The Santa Claus Country

I am fascinated by Santa Claus. Many of my Christmas decorations are red clad men. They come in all shapes and sizes, as candles, made of wood, as cookie cutters or as ornaments for the Christmas tree. You can see part of my collection in this article. Why do I love Santa?

Santa Claus brings magic into our world. He is said to

• Have magic abilities
• Know the secrets of billions of people
• Fly with a sled
• Talk to animals
• Work with elves

We lied about Santa Claus

I confess: We lied to our children about Santa Claus bringing Christmas presents. We also told them that Nikolaus is filling their shoes on the 6^th of December. In Germany we celebrate Nikolaus day then.

When I told my kids that we parents were responsible for the gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve, I asked them if they would do the same with their kids. My daughter answered yes, she would. She did not mind at all. She very much enjoyed the picture of Santa sneaking into our house with presents. We did not traumatize our kids with these tales after all.

What Santa looks like

Santa Claus is depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man, often with glasses, wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, red hat with white fur, and black leather belt and boots.

Even though his hair is white he is not elderly or frail but able to hoist tons of presents through the chimney and make the arduous journey round the world in a day.

Santa traditions are quite new

The modern character of Santa Claus, is based on traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas (a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra), the British figure of Father Christmas and the Dutch Sinterklaas.

Santa is a character originating in Western Christian culture who brings gifts to the homes of children on the night of Christmas Eve (24 December) or during the early morning hours of Christmas Day (25 December). Santa Claus is said to accomplish this with the aid of elves, who make the toys in his workshop at the North Pole. His flying reindeer are pulling a sleigh. The Santa figure only became famous about a hundred years ago.

Gifts stand for connection

Gifts are something that was added in Christian tradition. Presents symbolize thankfulness for the birth of Christ. They also resemble the gifts of the three kings from the Christmas story in the bible. Even though the story of Christ´s birth is not so important for many people any more we still associate with gifts connection.

Winter wonder land

Christmas season in the Northern Hemisphere is in winter. On a perfect Christmas day there is snow. My husband and me were in Australia once on Christmas. It was strange for us to celebrate Christmas in 30 degrees Celsius heat.

Santa does not exist in this dimension

Sadly Santa is not living somewhere on our earth. He does not even live in this dimension. This does not mean that we cannot connect with him. On the contrary: Today I invite you to visit with me

The Santa Country in the Fairy Tale Dimension

This country has a very strong tie to our dimension. We are as fascinated with it and its inhabitants as they are with us. This is the reason why there are so many spill overs: Energy that shuttles back and forth between our two dimensions. A lot of humans tap into the energy of the Santa country in the Fairy Tale Dimension. This is why there are millions of stories and pictures about Santa.

The Santa country is located in a mountainous region that could be somewhere in the Northern hemisphere of our planet. There are high mountains with jagged rocks, canyons and valleys. Beautiful waterfalls and many picturesque villages. There is always snow. In summertime lots of snow for playing is left in the mountains.

There are plenty of Santas

The Fairy Tale Dimension is about play and fun. This country is full of red and white clad Santas. Male or female is not important distinctions here. Both sexes are Santas. The country is in its own way an ideal LBQT headquarter.

To get into the country you have to get a full makeover

You cannot simply enter this country like you can others.

You need a makeover because there are strict requirements for girth, weight and hight – and of course for facial hair for the inhabitants. You can choose any skin colour save for the ones that clash with red. This is why you won´t find any pink, purple or orange Santas.

Upon entering you are issued a stack of red and white uniforms, belts, boots and burlap sacks. You won´t ever see a dirty or ripped Santa costume. People just leave their dirty uniforms at central places for the elves to magically wash and return them.

Yes: Appearance is everything.

You can have a lot of fun in Santa Claus country

You can take part in beauty pageants

There are sack-competitions:

• Who throws his sack furthest
• Who runs fastest with hundred kilograms on his back
• Who climbs highest

Sledding contests

with and without animals towing them are very popular. The Santas are crazy about their sleds. They use reindeer, cows, and all kinds of magic creatures to tow them. The fastest sleds are the ones that have dragons towing them. Dragons are individualistic creatures who don´t work well in groups. More often then not Santas are eaten by their tow-companions.

If you don´t want to play rough games with a bunch of Santas I have another tip for you. Art is a very important and much appreciated in the Santa Claus country:

• People love to play and listen to live music
• Storytelling is as important as writing stories
• Paintings and sculptures are loved

Sleds are an art form in itself

As Santa you want a sled that is beautiful and fast. You choose nicely coloured wood and ask master craftsmen to manufacture it for you.

