A to Z Theme Reveal: Small Town Legends!

Hello everyone! It's that time of the year again: people doing the A to Z Blogging Challenge are revealing their themes. This is my 15th year participating! Except for my first year, I have always had a theme, and it is always folklore and mythology related.

Here are the themes from past years:

No theme (2012)
Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)
Tarot Tales (2021)
Gemstone Folklore (2022)
Body Folktales (2023)
Romance Tropes in Folklore (2024)
Women's Epics (2025)

This year, I am bringing another folklore-themed series for A to Z. My chosen theme (after much deliberation) is:

SMALL TOWN LEGENDS FROM HUNGARY

I have combed through a whole lot of historical legends and small town traditions, and picked the most entertaining, strange, memorable ones I could find to share with you. You will learn some hard-to-pronounce Hungarian village names, explore local folklore, and have something to remember about these places should you ever visit. Here is your inspiration to venture outside of Budapest!

There will be ferocious squirrels, village lads mistaking a hoopoe for Jesus Christ, an exploding dragon, a flying monk, and other wild adventures.

See you in April!

(This is a map of small villages [under 1000 inhabitants], tiny villages [under 500], and dwarf villages [under 200] in Hungary, from here.)

Who else is participating?

Leave your links in the comments so I can visit!

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2025: Women's Epics A to Z!

Honestly, I already revealed this theme last year, but I am doing it again for good measure (for someone who has changed their theme multiple times every year, this is an accomplishment anyway). 

Also, I have a theme that aligns really well with International Women's Day, so I am announcing a day early :)

This is my 13th year participating! In the past 12 years I've always had a theme:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)
Tarot Tales (2021)
Gemstone Folklore (2022)
Body Folktales (2023)
Romance Tropes in Folklore (2024)

This year's theme came to me last April, just as I was finishing up the challenge. I have always loved epics, and I love reading new ones whenever I can get my hands on them. I started thinking about the epics I have read so far, and stories with women as heroes in general. And so, the theme was born:

WOMEN'S EPICS!

The goal was to read 26 epics with women heroes, and blog about each one for A to Z. It took a full year to schedule the entire series!

A couple of things in advance:

1. By 'epic' I mean traditional epics. Think The Iliad, The Odyssey, Gilgamesh, etc. Stories that have been passed down through centuries and generations, orally told, performed, belonging to a culture's intangible heritage. Not literary works or film. So no, no Hunger Games or Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. Sorry.

2. Sometimes it is hard to define if a story is an epic, a myth, a legend, or something else. Most of the stories I included in the 26 were labeled epics by researchers, collectors, and tradition bearers. Some belong to genres that are the equivalent of what we call "epic" in the Western world (for example, Japanese monogatari). Some I included because they are long narrative poems or prose stories that are based on a larger oral tradition, even if they are not technically epics (see: medieval chivalric romances).

3. All of the stories I included have women heroes. I use "hero" in the sense of traditional stories, as the main protagonist or central figure of the narrative. So no, I did not pick male-led stories and try to prove that "yeah, actually, Penelope is the real hero of the Odyssey!" Nope! I picked stories with women as lead characters. And yes, I found 26. Actually, I found a lot more! But I picked 26 that I could actually read, and fit into the alphabet for A to Z.

4. With that said, epics are a complex genre, with complex characters, and none of them can really be studied divorced from the time and culture it came from. On a practical level this means that you won't equally like all of these women heroes. Some of them do things that are very much questionable to our modern sensibilities, or have character traits we don't like. And that's okay. Odysseus, Gilgamesh, Achilles and the lot are also not exactly Lawful Good.

5. The good news is, the lineup I ended up with is really colorful in terms of origins. The 26 epics represent 4 continents and 21 different cultures!

In the next weeks before April I am going to have a few more posts coming up!

1. A post on epics that did not make the cut. I thought they deserve a shout out even if I did not end up reading them.

2. A post on an online survey I made about how well people generally know epics, and which ones are the most well-known ones. I thought it was a fascinating question to run by the people of the Internet.

I HOPE TO SEE ALL OF YOU HERE IN APRIL! If you are participating in A to Z, make sure to leave a link to your blog in the comments so I can visit back.

