I know we are heading for the end of September and maybe some pagan bloggers have given up (or finished) the 44 Questions but I will persevere...and besides, it helps me to think of something outside of myself to write about...onto Question 2:
Tell a Myth or Story from Folklore
In a previous post I wrote of my love for fairy tales so this question is an easy one for me. I am going to re-tell an excellent story that reads like long lost folklore but it is a modern creation. Meghan B. Collins wrote it in 1982 and it is featured in the book "Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England".
The Green Woman
Once upon a time there lived a woman on the edge of a little village. People knew her as a Healer and she had a wonderful garden where she picked the best herbs and ingredients for her brews. Her cottage was at the edge of the forest so she could easily find mushrooms and mosses, too. Her knowledge was passed down to her from her grandmother and mother and everyone in the village respected her and her ways.
One day the Governor's Wife came by and requested a secret appointment with the Healer, which she obliged. The Wife told the Healer that the Governor is old and was getting antsy about the fact that she hadn't gotten pregnant yet. "Ah" thought the Healer "I know how to help her". So she asked the Wife many questions about her love life and cycle and made a tea while she talked. She gave the Wife instructions to drink the tea each day before bed and she should be pregnant by the next cycle of the moon.
A month later the Wife came back, still not pregnant. So the Healer brewed a stronger tea and told the Wife that it would be best for the Governor to come so she can brew something for him. "I'll just take whatever you give me to him and make him drink it." She said "He doesn't know that I am coming to you." Annoyed but still willing to help, the Healer obliged again and told her that this should work by the next cycle of the moon.
A month later the Wife came back again, still not pregnant. The Healer is not sure what to do at this point. She doesn't want to tell her that her husband may be sterile. So she waits for the Wife to speak. The Wife tells her that this is the last time she is coming here. If she is not pregnant by next month she is going to accuse the Healer of Witchcraft which will save her place as the Governor's Wife but destroy the Healer's life. The Healer is a clever woman. Instead of fighting a fight that she knows she cannot win she asks the Wife to come back in 3 days for a new special brew with the freshest herbs she can find. The Wife agrees.
Three days later the Wife comes in and the Healer gives her the new brew. Outside the Healer's hut is one of her helpers, a strong, handsome man with a kind face. He is turning over the dirt and planting more seedlings. The Wife is surprised by this but does her business quickly with the Healer and leaves, but not before really looking over the Gardener. The Healer waits for the Wife to leave. After the Wife is gone for a good time she turns to the Gardener and gives him a brew to drink. She then says "Go to The Wife and call on her. She will let you in and nature should take its course."
And we should conclude that the Healer was spared from trial...:)
So you see...it takes knowledge and cleverness to make a wish come true...
Have a great day!
DM
No comments:
Post a Comment