There is nothing holy about the Santas in the Fairy Tale Dimension. They are very active and vibrant. They exude positive emotions and love challenges. I love these people! That is why I have such a big collection of  Santas.

What about you? Are you into Santa? What do you think about the Fairy country of Santa Claus?

More articles about Christmas in this blog:

• The Yule Lads of Iceland
• Six tips for a relaxed Christmas

What is the Fairy Tale Dimension? You can find a great synopsis here.

Pictures: private (one pixabay)

©Inge Schumacher

Update from the Fairy Tale Dimension

It has been some time since I told you about my work as the ring-bearer in the Fairy Tale Dimension.

Here I live a normal life with my family. I work in my home and as a healing practitioner. I coach people and write blog articles on personal development, mostly in German, and do live workshops. I enjoy working internationally.

One part of me is connected closely to the Fairy Tale Dimension

I am visiting the Fairy Tale Dimension often. But in my daily life I am not aware of doing this. This is a good thing because I am rooted here and I can distinguish this reality from the one in the Fairy Tale Dimension easily. Otherwise I would probably get confused and end up in an institution.

The ring-bearer before me

My predecessor was from the Fairy Tale Dimension. He was a magician with a mischievous smile whom I picture with a long grey beard and a Merlin outfit. He had the job for about 300 years. He was a very nice guy and much liked by everybody. He loved meeting people and partying. His strong point was to keep the fairy tale countries together.

He visited our dimension often in medieval times

Because he could materialize anywhere he wanted to he was one of the most travelled persons of that time. He visited the Aborigines of Australia when they still had the continent to themselves, for example.

He perceived our planet as one living being and was very taken by its beauty and interconnected life.

This is different from the Fairy Tale Dimension where very diverse countries exist side by side that can function well apart from each other. When you change something in one country it does not affect the others much.

On our planet we are only now learning how closely everything is interconnected

When there is a war in one part of our world the other parts are touched by the violent energies, too. It does not matter that we don´t feel this consciously. When people suffer somewhere the rest of us also suffers but we are often too numb to feel it. It is in all of our interest to become more aware of our interconnectedness. We are getting there:

People start to tap more into our planet´s agonies

This spring I had the first clients who felt uneasy and restless and did not understand why they had trouble sleeping. I found out that they had tapped into the suffering of our planet. When they understood the reason for their symptoms and I helped them to buffer the excess energies they could sleep again.

I also feel the trauma many people are experiencing at the moment. I experience gloomy days, feeling unwell and headaches. It took some time before I realised that my compassion was getting the best of me. Of course it is not very efficient to feel bad when you want to support and lend energy. I realised I have to buffer much more now and this helps.

Send me an E-mail if

you have unexplainable symptoms like

• bad sleep
• feeling restless
• some doom and gloom days
• feeling helpless
• sudden fear
• unusual headaches or feeling dizzy

I tell you for free the whole of November 2019 whether your symptoms are connected to the turmoil we are in.

What my predecessor accomplished

My predecessor as a ring-bearer was very fond of the multitude of life in the millions of our galaxies. He loved all the life forms he found and the diversity he discovered. He kept notes and dictated them to his secretaries back home. His travel accounts fill a big bookcase in the magic library.

His aim was to link the two dimensions in a very beneficial way and he did accomplish that.

Where my predecessor failed

What he did not achieve – like many ring bearers before him – was the frequency change  that is so vital for the development and the wellbeing of the Fairy Tale Dimension. It has to be done every 2.000 years by the current ring-bearer. It was long overdue by the time the ring energy was brought to me four years ago.

Because of his many travels he did not apply himself enough to mastering the third rune of the ring that enables the necessary changes of the blueprint of the dimension.

100 percent self-acceptance is needed

The blueprint of the Fairy Tale Dimension is a living entity. You have to be totally in tune with yourself to safely channel the energies necessary to complete the frequency change. Otherwise you create disturbances that literally tear you apart. Only somebody who is totally accepting of self can channel these energies without getting hurt.

Sadly he left this task to his successor – me – a human being who is still developing her healing abilities. My talent as a healer was the reason why I was chosen by the ring energy to be the living link between our two dimensions.

I have been working on my self-acceptance since my early twenties. To complete the frequency change I knew I needed to reach a level of 100% of self-acceptance. How was I ever going to manage that?

