Tangled Tuesday-Faerie Ring

The photos this week are my own. I had the stories in my head when I took them. Enjoy!

Faerie Ring

She lay on her stomach and contemplated the mushroom. It was only one, she reasoned. There were so many of them. The faerie ring would still be a ring, regardless of what the man had warned.

Inhaling its scent again, she wondered if it was edible. She knew all the varieties that grew in the forest; which ones were poisonous and which ones weren't. These were unlike any she had come across. They smelled different. Not earthy like most mushrooms--but like wildflowers, sunshine and honey. Like magic.

It was only one...

Holding her breath, she plucked the mushroom from the ground. Dirt clung to the bottom of the stem and she brushed it off. The mushroom was flawless and beautiful, its scent like a heady perfume. "See?" she breathed. "Nothing happened. The man was making a fool of you."

The mushroom turned black and withered in her fingertips. Its scent changed from one of summer breezes...to one of death.

Tossing it aside, she sat up, her heart racing. Trepidation pricked at her insides. Grabbing a handful of pine needles, she covered the blight she'd left in the dirt. Her gaze darted around the ring. She tried to ignore the gap and couldn't. The ring was broken now. The mushrooms grew in a perfect circle until you reached the place she'd defiled. What had the man said? Break the ring and betwixt you'll be. Betwixt what? Just thinking about it gave her a headache. In fact, her head was throbbing quite painfully. She closed her eyes to ward off an onslaught of dizziness.

Falling onto her back, she looked up at what had been a blue sky mere moments ago. She was unprepared for the darkness that enshrouded her.

#Paranormal Wednesday-Origins of the Fae

Legends of faeries date back to the beginning of time and are prevalent in many cultures. In European folklore, they are described as mythical beings or supernatural spirits. Typically, they are depicted as humanoids of small stature, sometimes winged; but some accounts describe them as tall, radiant and angelic beings, or even short, wizened trolls. As far as European folklore, there are many theories as to their origin.

Theory One:

Faeries were originally worshiped as minor goddesses, such as nymphs or tree spirits. In alchemy they were regarded as elementals.  With the coming of Christianity, the church decreed them to be evil beings and they were marginalized. 

Theory Two:

Faeries were a folkloric belief concerning the dead. Ghosts and faeries have similar legends; the burial mounds of the Tír na nÓg, the danger of eating food in the Realm of Fae or Hades, and both the dead and faeries living underground.

Theory Three:

Faeries were a class of demoted angels. One story states that when the angels revolted, God ordered the gates shut; those still in heaven remained angels, those in hell became demons, and those caught in between became faeries.

Theory Four:

Faeries were an intelligent species, distinct from humans and angels.  The Celts describe a race of diminutive people who had been driven into hiding by invading humans. They came to be seen as spirits and believed to still exist in the Otherworld.

Some believe faeries still exist in one form or another--a race of beings, spirits of the dead, or descendants of fallen angels. Others believe they are nothing but folklore and myth. What do you think?

#Paranormal Wednesday-The Veil

Photo courtesy of Damian via Flickr

October. The time when the veil between both worlds, ours and the spirit world, becomes thin and is easily crossed. The dictionary defines "beyond the veil" as a mysterious or hidden place or state, especially the unknown state of life after death.

The concept of the veil is prevalent throughout the history of Halloween. Traditionally, the holiday was dedicated to remembering the dead. Not only was it a time to honor and appease those who had passed on, but to honor the death of nature. It was believed that during this time, the dead roamed the earth freely and it was much easier to communicate with those who had passed on. So why would the veil thin "only" at this time of year?

Personally, I don't believe that October is the only time the veil is lifted. It may seem more active because people are thinking of the paranormal. November, December, January... the year speeds by and things go unnoticed. The moments for communication with the dead are there; dreams, meditation and the quiet times you find yourself alone. You just have to listen.

