#Genie Frances

[tuttle-did-it]

The always delightful David Ogden-Stiers (M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Star Trek Next Gen, The Dead Zone), Marcia Wallace (Bob Newhart Show), Genie Francis (General Hospital, Young and Restless), Jeff Conway (Taxi) and James Sloyan (Star Trek Next Gen, VOY) in Murder She Wrote

season 3 episode 5 Corned Beef and Carnage

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Noël Hallé (French, 1711-1781) Les Génies de la Poésie, de l'Histoire, de la Physique et de l'Astronomie, 1761 Musée des beaux-arts d'Angers

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Diamond cutting workshop of Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Pays de Gex region of eastern France

French vintage postcard

[lee-sanghyeok]

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THE MAGIC LAMP WAS JUST ABOUT A BUNCH OF KOREAN MEN GOING TO MONTPELLIER TO DRINK WINE I HATE IT HERE IM SO JEALOUS

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L'Hérault _Olargues par Olivier Boyer Via Flickr : 050827_Sony_DSC09690_HDR le genie du jardin en pot www.minervois-caroux.com/fr/decouvrir/nos-villages/olargu...

[adarkrainbow]

Some scholarly notes about the Grimm fairytales (1)

Recently in France (well... for the last two dozen years), the publishing house José Corti has been specializing itself in scientific fairytales collections. While for the study of literary fairytales one would go towards Honoré Champion, when it comes to folktales and fairytales it is José Corti one must check. In their "Merveilleux" collection they have been publishing for the very first time in France or republishing out-of-prints collections of various European fairytales (from Denmark, Spain, Romania, and more) - with a few classics of the "literary" fairytales that marked deeply the evolution of the genre (such as Straparola's Facetious Nights or Ludwig Bechstein's fairytales).

All of that to say, José Corti has in 2009 published the most recent scientific (but for an all-public) edition of the brothers Grimm fairytales. The full collection of their fairytales, translated accurately in French, with annotations about their type/classification, their evolution throughout editions and their predecessors. I can't share all of these annotations with you, of course, but I can share a handful of them, about the most famous stories of the Grimm. They all come from the same person who translated the story in this edition: Natacha Rimasson-Fertin. (Of course my notes might be incomplete but hey, you'll have to buy the books to see the whole thing :p Or check them out at your local library)

The devil with three golden hairs (Der Teufel mit den dre goldenen Haaren)

This story is at the crossroa between the Aa-Th 461 "Three hair from the devil's beard" ; the AT 460B "The quest for fortune" and the AT 93à "Urie's letter/The prophecy".

In the 1812 edition, there were two different versions of this tale. Story number 29 "The story of the devil with three golden hair", told by Amalia Hassenpflug, and number 75, "The phenix", told by her sister Mary. In the second version the devil was replaced by a phoenix, and the hero had to get three feathers. In the 1819 edition the two stories disappeared and were replaced by the version we know today, told by Dorothea Viehmann. Another version that the Grimms had collected in 1812 had a princess falling in love with the woodsman that cuts a tree below her window.

The final episode, where the hero asks three questions to the devil through the old woman, echoes the Pentamerone's "The Seven Doves". Other versions of this story include Asbjörnsen-Moe's "The wealthy Peter Krämer", and Afanassiev's "Marco the Wealthy and Vassili the Unfortunate". The story of the brothers Grimm gathers several references to the Bible: the child throw in the water echoes Moses' abandonment, the letter meant to kill the hero is similar to the one David uses to kill Urie, finally the hair as holders of a being's wisdom and strength is linked to the legend of Samson and Dalila. But many other elements of the story evoke older faiths. The idea of a body of water as the frontier with the Otherworld can be found in the Classical Antiquity with the Greek Charon, and is found in other stories of the volume, such as "Frau Holle" and "The Iron Stove" - it as believed that water formed an obstacle spirits could not cross. The hero's mission recalls a tale of Saxo Grammaticus where Thorkill enters Utgard (the realm of supernatural beings) to steal a hair from the beard of Utgard-loki. The brothers Grimm had noted that the belief in the exceptional fate of a child born with a "hood" was also found in Iceland, where the "caul", called Glückshaut (skin of luck) was the home of a genie that would follow the child all of his life. And indeed, modern research has proven that the name given to this caul, the "fyljia" was also the name of a spiritual double, a tutlar spirit tied to a person or a family. This is why the tradition was to preserve and hide this "pileus naturalis" - in Belgium, it was called a "hem" and its color allowed for divination rituals about the child's future.

The girl without hands (Das Mädchen ohne Hände)

This fairytale is actually a cross between the AT type 706 "The maiden without hands" and the AT 930 "Urie's letter/The prophecy". The story was created by the brothers mixing two versions from Hesse, one told by Mary Hassenpflug, the other by Dorothea Viehmann. The second version lacks this story's introduction and begins with a father trying to marry his own daughter - when she refuses, he cuts off her hands and breasts, and chases her out of his house. It then follows the story. Meanwhile, the first version differs when the heroine is with her child in the forest: an old man tells her to hug three time a tree with her arms, which makes her hands grow again. He also tells her to only open the door of her house to one who will ask to enter "for the love of God" three times in a row - the king will be forced to do this before entering.

Outside of these two main versions, the brothers Grimm collected three additional ones. In the first, the angel that guides the girl is replaced by a small light that descends from the sky ; and the hands of the girl grow back when she plunges her arms in a stream after seeing a blind mouse enter its water to regain its sight. In the second version, a man is upset at his little girl praying for him day and night, but since she refuses to stop despite his demands, he cuts off her tongue. But she prays in thought and makes the sign of the cross, so he cuts off her right hand, then her arm all the way to the elbow, before banishing her. She is saved by a hunter that hides her in his master's domain and feeds her in secret with his master's dogs. When the master discovers this, he decides to raise the girl as his own child. One day she gives money to a poor man, who tells her she will regain her arm and tongue if she goes to drink of a certain stream, and he gives her a magical staff to protect her. When she returns at the lord's house, he marries her. The third version is about a queen banished by her husband with her two children, and is identical to the legend of saint Helen.

Other international versions of the tale include Zingerle's "The pretty daughter of the innkeeper", Basile's "Penta the one-armed girl" and Afanassiev's "The young girl without hands". There are some versions where it is a man that is mutlated, such as Afanassiev's "The brave without legs and the blind brave". The roots of this story date back to the end of the 12th century, and are located in southern England - this tale was the subject of numerous literary adaptations, the most famous being the verse romance of the 13th century "The Beautiful Helen of Constantinople".

