This year, my A to Z Challenge theme is Body Folktales. Enjoy!
Atdlarneq the Great Glutton (Greenland Inuit)
This story is about a hunter who keeps taking more food from the sea than he needs. One day he ends up in a house with three beautiful women. Soon the master of the house comes home: a man-like monster whose cheeks are made of copper. He'd a creature of legend, capable of causing great damage by bashing people with his copper cheeks. He forces the hunter to eat and eat and eat, and the hunter learns a lesson about not gorging himself ever again.
How an old man lost his wen (Japan)
A classic "gift of the fairies" tale with a Japanese twist. An old man with a large growth on his face comes across a group of oni (demons) having a party in the woods. He cheerfully joins in, and his dancing is so entertaining that the creatures want him to return the next day. They take the growth off his cheek, assuming it is something valuable that he'll surely return for. The old man has a mean and greedy neighbor with a similar growth, who takes his place the next night. He behaves so rudely that the demons give him the other growth as well, and he returns home with two.
The legend of Mongán son of Fiachna (Ireland)
This is a legend about an Irish hero named Mongán, son of the sea king Manannan Mac Lir. He unwittingly exchanges his wife for some cattle with a neighboring king, and then goes through various adventures to win her back (using trickery learned from his divine father). Finally he meets an old hag, and transforms her into Princess Ibhell of the Bright Cheeks, putting a love-charm on her cheeks that makes the old king fall in love with her. The king exchanges Mongán's wife for the bright-cheeked princess - and has a rude awakening the next morning when the spell wears off.
The Queen of Many Colors (Hungary)
This folktale begins with a queen who has a magic ability: the color of her cheeks changes every hour into a different shade (in some versions, she has seventy-seven different colors). She declares that her son may only marry a girl who has the same exact power. This kicks off a long quest for the prince, who completes tasks to win the only such princess in the world with the help of a friendly ghost.
Which story do you like the most? Do other cheeky stories come to mind?
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From just this information, I think I like the Japanese tale best. Although the Hungarian one has me intrigued as to what adventures he goes through and how on earth there might be anyone with the same power as his mother!
ReplyDeleteIt's always fun learning new folk tales. Thanks for visiting!
All great tales, but I think I like the first one the most.
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for C:
My Languishing TBR: C
Cannibalistic Fae: Ogres
The last two stories are my favourite I like the idea of colourful cheeks that change color, and being Irish, love the tales you are sharing. The Hag story in various forms is always my favourite. https://theroadtobeingapublishedwriter.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting story about the hunter that keeps taking more than he needs.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.melodyjacob.com/2023/04/how-to-style-black-jumpsuit.html
Japan #1 and Ireland #2 - love these!
ReplyDeleteMy A to Z Blogs
DB McNicol - Small Delights, Simple Pleasures, and Significant Memories
My Snap Memories - My Life in Black & White
I like the one where the mean old man got TWO growths on his cheek! Hah!
ReplyDeleteThere clearly has been a lack in my education - so far I've known none of these fabulous body part tales. I like the Japanese tale best, but the fashionista in me (not really) thinks having color-changing cheeks would be quite wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThe Japan story is great. Such an obvious moral but in a charming presentation.
ReplyDeleteA cheeky little post! Imagine changing your colour like a Chameleon or better still a cuttlefish...
ReplyDeleteI like the Inuit tale about the glutton who was forced to eat. Would like to know more about that giant with the copper cheeks, though. Wouldn’t like to have been one of the women of his household!
ReplyDeleteOops, forgot to identify myself again!
ReplyDeleteOh, this time I knew one of the fables: the japanese one! I like it prettty much but my favorite was this time Mongan andthe princess of the bright cheeks.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from : https://steampunkcowunicorn.wordpress.com/2023/04/09/c-is-for-cicerone/
Sorry for the typos, my old tablet makes funny things sometimes, hihi.
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