Status Updates From Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales a...

A sword's name is Sickersnapper? Sounds like a Lewis Carrol name.

I figured that Princess Gemdelovdly would be the next on the sacrificial offering. Just like in Perseus. The movie version, not the original story.

"'The poor bairn's mad.'"
Hey, I know that word! It's Norwegian in origin, meaning "child."

"For the sorcerer said that the only way to satisfy the monster was to feed it every Saturday with seven young maidens, the fairest could be found." Sounds like a harkening back to Greek mythology with the stories of Theseus and Perseus.

And the princess is called "Gemdelovely!" I guess this is the precedent for people nowadays to have funny names that describe them.

Mester Stoorworm sounds like "Mister Stormworm," which is a funny name for a sea serpent.

"In the far bygone days, in the north of Scotland, there lived a well-to-do farmer who had seven sons. And the youngest of them bore a very curious name: people called him Assipattle, which means 'he who grovels among the ashes.'" Another Cinderella-type story judging by the name. Also, I think it's pronounced "Ash-ì-pattle" if ash is the root word, but I don't know.

That ends the first section of the book. The next is stories about the sea, with the first story called "Assipattle and the Mester Stoorworm." From the looks of the picture, it's involving a sea serpent. The origin of this story, like the last one, comes from Scotland, which explains the names. Lol

I guess the moral of the story is that if your wife is a witch or likes to hang out with her friends, let her, and don't be jealous.

And as soon as the husband learns the words and sneaks into the wine cellar and drinks till he's asleep, the wife leaves him there. Yeah, these two are made for each other lol.

So, the man's husband is witch who is able to travel long distances, learn magic words, and dance and party with magical creatures. But as soon as the husband learns that her magic words could carry him to a lord's wine cellar, he wants to learn that knowledge and do it himself. And the wife says, "no you can't, because you might spread that knowledge around and then everyone would do it." That doesn't seem fair.

Next story is "The Witch of Fife." There seem to be four witches according to the picture on the previous page.

Ah, not quite the same ending as in Spirited Away.

"'Then you must single him out from among my pages,' said the giant. 'And if you fix the wrong one, your life is forfeit. Follow me.'"
This sounds like the same test as in Spirited Away. Nice. I wonder if it's going to go the same way too?

"Wild and strange was that entrance, the whole of which appeared formed of grim and grotesque faces blending strangely with each other that it was impossible to define any one. The chin of one formed the nose of another; what appeared to be a fixed and stern eye, of dwelled upon, changed into a gaping mouth..." I'm reminded of a few panels in the Attack on Titan manga, which seemed to match this description.

I wonder if the stairs mentioned here on the cliffs of Carrigmahon are real?
*checks Internet* From what I can tell, the cliffs are known by a different name, but they are famous. They are the Cliffs of Dover, I think, but I could be wrong.

The next story is called "The Giant's Stairs" and we've got Jolly Green in the picture, lol.

So, this story was set sometime in the Middle Ages, judging by the custom of inheritance to the men while the widow got nothing but a cottage. But I get the idea that it was written later with a critical eye on this practice due to the widow and her daughter regaining the inheritance from the husband by cheating the widow's sons. I guess the theme of this story is to not cheat others for you will be cheated in turn.

The next story is "Little White-Thorn and the Talking Bird." Apparently, there is also a cottage and cow involved judging by the picture.

Oh, that's a funny ending to the story of the "Kildare Pooka". I get the idea that this story started with the ending and worked its way backwards.

Ah, I knew it. "God bless us" is apparently Chekov's gun in this story lol.

"'I have made no bargain with you,' said the little man. 'And I will make none...'"
So, definitely some charm spell or geas that is making Billy Mac Daniel follow his every orders.

"Borram! Borram! Borram!"
Sounds like what Treebeard said in Lord of the Rings.

Doesn't matter if you made a deal or not, stumbling across a fey creature and scorning them is enough to make them use their magic on you.

Hey, a shillelagh mention! Now I know it comes from Celtic folktales. Interesting. I wonder if the magic part is also similar?

Next Trickster story is called "Master and Man." The picture shows a giant man interacting with a small person and handing him a foaming tankard.

Oh, the "Clumsy Beauty and her aunts" was a funny story. Similar to the Norwegian version. I could see it being read to children.

Similar to the Norwegian folktales, there are three people who offer a bargain with the person in trouble. Of course, with them using Celtic names, I have no idea how they're pronounced lol.

Interesting. So, we have a girl who is so clumsy that she can not spin thread into flax to make linen. Her mother lied about her ability to please the passing prince, who took the girl to impress his mother on hopes that they would be married. But the girl, when put to the task, cannot spin only to have a magical person appear before with an offer. Sounds like a version of Rumpelstiltskin.