catastrophe

when i think of folklore, i think of a period in my life, probably 8-13
i read anything i could get my hands on
from agatha christie to two of a kind, to weird bounty hunter series
i think it was called 'janet evanovich'
felt like i was stuck in a bad softcore porn hilly billy trailer park tv series
except she was rich and successful, and gorgeous. apparently
it was horrible. i read the whole series, twice.

my best book series experience was probably
lemony snicket's 'the series of unfortunate event'
although not exactly folklore
the stories had elements and themes of myths and legends
and probably superstition
it was almost a luxury to read.
find it amusing that it is listed as
'gothic/absurdist fiction' and 'steampunk'

another exceptional writer in this genre is yeats
of course.
remember reading 'the celtic twilight' & 'irish fairy & folk tales'
of kings and warriors, and cats, and land and water faeries, and evil spirits

neil gaiman's 'american gods' is also fantastic
'it's a god-eat-god-world!', said sir terry pratchett

"it's what people do. they believe, and then they do not take responsibility for their beliefs; they
conjure things, and do not trust the conjuration. people populate the darkness; with ghosts, with gods,
with electrons, with tales. people imagine, and people believe; and it is that rock solid belief, that
makes things happen."

bought eastern heathens last friday and finished it today
i especially liked 'Fox Wedding' and 'A Girl and a Guy in a Kijang in Kemang'
enjoyed reading the description of the folktale at the end of each short story.

folktale #2
the fox fairy has been mention in numerous cultures,
featuring prominently in Japanese and Vietnamese mythology, as well
as Pu Songling's Strong Stories from a Chinese Studio. a story on
the fox fairy typically revolves around a man catching a fox woman,
seductive and beautiful; he imprisons her to either make her his wife,
or obtain good luck and fortune for himself. sometimes the man's
plan backfires, forcing him to escape from the fox's spell instead;
sometimes the fox fairy's real form is revealed, causing the fairy
to flee, and the man to miss the woman he loves.

folktale #7
the sad tale of Sangkuriang chronicles how the son of a woman
flees his village and returns, many years later, falling in love with his
mother and demanding her hand in marriage. the full scope of its
sorrow is summarised in the story as told by the son in A Girl and a
Guy in a Kijang in Kemang.


would recommend this to those who're sick to death reading american folklore.
would not recommend some stories to be read after 11pm.