I dedicate this series to my epic-telling mentor, Cathryn Fairlee, the creator of Epic Day, an all-around amazing mentor, and a true lover of epics. 

I miss you, Cathryn.

The 2024 A to Z Blogging Challenge Theme Reveal

 

Oh crap, the A to Z Blogging Challenge is approaching again! I almost ran out of time for this theme reveal.

This is my 12th year participating. Even when I am scrambling for time and attention span, I really love being part of the A to Z community. And I enjoy the challenge itself. In the past 11 years I've always had a theme:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)
Tarot Tales (2021)
Gemstone Folklore (2022)
Body Folktales (2023)

I think this year (maybe due to being a new mom) it was especially, wildly difficult for me to settle on a theme. I made lists. Lots of lists. I always do "Mythology and Folklore" topics, as you see above, but I just didn't feel inspired by any of the ideas. 

I considered folktales about

- Emotions (I actually wrote 3 posts for this one and then got bored)

- Constellations (I am slowly assembling this one but it's not ready yet)

- Trees (Takes more research than I have time for)

- Natural disasters (Felt too depressing)

- Queer identities (Couldn't quite fill all the letters AND find tales for them)

- StorySpotting (Didn't want this to make watching TV feel like a chore)

- Music (Didn't wanna argue about interpreting songs)

I was about ready to give up trying to get inspired. I polled people on Mastodon and Facebook. I talked to blogger friends. Everyone had opinions on which ones would be fun to read... but nothing sat quite right. And then, finally, I remembered last year's big takeaway:

WHEN IN DOUBT, GO WITH THE IDEA THAT IS JUST DUMB FUN.

I don't need this blog series to be useful. Or neat. Or meaningful.

I just want it to be fun to research, and fun to share.

And then, finally, inspiration struck.

So, without further ado, let me present to you my theme for the 2024 April A to Z Blogging Challenge:

ROMANCE TROPES IN FOLKLORE!

A bit of context:

I don't read a lot of romance. It's not really my genre. I do appreciate romantic plots, but usually incorporated into other, larger stories. And romance tropes often feature into role-paying games, which I play and also extensively researched.

Also, I love discussing romance tropes with fellow writers and gamers. And spotting them in movies and TV shows. And I recently had a discussion with a folklorist friend about how romance clichés are not all that different from folktale motifs: they pop up again and again because people just enjoy them. We can argue till the cows come home about whether a romance trope is hurtful or elegant or overdone or cringe. But in the end, folktales are highly formulaic too, and no one accuses them of being unoriginal.

So, here is my own challenge this year: I am going to look up popular romance (novel, movie, game, etc.) tropes, and find folktales that match them. That's it.

Are you participating this year? 

Are you doing a theme reveal? 

Leave a link in your comments so I can visit back!

The 2023 A to Z Blogging Challenge Theme Reveal

Can you believe it has been a year? The A to Z Blogging Challenge is approaching again! This is my 11th year participating. It is always great fun, and it has led me to many new stories, fabulous new blogs, and lots of discoveries.

In the past 9 years I've always had a theme:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)
Tarot Tales (2021)
Gemstone Folklore (2022)

This year I once again wanted to do a "Mythology and Folklore" theme, but I was out of ideas. I was going to do constellation myths, but the research didn't really yield good stories and I was getting frustrated. Then I was going to go through the Hungarian Legends Catalog, but I felt meh about it. I even started collecting songs for a "Music and Folktales" theme, but realized I did not have the energy to do it justice this year, so I changed my mind again.

Finally, an idea dawned on me, and it sounded so simple and ridiculous that I knew it would definitely be entertaining:

BODY FOLKTALES!

I am going to be researching folktales featuring 26 different body parts.

Yes, those too.

Yes, that too.

Once I started thinking about it, I realized how many tales I already know that feature various parts of the body. I am sure you can think of some as well. Rapunzel's hair, Cinderella's feet, Bluebeard, The girl without hands... I decided to make a list of body parts, A to Z, and try to find some of the most interesting, least well-known, most fun stories about them. The research has been very entertaining, and I can't wait to share the results with you!

The theme is not "adult" per se, but I'll post warnings occasionally when necessary.

