by Niko Silvester with art by Brian Froud Introduction In popular thought, if not always in fact, shamanism is associated with altered states of consciousness and borderline madness, with shapechanging and otherworldly journeys, with creativity and genius. Terri Windling’s novel The Wood Wife weaves these elements into the story of a woman who meets spirits […]
by Kim Antieau The story of "Silver Hands" repulsed me for many years. I could not understand how the young woman — let’s call her Silvia— could offer herself up to the devil just so her father could keep his riches. How could she willingly hold out her hands for her father to chop off? […]
Trojeborg, Sweden Troy Towns One of the most enduring physical forms of the labyrinth is the Troy Town. These are formed from stones, lain out upon the ground, always in the form of a Cretan labyrinth. Because they are made of stones and there are usually no related monuments, they are very difficult to date. […]
by Terri Windling Illustration by Arthur Rackham To most people today, the name Snow White evokes visions of dwarfs whistling as they work, and a wide–eyed, fluttery princess singing, "Some day my prince will come." (A friend of mine claims this song is responsible for the problems of a whole generation of American women.)Yet the […]
“Demeter” by Jean–Francois Millet At this point in the myth, Demeter takes action. Mildness and tenderness, the usual attributes of this basically benevolent goddess, give way to rage and grief written large in an act of protest. As one of my colleagues once put it succinctly, her position becomes: “Nobody eats!”(25) Nor do the gods […]
by Kim Antieau She opened her eyes to white and realized she knew nothing. The nurse was white, too. "Good morning, sugar," the nurse said. "Do you know who you are?" She shook her head and wondered where the window was. Maybe if she saw the sunlight, maybe if she saw the world really existed, […]
by Helen Pilinovsky One way in which modern authors try to achieve the goal of using fairy tales for their original purpose of teaching through example is by reworking familiar subject matter in a more realistic mold suitable to a more open society, dealing with the societal circumstances that allow such events to take place, […]
by Jeffrey Ford Tonight, on the drive home from work, it was raining like mad. Torrential rain, so that the wipers were on high and everything in the dark world beyond the windshield was severely warped. I’d hit these giant puddles I couldn’t see on the side of my lane.They’d throw a momentary curtain of […]
by Terri Windling artwork by Oliver Hunter "Tell the truth but tell it slant."— advice to writers from Emily Dickinson The act of creation, it has always seemed to me, is one of the great magics of our world . . .an ancient magic, guarded by the gods, blessed (and coveted) by the fairies. In mythic cosmologies found […]
by Elizabeth Genco Fire is my friend, and it has been this way for as long as I can remember. Everyone said that my mom had fire in her, and that she passed a little of that fire on to me. Even my dad, when he said anything to me at all. So after the […]
