Dynamic Dreamer ~ Art Weaver » cinderella http://lisahuntart.com/blog The Mythic, Tarot & Fairy Tale musings of Lisa Hunt Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:51:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 Cinderella-like Stories ~ and a school assignment that helped capture my son’s imagination. http://lisahuntart.com/blog/2009/05/24/cinderella-like-stories-and-a-school-assignment-that-helped-capture-my-son%e2%80%99s-imagination/ http://lisahuntart.com/blog/2009/05/24/cinderella-like-stories-and-a-school-assignment-that-helped-capture-my-son%e2%80%99s-imagination/#comments Sun, 24 May 2009 23:08:43 +0000 lisahuntart http://lisahuntart.com/blog/?p=425 Last week my eight-year-old son was given a captivating homework assignment: retell and illustrate a variant of Cinderella (as part of a comparative studies unit). They were learning about Cinderella stories from around the world and were required to conceptualize their own interpretations of this timeless theme.

4_bw_cinderella_draw2
Now a fairy tale-loving mama like myself was delighted to learn that fairy tales are alive and well in school curricula! And given my son’s penchant for drawing, though he prefers to render robots to maidens-in-distress, this was just the homework project that would hold his distracted brain captive for more than five minutes. And he thoroughly enjoyed himself as he drew the protagonist encountering all manner of challenges. It really wasn’t so different than the themes he visits through his robot stories: the basic emotions and elements of virtue, good versus evil, and a triumphant ending were all there.

blaster_bot

I’m hoping the Cinderella assignment has finally helped him to embrace these wondrous stories as true treasures of the imagination. Maybe they will even assimilate into his own unique creative journey as he continues to crank out his robot stories. Who knows?  But I would like to think that even on a subconscious level, they will influence his narratives in a positive way, making for rich storytelling. I know they have inspired me!

In honor of his school assignment, I am posting a few Cinderella-like images that appear in The Fairy Tale Tarot. I must deliver a big thank you to Connor’s amazing 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Quintero!

2_cinderella_pt

Here are paintings representing the Brazilian story “Why the Sea Moans” and the English “Cap O Rushes”. Both tales utilize uncannily similar motifs (even though the stories originated from disparate cultures) suggesting that they are variants of Cinderella and arguably extensions of the collective unconscious.

Fairy Godmother

Fairy Godmother

“Cinderella-like tales are probably the most common. The earliest version was recorded in China around AD 850-860 (Warner, 202). Similar tales such as The Goose Girl and Cap O Rushes concern the banishment of the heroine, a storyline found in almost every culture around the world.” ~From the Fairy Tale companion book Once Upon a Time.

And how about you, friends? Has a fairy tale story inspired you along your journey?

~Lisa

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