he got a little greedy and it cost him dearly but he and his band of misfits set out on a quest to set things right.

3. Fflewddur Fflam. I hate the character's name but love the character. The version in the Disney film The Black Cauldron is very different from the book character, including being much older, but I still found him to be an enjoyable character. He is a classic bard with a bit of a mysterious past.

In the books he's actually a king of a small kingdom but prefers life as a wandering bard. It makes him sound a bit like a role playing game character.

2. The Storyteller. This character's name is not actually given but he was a mysterious (possibly not entirely human) traveling storyteller, with a talking dog that appeared every week on Jim Henson's The Storyteller. He was portrayed by John Hurt and the dog was voiced by Brian Henson (Son of Jim Henson). There was a spin-off called The Storyteller: Greek Myths. John Hurt's portrayal of The Storyteller may have been why he was chosen to voice Morpheus AKA Dream of The Endless AKA The Sandman for a scrapped episode of Batman The Animated series.

Currently Neil Gaiman is involved with a revival of The Storyteller in development by the Henson company where he hopes to explore The Storyteller's own mysterious backstory.

1. Jaskier (Translates from Polish to Buttercup) / Dandelion. Jaskier is the bard companion of Geralt of Rivia AKA The Witcher (Monster Hunter) from The Witcher novels, short stories, comics, Netflix series, and video games. In the English language versions of The Witcher novels and The Witcher video games he was known as Dandelion. But in The Witcher Netflix series and in the original Polish he was known as Jaskier which directly translates to Buttercup.

Whatever you call him, Jaskier is a great character. He is the companion of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher and he is also his own well-developed character. By season 2 Jaskier had evolved from the slightly-conceited rock musician-esque bard into a compassionate freedom fighter who smuggled people to safety.

I absolutely love Joey Batey's portrayal of Jaskier as well as his incredible singing voice as the character.

And though there has been some criticism over his look in season 2, I actually think he looks better with longer hair.

[geekynerfherder]

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists, and those that have attracted my attention, in the field of visual arts, including vintage; pulp; pop culture; books and comics; concert posters; fantastical and imaginative realism; classical; contemporary; new contemporary; pop surrealism; conceptual and illustration.

The art of Mike del Mundo.

[mask131]

Oh jolly gosh... 

There was these short episodes of a show I once watched on a VHS tape when I was a kid, borrowed from the local library, and I never found or heard from this show again until I decided to check it out recently...

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. More precisely the season about Greek Myths. Honestly any fan of Greek mythology  should take a look at these episodes.

Why isn’t anybody talking this dope? 

We are talking about Jim Henson’s puppetry. The art of the Labyrinth and of the Dark Crystal brought to the Greek myths.

We are talking about the Greek legends retold in a faithful way but simplified enough for younger audiences or people not familiar with Greek mythology, without betraying however the original material.

We are talking about a beautiful and lovely writing that recreates the grandiose and poetry of the original Greek legends, while never neglecting the emotion and humanity of the characters. 

And we are talking of  mythology done right. Not turning everything “edgy” but just... retelling the Greek stories among shadows and grottos and twilights, leaving haunting mysteries about the nature of the divine and focusing on the grotesque and disturbingness of the monsters... 

Seriously, these few episodes were gorgeous and haunting and so cool. I can agree sometimes the actors are a bit hammy, but even with a few bad performances the beauty of the writing and the craft of the monsters holds the episode together head up high. I mean, the scenes of Perseus’ childhood and the monologue of Ariadne to the Minotaur are moments so touching and beautiful. 

I am so glad I could remember this show. I haven’t watched the other seasons but finding back the Greek Myths one made my day.

And to dog of the storyteller is so relatable X)

[fallenangelontheceiling]

"I am a teller of stories, a Weaver of dreams. I can dance, sing, and in the right weather I can stand on my head. I know seven words of Latin. I have a little magic - and a trick or two. I know the proper way to meet a dragon. I can fight dirty but not fair. I once swallowed 30 oysters in a minute. I am not domestic, I am a luxury, and in that sense, necessary." - Jim Henson's The Storyteller: A Story Short

[fairytalemovies]

[tornrose24]

I fel like the one story/myth that should get a happy ending in a future adaptation is The Children of Lir, because ever since I was a kid that story’s ending depressed me.