Time was running out in the Fairy Tale Dimension

I was not sure whether I could ever achieve 100%. I was practising a lot to master the two gatekeeper runes of the ring that were there for training purposes. I was very much aware of the growing urgency:

The whole Fairy Tale Dimension was showing signs of sickness and a lot of beings were suffering. They never had to do that in the past. Instant healing was what they were used to. My healing circle and me did our best to try to alleviate the worst consequences but time was running out.

Practise and training

I had a lot of help with the training. My favourite tree teacher was practising with me a lot because I had to learn how to manipulate huge amounts of energy. Accidents could have been very harmful for the whole dimension. Soon the specially proofed rooms of the magic school could not buffer these energies any more. Magicians from all over the dimension volunteered to help contain the dangerous results of my training.

When I tap into this I see a circle of beings – magicians can have almost every shape and form – struggling to keep a big containment field intact. We all ended up with singed body parts and torn clothes a lot of times. And more than once there was a big crater because I had vaporised us all. Thankfully death and injuries are not permanent there and we reappeared with ringing ears the next instant and evaluated what went wrong.

Humour is an integral part of the Fairy Tale Dimension

The magicians laughed so much about my futile attempts that they often pissed me off. Hey, I was doing this for them and they were rolling on the ground holding their bellies laughing!

What I cherished was the support and the companionship of this diverse group of beings. They never wavered in their trust. Well, they did not really have an alternative.

I only reached 100% self-acceptance once in the beginning of February 2018 in a meditation; assisted by my husband who is an expert energy manipulator. Thankfully that was enough. The moment I realised that I was at 100% the first thing I did was finalise the frequency change in the Fairy Tale Dimension. How relieved I felt you cannot imagine!

I have not been at 100% self-acceptance ever since. I remember this wonderful feeling of inner peace and I am still working towards that goal. This is not easy with all the not good enoughs we are brought up with.

One and a half years after the frequency change

The healing of the ill effects of the delay of frequency change is still in progress. People, plants and everything else are slowly returning to a healthy state.

My big tour through the Fairy Tale Dimension

Since the change I have been on a big tour through every country. I am keeping up the tradition of my predecessor in getting to know as much about the other dimension as I possibly can.

Even with my many means of transportation: Library tunnels, teleporting and the flying boots I only manage to visit three or four countries per day. It will take decades to complete my task and I am not sure whether I will be ever able to finish it. I do it anyway. It is so much fun for everybody.

Empty and overcrowded countries

On this journey I learn a lot. I have discovered some abandoned fairy tale countries. Together with the GrImporter I decide whether we can still use them or if they should make place for new ones.

Some countries are crowded. The Rapunzel country is one of them. Here I work together with local magicians and gentry to decide how and where to create more space.

With everybody worrying about the frequency change maintenance concerning individual countries wasn´t a priority.

How do I know all this about the Fairy Tale Dimension?

I get the information I am sharing here by tapping into it. When I do my looking behind the scenes articles I tap into these countries and share my impressions.

What is tapping into?

Tapping into is much like every author of fiction works. I just heard Sebastian Fitzek, the internationally successful German writer of thrillers, say in an interview that 80 pages into a new book, his main figures take over the lead and all his plans for the plot are for the waste paper basket. He just hopes that the story will have an end he can live with. He has not believed other writers who told the same story until he experienced it himself.

Every book is real somewhere

When an author is writing he is tapping into another reality. Every book that is written is true in some realm and the writer finds the key to this reality and transports it back here for us to enjoy.

Tapping into while writing

This is just what I do: I tap into the Fairy Tale Dimension and I tell you about it in my behind the scenes articles:

• Rapunzel
• Sleeping Beauty
• King Arthur
• Jonah Whale
• Petra Pan
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Sweet Confection
• Mertopia
• Master Craftsmen
• Info on the Ring Bearer
• Info on the Fairy Tale Dimension

Writing this blog motivates me to take the time to sit down and tap into the Fairy Tale Dimension regularly. While writing information and impressions find their way into my mind and onto the page.

Or in the shower

One of the places where I can tap into the Fairy Tale Dimension very well besides the computer is the shower. This is the reason why I sometimes stay in the shower much longer than necessary for cleaning purposes.

How accurate are my impressions of the Fairy Tale Dimension?

I have no idea. There is no scientific proof of anything of this yet. Scientists are still working on the the theories of multiple dimensions.

Does it matter? Not really. It widens my awareness to tap into the Fairy Tale Dimension. It has become much more easy to create my reality here because I can see many more possibilities. And it is fun!

Do you have any questions about the Fairy Tale Dimension and my role as the ring-bearer? Don´t hesitate to ask.

Are there any fairy tale countries you would like to have behind the scenes information of?

