Bacon in Hungarian folktales is very immportant. And also versatile. You don't leave the house without bread, bacon, and onions in your bag. And then, there is...
Which is exactly what it sounds like. According to the tale (also titled Bacon Tree), a king owns a magical tree that grows bacon - but never gets to enjoy the "fruit" (crop?) because someone keeps stealing. The culprit turns out to be an old man from the Underworld, whom the hero, the king's youngest son, has to find and fight. FOR TEH BACOOON!
(So... is tree bacon vegan?...)
The Bacon Castle
This story, under the same title, was included in the very first Hungarian folktale collection ever published (back in 1857). It begins with a king who is so wealthy, he builds a castle from bacon. Except, someone keeps nibbling on it every night. His three sons then have to go and guard the tree. Turns out the bacon thief is a giant dragon, which is why the two elder princes run away - but the youngest follows it, straight to the Underworld, and kills it in battle.
(Sensing a pattern yet?)
The Bacon and the King of Trees
Among Pályuk Anna's folktales (30 of which I recently published in English), there is a fun story titled The King of the Birchwood. The trees of the forest are trying to elect a king, but no one emerges from the crowd as a leader - that is, until a little birch tree convinces a forester to shine its white bark with bacon. The forester acquires large amounts of bacon in various ways, and polishes the tree until it becomes the Shiniest of All. Of course, by the end of the story, the newly elected King returns the man's favor. (No, not with bacon.)
Well, I know what I'm having for dinner today...
Well, I'm a fan of bacon and of folktales, and I'm not vegan - so no conflicts! :)
ReplyDeleteNilanjana
Madly-in-Verse
And I thought Americans were crazy about bacon with sayings like "You can't buy happiness, but you can buy bacon. And that is kind of the same thing."! I'm looking forward to sharing these tasty folktales with my kids.
ReplyDeleteI never thought bacon could fit into folktales, but a bacon tree does sound spectacular!
ReplyDeleteBehind Bars by The Wanted
Well, if I wanted to plant a tree, a bacon tree would be a big hit. Interesting stories to go with your. Susanne Living the Dream
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of bacon as a folktale commodity before. :)
ReplyDeletetypo first sentence, spelling of important. Too many m's!
ReplyDeleteFun stories, mmmmm, bacon.
ReplyDeleteI am suddenly craving something salty and smoky - can't think why. You do have to wonder what a bacon tree might once have been since so many things in folktales don't turn out to be what they seem at all.
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings - Movie Monsters
Well, I don't think I've ever heard a story where bacon featured so prominently. But I like all of the ones you mentioned. Especially the last one. That is so different :-)
ReplyDeleteWell who knew Bacon could grow on trees! It could be the equivalent of quorn bacon :)
ReplyDeleteHappy A to Z,
Sophie
Ghostly Inspirations - Sophies A to Z
Wow! I was not expecting bacon! I wonder if it's because tree bark can look like bacon (hey, use your imagination! It could happen... if you're really, really drunk...)?
ReplyDeleteOnly on B and already 2 stories about meat trees. This challenge is promising!
ReplyDeleteI think all the stories are fantastic. I enjoyed reading all of them. :)
ReplyDeleteI love these tales. The people of the realm with the Bacon Castle would never go hungry, would they?
ReplyDeleteAnd the tree bacon would be not only vegan but free of cholesterol.
ReplyDeletehttp://findingeliza.com/
I wonder if this is at all related to the rebirth America has seen in bacon love. I thought it odd but maybe not!
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting what shows up as important in a story..food!
ReplyDeleteLove the bacon castle! So do they go around in non-slip socks?
ReplyDeleteBacon! Who would have thought it? Interesting stuff :-)
ReplyDeleteObviously, bacon isn't anywhere near the relatively new invention I thought it was...
ReplyDeleteThe bacon tree and bacon castle. I shared this with my coworker. I also got a few laughs out of it.
ReplyDeleteOnce Upon a Time
I like bacon and had no idea there were so many options to read about it! I bet bacon seeds are also delicious! I enjoyed your blog - keep up the good work! I think I'm 349 on the list - In my own words at http://www.dianeweidenbenner.com/brrr-someone-frosted-the-trees/
ReplyDeleteThe bacon obsession goes back much further than I thought! I haven't had any pig meat in over 21 years, though I remember liking bacon a fair bit more than pork and ham.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child my grandmother convinced me apple slices (as in the pastry) grew on trees. I see no reason to believe bacon doesn't as well. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat people won't go through for a bit of bacon. It is truly the king of processed meats, no matter if it comes from a tree or a pig. What great stories!
ReplyDeleteLike I said in your past post, you had me at bacon! :)
ReplyDeleteMarquessa @simplymarquessa from The Next Chapter
Visiting from the 2018 A to Z Challenge
Start at the beginning with "A is for Afflicted"
I have to wonder where the idea of bacon growing on trees came from. A lot less hassle than having to raise a pig, fatten it, kill it and process the meat, certainly! I don’t eat bacon myself.
ReplyDeleteSo, would PETA be for or against a bacon tree? ;)
ReplyDelete~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
My A to Z’s of Dining with IC
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
Yep, it's always a little "WTF" with your weird folktales! I'm not a huge bacon fan myself, but apparently those in the underworld are! :)
ReplyDeleteJamie Lyn Weigt | Theme: Odds and Ends Dragons | Writing Dragons
I enjoyed your post today. Yes bacon is one of the great tastes we get to experiment. There is a video that makes the rounds which you can google search baby first tastes bacon. It’s priceless. Visiting from
ReplyDeleteIf I Only Had A Time Machine
So, apparently man's infatuation with bacon goes way back. Good to know. ;) Congrats on publishing your book! I'm definitely going to check it out. Sounds fabulous.
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ReplyDeleteThere are some other vegetable/meat mixes in mythology and folktale, notably the vegetable lamb and the barnacle goose. I would think they'd all fall into the same category as far as whether or not they count as real meat. More on the vegetable lamb here: http://nydamprintsblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2011/06/vegetable-lamb-of-tartary.html
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