Last month I found a Jim Henson’s Storyteller comic adaption of the tale and I’m all “Oh good, they changed back into kids this time, so maybe they get to be adopted by the nice monk.” Then it’s all ‘NOPE! They still die!

Christ, can’t we have an ending where they get to live out the lives that were stolen from them? Instead of dying or turning into old people upon transofrmating back into humans and then dying?

[sugar-and-pearls]

Thank you so much Hedone for your sweet words on my Maxwell writing drabble!!!! I wanted to come ask, do you and any of your f/os have a favorite rainy day, indoor activity??

I hope this finds you in good cheer and good health; I'm rooting for you✨💜!!!!

Moxie @tex-treasures

Hiya Nikki ! Thanks for sending this in!!!

Because of the cold weather Monty will have me help him take care of the reptiles. We’ll be in the reptile room, often as The Incredibly Deadly Viper is wrapped around my body like a cross between an overgrown puppy and a long scarf, as we go over poetry and music. Often times Sunny, Klaus and Violet will join us.

When it rains my Grandfather, The Storyteller likes to pass his time the way he always does (or in any day that ends in a Y) and that is with a story. My hair done up in a towel, sitting by the warm fire with Dog as he starts to spin one marvellous tale after another. 

My favourite grandson from the future Bart likes to watch movies with me. We being out lots of sweets and cakes and pick a ton of films to watch. He says it helps him play catch up with the modern day, which I think is a lie but don’t tell him that. Often its family movies that I pick, but I also make him watch some scottish media to let him know where he gets some of his snarkiness from. 

[laurasimonsdaughter]

What if Disney adapted The Three Spinners?

I don't think there's anything ~Disney~ in this story to latch on to, really. But I wish wish wish this one had been included in the Jim Henson's the Storyteller adaptations!

They'd cast someone big eyed and pouty mouthed for the peasant girl and someone startled and wholesome looking for the prince. And the three spinners with the big foot, the big lip and the big thumb could be friendly, troll-like puppets. It'd be darling.

I really like The Three Spinners. Its general plot of a young woman who is mistakenly thought to be able to spin inhumanly fast and is therefore put to the test by the royal family and helped out by three "aunties", shows up all over Europe. But I like the versions that explicitly call the three old spinners fairies or some other supernatural entity the best.

It's also really fun that the "price" for the three spinners help is actually another blessing. They tell the protagonist they'll spin for her, if she invites them to her wedding as her aunts. And when she does this, her new husband is told that her aunts have gotten their big foot, lip and thumb because of all the spinning they've done, so he hastily tells his beautiful wife never to go near a spinning wheel again. It's such a fun piece of trickery and such a merry ending, I love it.

[adarkrainbow]

I found this nice article which talks about the Storyteller and how, for this person, it was a form of early "fairytale horror" at its finest:

[the-swift-tricker]

John Hurt as the titular character in Jim Henson's The Storyteller

[uwudonoodle]

Sometimes, I like to imagine the narrator of my fic is this guy, telling a riveting story by the fireside.

[silverstrike]

(Uploading this for the fourth time... Don't you just love when Tumblr craps out on you? :))) )

Some test/practice sketches of characters from "Hans my Hedgehog", as seen in Jim Henson's "The Storyteller". These are meant as a study, for a bigger thing I have in mind at some point. Characters featured:

1 & 2 - Hans my Hedgehog (and yeah, Anthony Minghella, the scriptwriter, did intend to make him this buff... make of that what you will)

3 - Princess of Sweetness and Cherry Pie, Hans' bride.

4 - Hans' steed - the giant rooster

5 - close-up of chibi Hans from the third image.

"Hans my Hedgehog" is my comfort story - probably my favorite from the show (I may be heavily biased bc I used to watch this episode a thousand times as a kid).

I strongly vibe with Hans as a character. Not to mention, there's also this "monster boyfriend" trope in it that I adore (even tho he turns to a human at the end, sadly)