The motif of the child sold to the devil is recurring among the Grimm fairytales - even though the character of the devil can be replaced by another supernatural being, such as in "Rapunzel" or "The Nixie of the Mill-Pond". The idea of offering the first thing one sees upon returning home is as old as the Ancient Testament (Judges). This story bears the signs of a heavy Christianiation, and was clearly inspired by the legend of Saint Genevieve of Brabant, falsefely accused of being unfaithful and condemned to death with her newborn child. The executioners take pity on her and she lives alone in the woods for seven years. As with other tales from the Grimm collection, this story mixes the Christian fantasy (the hands that regrow are treated as a Christian miracle) with pagan fantasy (there are several elements of folk-magic, such as the circle the girl draws around her to be protected from the devil, or the accusations of the queen giving birth to a changeling - a changeling also appears in the third story of "The Elves", KHM 39).

The Robber Bridegroom (Der Räuberbräutigam)

This story belongs to the fairytale type Aa-Th 955, named after it: "The robber bridegroom".

The tale was told to Jacob Grimm by Mary Hassenpflug, and was present as early as the 1810 manuscript. However this first version, that the brothers deemed "incomplete" was replaced from the 1812 edition onward by a new version which mixed two versions from Lower-Hesse. The brothers noted the existence of another version where the robber indicated the road to his house to a princess, by tying ribbons around the trees.

Ludwig Bechstein took inspiration from the brothers Grimm's tale to create his own "The Robber Bridegroom". This fairytale, like "Fichter's Bird", belongs to the "Bluebeard cycle" (several tales that the brothers removed from their first edition also belonged to this cycle).

Fitcher's Bird (Fitchers Vogel)

This tale is a variation of the Aa-Th 311 "The heroine rescues herself and her sisters", usually classified under the "Bluebeard" category.

The final text of the Grimms is actually a mix of two different versions of the same story that was told to the brothers by both Friedrike Mannel and Dortchen Wild. The Grimms noted the existence of a version from Hanovre which goes as follow: a poor woodcutter asks his daughter to bring him his meal in the forest, and to show them the way he places peas on the floor. However dwarves notice this, and change the emplacement of the pea so that their path leads to their grotto. The older girl follows the peas, and become the dwarves' slave. Then we have the Bluebeard "forbidden room" motif, and the story goes as the "Fitcher's Bird" goes, as the dwarves lure the two other sisters to their cave. The last sister sticks the feathers on her body by rolling herself in blood (presumably the blood of the dwarves' victims), and there is no resurrection of the sisters. Everybody that meets her on the way call her "geputzter Vogel". The dwarves hunt the girl down and almost catch her just as she reaches her father's house - she is so fast in closing the door that it cuts a piece of her heel. The Grimms also knew of a Dutch version of the story, translated in German, and that was identical to one of their first-editions tales, "The Murder-Castle".

The translation of the name of the "bird" always caused many problems, due to the difficulty of understanding the expression. The brothers Grimm themselves explained the name of the bird by the Icelandic "Fitfuglar", meaning "birds that swim" - as such, the girl would be called "Fitchers-Vogel" because she looks like a swan". However, other people do not agree with this etymology, some linking Fitcher with "Fitze", the thread. Rimasson-Fertin highlights that the expression "Fitchers Fitze", outside of a simple sonority game, might be two variations of the male name Fritz (the diminutive of Friedrich) - other usual diminutives were Fitze, Fitz and Fiete. The brothers Grimm noted that the motif of the blood that cannot be erased was much older than Perrault's Bluebeard - it could be found as early as the "Gesta Romanorum", where a mother who had murdered her child couldn't erase three blood-drops from her hand, forcing her to wear a glove. This story must be compared to the KHM 40, "The Robber Bridegroom".

The Juniper Tree (Von dem Machandelboom)

It is the AaTh 720 "My mother killed me, my father ate me".

Just like the tale of "The Fisherman and his wife", this story was written by the painter P. O. Runge, and the brothers Grimm used it as a model for how they should present their own fairy tales. In fact, we can note sentences almost identical between the two tales.

The brothers noted a variation of the story where the stepmother places her daughter near the pot where her brother cooks, and she forbids her from looking inside. But since the pot boils too much, the girl lifts the lid - then her brother's hand reaches out to her from the cauldron. There is yet another version noted by the Grimm where there are three children, not two, and the stepmother sends them pick up strawberries in the wood, promising an apple to whoever comes back first.

The cruelty of this fairytale earned the brothers a serious criticism from Achim von Arnim - who only tolerated such violence because it echoed the one present in Goethe's Faust. The description "red as blood, white as snow" of course echoes the tale of "Snow-White". The brothers Grimm mentionned in their notes that the juniper tree was a plant believed to have the power to bring back youth - and Rölleke noted that the juniper-tree's red berries were used in folk-magic. It seems to be a very ancient tale due to several very old motifs such as the soul returning in the shape of a bird, a resurrection out of bones, and cannibalism. This tale must be compared to "Brother Lustig", "The Singing Bone" and, of course, "The Fisherman and his wife".

Briar Rose (Dornröschen)

Of course, it is the AaTh 410 "Sleeping Beauty".

This fairytale was present as early as the 1810 manuscript, written by Jacob Grimm from a tale told by Marie Hassenpflug. Research has proven that this story is derived from Charles Perrault's own Sleeping Beauty. We also find back in the German story a motif coming from another famous French literary fairytale, madame d'Aulnoy's "The Hind in the Woods/The Doe in the Woods" (also known as the White Doe). In this story a Crayfish/Lobster fairy announces to the queen she will have a child, and later the same fairy curses the princess as she is born - and what a coincidence! In the first edition of "Briar Rose", the animal that announces the princess' birth is not a frog... but a crayfish. Proving that there is a direct link. As for the name of the princess n German, "Dornröschen", "small briar rose", it actually first appeared in the German translation of a 1730 fairytale by Anthony Hamilton (an Irish man who however spoke and wrote French), "Fleur d'épine" (Thorn flower/Briar flower) - it had been translated in 1790. Bolte and Polivka have also noted a comedy by Gryphius from 1660 whch was named "Die geliebte Dornrose", "The beloved briar rose".

In their notes about the fairytale, the Grimm brothers explicitely compare Briar Rose to the legend of Brunhild asleep behind a wall of fire, cursed into a magical slumber by Odin's "sleep-thorn" and woken up by Sigurd, the only one able to cross the wall of flames. The brothers Grimm were also aware of Basile's version of the story, "Thalia, Sun and Moon", which they compared to their own Briar Rose in their notes. The brothers were very fascinated by the consistant naming of the princess' children from Perrault (Dawn, Day) to Basile (Sun, Moon) and compared it to the occurences of "Day, Sun and Moon" as names within the Eddas. However we know that Perrault was heavily inspired by Basile's story when writing his own Sleeping Beauty, and only modified some parts so as to erase the more shocking and "unpleasant" parts (such as the married prince having sex with the sleeping girl). Of course, this story is also to be compared with the 14th century medieval tale of the Roman de Perceforest.