#Paranormal Wednesday-Green Children of the Woolpit

Photo courtesy of Rod Bacon
Creative Commons Licence 

I came across this story while watching a You Tube video "Top 20 Unexplained Mysteries" with my kiddos. I found it very interesting and had to look into it further. The 12th century story originates from the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England and it goes like this:

It was harvest time and reapers were working in the fields when they discovered  two children--a girl and a boy--in the wolf pits. Their skin was green, they spoke an unknown language, and their clothing was made from strange material. The children were taken to the home of Sir Richard de Calne, a local landowner. They were offered food and drink, but refused both. This went on for several days until the children came across some raw beans, which they consumed eagerly. The children gradually adapted to normal food and in time lost their green color.

After learning to speak English, the girl explained that they came from a twilight land where the sun never shone. She called their home St Martin's Land and claimed everything was green, including the inhabitants. She wasn't sure where her homeland was located, but said another 'luminous' land could be seen across a 'considerable river' separating it from theirs. She remembered that she and her brother were looking after their father's cattle. Following the cattle into a cavern, the children heard the sound of bells. When they tried to follow the sound, they appeared inside the pit and didn't know how they got there.

Interesting story, isn't it? There are different reports as to what happened to the children after they were found. One states the boy became ill and died a year later. The girl, on the other hand, became a servant and later married. Another report states that the boy died soon after he was baptized and the girl died five years later.

Many theories have been put forth regarding the tale, as it has all the trappings of a myth. Some say the children were fairies, other believe they were aliens from outer space or from a parallel dimension. The "accepted" theory is that the children were from a distant Flemish village. Many Flemish immigrants arrived in England during the 12th century and were persecuted. The parents may have died and the children fled Fornham St Martin and ended up in the village of Woolpit. Disoriented and dressed in unfamiliar Flemish clothes, they would have presented a very strange spectacle to the Woolpit villagers. The green skin may have been caused by hypochromic anemia, a dietary deficiency (historically known as chlorosis or green sickness).

There is a mix of evidence that both supports and undermines this "accepted" theory.

* It is unlikely that an educated man such as Richard de Calne wouldn't have recognized the Flemish language spoken by the children.

* It is also unlikely that the children's clothing would have been unrecognizable, since there were many Flemish immigrants at the time.

* The closest cavern to Woolpit would have been a flint mine, some 32 miles away--much too far for two young children to walk. If the children came directly from Fornham St Martin (10 miles away) there were no caverns in the area. So, what cavern could the children have gone into, only to find themselves at Woolpit?

* What of the girl's claims of being from "twilight land where the sun never shone" or that "everything was green, including the inhabitants" ? (Twilight lands and the color green are associated with faerie lore) Interesting indeed.

Regardless, we'll probably never know. But it makes for a good story.

Writer's Block Ballet

Writer's block. There, I've spoken the dirty words. Forgive me.
A month ago, I thought I finished the complete draft of Struck, the paranormal horror novel I've been working on. In spite of my initial happy dance however, my characters tell me that the ending just...isn't...right.
So into the Otherworld it goes. One chapter, weeks of writing, deleted with the click of a button.
I trust my characters. Yes, yes, I'll rewrite their stupid ending, but I'm at a loss right now. I know my epiphany will come while cleaning my fish tanks, practicing my ballet, or brushing my teeth. Doing something mundane. But for now, I'm quite mad at them.
Weeks of writing, deleted.

Do any of you have moments like this?

*insistent tap on your writerly shoulder*
"Yes, hello. The other characters and I have decided to inform you that we don't like the ending you wrote. At all. Oh, and that thing you made us do in Chapter 5? Yeah, that's garbage as well. What were you thinking?"  

I can't be the only author who gets bossed around by their characters.

Anyways. My lead antagonist isn't speaking to me, and the ending is kind of up to him. As much as I threaten and cajole, he mocks me with his silence. I've considered baking him cookies, but he'd probably see right through that.
So, writer's block it is.
What to do in a situation like this? I've known some writers that let it roll off their backs like water. I've known others who are thrown into a fit of despair.
For me, it means more time spent on my ballet. I figure if I manage several hundred relevés, I will be in so much pain, that the ending won't matter. Or my paranormal demon will take pity and tell me what I need to do with him.

But for now, I'm still waiting. Excuse me while I work on my pliés. A couple hundred or so should do it.