Welcome to the 2021 A to Z Blogging Challenge! My theme this year is Tarot Tales. I am making a selection of folktales, legends, and other traditional stories that correspond to tarot cards. Storytelling and tarot go well together. Do other stories come to mind? Let me know in the comments!
The card: The Sun
Meanings: The Sun is a very happy card. It's about joy, life, warmth, and energy. It is all optimistic about love, freedom, and living your best life. Also, it is associated with children.
Selection process: The Sun card usually features a child, and lots of warm solar imagery. While the sun itself appears in thousands of folktales, I wanted to find one that reflects the connection to a special child, and the joy and optimism that goes with this card.
The story: The adventures of Yarty-Gulak
Origin: Turkmenistan
My favorite Yarty-Gulak story is the one where he gets lost in the neighbor's vineyard, and manages to scare everyone into believing that there is a genie among the grapes.
Sources & notes: You can read a bunch of Yarty-Gulak stories here (use Google Translate), or in this book.
Runner-ups: The Cheerful Prince, a Transcarpathian folktale about a girl who has to spin gold, and a very optimistic prince who falls in love with her. Also, the journey of Malei and her child to bring back the sun (Zhuang folktale, here).
What would you do if you were as small as a camel's ear? What would your greatest adventures and challenges be?
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteCreative, yet again... of course the Sun holds all the child-like qualities and I love how you are placing these cards in unexpected Categories!!! YAM xx
Sounds like Tom Thumb! I do love trickster characters.
ReplyDeleteIf I were the size of a camel's ear, approximately 3-6 inches tall, I would own a flea circus and be outstanding in my field. Your stories have so much imagination. I like the Sun card because it is about joy and optimism.
ReplyDeleteI love the stories where somebody happens upon something or someone that brings them such fortune by giving the thing or person a chance.
ReplyDeleteUsually a trickster tends to cause mayhem. Nice that Yarty-Gulak uses his skills to help those he loves. Weekends In Maine
ReplyDeleteThis is really fun A-Z project. I seem to remember Tom Thumb being a similar story. I like the context and the story combined! Super cool. I may need your help with a project. :D
ReplyDeleteGreat story! I'm not tall myself but a little more than a camel's ear ;) Nice to play a genie, whispering good thoughts to people!
ReplyDeleteQuilting Patchwork & Appliqué
If I were a camel's ear size I could have a matchbox for a bed like Thumbelina :)
ReplyDeletehttps://pagesfromjayashree.blogspot.com/2021/04/c-curses-and-charms.html
I used to use the Mythic Tarot but its great to have another set of myths to go with the Tarot - I will be back
ReplyDeletehttps://how-would-you-know.blogspot.com/
A mischeivous yet caring little chap it seems. Me, I'd get up to all kinds of tricks, but in a nice way!
ReplyDeleteHere's my C!
Another great Storytelling & Tarot post.
ReplyDeleteStopping in from A to Z: https://writingiscommunication.wordpress.com/2021/04/03/c-character/
Love this tale and Yarty Gulak.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, this is the 3rd blog I've visited today which features the sun. Hmmm...one wonders.
If I were small as a camel's ear, I would not have to be trying to do these blog posts everyday. LOL. I would be too small to type.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I read a story once about children turned tiny by magic. They had an adventure in a cake, had to eat their way out through all its different but delicious layers. I wanted to be one of them. I always liked cake.
ReplyDeleteI like trickster stories! If I were that small I think I'd be most concerned with not being stepped on. That and not ending up in a circus freak show.
ReplyDeleteTriscketrs are always fun characters. But I've more often seen them portraiyed and grown up men rather than chilren.
ReplyDeleteI like this character :-)
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter - The Great War
I like stories where children are taken in by old couples and they make each other happy. Yarty-Gulak sounds like someone who kept the parents young with his shenanigans!
ReplyDeleteI know I will love Yarty-Gulak already.. he sounds familiar even though I know he is not (to me)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. I got handmade tarot cards for a friend for her birthday.
ReplyDeleteGreat theme focusing on tarot cards, then following it with a story that reflects that theme. I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the story of Yarty-Gulak. I remember seeing a movie as a child about the Incredible Shrinking Man. Life can get very complicated when you are small, especially when you come across a spider.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see a connection between children and sunshine.
ReplyDeleteI would spy on lots of people if I were that tiny, and get into lots of mischief I wouldn't have to take the blame for.
ReplyDeleteInteresting folkloric figure.
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for the A-Z Challenge with an A-Z of Faerie: Cunning Cats