See you in April! ;)

Are you participating in A to Z this year? Are you doing a Theme Reveal? Share your link in the comments so I can visit you back!

The 2022 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal - Something shiny!

It's that time of the year again! We are coming up on April, the month of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I have been doing this challenge for 10 years! Wohoo! It is always great fun, and it has led me to many new stories, fabulous new blogs, and lots of discoveries.

In the past 9 years I've always had a theme:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)
Tarot Tales (2021)

This year I am continuing the tradition of doing a "Mythology and Folklore" theme. (Obviously.) Drum roll, please! The theme for the 2022 A to Z Challenge on this blog is:

GEMSTONE FOLKLORE!

This one has been a long time coming, because it requires an incredible amount of research. In fact, I think this is the hardest challenge theme I have ever done! I started the research part way back in December, although some of these posts have been in the making for years.

There are a couple of things you need to know in advance:

1. The reason why research has been so hard is that there is a lot of "gemstone folklore" out there that is not properly sourced. You can read my epic rant about this here.

2. For the sake of clarity, we need to talk about definitions. Minerals are solid, naturally occurring inorganic substances. Some precious materials are, however, organic in origin - such as amber, jet, pearl, or coral. Gemstone, technically, is any mineral or petrified material that has been cut or polished, to be turned into jewelry. The posts this month will vary in that some will be about minerals, some will be about organic precious materials, and some will be about actual gems. I am using "gemstone" in the title of the series because it is the most easily accessible term to the average reader.

3. I have come to love minerals from the direction of science. We learned some gemology at the university as part of my Archaeology studies. I generally love shiny things, and I am endlessly fascinated by the chemistry of how minerals form, and the part they have played in human culture for millennia.

4. Which means, this theme will talk a lot about folklore, but not about the esoteric use of minerals. Simply because I don't believe in that. If you are interested in the stance of science and psychology on the topic of "crystal healing", I highly recommend this book.

WAIT! THERE IS MORE!

Since April is still pretty far away, I plan on posting a few stories in advance. Stories that talk about precious stones in general - and also stories that are doing the "gemstone lore" circuit, even though they are not actually folklore. So, watch this space for more :) 

Are you participating in A to Z this year? Are you doing a Theme Reveal? Share your link in the comments so I can visit you back!

The 2021 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!

It's that time of the year again! We are coming up on April, the month of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I have been doing this challenge for 9 years, and in the past 8 I've always had a theme:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)
Folktales of Endangered Species (2020)

This year, once again, I am doing a "Mythology and Folklore" theme. Drumroll, please! The theme for the 2021 A to Z Challenge on this blog is:

 TAROT TALES

Confession: for someone who works with folklore and storytelling, I have never really been into esoteric or spiritual things at all. But last year a dear friend of mine introduced me to tarot cards, and my brain just clicked: these are great for storytelling! And for introspection. (Okay, first my goblin brain clicked, because SHINY AND COLLECTABLE!).
Tarot cards speak a language of symbols and metaphors that is very familiar to me from traditional tales. So, I looked into it, and I did find some decks that are folklore and myth themed (such as Tarot of the Divine, Fairy Tale Tarot, or my latest favorite, the Yokai Tarot).

However, once I started learning the meanings of cards and the symbols around them, I kept thinking of tales that would fit them well. And then I thought this would make a great A to Z theme - so, here we are!

Over the course of April, I'll be posting folktales that fit cards from the classic RWS tarot deck. I'll be focusing on the Major Arcana (covering all 22 cards), and for the remaining 4 spaces I'll look at some other cards. For each card I'll select one story, and give you a summary, sources, and interesting information. 

I have been working on the posts ahead of time (I always do this, so that I have time to visit around in April), and I can already tell you this project is a lot of fun! I'll make sure that it is equally enjoyable to everyone, even if you don't know about tarot (or folklore) at all.

See you all on April 1st!

Bonus question: Do you have tarot cards? Do you have favorite decks? Do you have favorite images? Share in the comments! :)

A to Z 2020 Theme Reveal!