The wise women that appear in this story are the Germanic equivalent of the fairies. In fact, we know that the brothers Grimm carefully avoided (or erased) any mention of "Fee" (the German word for the English "fairy" and French "fée") from their tales, so as to better differentiate them from the French "fairy tales", "contes de fées". By turning the fairies into wise women making predictions at the child's birth, the Grimms notably opened an entire set of symbolism and interpretations linking them to the mythological figures of the Norns, Parcae and Moirai.

Snow White (Schneewittchen)

Of course, it is the AaTh 709 "Snow-White".

The full editing history of this tale was only "recently" recreated (the book was published in 2009, it was recent back then) in its entirety. We know that it begins in 1808 with a version collected by Ferdinand Grimm, brother of Jacob and Wilhelm, called "Schneeweibchen". It seems Ferdinand might have invented the story on his own. Wilhelm and Jacob then slowly modified it, by adding details from other collected versions, before publishing it in their first edition in 1810 (they did note at the time that it was a Lower-Germany story, and that in Upper-Germany the tale did exist but with the deformed name of "Schliwitchen". When the Grimms did their second edition, the main change they performed onto this story was the modification of the wicked mother into a wicked stepmother - something they also did for "Hansel and Gretel". In fact, from edition to edition the Grimms kept adding adjectives and expressons highlighting the opposition between the girl and the vain queen.

Th Grimms had collected several variations of the tale. One was much closer to the tale of "The Juniper Tree" and in it the queen, as she was with the king on a hunting sled, cut her finger while peeling an apple. In another variation the king and queen were walking by three mounts of snow, than went by three pools of blood, and finally saw three ravens in the sky, and each time the king wishes for a girl with the corresponding colors - soon afterward the couple encountered a little girl fitting this description. The king, immediately attached to her, takes her with him in their royal carriage, but the queen immediately hates her and tries to get rid of her - so she asks the girl to go seek a glove she threw out of the window, and while she is out of the carriage she asks the driver to leave as fast as he can. Then the little girl takes refuge at the seven dwarves' house.

The fairytale existed in German literature before the brothers Grimm published it. Indeed J. A. Musaüs had published in 1782 a fairytale called "Richilde" - and the Grimm were influenced by this tale, since in the margins of their first edition, they noted about Snow-White "It is Musaüs' Richilde". There was also a Snow-White story that had been published in 1809 in a fairytale book by A. L. Grimm (no relationship to the brothers Grimm). The Brothers Grimm did note the striking similarity between this story and the Norse pseudo-historical legend of Snäsridr, the beautiful wife of "Harald with fair hair", a wife that, when she died, stayed in her prime state so that it seemed she was still alive.

This fairy-tale has a very wide area of spreading, as it can be found from Ireland to Turkey passing by central Africa. It is especially present in the literary Italian compilations of fairytales. Basile has three variations of the story in his Pentamerone: "The raven", "Nennillo and Nennella" as well as "The she-cook".

The various virtues that Snow-White shows in this tale made her one of the big role models within the education of bourgeoisie girls in the 19th century - alongside Cinderella, of course. In fact, according to H-J Uther's analysis of the story, it is because of all her virtues that Snow-White's beauty does not fade away and stays undamaged even in death, unlike her wicked stepmother whose vices causes the fading of her charms. Finally, this fairytale is actually the proof that the brothers Grimm did not simply listed their fairytales one after the other in a random order, but deliberately created "bridges" and internal references to create a cohesive world within their book. Indeed, the mention of the snowflakes looking like feathers references "Frau Holle", while the glass coffin can be found back in, of course, "The Glass Coffin", and the blood-drops on the snow evokes "The Juniper Tree".

Rumpelstilzchen

Yes this story is the famous "Rumpelstilskin" (or Rumpelstiltskin? I never know how to write it in English). But why keep the German spelling? Because Rimasson-Fertin has some stuff to say about it: this name is the diminutive form of "Rumpelstilz", a term that Jacob Grimm defined in his "German Dictionary" as being synonymous with "poltergeist" (he noted a similarity between Poltergeist and Rumpelgeist, both designated a very loud spirit). While today "poltergeist" is mostly associated with ghosts, in a much broader way it designate a dwarf, a dead or a devil - or just any kind of phenomenon caused by witchcraft.

This story corresponds to the AaTh 500 "The name of the supernatural being". This fairytale has an interesting evolution history... Jacob Grimm had a version of it as early as 1808, named "Rumpenstünzchen", which was then slightly modified for the 1810 manuscript. This tale was actually the mix of two different versions - and one of these versions had a different ending. The queen didn't sent messengers searching for the dwarf's name, rather the king spotted the little man while returning from hunting on the third day. The Grimm also noted a variation where the initial situation was reversed: a young girl who had to spin hemp but could only manage to spin gold much to everybody's despair, and a small man appeared to promise her a wedding to a king's son in exchange for her firstborn child. It ended in such a way: the queen herself spotted the small man singing his name, jumping around a fire while riding a ladle like a horse. When she guessed his name, he flew out of the window and into the sky, riding the ladle like a witch's broom. We know that the episode of the spinning of the straw was only added by the Grimm in 1812 (it is not in the 1810 version), and that the final scene of the dwarf self-mutilating comes from a story of Lisette Wild and was added in 1819.

The first literary record of this story is a French fairytale published in 1705 and written by Mlle Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier de Villandon. It was "L'Histoire de Ricdin-Ricdon" (The Tale of Ricdin-Ricdon), published in her "La Tour ténébreuse et les jours lumineux" (The Shadowy tower and the luminous days). It had been translated in German by Johann Gottwert Müller in 1790, under the title "Straubfedern", "Ostrich feathers". As for the name "Rumpelstilzchen", it actually originates from Johann Fischart's Grman adaptation of the French "Gargantua", "Geschichtklitterung" (1584) - in it, Fischart lists various children game by name, and mentions a "Rumpele stilt oder der Poppart".

This fairytale type is very present in Western, Central and Northern Europe (British Isles and Ireland included), with also a few spottings in the Baltic countries, China and Japan. The name of the supernatural being always changes from one region or country to the next (in Swiss it is Hans-Öfeli, in Dutch Trillevip, in Swedish Titteliture, in Finnish Tuttirituli, in the Suffolk it is Tom Tit Tot, in Welsh Gnarwynathrot, in Irish it is Eve-Trot or Trit-a-Trot...). It is part of the enormous success of this tale-type: every country has to invent its own brand of nonsensical, un-guessable name. As for the rhymed song through which the dwarf betrays its name, it is found in England as "Nimmy nimmy not / My name is Tom Tit Tot", and in an Afro-American version of North Carolina "I'm so glad that she do not know / That my name is Tabutoe Tambutoe".

