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Tag Archives: folklore

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Superstition

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Marie Brennan

Have you ever crossed your fingers for something you really, really wanted? Most of us probably have. The gesture is said to have originated with early Christianity, as a secret signal between believers. You don’t have to see it as … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

Spellcraft

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Marie Brennan

Listen up: I’m going to tell you how to cast a spell. Take one apple. (Doesn’t matter what kind.) With a knife, peel the skin off the apple, in one long unbroken strip. (This may take you several tries.) Once … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

Overwriting the world

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Marie Brennan

If fantasy in general is like the folkloric mode of legends, then urban fantasy is even more so. Because legends don’t take place at the dawn of time or in a fairy-tale kingdom far, far away; they take place in … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

The folklore mode of fantasy

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Marie Brennan

We’ve been through folktales (from several different angles), legends, and myths. Where does fantasy fit into this? Anywhere it wants to, really. A short story or novel can retell a specific folkloric story (e.g. the tale of Cinderella or the … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

It’s only a myth

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Marie Brennan

There are a lot of types of narrative in folklore — fables, tall tales, anecdotes, and so on — but the three core ones, from an etic perspective, are folktale, legend, and myth. We’ve already talked about the first two … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

It happened to my cousin’s best friend’s roommate

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Marie Brennan

All right, we’ve talked folktales into the ground (at least for now). Time for legends! I went at them in this order because it’s easier for me to define legends in contrast with folktales. (Here again I’m drawing from Max … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

Folklore Makes the (Fictional) World Go Round

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Marie Brennan

I’ll get back to the more academic folklore-blogging in a bit, but first I have to ask you all to pardon me for being distracted and going on a semi-tangent. See, I have a new book out. As in, this … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

Six Degrees of Retelling

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Marie Brennan

Welcome back, everyone, to the return of the folklore blogging! So last year (yikes), we were discussing the characteristics that mark a folktale out: plot grammar, aesthetic style, and so on. As I said at the time, modern retellings may … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

The Death and Rebirth of Light

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Marie Brennan

It being a holiday season for many religions, I figured I’d take a break from picking my way through the folkloric roots of the fantasy genre, and talk a bit about the death and rebirth of light. Powerful symbol, ain’t … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

Folktale style

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Marie Brennan

(Not to be confused with Gangnam Style.) The “folktale vibe” of a story has more to it than just the grammar of its plot. It’s also a matter of style. I don’t mean prose style, though certainly there are phrases … Continue reading →

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Posted in fantasy | Tagged fantasy, folklore, Marie Brennan

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