Today is the day! The day when all the bloggers participating in the A to Z Challenge reveal their planned themes for this year. I have been participating in A to Z since 2012, and I have been doing themes since 2013. They are always "Mythology and Folklore" related (duh). In the past years, my themes have been:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)
Fruit Folktales (2019)

This year, once again, I am doing a folktale-related theme. Drumroll, please! The theme for the 2020 A to Z Challenge on this blog is

FOLKTALES OF ENDANGERED SPECIES

I am going to dive deep into researching the traditional lore of some of the planet's most critically endangered animal species. All animal species are precious and unique and fascinating, but human activity has brought many of them to the brink of extinction. In order to raise awareness of this, and of the role these creatures play in our collective human imagination, I am going to present you some rare folktales about rare animals.

I am going to be mostly looking at the IUCN list of critically endangered species, but for the letters I can't fill I'll be selecting some species that are "just" endangered. I am also hoping to provide some information on how we all can contribute to preserving them and their habitats.

Some things I will observe:
- I want the stories to be from the same places as the animal species
- I want to make sure the stories actually refer to the right species (as far as it can be ascertained)
- I want the stories to portray the animal in a positive light
- I want to note the actual sources of each story

See you all in April! :)

Javan slow loris

Philippine pangolin

Kakapo

The Great and Powerful A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!

Today is the day! The day when all the bloggers participating in the A to Z Challenge reveal their planned themes for this year. I have been participating in A to Z since 2012, and I have been doing themes since 2013. They are always "Mythology and Folklore" related (duh). In the past years, my themes have been:

Weird Princesses (2013)
Tales with Colors (2014)
Epics A to Z (2015)
Diversity A to Z (2016)
WTF - Weird Things in Folktales (2017)
WTF Hungary - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales (2018)

This year, once again, I am doing a folktale-related theme. Drumroll, please! The theme for the 2019 A to Z Challenge on this blog is

FRUIT FOLKTALES!

Folktales, legends, and myths about fruit, from A to Z. I have been thinking about this theme for years, because I love eating fruit, and I am fascinated by all the traditional stories around the world that feature them. And since I already have all my posts locked and loaded, I can tell you that there will be some unexpected contestants on the list! Get ready for redcurrants, persimmons, Indian almonds, and whatever the heck a kundong koong is.

See you in April!

(Don't forget to visit the A to Z Challenge main blog today for the list of all the other Theme Reveals!)

The Great and Powerful A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!

You all know the drill by now. I have been doing this since 2012. That means, this is Year Seven for me in the Challenge! Seven is a magical number, especially in Hungarian folktales. Seven-headed dragons are the default dragon model for us. So, without further ado, and playing on last year's wildly popular WTF - Weird Things in Folktales theme, I give you my theme for 2018:

WTF HUNGARY?! - Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales

I would like to extend a special thanks to the #FolkloreThursday crowd on Twitter for helping me decide the theme by popular vote. I blame all of you for what follows. ;)

As for what you can expect out of this theme: I will be presenting some of the strangest, weirdest, most unique motifs, characters, places, and events from Hungarian folktales. There is no Motif Index specific to Hungary (sadly), so this theme will be less organized than last year; I will basically be cherry-picking things that are surprising, even to me as a Hungarian storyteller.

Among many other things, you can expect to hear about:

- A diamond prince in a rubber suit

- Princess Rosalia Lemonfarts

- Bacon. Lots of bacon.

See you all on April 1st!

(To see all the other themes being revealed today, visit the A to Z Challenge Main Blog!)

The Great and Powerful A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!

This is my 6th year participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, and my 3rd year co-hosting it. It has been tons of fun every time, and I am looking forward to what 2017 will bring to the A to Z community!

It has become a tradition over the years for participants to announce their themes for the Challenge at the end of March. That day is today! I once again have a theme - and yes, it is once again storytelling-related.

*Drumroll*

My theme for the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge is

WTF - Weird Things in Folktales

Vegetable lambs. They are a thing.
(Check out this artist)

I got the basic idea from browsing through the Thompson Motif Index. For those of you not folkloristically inclined: The Index is a list of motifs that have been sorted and numbered by American folklorist Stith Thompson, and first published in 1955. Folktale motifs are smaller building blocks you can find in traditional tales, myths, and legends around the world; you will find such things in the book as "A1010 - Deluge" (collecting all the myths that involve a flood), or "D1065.1 - Magic boots." The numbers help folklorists find all the stories that have that same element in them, compare them to each other, and see the larger patterns in world folklore. For practicing storytellers such as myself, the Motif-index is a godsend, helping us locate stories about specific things.