Pictures: Private

© Inge Schumacher

Behind the Scenes of the Fairy Tale Rapunzel

The Grimm brothers made Rapunzel famous. But its origin goes back to the 17^th century to Petrosinella by Giambattista Basile, which was published in 1634. Its plot has been used and parodied in many media and its best-known line “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair” has become legendary.

The heroine of this fairy tale got her name Rapunzel from a plant. Rapunzel is the German word for a kind of small green salad. I had to look it up. It looks a lot like lambs lettuce. Perhaps Rapunzel was more common in people´s gardens when the fairy tale was written. The English translation for Rapunzel is rampion. You can see some pictures of rampion here: It seems to be popular in Italy and Spain.

The fairy tale of Rapunzel

Some people like to make things complicated: Rapunzel´s mother had a hard time getting pregnant. When she finally was pregnant she developed an insatiable craving for rampion. She would eat nothing else thus endangering her life and the life of her child.

The cravings of pregnant women are legendary. To this day soon-to-be fathers can be seen searching everywhere for the strange foods their beloved mates crave. In this fairy tale the husband steals the rampion for his wife in the neighbouring garden which – tough luck – belongs to an evil witch. Of course he gets caught and the witch agrees to share her salad with the couple in exchange for the baby.

That is a very extreme demand but the husband seemed to be so terrified that he would have agreed to anything. When the child was born the witch got it and the parents are never talked about again.

Rapunzel was very beautiful and she had wonderful long blond hair. When she was 12 years old the old Witch shut her in a tower without stairs or doors. When she visited she called to a window:

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair.”

When she heard the Witch’s voice Rapunzel let her braids fall 5 metres down out of the window and the Witch climbed up.

After a few years a Prince on his horse passed by Rapunzel´s tower. As he came near he heard someone singing so sweetly that he stopped to listen. The Prince longed to see the owner of the voice, but he sought in vain for a door in the tower. Nevertheless he returned to listen often. One day, when he was standing behind a tree, he saw the Witch approach and heard her call:

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair.”

Rapunzel let down her plaits and the Witch climbed up.”So that is the staircase”, said the Prince. ” I can use it, too.” At dusk on the following day he went to the tower and called:

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair.”

This way the Prince finally met Rapunzel. At first Rapunzel was frightened when she saw him because she had never seen a man before. (Really??) But the Prince was a friendly guy.  He convinced her that his heart had been so touched by her singing that he just had to meet her. Rapunzel overcame her fear, and when he asked her to marry him she agreed. Her sensible reasoning was that she would be much happier with the Prince than with the evil Witch who held her captive. She put her hand in his and said:

“Yes, I would like to go with you, but how do I get out of this tower? Every time you come to see me please bring a skein of silk and I will make a ladder. When it is ready I can climb down and you can take me away.”

Because the old woman was with her during the day the Prince visited her every evening and brought her silk. The old Witch had no idea what was going on. Sadly one day Rapunzel gave herself away when she asked the Witch: Why are you so much harder to pull up than my Prince?

“You disobedient child”, cried the Witch. “I thought I had hidden you safely from the world but you have deceived me.”

In her wrath she seized Rapunzel’s beautiful hair, took a pair of scissors and cut it off: The beautiful plaits fell to the ground. Afterwards  she took Rapunzel to a desert far away and left her there.

On the evening of the day Rapunzel got exiled the Witch fastened the plaits on a hook near the window. When the Prince came and called:

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair,” she let the Rapunzel´s braid down and the Prince climbed up. But instead of Rapunzel he encountered the evil Witch.

” You wanted to meet your love, but she is gone for good, Prince. You will never see her again.” she said.

In his despair and in spite of the height the Prince jumped straight down from the tower. He fell into thorns that hurt his eyes and blinded him. After this he wandered blindly through the world, lonely and lamenting the loss of his Rapunzel.

He wandered around for years and at last he came to the desert where Rapunzel was living. He recognised her beautiful voice singing. He walked in the direction of the sound, and when he came close, Rapunzel recognised him, ran into his arms and wept. When her tears touched his eyes a miracle happened and he could see again. He led her to his kingdom, where they lived happily ever after.

Versions

There are plenty versions of the Rapunzel story. In some versions Rapunzel is exiled to other remote places, being pregnant (with twins) or not. But the two lovers always find each other in the end. What happens with the witch is not clear.

This fairy tale is puzzling to me

Eating rampion during pregnancy does not seem to make the child smart. Or is it the hair colour? The disaster unfolds when Rapunzel gives herself away. Why on earth do they make it so complicated to escape and deicide to fabricate a ladder of silk? She could have cut her own hair off, too.