The brothers Grimm noted that in Germanic mythology it was typical for underground beings (aka dwarfs) to have names that are not usual among humankind, which is why, again according to them, the dwarf of this story would feel in perfect safety proposing the queen such a game. The rule according to which obtaining the name of a supernatural being means gaining a form of power over them is very common, and is even reused in another one of the Grimm stories: KHM 136, "Iron John". H. Rölleke did an analysis of the names the queen proposes at first: we have the three names of the Magi, aka the Three Wise Men, or King-Magi, which gives a Christian setting to the story, and could also serve as a metonymy for all the saint names found in the Christian calendar. As for "Heinz" and "Kunz", Rölleke sees in them the diminutives of the names of the medieval emperors Heinrich and Konrad, which used to be some of the most popular male names among German-speaking countries.

All-Kinds-of-Fur (Allerleirauh)

It corresponds to the AaTh 510B "The dresses of gold, silver and stars", also known as "Donkey Skin", after the famous Charles Perrault fairytales.

The story we read today was the one told to the Grimm by Dortchen Wild, but there was a variation of it told to the brothers by Jeannette Hassenpflug, "Princess Mouse-Skin", which was present in the 1812's edition of the volume (n°71) but was then moves to the annotations as a mere mention. The version of the story from the first draft (the 1810 manuscript) was called "Allerlei Rauch", "All Kinds of Smoke", and was heavily inspired by one of the tales present within the novel "Schilly" by Carl Nehrlich.

The line "God forbade a father from marrying his daughter. Nothing good can come from this sin which will cause the kingdom's decadence" was added in the 1819 edition, and references a tale of Albert Ludwig Grimm called "Brunnenhold und Brunnenstark". The brothers Grimm insisted even more on the condamnation of the sin of incest when rewriting the story for their "small collection" for kids, and also insisted heavily upon a political extension of such a decision, which would damage the state itself. It is actually an allussion to the failure of the Frankfort Parliament, which had been gathered in 1848 at the Paulskirche in an attempt to create a constitution for all of Germany - to which Jacob Grimm had taken part.

A variation of the story collected in Paderborn has the last coat made of all the furs of the kingdom, plus moss and various forest-related material. In this version, the heroine puts the cloak on top of her three beautiful dresses before fleeing, and she hides in an empty tree where she is discovered, not during a hunting party, but by woodsman that cut off the tree she was sleeping into, to bring wood to the king. All-Kinds-of-Fur works in the castle's kitchen but one day as she is preparing the soup, the king has her sit on his chair so she can delouse him (a motif also present in "The Devil with Three Golden Hair). As she does, the king glimpses the beautiful shining dress under the cloak's sleeve, and this is how he discovers the girl's true appearance. Another variation of the story yet, also collected in Paderborn, has the heroine pretending to be mute. One day the king hits her with a whip, it rips apart the coat, revealing the golden dress underneath.

Not all the German versions of the story include the incest motif. In Musaüs' take on the story, "Die Nymphe des Brunnens", "The Nymph of the Well", the heroine leaves her father's castle because it has been destroyed. Her godmother, an undine, gifts her a small magical box and when she leaves the ball she says "Night behind me and day before me / Might nobody see me!". As for the version of Hassenpflug, "Princess Mouse-Skin", it begins as the KHM 179, "The Goose-Girl at the Well": a king wants to know which of his three daughters love him the most, the first says she loves him more than the whole kingdom, the second more than pearls and precious stones, the third more than salt. The furious father has the last princess be sent into the woods to be killed, but the servant tasked with the execution spares her out of pity, and gives her, by her request, a coat made of mice skin. The rest of the story goes like within "All-Kinds-of-Fur", except for the final wedding, to which the father-king is invited. All the dishes served to him are without salt, and he ends up saying he prefers to die rather than continue eating without salt. The princess-daughter reveals herself and points out how he tried to had her killed for loving him more than salt. Her father begs her for forgiveness, and the tale ends with her accepting.

The motif of the incest can, however, be found back in a variation of the KHM 31 (The Girl Without Hands) that the Grimms collected, and where the father mutilates the daughter for refusing to marry him. The motif of the king trying to marry his own daughter has been attested in many, many European stories ever since the 12th century. As for the boots that are thrown in the heroine's face in the Grimm story, while in the final edition it has no follow-up, in the 1812 edition it was a recurring element forming a motif within the tale. Another German version of the story that preserved this structure that the Grimms erased is the story collected by Vernaleken, "Throw-Broom, Throw-Brush and Throw-Comb". In it the king throws out of anger at the face of the heroine (Adelaide) a broom, a brush and a comb. Every time she goes to the ball, she changes her pseudonym to fit which item hit her (one night she is "Throw-Broom", another she is "Throw-Brush", etc...). There are many, many variations of the story containing such a "name play".

Other famous examples of this variation, outside of Charles Perrault's Donkeyskin, include Straparola's "The maiden in the chest", Basile's "The She-Bear", Afanassiev's "Pig-Skin".

Jorinde and Joringel (Jorinde und Joringel)

It corresponds to the AaTH 405, named and created after this story, "Jorinde and Joringel".

The interesting thing with this story is that the brothers Grimm did not collect it from a direct source. Rather they lifted it, to the exact word, from the autobiography of Johann Heinrich Jung, "Jugend/Youth", published in 1779. The brothers deemed that the way Jung-Stilling had written the tale was the "perfect" way to tell the story, according to their definition of a fairytale. Though they did note the existence of a version of the story told in Schwalm - but which differs very little from the story of Jung-Stilling.

The brothers Grimm themselves noted a similarity between this story, and the KHM 123, "The Old Woman in the Wood". Rimasson-Fertin notes that the witch in this story is to be compared to the ones appearing in "Hansel and Gretel" and in "Little Brother and Little Sister". As for the name of the demon the witch invokes, "Zachiel", H. Rölleke identified it as a form of "Zachariel", a demon name coming from the very popular 17th century demonology grimoire "Clavicula Salomonis", "The Clavicles of Salomon".

[tiva-fic-challenges]

The September challenge is getting close! ❤️ We're very excited to dive into such a special TIVA episode. 🎶 "Like we were in Paris"...

Are you struggling to come up with fic ideas? We have prompt suggestions and ways you could explore this! Have fun with it!

🛏️ "The One-Bed trope"

By the end of the episode, the audience realizes both Tony and Ziva lied about who took the couch. But what really happened? Did they fight to get the one bed? Or did they silently agree to it? Was it funny or vulnerable? We'd love to know!