Since the motifs in the book are categorized in groups from A to Z, I thought the Challenge would be the perfect excuse to browse through them, and pick out some of the most unexpected ones. Because while it is not exactly surprising to find things like "A101.1 - Supreme god as creator," one tends to run into completely out-of-the blue things as well, such as "F521.3.3.2. - Person with golden anus", or "A1319.3 - Why ear wax is inside the ear."

Our ancestors told tales about the weirdest things.

Each day of the challenge, I'll pick a motif from the Index, and bring you a folktale or myth that contains it. 
The motifs usually make a whole lot more sense in context. A descriptions that makes you go "whut now?" might be a completely common occurrence in folktales, that Thompson somehow managed to make sound strange when taken out of its element. My point, therefore, is twofold: One, to place some of the Motif Index into context, and two, to show off the stunning, amazing, endless richness of folk imagination that is rarely explored these days.

There will be...
... Poisonous eyebrows
... Assassin mice
... Thieving butterflies
... Women snacking on human nails
... lobsters mistaken for Norwegians
... Kings getting a Darwin Award for burning to death in an alcohol bath...

... and many other fascinating tidbits from around the world.

See you in April!

* * *

Don't forget to check out the other blogs participating in the Challenge! People will be posting the links to their Theme Reveal posts in the Comments section of today's post on the main blog.

My previous Challenge themes:

2016 - Representation and Diversity in Storytelling

2015 - Epics from A to Z

2014 - Tales with Colors

2013 - Weird Princesses

2012 - First year, no theme

The Great and Powerful A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!

Some of you might remember that I actually announced my A to Z theme way back in October. It was all neat and tidy and it was going to feature folktale collections. I was super prepared and on top of my pile of books.

SURPRISE!
I changed my mind.

The books I read and wrote about will be re-scheduled for other times. However, I decided to address a topic that currently intrigues me more - it is something I use for my teaching work in Culture Studies, as well as a workshop I am going to present at the end of April at the Northlands Storytelling Conference. With these things in mind, here is my actual theme (for real this time!):

Tales of Many Shapes and Colors:

Representation and Diversity in Storytelling

Representation and diversity are much discussed topics in relation to movies, comic books, literature, and the media. People have been speaking up about having more stories that feature characters that have not been featured before - or if they have, only sporadically, in minor roles, or as stereotypes. Projects like We Need Diverse Books and Miss Representation have proliferated all over the Internet, and rightly so.

As I see it, there is no reason why there shouldn't be a parallel discussion in oral storytelling as well.
Here are some things I believe:

Knights of color
in shining armor?

People want stories.
People want diverse stories.
You can't be what you can't see. (Or, in our case, hear about)
People want to see themselves in the stories they hear.
People want to see their experiences and problems represented in the stories they hear.
Storytellers have a responsibility towards their audiences.

Here is the thing: First and foremost, I work with traditional stories. Myths, epics, folktales, fairy tales, legends, that kinda stuff. And people have been pointing out that there are many things that you don't see represented in these stories - simply because they were written down in times when these issues and identities were not talked about (or have been erased since).
BUT.
This does NOT mean that:
- stories like that should not exist
- stories like that have never existed (you just have to dig for them)

I want this A to Z to be a resource for storytellers and people interested in stories. Each day, I will pick a topic that has been questioned in relation to traditional stories, such as:

How about female knights?

Why are stepmothers always evil? Are there any kind ones out there?
Can you name any folktales that feature female friendships?
Why are there so few traditional tales with LGBT+ representation?
Are there any stories where a male and a female hero fights side by side?
What about legends where heroes of different religions coexist?

And I will take a closer look at traditional stories to see what I can come up with. Of course, there will be topics that are truly hard to fill with any folktale or myth (this is why we need New Trad, as my colleague and guest blogger Danielle Bellone so eloquently explained). But it can often be surprising what you can find when you scratch below the surface.