Did they never hear of rope ladders? Even a rope with a few knots would have done the trick. The two protagonists are young and agile after all.

Why would his people leave the Prince alone and not search for him? Is a blind prince not fit to rule? Is there discrimination involved?

Well, after all these complications hardships, and endurance follow and the happy end due to magic healing gives us all peace.

Hardships were seen as a way to heaven

When the fairy tale was originally written life was very hard. The clergy and gentry had a great interest in ruling obedient people. The people were taught, also by fairy tales, to endure their hardships quietly here on earth. They were promised a reward for this later in heaven.

Behind the Scenes of the Fairy Tale Country of Rapunzel

Great Hair Magic

This country is popular for its hair magic In the Fairy Tale Dimension. The magicians and hairdressers who live here have a very long tradition of growing and grooming hair for humans and other species.

There are potions that make any hair grow fast and in all kinds of colours and textures. The hairdressers are able to fabricate all kinds of crazy hair- and beard-styles that would not be possible without a generous dose of magic.

The hair-magicians are very popular and often invited for festivities in other fairy tale countries. Their creations are status symbols for vain kings and queens.

The lay of Rapunzel land

The countryside is characterised by dense woods, small villages and most importantly many many towers. Some towers are hundreds of metres up, some are under water, some levitate or change place randomly.

They are also in deserts and high mountains. People live by hunting and farm for their food. They generally lead quiet and peaceful lives.

For a few weeks every year however they celebrate a big festival. People from far away visit to take part in get-togethers and parties. They try their luck in contests  climbing the various towers and freeing the people who are incarcerated there.

These festivities are great occasions to meet people and find a mate. This is why the festival is so popular with young people. You can compare it to a music festival in our dimension: There you can meet people from all over who share a similar interest in music.

Role-play is an all time favourite in the Fairy Tale Dimension

A. Some people try to get up and into the towers

So besides crazy hairdos the race to the top of a tower to free the favourite boy or girl is the goal of the game. When you succeed you get to spend time as a twosome in the towersuite with meals served and other amenities before you decide to come back down.

Using magic potions to levitate up the towers is frowned upon as cheating. So people are creative constructing wings, swinging lassos or building ladders.

Some have tried using magic beans to speed their ascent up. But you never know how potent your beans are. When you are unlucky you get thrown over the clouds only to fight with the giants waiting for youin the bean country up above. Or the roots destroy the tower in the process of growing thus ending the game prematurely.

Like so often in the Fairy Tale Dimension the cunning and intelligent people will win the prize.

B. Some people like to play up in the towers

The people in the towers either help the intruders up – with or without employing their hair. Or they fight off unwanted suitors and try to keep them away from the tower by every means they can think of.

It is no surprise that people get hurt and die all the time during the festivities. But remember, in the Fairy Tale Dimension this is not permanent and can be easily remedied – and the game can go on.

Would you like to play in this fairy tale country? What would be your favourite role?

One member of my facebook group requested this behind the scenes look of her favourite fairy tale. If you are interested in how the country of your favourite fairy tale looks like tell me in the comments, write an email or join my facebook group.

You can read a nice version of Rapunzel here.

Pictures: Pixabay

© Inge Schumacher

 

 

 

 

Behind the Scenes of Sleeping Beauty

I was surprised to find out that the fairy tale I grew up with does have another chapter that was totally new to me.

The earliest known versions of Sleeping Beauty are found in the 14^th century in the long Arthurian book Perceforest. I grew up with the Grimm´s version which is based on Perrault 1628-1703 and is the most popular today.

(Charles Perrault was one oft he first Europeans to put together popular fairy tales and he inspired many for example the Grimm brothers who lived in the middle of the 19^th century. )

The story of Sleeping Beauty I am familiar with

At the christening of a king and queen’s long-wished-for child, seven good fairies are invited to be godmothers to the infant Princess. The fairies attend the banquet at the palace. Each fairy is presented with a golden plate and drinking cups adorned with jewels. Soon after, an old fairy enters the palace and is seated with a plate of fine china and a crystal drinking glass. This old fairy was overlooked because she has been within a tower for many years and everyone had believed her to be deceased. Six of the other seven fairies offer their gifts of beauty, wit, grace, dance, song, and goodness to the infant princess. The old fairy is very angry about having been forgotten, and as her gift, enchants the infant Princess so that she will one day prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and die. The seventh fairy, who hasn’t yet given her gift, attempts to reverse the evil fairy’s curse. However, she can only do so partially. Instead of dying, the Princess will fall into a deep sleep for 100 years and be awakened by a kiss from a king’s son.

