Most people have heard of Swan Maidens. These mythological creatures can change their appearance from swan into woman. The tales in which they feature often tell about a young man who steals the swan maiden's most precious possession: her magical feathery robe which allows her to transform into a swan when she wants to. When …
What image crosses your mind when you think of Beauty and the Beast? I see a beautiful princess wearing a glittering yellow gown and a boar-like creature with tusks dancing in a splendid ballroom. It's a fairy tale that is close to my heart. Besides being one of my favourite Disney films, Belle's love for …
I was a late developer. Slow to walk, dragging one leg after the other in a sporadic crawl, I found other ways to move around. My voice took a while too; in class I was quiet, introspective, studious. So it remained, year after torturous school year: the frog dancing in my throat as I raised my tremulous hand to speak, the ragged crimson flush which crept across my cheeks, my chin, my chest the moment anyone looked in my direction.
At fifteen, I experienced an awakening. I’m not sure which came first, the confidence or the sideways glances, but it was if I had woken up and burst from the chrysalis which hampered me all these years. I perfected my lolloping swagger, honed my sneer to perfection, slashed and dyed my mousey brown locks into a honey tinted bob and dared anyone to mention it with a withering stare. I…
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While writing my blog post about The Little Mermaid last week I couldn't help but thinking of Melusine. Melusine's story is very alike but also so different that she deserves a blog post of her own. Like Ariel, she has a fishtail, but unlike Ariel she doesn't belong in the sea, but in sacred springs …
As a child I was infatuated with fairy tales. I can still hear my mother sigh as I re-watched 'The Little Mermaid' for the third time on the same rainy Sunday afternoon. Now I'm in my late twenties and still addicted to fairy tales. Who wants to grow up anyway? What fascinated me then was …
Notebooks are for me the place where characters get their voice, where plots are outlined, and where the story begins. That's why I've a duffel bag crammed with used notebooks, and a second duffel bag crammed with unused notebooks patiently waiting to be filled with my sloppy handwriting. I'm not a writing expert, and I …
Continue reading Notebooks, and why they have improved my writing.
In my previous post I summed up some magical wintry fairy tales. Equally enchanting, but in a scary way, are the monsters that make you shiver, the creatures that will destroy Christmas, and the beings that haunt snow-covered moors. So, here are three very fascinating but truly terrifying folkloric beings that have plagued this planet …
Continue reading Frightening folkloric beings that wake up during winter.
Photo by Egor Kamelev on Pexels.com It's said that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and I quite agree. But for me it’s not the flashing lights and glittering figurines hanging in Christmas trees, nor is it the smell of cinnamon glühwein or the image of Santa Claus smiling at me while …
Hello everyone, Welcome to my website! I have to admit that I'm quite nervous about launching a website. Self-doubt is my biggest adversary, and it's not an easy thing to combat. I'm trying to put all of these uncertainties aside, and go for it anyway. Introducing myself is not one of my strongest points either, …
Signe Maene 