Happy A to Z!

(My other theme, on the MopDog, will be Crazy Hungarian Cartoons! Check it out here)

Join the A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal Blogfest!

Sign-ups for the 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge are already under way. If you have done it before, you know how much fun it is (good for you!) and if you have not, this is your chance to give it a try! You can sign up to participate HERE.

One of the most burning questions participants ask themselves every year is: "Should I have a theme?" Themes are not mandatory, but definitely fun. They let your visitors know what to expect, and help you create posts that line neatly up from A to Z. And they also have an added bonus – they let you participate in a whole separate blogfest!

Three years ago, A to Z participant Mina Lobo started the Theme Reveal, and we thought it was such a great idea that we made it tradition.

Here is how the Theme Reveal Blogfest works:

Sign up on the Linky List below. On Monday, March 21, reveal your theme on your blog and give us a hint of what to expect from it. Then, once your post is up, use the Linky List to visit all the other blogs announcing their themes.

This is a great opportunity for all of you to get a jump start on your A to Z experience. You can link up with fellow bloggers, scout out and bookmark themes that you look forward to, and lure in wandering participants with your awesome theme. This way, by the time the frenzied posting begins on April 1, you will already have an audience eagerly awaiting your posts.

Sign up below, ready your theme, and put March 21 on your calendar!

A to Z Challenge Early Theme Special: Do you know any good folktale collections?

This is a Story Saturday post, in which I reveal my 2016 A to Z Challenge theme early,
AND ask for your input.

I have been getting increasingly frustrated about folktale collections.
It's not them, it's me.

I spend a lot of time reading book blogs, following book tweets, and procrastinating on Goodreads. It didn't take long to figure it out that my reading activities fall into a very narrow niche: I love to read traditional stories. I get incredibly excited about upcoming folktale collections, and I go to great lengths to track down the ones that are hard to find. I have quite a few favorites, but I am always on the lookout for more - especially from cultures that I am not very familiar with.

And herein lies the problem:
Folktale collections get very little publicity, and almost no excitement.

Yeah yeah, I know, there are many storytellers and story-lovers out there who share my feelings. But let's face it: Compared to the hype around YA fiction and supernatural romance (for instance), "folktale collections" is not exactly a hopping topic.

But they should be!

In order to promote reading folktales, exploring other cultures, and dusting off some little known volumes full of magic, my 2016 theme for April A to Z will be:

BADASS FOLKTALE COLLECTIONS

Here is the plan:

1. I want to read a folktale collection for every letter of the alphabet.
2. I want all the books I read to be new for me too (otherwise, where is the fun?)
3. I want the collections to represent as many different cultures and traditions as possible.
4. I want as many as possible to be new or recent editions, raising awareness of the genre and its latest developments.

5. I want to write all my A to Z posts as if I was pitching these books to a wider audience. I want to write posts that highlight all that is exciting, unique, and magical about them. I want to make people want to read them, discover new tales, new worlds to get lost in, and broaden their horizons way beyond the "classics." (If I see one more Cinderella/Snow White/Riding Hood adaptation, I'll scream).

And here is where I need your help.

If you know of any good folktale collections recently published (in the past 1-2 years) or coming out soon (before April 2016), let me know here in the comments, on Twitter, or through my website. I can't promise to fit all suggestions into the final list, but I would nevertheless like to hear about as many as possible! (Yes, it is okay to suggest your own work!)
(I am also happy to read in Spanish)
*Note* If it's your own work, you don't actually have to send me copies. I am happy if you do, but I am also happy to support publishing by buying the books that make the final list.
*Second note* I am probably going to post a full list of the suggested books, regardless of whether they are on the A to Z list.

Let the reading commence!
#ReadFolktales

Theme Reveal: Epics from A to Z!

Roll out the red carpet, ready the cameras. The A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal is here!

Those of you who have visited my blog before will not be terribly surprised. For the past two years I have done themes related to folktales, fairy tales, and other traditional stories. Since, you know. I'm a storyteller.
(Last year's theme was Tales with Colors, and the year before it was Weird Princesses)

This year's theme was brought to you by a very special occasion: I have received the J.J. Reneaux Mentorship Grant from the National Storytelling Network. This grant allows me to work with a master storyteller in order to develop my skills further in a specific field of storytelling. I am honored and excited to be the mentoree of Cathryn Fairlee, and learn about telling epics and other long-form traditional tales.
In the spirit of making the most of this opportunity, my theme lines up with my mentorship project. It shouldn't be a complete shock...