The King orders every spindle and spinning wheel in the kingdom to be destroyed, to try to save his daughter from the terrible curse. Fifteen or sixteen years pass and one day, when the king and queen are away, the Princess wanders through the palace rooms and comes upon an old woman, spinning with her spindle. The princess, who has never seen anyone spin before, asks the old woman if she can try the spinning wheel. The curse is fulfilled as the princess pricks her finger on the spindle and instantly falls into a deep sleep. The king has the Princess carried to the finest room in the palace and placed upon a bed of gold and silver embroidered fabric. The king and queen kiss their daughter goodbye and depart, proclaiming the entrance to be forbidden. The good fairy who altered the evil prophecy is summoned. Having great powers of foresight, the fairy sees that the Princess will awaken to distress when she finds herself alone, so the fairy puts everyone in the castle to sleep. The fairy also summons a forest of trees, brambles and thorns that spring up around the castle, shielding it from the outside world.

A hundred years pass and a Prince finds the hidden castle during a hunting expedition. An old man recounts the story: Within the castle lies a beautiful Princess who is doomed to sleep for a hundred years until a king’s son comes and awakens her. The prince then braves the brambles and thorns and enters the castle. He passes the sleeping castle folk and reaches the chamber where the Princess lies asleep on the bed. Struck by the radiant beauty before him, he falls on his knees before her. The enchantment comes to an end by a kiss and the princess awakens and converses with the prince for a long time. Meanwhile, the rest of the castle awakens and go about their business. The Prince and Princess are married by the chaplain.

Disney and all other popular narratives end with this scene.

The part of Sleeping Beauty that was new to me

After the secret wedding the Princess bears two children, Aurore (Dawn) and Jour (Day), unbeknown to his mother, who is of an ogre lineage. When the time comes for the Prince to ascend the throne, he brings his wife and children.

The Ogress Queen Mother sends the young Queen and the children to a house secluded in the woods and directs her cook to prepare the boy for dinner. The kind-hearted cook substitutes a lamb for the boy, which satisfies the Queen Mother. She then demands the girl and the cook this time substitutes a young goat, which also satisfies the Queen Mother. When the Ogress demands that he serve up the young Queen, the latter offers to slit her throat so that she may join the children that she imagines are dead. While the Queen Mother is satisfied with a hind in place of the young Queen, there is a tearful secret reunion of the Queen and her children. However, the Queen Mother soon discovers the cook’s trick and she prepares a tub in the courtyard filled with vipers and other noxious creatures. The King returns and the Ogress, her true nature having been exposed, throws herself into the tub and is fully consumed. The King, young Queen, and children then live happily ever after.

(from Wikipedia)

There are many modern adaptions of the Grimm story: movies, ballets and operas:

• The Sleeping Beauty (1890), a ballet by Tchaikovsky.
• Dornröschen (1902), an opera by Engelbert Humperdinck.

 

Here are two contemporary examples:

1. The animated movies featuring Shrek by Dreamworks are very funny: They play with appearances of the protagonists of this Sleeping Beauty story. An ogre rescues Princess Fiona who turns out to be an ogre herself.

2. The book Reckless The Petrified Flesh

is the first of a three-piece-series called Mirrorworld by Cornelia Funke. She is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller, who writes fantasy.
Ever since Jacob Reckless was a child, he has been escaping to a hidden world through a mirror that is a portal in his father’s abandoned study.

In these books Funke mixes up all kinds of fairy tales. People go on quests and discover treasure. What intrigued me was that the protagonist discovered a Sleeping Beauty who had died sleeping in her castle. Nobody had managed to save her in time. She had lain in her perpetual sleep for hundreds of years while hundreds of potential saviours were killed. Perhaps the good fairy´s magic was sloppy?

 

Behind the Scenes information on Sleeping Beauty

Discovering the last part of Sleeping Beauty I now understand why this fairy tale is popular in the Fairy Tale Dimension. The sleeping part is boring because it only offers little adventure. The fairies can bring some variety with all kinds of wishes: flying, dancing, magic. The really interesting play starts with the evil mother-in-law trying to eat her son´s family.

Death is not final in the Fairy Tale Dimension

To end your stay in the Fairy Tale Dimension you have to engage the Grim Reaper to escort you out. Inside of the dimension you can die as many times as you want only to reappear in an instant.

This explains why you will find people getting cooked in pots all the time reappearing instantly. You can picture this like wild hot tub parties. Giants even host big cooking events in swimming pool-sized pots.