✈️ "The Before-Sunrise trope"

Having to stay the night in France to escort their witness the next day, the audience realizes both Tony and Ziva spent a whole night alone in Paris. What did they talk about? Did they see any sights? What changed them? Romance in the city of love!

🥐 "The Casablanca trope"

Only one night? Scrap that! What would happen if Tony and Ziva had more time in Paris, now knowing they couldn't live without each other? La Marseillaise plays in the background... And Rick and Isla stay together in our version 😌 Change the story!

🔥 "The Forced-Proximity trope"

So, there's only one room available and only one bed... And could you please not sleep shirtless? Why are your pajamas so flimsy in the middle of the European winter? And... is that your hand under the covers? We like heat! Write about it ;)

🦴 "The Skeletons-In-Our-Closets trope"

Jet Lag 7x13 happens right after Tony and Ziva overcome what happened in 7x01 in Somalia. But is everything truly resolved? These are complex, I-can't-talk-about-it characters. They can't help but worry about each other. Make them talk!

💌 "The Elizabeth-Bennet trope"

We discover later in the series that Ziva has a habit of writing about a lot of canon events in her diaries. There surely must have been an entry about Paris in them, must have not? What was she thinking during their stay there? Be her outlet!

🛵 "The Back-To-The-Future trope"

Discuss Paris. Tony has an entry on his bucket list that we never got to see: why would he need to later discuss it with Ziva? In Paris, it's difficult not to be in love. Well, now's the time! Be their genie inside the lamp, grant him this wish!

📸 "The Family-Heirloom trope"

Years later, Tali may ask about what that Ziva in Paris photo meant. We know it was Tony's favorite picture—the only one with someone in it. But what about the others? What memories do they guard? Tell Tali the secrets Tony and Ziva still hold dearly!

more information about the September TIVA fic writing challenge is in our pinned post! have fun with it ❤️

[jadedandconfusedao3]

And Then Make The Sucker Disappear

Draco was so angry that he didn’t know what to say or what to think. The sight of Hermione getting close to that evil creature filled him with fury. He knew it was jealousy and he knew he had overreacted, but he couldn’t help how he felt.

“That was hardly necessary,” Varek commented after she left.

The sadistic genie was leaning nonchalantly against his dresser. Draco hated the very sight of him. He was a physical reminder of everything Draco had done.

He picked out clothes and stalked into the shower. His parents were expecting him for brunch out in the main dining room and his father would give him hell if he was late. Sighing, Draco recalled the last interaction they’d had. The man had thrown him against a wall and threatened to rape his former wife. He was at least thankful Astoria had been saved from that.

This version of his father wouldn’t remember that altercation but there were plenty of other instances where he had done similarly monstrous things. Draco stepped under the warm water and banged his head against the tile. His mother should have left years ago, but she loved the man, however ill-advised that feeling was.

When he finished bathing, Varek was still in his room, looking bored.

“Would you fuck off already?” Draco hissed.

Varek’s eyes flashed. “Would Master Malfoy like me to make myself invisible?”

Draco stalked out the door. “I don’t give a shit.”

By the time he made his way down to the dining room his mother and father were already seated. From an outsider’s point of view, he was sure it must look like a sweet domestic scene. However, he could tell, from the red in his mother’s eyes and the way his father tapped his finger on the tablecloth that there was something sinister underneath the surface.

His parents were both still very attractive people. Narcissa looked like she had barely aged. Her face was youthful, a true testament to the longer lives of wizarding folk. The only indication she was not as young as she seemed was the slight hint of grey at her temples. His father, on the other, hand had settled into his looks. Rather than turning grey, his hair had lost colour all together, turning pure white. His face had simply grown more chiselled and severe as time passed.

“Good morning,” Draco greeted politely.

Narcissa smiled and Draco’s heart melted. No one could deny his mother’s love when she looked at him like that. It was like he was the centre of the world. A fact he firmly believed his father hated and for which he had been torturing Draco his entire life.

“Good morning, darling,” she crooned as she stood and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Good morning, Draco,” his father said gruffly from his seat.

As Draco circled around to take the spare chair, the man took another sip of his tea. Draco lowered himself and his mother poured him a cup of the Berlingot Alizes winds Tea that she imported from France. Mipsy popped into existence beside him and clicked her fingers, making the breakfast dishes appear on the table.

“Thank you, Mipsy,” Draco murmured.

His father glared at him as Mipsy handed him his napkin. The man had never approved of Draco’s treatment of the elves.

“Mipsy dropped the Miss off exactly as you requested, Master.” The little elf chirped. “I also checked that she got inside safely.”

Lucius stilled and Draco grimaced. “Thank you, Mipsy. You may go.”

“I thought I felt an aberration in the wards last night.” His father grated out. “It had not occurred to me to check whether that person had left. Really, Draco? Random one-night stands? At your age?”

Draco cleared his throat. “That matter was conducted discretely.”

Draco briefly wondered how many people had seen he and Granger making out in the park. He was reasonably sure no one had been there. Though he admitted he had been slightly distracted. Regardless, the lie will serve for now.

“Draco,” his mother cajoled. “We just want to see you happy, sweetheart. It’s been years.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “My friend Esme is visiting at the moment. You remember her daughter, Celine?”

Draco heart clenched. Celine was a lovely girl. She really was. Pretty and poised and everything a pureblood scion should want in a wife. Exactly like Astoria had been.

“Mother – I –”

“Excellent choice,” Lucius interrupted. “The Auvergne Family are a proud and noble French line. She is related to their current King.”

“I don’t need any help finding a wife, Father,” Draco objected.

Lucius slammed his cutlery down on the table. “If you didn’t need any help you’d be married by now.” He glared at Draco. “You will meet Celine and you will make a good impression. The Malfoy line need an heir, Draco.”

“Yes, Father.” Draco, grit his teeth. “When will I be meeting with her?”

His mother flashed him a grateful smile. “I’ll set it up for this afternoon.”

“Peachy,” Draco grumbled as he stabbed his eggs.

Read the rest on Ao3.

[queenofquestions]

Off Menu Tag

So the brilliant @the-eclectic-wonderer tagged me in this game and I'm just going to apologize to @valentinaonthemoon right now because I'm going to 100% misinterpret the point of this game.

The thing is, I got this this morning and I was thinking about my favorite foods and they just don't go together at all! Like my favorite dish is probably a Thai yellow curry but my favorite drink is definitely a root beer float and so on. But together, like yuck! So I was really really stuck.

But then I remembered this is a genie and they have magic and I actually do have a list of foods I desperately want to eat and will never ever get the change to have. So without further ado...