DRUMROLL

This year's theme will be: Epics from A to Z!

I have been scheduling posts since January. I have read all the 26 epics that I will post about, one for each letter (okay, almost all of them. You'll see). The posts will tell you a little bit about where each epic came from (time, culture, geographical place), introduce you to the hero(es) and heroines, and then provide a witty and whimsical (*cough*) list of highlights to show you how awesome epics can be, and give you an idea of why you should read them.

I hope you will find these old stories as intriguing, fascinating, and all-around... epic, as I did. I also hope that you will find some that you have not heard about before - I purposefully picked less well-known stories whenever I could. Many of them were new for me too. I am excited to invite you along on this adventure!
Happy A to Z!

(Click here to read my other theme reveal today on MopDog: 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary)

Announce your A to Z theme with us on March 23rd!

Announcing the Great and Powerful A to Z Theme Reveal Blogfest!

Sign-ups for the 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge are already under way. If you have done it before, you know how much fun it is (good for you!) and if you have not, this is your chance to give it a try! You can sign up to participate here.

One of the most burning questions participants ask themselves every year is: "Should I have a theme?"
Themes are not mandatory, but definitely fun. They let your visitors know what to expect, and help you create posts that line neatly up from A to Z. They also have an added bonus: They let you participate in a whole separate blogfest!

Two years ago A to Z participant Mina Lobo started the Theme Reveal, and we thought it was such a great idea that we made it tradition. It is now our very own, grand and festive way of rolling out our themes together!

Here is how the Theme Reveal Blogfest works:

Sing up on the Linky list below, and on March 23rd (Monday) publish a post on your blog in which you reveal your theme, tell us why it is exciting, and give us a hint of what to expect from it. Then, once your post is up, use the Linky to visit all the other blogs announcing their themes. Enjoy!

This is a great opportunity for all of you to get a jump start on your A to Z experience. You can link up with fellow bloggers, scout out and bookmark themes that you look forward to, and set out delicious themed bait on your blog to lure in wandering participants! This way, by the time the frenzied posting begins on April 1st, you will already have an audience eagerly awaiting your posts.

Sign up below, ready your theme, and mark March 23rd in your calendar!

The Great and Powerful A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal!

DRUMROLL.

The time has come to reveal what the theme of the blog is going to be for this year's April A to Z challenge! For those of you who are (still) not familiar with this awesome whirlwind of blogness, you can find more information on it here, it's not too late to join the fun!

And now, without further ado: My theme for 2014 is...

TALES WITH COLORS.

I love colors. I love colorful things (in case the blog's title did not cue you in). This year, I am going to be posting about folktales, myths and legends that have something to do with a certain color of the day. The A to Z will be given by the colors, which is fun in itself: there are more colors (and especially names of colors) in the world than you could possibly imagine. Surely there will be at least one for every single letter in the alphabet. Right?... Right?

Happy A to Z, everyone! What's your favorite color? ;)

(Original photo is from here)

A to Z blogging challenge REVEAL!

DRUMROLL PLEASE.
THANK YOU.

So, a few of us who are doing this year's A to Z blogging challenge joined an additional challenge, and are revealing the method to the madness today. For those of you who don't know about A to Z, it is not too late to join in! I did it last year (see blog history) and it was great fun. But this time, I am setting a theme.

And the theme is...
DRUMROLL.
THANK YOU THAT'S ENOUGH.

The theme is WEIRD PRINCESSES.

Yup. I'm gonna be hunting for princesses in folktales, honest to goodness genuine princesses, who are more than just the doll you marry for killing the dragon/saving the kingdom/wearing a really shiny suit. And I am not going all feminist here either. Not all these princesses will be independent, strong, and smart. Some of them will just be weird.
Just to show people folktales are not stereotypes at all.

Rock and roll!

"Kindly rely on the strangeness of others." - Kevin Kling