In the Fairy Tale Dimension you can also jump a hundred times off a steep cliff and be smashed to bits and just stand up the next moment all healthy and restored ready for another round.

There is no pain

I have been cooked myself plenty of times while visiting the Fairy Tale Dimension with friends in dreams and we laughed our heads off while in the pots. We did not feel any pain. In our reality being cooked is cruel. In their reality it is not. This is why fairy tales often seem so cruel to us.

Flexibility

This makes people in the Fairy Tale Dimension very flexible. Something that we can profit from when we visit. There are not many rules scientific or otherwise and the use of magic enables even a bigger variety of outcomes of any fairy tale.

In Sleeping Beauty sometimes the evil stepmother gets to eat her prey and sometimes she is cooked herself.

The part of the evil stepmothers is a very popular character.

Wolves from Little Red Riding Hood like to play it as well as other animals, monsters, humans or trees.

Sleeping beauty is not always an innocent naïve creature.

I especially enjoy the Ninja version of Sleeping Beauty. She is a martial arts expert and enjoys fighting very much. The prince has to be her equal in battle to be accepted as a partner. Imagine the princess being woken up and doing Taekwondo moves! She can definitely take care of herself. This makes her a great adversary for her mother in law, too.

The children

Can play a very important role in the story and many young ones like to take part in the play rescuing their parents or plotting with their evil grandmother. There is an endless possibility of outcomes.

Were you aware of the evil mother-in-law ending of Sleeping Beauty and how do you like this end?

 

Links

Surla lune fairy tale blog has a very comprehensive list of books, which feature Sleeping Beauty. So many people tap into this fairy tale, it is amazing.

Images by Gypsy Thornton from Onceuponablog Sleeping Beauty Pinterest Board

 

Pictures: Open source by Wikipedia

© Inge Schumacher

 

Behind the Scenes of King Arthur

1. Arthur Pendragon

was a legendary British leader, who led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. Arthur’s story is fascinating; full of folklore and literary invention. The historical evidence that he existed is so sparse that modern historians seriously doubt his existence.

Historical background

Britain was governed by the Roman Empire from 43 to 410 AD. The Romans ruled over almost all of England and Wales. After they left the situation got very unstable. This is why the Saxons were invited to assist in fighting the Picts and the Irish. These new arrivals started a series of wars that eventually led to the Saxon occupation of Britain in 600.

Everybody who is reading this has some picture of King Arthur in his head. If you want more details of the story, please consult the story of King Arthur in Wikipedia:

Although the themes, events and characters of the Arthurian legend vary, Geoffrey’s version of events often served as the starting point for later stories. Geoffrey depicted Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the Saxons and established a vast empire. Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in Geoffrey’s Historia, including Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon, the wizard Merlin, Arthur’s wife Guinevere, the sword Excalibur, Arthur’s conception at Tintagel, his battle against Mordred and final rest in Avalon.

The 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story. He began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature. In these French stories, the narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters, such as various Knights of the Round Table.

From the 12^th to the early 19^th century there was a break in King Arthur´s popularity.

Many books and stories exist about King Arthur and his reign. Tennyson started the revival with Idylls of the King. He reworked the narrative of Arthur’s life for the Victorian era. His book was published in 1859 and sold 10,000 copies within the first week: Arthur was depicted as a symbol of ideal manhood who ultimately failed, because of human weakness.

Tennyson’s works generated much interest in the legends of Arthur. It also invited a large number of imitators:

In the US Sidney Lanier’s The Boy´s King Arthur was very popular and an inspiration for Mark Twain´s satire: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur´s Court (1889).

Arthur´s story is still constantly reworked to fit modern times to include more equality and democracy. I enjoyed Marion Zimmer Bradley´s version: The mists of Avalon (1982) as a teenager.

There have been comic strips, films and plays. Some of you may know the Arthurian spoof Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).

Presently you can see on Netflix a series of a young Arthur called Merlin and a film called King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. In both magic has an important role. Arthur either fights outright against magic or uses it grudgingly and only in dire straits.

What all stories have in common

The battle is always good against bad. Arthur has to fight against evil magic and treason.

Wizards and their magic are not part of ordinary life in most Arthurian stories. They only exist on the fringe of society. This is because magic belongs in the Fairy Tale Dimension, of course.

2. Behind the scenes information on King Arthur

It is not relevant whether Arthur is a true historical figure or not. I know that he and his adventures are very real in the Fairy Tale Dimension:

Arthur and his knights live in a very elaborate fairy tale country that supports events and adventures in a setting that we would term the Dark Ages (476 – 800).