You're in your dream restaurant and a genie waiter is ready to take your meal order:

Where does my dream meal take place: late Cretaceous North America, about 66 mya on the day the asteroid kills the dinosaurs. Because I'd get to see dinosaurs and then I'd get to see a brilliant falling star and then an explosion and then the sky would look like it had caught on fire due to all the debris shot up into the atmosphere and burning up.

Still or sparkling water: still. I don't really get the whole sparkling water thing tbh.

Poppadoms or Bread: if these are my only choices probably bread especially if I can have it with jam. But if I can choose anything of this type, chips and salsa and guac because I just got back home from France and I have been craving it so much.

Dream Starter: This is where I'm going to go off the deep end and say a like Spanish tortilla style omelet made out of elephant bird eggs because I really want to know what those taste like. They're so big!!!

Dream Main Course: easy. Velociraptor meat. I want to settle one of the most pressing paleontology questions of all time: did dinosaurs taste like chicken?

Dream Side Dish: Follow me on a detour out of bird/dinosaur land and into the world of archaeology. I desperately want to try some plant dishes from the Eastern Agricultural Complex. There's archaeological evidence that the people in the American Midwest had domesticated plants like sunflower, marsh elder, squash and goosefoot (a chenopod like quinoa) before the arrival of maize from Central America. The domesticated versions of these plants are completely lost and I'm desperate to try a dish made out of them.

Dream Drink: I have no idea. Mammoth milk?

Dream Dessert: Now, because I'm pretty sure none of the stuff on my list actually tastes very good I'm going to go ahead and choose something actually tasty to help get the taste of dead dinosaur out of my mouth. My favorite dessert is lemonade cake. It's a confetti cake that has been soaked in condensed lemonade. It's sickeningly sweet, super sour, and topped with an incredibly large amount of whipped cream :)

Tagging, absolutely no pressure: I'm thinking @herbirdglitter cause you always like the archaeology stuff and @val-bespoke because you know I love talking to you about foods which foods we can't possibly believe the other person hasn't tried

[plif-0465]

bonjour a vous moi sui sde st genis de saintonge route de bordeaux

Salut tu est de quel ville je suis en France et je suis à Niort près de la Rochelle

[donaruz]

Sono passati 30 anni da quel 5 aprile del 1994, quando Kurt Cobain, leader del gruppo Nirvana, si suicidò con un fucile calibro 20 compratogli dall’amico Dylan Carlson, il frontman degli Earth.

Il corpo verrà ritrovato solo l’8 aprile dall’elettricista Gary Smith presso il garage della casa di Seattle sul lago Washington. "

Accanto al corpo, una scatola contenente droga, un cucchiaio, aghi, sigarette e un paio di occhiali da sole, così come hanno rivelato alcune immagini scattate dopo il ritrovamento del corpo e rese note alcuni giorni fa. Poco sangue, quasi nulla, e una lettera indirizzata alla moglie Courtney Love e alla figlia Frances Bean.

Il leader dei Nirvana, da molti considerato il vero padre del grunge, è morto come aveva vissuto, stordito dai farmaci e dalla droga, imprigionato - le parole sono le sue - nella paura di vivere e “avverso al genere umano”, a tal punto da non avere più “nessuna emozione”. “It’s better to burn out then to fade away (E’ meglio bruciare in fretta che spegnersi lentamente)”, scrive Cobain nel suo commiato, citando Neil Young (che oggi dice: “Se avessi avuto la possibilità di parlare con lui gli avrei detto di mollare tutto, di fare altre cose, di allontanarsi da quel mondo”).

L’inizio - letterale - della sua fine ha una data ben precisa. Due mesi prima del suicidio, il 3 marzo, in una suite dell’hotel Excelsior in via Veneto a Roma, Cobain andò in overdose. Con lui c’erano la moglie e la figlia, nella capitale per trascorrere qualche giorno di relax dopo l’ultimo concerto del tour europeo dei Nirvana, a Monaco. Già in quella occasione molti parlarono di tentato suicidio. Ricoverato al Policlinico Umberto I, Cobain fu poi trasferito all’American Hospital, prima di tornare negli States.

Le settimane successive furono un lungo preludio alla fine annunciata. Depressione, droga, molta droga, tranquillanti, e nessuna voglia di vedere la luce del sole. L’uomo simbolo del grunge aveva semplicemente scelto di morire. Da solo. Un altro nome nella macabra lista del ‘Club 27’, che allora contava, fra gli altri, anche Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix e Brian Jones, tutti geni della musica morti tragicamente a 27 anni. A loro, il 23 luglio 2011, si è unita anche Amy Winehouse.

[church-history]

The  12th c. Templar Chapel of Cressac Saint-Genis

South of Angoulême, in France, lies the small chapel of Cressac Saint-Genis built in the 12th century by the Order of the Temple, more commonly know in modern day as the Knights Templar.

On the north wall of the chapel, are still visible two "friezes" about one meter high each, one above the other, which tell of the events following the second crusade (1147).

The upper register of the north wall recounts the victory won in 1163 by the Crusaders at al-Buqaia, at the foot of the famous fortress called Krak des Chevaliers. The lower register, a little later, represents an exchange of prisoners on the occasion of a truce.

This beautiful little chapel that has survived religious wars, a revolution, and two world wars, is one of but few existing intact examples of Templar architecture and artwork with very rare depictions of the knights themselves among others in the vibrant frescos.

[the-greatwar]

Reginald, known as Reggie, was the eldest son of William (Bill) Stenning and his wife Emily

Stenning nee Gander. He was born in late 1891 and baptised here on 01/11/1891. His father was a

gardener and the family lived at Treeps Cottage. He is listed at home on both the 1901 and 1911

censuses when he was a baker’s assistant.

Reggie’s papers have recently been digitised but form part of the ‘burnt documents’ severely

damaged in an incendiary attack on the repository during WW2. Reggie’s papers are missing large

sections. It is possible to work out that he joined the 1/1st Sussex (Fortress) Reserve of the Royal

Engineers as a sapper on 16/11/1914 and was numbered T224, the ‘T’ indicating this was a Territorial

unit. This unit was based in Newhaven and their role was local defence. As the dangers of invasion

receded six engineer units formed the 1/1st Sussex Army Troops Company, RE. With their specialist

knowledge they left England on board the Empress of India arriving at Le Havre on 20/03/1915

joining the British Expeditionary Force at Etaples. At some point Reginald was raised to Lance

Corporal and, although the date cannot be read, it is most likely to have been before he entered

France. The Company was employed building accommodation for the arriving troops and hospitals

and roads around Etaples. They were moved to Vimy Ridge in May of 1916. Here their role was to

extend the deep dugout and tunnel systems under the ridge. One of their innovations was to construct

a ropeway slung from the roof to carry the spoil out to the surface. This system was later adopted by

other units. They also built concrete machine gun positions, and if that were not enough, some of

them, reportedly, helped the local farmers with their harvest.

