We are pleased to participate in the A to Z Blog Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/). The Story Crossroads theme for this year is Golden…And All Things That Glimmer. Each post highlights golden items from a folktale from around the world. Each time you have to wonder, is something that is golden a blessing, a curse, or both?
What has inspired all this gold?–The Golden Spike with the 150th Transcontinental Railroad and the Spike 150 Grant for this year’s Story Crossroads Festival.
Golden Bird-
Whether known as “Bird of Light” or sometimes nicknamed “Golden Bird,” this is one creature that would grab anyone’s attention.
50-word-or-less summary:
Bird of Light is known to steal the golden apples and Tsar wants it captured. Three snoring sons later, and that youngest seizes the tail and gets one golden feather. Jealousy. Youngest leaves, sees strange sign by road. Wolf appears, slashes horse yet extremely nice. Princess. Thank you, Wolf.
France – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bird This same link gives hints at the bottom of Golden Bird (Blackbird–but Golden–but still Blackbird) and Golden Bird (Phoenix).
50-word-or-less summary:
King demands Golden Bird is captured due to stolen golden apples. Two sons snore. Youngest knocks one feather. King wants entire bird. Three sons journey together. Wise fox. No one listens-even Youngest. Ever-patient fox. Princess. Fox asks to be beheaded. NOW Youngest listens. Fox turns into man, brother of princess.
Please share in the comments…or anything on your mind.
While you enjoy this blog, Story Crossroads has year-round offerings including the culminating Festival on May 15, 2019 with free performances May 13-16, 2019 (see schedule here: https://storycrossroads.com/2019-schedule/.
We thank our funders such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, the Western States Arts Federation, Utah Humanities, the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts (Spike 150), the City of Murray, the South Jordan Arts Council, Utah Valley University and many other businesses and individuals. Join us in the support by attending or donating or both! (Click here to donate or get tickets.)
I did not know what to expect when reading this but liked it a lot. This is a very interesting topic that I will habe to look into. I am curious to see what you write for the following letters. Good luck!
Now I’m curious as to what you originally thought. Perhaps the “Golden Spike” part is not as obvious to link to folktales and legends…though thanks for giving this blog a chance!
I am not all that familiar with folktales but I so have a fondness for mythology. So when looking at the title I had assumed it was anout some mythical beast. Which I guess it kind of is, just not in the way I assumed it would be. The only folklore related golden bird I know about is the goose from jack and the beanstalk hahaha. And I am pretty sure it was not golden but just laid golden eggs. But reading this I realized that I need to expand my horizon a bit. I like tales such as these but never.look past the brothers grimm versions unless I am stuck in the never ending loop known as wikipedia.
I like how you are showing the creatures across cultures. I’m trying to do the same with the symbols.
Yes, I noticed the “same but different” with these tales and how it is for a wolf versus a fox and so forth.
There is also a golden bird tale type where eating the heart and lived of the golden bird makes you king, or makes you able to spit gold. 🙂
The Multicolored Diary
The big question is whether you can then harden that golden spit into golden bricks or if people accept golden spit for currency.