The landscape is divers

All kinds of terrain are negotiated in the adventures here. You can find high mountains, deep caves, lakes, rivers and the sea, islands, giant trees and dangerous bridges.

Dwellings in King Arthur´s fairy tale

People live in castles and in villages. You can find more than one Camelot: Ranging from giant citadels with intricate artwork and fine masonry to crude castles surrounded by moats and sporting drawbridges. Some have a small town nearby and others stand solitary on the tip of a mountain.

Physical fighting

The people in this country fight against evil. There are swords and daggers, horses and dragons. A lot of energy is used to go on quests to obtain magic objects and slay evil monsters.

You don´t need much intellect for fighting so there are plenty of dumb brave knights.

Battle of the minds

But besides the physical fights there is also a battle of minds. In this fairy tale country  the pros and cons of magic are debated. Great speech-battles about its values and virtues are held that are highly popular. A lot of spectators attend these events.

There are also battles where riddles have to be solved: A kind of Fairy Tale Dimension Quiz Show. Prominent stars of these contests are very much in demand as advisors.

Dragons and other magic creatures

A multitude of magical creatures play on the good as well as on the evil side. Including cat-monsters, boars, griffins and giants. Anything you can imagine and much more.

Do you remember Flitz? In October 2017 I introduced the small dragon Flitz, who is part of the communication and postal service in the Fairy Tale Dimension and belongs to a group of secret agents who work as messengers on dangerous missions.

Flitz´ Island of the Dragons

Flitz comes from a fairy tale country that supplies the FTD with fire spitting dragons. When a fairy tale country needs a dragon to watch over a treasure, to abduct virgins or as an adversary for brave knights they send an invitation and whoever wants the job leaves the island. Dragons can be wise consultants as well as ferocious fighters spitting fire that grills everybody in reach.

Society

Many different kinds of people live there. I have met a surprising number of children. This is astonishing because most people arrive in the Fairy Tale Dimension as adults. The GrImporter´s job is to let you in and as an adult it is easier to fit right in.

My explanation is that a lot of inhabitants of our dimension have been fascinated by the Arthurian tales in their childhood and therefore want to be able to experience this as a youngster. Popular roles for children are pages and servants. They have their eyes and ears everywhere and accompany adults on quests as shield bearers or squires. Of course  some stories are played exclusively by children.

Culture

People very much appreciate the diversity and many options the country offers. It is one of the most complex and intricate countries. Inhabitants can wallow in romance for example. There is much drinking, dancing and singing. Minnesingers offer their songs and sell magic poems that promise to induce love.

The inhabitants of the Fairy Tale Dimension don´t have a concept of going on holidays. But for the ones that are interested in visiting other fairy tale countries the country of King Arthur is on top of their list. There is so much to see and take part in.

The Arthurs

There are all kinds of Arthurs and because gender equality is not an issue, there are also female Arthurs, dwarf Arthurs and giant Arthurs and tree Arthurs.

Historically metal armour was only worn from the 10^th century on. That is why King Arthur and his men wear mostly leather and wool outfits. There are some players though, who don´t care about historical correctness and wear metal armour anyway, just because it is cool.

Fighting dirty

People love to use all kinds of tricks to win. This is very much encouraged because it is the natural way in the Fairy Tale Dimension. The most cunning person will be the star everybody will tell tales about.

The Merlins

In the Arthurian legends Merlin is a symbol for magic. You can find a lot of wizards in this country taking part in the action.

Some of them attend the magic school that is hidden at a secret place. Because there are many possibilities to test what they have learned almost every magician likes to spend some time in this country to hone his skills. It is very good for their career to have this experience in their CVs.

The sword Excalibur

Merlin is responsible for forging the magic sword Excalibur. It is the symbol of power and entitles the bearer to inherit the throne. In the legend Arthur proved his right to the British throne by pulling this sword from an anvil sitting atop a stone.

Besides a multitude of objects this sword is the most important magical object in the fairy tale country. There is one sword for each Arthur. The magician who is Merlin decides who is worthy of becoming the king.

So as an aspiring king or queen you better are on good terms with the magician in power and motivate him to make the magic of the sword available to you.

How do you like King Arthur´s country?

It sounds like a great way to spend time there to make up new versions of Arthur´s story. What is your favourite role? I want to be a dragon and a magician.

Whether you like adventures and fighting or are into magic and strategy. There is something for everybody.

 

Background Information:

• Story of King Arthur in Wikipedia
• An impressive list of books about King Arthur

Pictures: Pixabay

© Inge Schumacher