In late 1916 a reorganisation of troop numbering of the Territorial Forces was undertaken. Six figure

numbers were allocated and the Sussex Fortress men were given numbers starting at 545001 on 01/

02/1917. Reggie was renumbered 545119. Just two days before this Reggie was hit in the leg by a

shell splinter. He was taken to 45 Casualty Clearing Station based at ‘Edgehill’ near Dernancourt but

died the following day. He is buried in the Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension in grave IV.

H. 8. He is remembered on both local war memorials.

Grave B102 in the South Avenue Cemetery holds a member of the Stenning family. In 1920 an Act of

Remembrance laid flowers on the graves of all servicemen who had died. Reginald is mentioned in

the newspaper article and it is possible that flowers were laid here. There is no stone.

Reginald, bekend als Reggie, was de oudste zoon van William (Bill) Stenning en zijn vrouw Emily Stenning - Gander. Hij werd eind 1891 geboren en gedoopt op 01/11/1891. Zijn vader was een tuinman en het gezin woonde in Treeps Cottage. Hij staat vermeld op zowel de 1901 als de 1911 gehouden volkstellingen toen hij bakkersknecht was. Reggie's papieren zijn onlangs gedigitaliseerd, maar zijn ernstig beschadigd bij een brandbomaanval op de opslagplaats tijdens WO2. Van Reggie's papieren ontbreken groot gedeelten. Het is mogelijk om eruit op te maken dat hij zich aansloot bij de 1/1st Sussex (Fortress) Reserve van de Royal Genie als sappeur op 16/11/1914 en was genummerd T224, de 'T' gaf aan dat dit een Territorial eenheid was. Deze eenheid was gestationeerd in Newhaven en hun rol was vooral lokale verdediging. Toen de gevaren van een invasie afnamen werden zes genie-eenheden gevormd in de 1/1st Sussex Army Troops Company, RE. Ze verlieten Engeland aan boord van de Empress of India, waar ze op 20/03/1915 in Le Havre aankwamen en zich aansluiten bij de British Expeditionary Force in Etaples. Op een gegeven moment werd Reginald gepromoveerd tot Lance Korporaal en, hoewel de datum niet kan worden achterhaald, is het zeer waarschijnlijk dat het was voordat hij Frankrijk binnenkwam. De compagnie werd ingezet voor het bouwen van accommodatie voor de aankomende troepen en ziekenhuizen en wegen rond Etaples. Ze werden in mei 1916 verplaatst naar Vimy Ridge. Hier was het hun taak om diepe dug-outs en tunnelsystemen onder de heuveltoppen te graven. Een van hun innovaties was het bouwen van een kabelbaan die vanaf het dak wordt gebruikt om de specie naar de oppervlakte te brengen. Dit systeem werd later overgenomen door andere eenheden. Ze bouwden ook betonnen mitrailleurstellingen, en alsof dat nog niet genoeg was, naar verluidt hielpen ze de lokale boeren met hun oogst. Eind 1916 werd een reorganisatie van de troepennummering van de Territoriale Strijdkrachten ondernomen. Zes nummers werden toegewezen en de mannen van Sussex Fortress kregen nummers vanaf 545001 op 01/ 02/1917. Reggie werd omgenummerd tot 545119. Slechts twee dagen eerder werd Reggie in zijn been geraakt door een granaatsplinter. Hij werd naar 45 Casualty Clearing Station gebracht, gestationeerd in 'Edgehill' bij Dernancourt, maar overleed de volgende dag. Hij ligt begraven op de Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension in graf IV. H. 8. Hij wordt herdacht op beide lokale oorlogsmonumenten. In 1920 werd in het kader van de herdenking bloemen op de graven van alle gesneuvelde militairen gelegd. Reginald wordt genoemd in het krantenartikel, gewijd aan deze herdenking.

[james-vi-stan-blog]

This is how Sky tv describes James and George‘s characters:

George:

George begins the series as a naïve romantic, largely protected from the true horrors of the world by his formidable mother. Mary holds a tense but uneasy hold over George as she masterminds his pursuit of the King. But as George grows in power, his relationship with Mary will be pushed to the very limits. George must prove to himself that he can be defined by more than just his beauty. He must make his mark on history, no matter the consequences.

James:

Capricious and unpredictable, James is never happier than when he's either drinking, hunting, feasting, or fucking. Being King is a burden for James. Though, when he cares to show it, he can be a shrewd political operator. But James’ desire to be loved makes him happy to put himself in the power of ambitious and beautiful young men, where he risks the danger of being exploited by tyrannical lovers.

———

So here’s my take on this. From what I gather from these vague descriptions is that George is more the victim of his mother than anyone else’s. He‘s described to be this naive romantic boy in the beginning who does basically everything his mother tells him to do. I think it’s going to be very interesting to see his reaction when his mother tells him of her plans to make him seduce the king. Will he agree to the plan immediately? Will he have doubts and concerns? I think that’s where we determine how much of a victim he really is.

As for James it seems like they’re going for the wanting to be loved scenario instead of just having uncontrollable lust, which I‘m really happy about. This explains why he let his favorites and especially George get away with so much. It also humanises his character and makes him much more sympathetic knowing his hard childhood. I hope we get a scene of him telling George about his past. But yeah I have a hard time believing he‘ll be abusive towards George. At least not physically.

I‘m sorry this turned out to be so long, but I love discussing these people so much.

———

This is Mary Villier‘s character description if you’re interested:

Julianne will be stepping into the shoes of the ambitious Mary Villers, Countess of Buckingham - the woman who would rise to great prominence through her son’s relationship with King James I. Having spent years of her life shackled to her cruel and abusive husband, Mary sees her long-awaited opportunity by pinning the family’s hopes on her second son, George, as she begins to mastermind their ascendency to becoming the most powerful family in England.

Always the smartest person in the room, Mary has never been able to realise her full potential. She is prepared to crush all opposition. She is not easily frightened or threatened by the English establishment who think they can get the better of her.

Thank you for this! (but also wow, so many questions and concerns I had could be addressed by just getting off my ass and readin' the darned website😂)

I think these depictions all sound reasonable. I think starting George as naive works for the story (I wouldn't necessarily assume he was, after finishing in France, but his engagement to Ann Aston could be read that way). It will be entertaining to watch "wide-eyed innocent corrupted by the decadent court" in a reverse of the typical gender assignments. However, I would find it more interesting if George's own ambitions come into play early, and he has more autonomy than simply being his mother's pawn. He is, after all, a man!

Also George "wanting to leave his mark on history" -- pre-emptive oof because when he was tested, he was proven horribly incompetent. (Some failures were not his fault, and he did have some successes. However, I would hate for the show to try to shift fault off George entirely. He was wildly arrogant, a megalomanical fool, and that doesn't need sugarcoating.)

Love-driven James is IMO more historically correct and more entertaining, more potential for tragedy and also showing the genius of George's approach to him. So I'm glad they'll go with that.

overly cautious tw for age difference/csa, etc.

One can guess from this text that Robert Carr is gonna get painted as a "tyrannical lover", which is certainly what James felt him to be at the end. But, I hope that Robert doesn't get too harsh a villain treatment in order to make George more sympathetic. Robert was somewhere 17-21 when he first gained James's attention, younger than George. He also was not nobly born (though he came from more influence than George). It is likely Robert and his friend Thomas Overbury had been trying to rise in position and favor when Robert had his lucky break (ha) in 1607, but still, this is another young man pushed and pulled by factional currents. Robert's downfall is partially his own fault (my impression of him is, uh, that he was not very bright) but also due to the manipulation of the Howard family.

So I mean, who's the victim, who's the abuser? It's all fucked up! There are degrees of gray, and some people are less awful than others. Like, Katherine, George's wife, is believed largely innocent of the scheming of Mary, etc. But anyone who held and exerted power in this period used it to push down and exploit others to get what they wanted. That's how these people got the significance that put them in the history books.

And Mary is doing all this shameless backdoor scheming because... she's a woman! She can't get a job! She can't hold a political position in her own right! What she has at her disposal is a handsome and charming son, and she uses that to benefit not just herself, but her other sons (who were terrible) and her daughter (reasonably not-terrible). She's doing fucked-up stuff, but that stuff is produced by the conditions of patriarchy and social stratification in the period.

Grading each individual character's victimness versus abuserness is just not that interesting to me, compared to exploring how their circumstances affect their psychology, their desires and suffering, and how they try to cope. As well as exploring our real-life queer history which, like all our history, is ugly and soaked in blood, and yet also is the story of real people trying to find fulfillment given their circumstances.

[thebreakfastgenie]

Christmas tag game!

Thanks to @the-cinnamontography-is-amazing for the tag!

It's Festivus for the rest of us so grab your Chanukah bush, your mistletoe, your pagan ritual or whatever brings you joy and come gather round the fire and celebrate your pocket friends

Favorite nickname you’ve ever been given?

Probably Genie! My real name is not conducive to nicknames.

Where are you located?

I live in Boston but right now I'm in Maine!

What season is it where you are now?

Winter... ish. It's flooded, so thanks climate change.

Favorite tradition this time of year?

In 2014 my parents and I toured the Taittinger champagne cave in Reims, France (along with another cave and this was the first time I got drunk) so every year for New Year's Eve we get a bottle of Taittinger. Also my mom's birthday is the 27th and we used to always be traveling and usually with family so her birthday didn't get a lot of attention and got tiny little grocery store cakes, so I make her a cake every year. This year she asked for a cheesecake and it's going to be the best. Also, Hanukkah! My family is multicultural and I wouldn't trade Christmas and Hanukkah for anything.

Favorite holiday food?

Cinnamon rolls! We do them for Christmas brunch.

Mulled wine, eggnog or hot apple cider?

All of the above?? Favorite is probably hot apple cider, but I love eggnog because I love making it.

Turkey, ham or nut roast (Or Tofurkey?)?

We do scallops for Christmas! We do turkey at Thanksgiving and I love it. I also really like spiral ham but my family doesn't make that.

Would you rather spend the December holidays in: a cabin in the woods surrounded by snow, or a house on the beach with sun and sand?

Snowy cabin! As long as it has electricity. The rest of the year I'd pick the beach, though.

Are you pro-snow or anti-snow?

Pro-snow!!

Have you ever built a snowman?

Yes!

Skiing or snowboarding?

Skiing

Favorite holiday movie?

All the Rankin-Bass specials.

Favorite holiday fanfic?

If you were to star in a hallmark movie, who would be your love interest?

Danica McKellar, Hallmark actress who also played Elsie Snuffin in The West Wing.

Tagging (no pressure) @onekisstotakewithme @blue-ravens @movietonight @orangefarmcat @hamiltonsteele @old-wild-child @persianflaw @youngpettyqueen @majorbaby @mariacallous @koboldkatalyst

[serendipminie-writes]

HI MINIE here's some refreshments and a few random blood moon questions :DD

-anything on miss eugenie please 🙏

- is there any prominent symbolism or themes you're planning on including?

- if adelaide was a color, what color would she be?

- free ramble card thee may take as thee wishes

*gasp* Oh hi Stella!!! This was a wonderful surprise! Everything looks divine~

Madame Eugénie!!! What a star, we love her

So fun fact!!! Her nickname, Génie, can be translated two ways. Firstly, to directly mean "genie", for she is the one who makes Adelaide's wish to not be alone a reality. Secondly, it can also translate to "genius" which she absolutely is.

Also she will have a hot manslayer wife

Hmmm prominent symbolism? Couldn't tell you too much but the colour red will be very important...

In the story, there is seemingly no hero, more of simply two anti-heroes both struggling for their own side of the story. Both Adelaide and Julienne have a warped perception on reality, scarred from their pasts, and in a society such as Blood Moon's, where vampires live freely among humans, there is bound to be two sides to everything.

Adelaide would probably be a crimson red, the blood red colour of the scarlet gems in her jewelry. (Red certainly has a pattern lol). Julienne on the other hand would be black and silver, like the leather of her clothes and the quick swipe of her daggers.

Ooh a ramble card!!! I've decided to talk about the lovely Julienne Toussaint (mentioned breifly above lol), who we have not seen so far but is the other mc of the book and is Adelaide's love interest!

She lives in a sketchy part of a Canadian town named Aspenrose Heights, where gangs and illegal activity run rampant under the cover of night. She happens to be the young leader of a mafia herself, an all-woman group that hunts vampires in the goal to make them pay for the innocent human lives they took away.

Her name is French Canadian because representation!!! Whereas Adelaide is France-French, raised in Britain for most of her teenage years. I most definitely plan on playful banter where they speak French at some point, their different accents as a contrast.

Julienne is absolutely a dagger-hoarding lesbian mafia leader and I love her dearly. She tries to kill Adelaide at least three times, but the feeling is definitely mutual. (Good luck beating a vampire who is your type, darling).

Thank you so much for the ask!!!!

Blood Moon taglist:

@holdmyteaplease, @lordcatwich, @clearcloudlesssky, @dancinginsepia

Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from this list at any time!