From the Editor's Desk

No one could say the stories were useless
for as the tongue clacked
five or forty fingers stitched
corn was grated from the husk
pathwork was pieced
or the darning was done...

Liz Lochhead, “The Storyteller Poems”
from Dreaming Frankenstein

Winter 2004

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Winter 2004 edition of the Journal of Mythic Arts. In myth cycles to be found around the globe, the “death” of the year in winter is echoed by the death and rebirth of the Winter King (also called the Sun King, or Year King), a consort of the Great Goddess in one of her many local aspects (Cybele, Astarte, etc.), representing the earth's fertility. The rebirth or resurrection of her consort—representing the sun, the sky or the winds—not only brings light back to the world, turning the seasons from winter to spring, but also marks a time of new beginnings and spiritual innocence, cleansing the soul of sins and ills accumulated in the twelve months past—much as Christ, in the Christian mythos, undergoes ritual death and resurrection, redeeming the sins of mankind.

Winter is a particularly potent time for storytelling and myth—indeed, in some cultures this is the only time when certain stories may be told, certain gods named, certain powers evoked. In Europe, the art of storytelling belonged especially to the cold winter months, when the harvest was in, the nights grew long, and work could be done by the light of the fire—the winter work of spinning and sewing, so entwined with the process of storytelling that in centuries past Mother Goose was commonly pictured with distaff in hand. In early America, some of the Puritan groups which forbade the “idle gossip” of storytelling relaxed these restraints at the dark of the year, from which comes a tradition of religious and “miracle” tales of a uniquely American stamp: Old World folk tales transplanted to the New and given a thin Christian gloss. Among many of the Native American nations scattered across North America, winter was, and is still, considered the appropriate time for storytelling, when long myth cycles are told, learned, and passed through the generations. Trickster stories are among the tales believed to hasten the coming of spring. Among many tribes, Coyote stories can only be told in the dark winter months; at any other time, such tales risk offending this trickster, or drawing his capricious attention.

Trickster is a lively presence in mid-winter Carnival celebrations held in European towns and villages (most famously in Venice, Italy), in North and South America (such as Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Brazil), and in parts of Africa. The precise origins of Carnival are unknown, but its roots go back to ancient times, resulting in a fascinating blend of Christian and pre-Christian traditions. During Carnival, the usual rules are broken and the traditional order is turned upside-down in exuberant festivities involving costumes, masks, street theater and music, food and alcohol in abundance, and the joining together of communities in rites handed down over many generations. In the inverted world of Carnival, a peasant might be crowned as king, served by men of the nobility; demons might take over the streets, chasing villagers dressed as nuns or priests; men might dress flamboyantly as women and women as men. Outrageous behavior is accepted (even encouraged), including drunkenness, wantonness, and the ribald mocking of authority; and hilarious “Scandal Sheets” bring private gossip into the public sphere. In Venice (and other Carnival venues), the wearing of a mask transforms a man or woman into another person or creature altogether, and traditionally one is not held accountable for acts indulged in by that other being. Although today we think of festivals like Mardi Gras simply as enormous street parties, in ancient times these celebrations would have had great spiritual significance as rituals tied to the changing of the seasons, ensuring the rebirth of spring. Even today, Carnival plays a religious role in Catholic communities—allowing one last time of mid-winter merriment before the solemn days of Lent.

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The Winter 2004 Journal of Mythic Arts

In this edition of the Journal of Mythic Arts, we have mid-winter poetry for you ... an article on Spanish Carnavale ... folklore and art from the wintry northern lands of Finland, Norway, and Russia ... and a story inspired by the fairy tales and shamanic practices of the north....

In our Reading Room
  • One Word From You, One From Me by Ari Berk explores the songs (or runes) of Sampo from The Kalevala—the great mythic epic of Finland, which has inspired artists ranging from composer John Sibelius to author J.R.R. Tolkien.
  • Russian Fairy Tales, Part I by Helen Pilinovsky is an overview of Russia's traditional stories, exploring how they differ from their Western counterparts, and how their themes have been used by twentieth century writers in Russia and beyond. (Part II of Helen's article, in which she looks at the Russian fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga, will appear in the Spring 2004 edition of this journal.)
  • The Sacred and Profane by Alan Weisman takes us to the annual entroido held in northwest Spain—a Spanish Carnaval tradition that dates back to pagan times.
  • Silver or Gold by Emma Bull is our fiction offering this month—a magical story about perception, transformation, and love in its many forms.
  • Previous works from our archives that are related to this edition's theme:
In our Coffeehouse

This issue, we bring you poetry about winter and winter's tales. All but one of these poems make their first public appearance on these pages:

In our Gallery
  • The Fiber Art of Yuli Sömme, with text by Guy Cracknell and myself, looks at the beautiful work created by an Anglo-Norwegian felt-maker. Hand crafted in the traditional fashion common to felt-makers for thousands of years, Sömme updates an ancient art with innovative designs rich in whimsy and wonder.
  • (Please visit the Gallery Archive for a list of previous art exhibitions.)
Updates
About our contributors
  • Kim Antieau is a writer, a librarian, and a peace and environmental activist. She is the author of three novels, The Jigsaw Woman, The Gaia Websters, and Coyote Cowgirl. She lives with her husband, writer Mario Milosevic, in Washington state.
  • Dr. Ari Berk is a writer, folklorist, and scholar of literature, iconography, and comparative myth. He lives with his wife and son in Michigan, where he is a professor of English at Central Michigan University. His most recent publication is The Runes of Elfland, a book of myth and art created in collaboration with Brian Froud.
  • Emma Bull has published several books for children and adults including War for the Oaks, Bone Dance, Finder, and Freedom and Necessity; she has also released three CDs as a member of the folk duo The Flash Girls. She lives in Bisbee, Arizona with her husband, writer Will Shetterly.
  • Guy Cracknell lives in Exeter in southwest England with his wife and two sons. He writes for Devon Today magazine, where he has published a series of articles about the creative arts community on Dartmoor. He is currently at work on a fantasy novel for children.
  • Charles de Lint is an award-winning author of mythic fiction, as well as a folklorist, musician, and book reviewer. He lives with his wife, artist MaryAnn Harris, in Ottawa, Canada. His most recent publications are The Spirits in the Wires, a novel; Tapping the Dream Tree, a story collection; and A Circle of Cats, a children's picture book illustrated by Charles Vess.
  • Theodora Goss is fiction writer, poet, and academic. Her work has appeared in Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, Realms of Fantasy, and was chosen for The Year's Best Fantasy and Horrorin 2003. She lives with her husband and daughter in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Helen Pilinovsky is currently pursuing doctoral studies in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University with the assistance of a Javits Fellowship, where she is working on the archetypal differences between the canons of Eastern and Western European fairy tales. She lives in New York City.
  • Yuli Sömme is one of the most respected and innovative fiber artists in Great Britain. She spent her childhood in Norway and England, and now makes her home in Devon with her husband Nicky Scott, an artist and musician, and their two daughters.
  • Alan Weisman is the author of An Echo in My Blood: The Search for My Family's Hidden Past, Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World, and La Frontera: The United States Border With Mexico, as well as numerous articles for Harpers, Atlantic, The LA Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and other magazines. He teaches environmental journalism at the University of Arizona, and is co-creator of the Vanishing Homelands radio series. He lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife, sculptor Beckie Kravetz.
  • Mario Milosevic is a fiction writer and poet whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including Asimov's, The Amherst Review, Light Quarterly, Rosebud, and Black Warrior Review, as well an in the anthology Poets Against the War. He lives with his wife, writer Kim Antieau, in Washington state.
  • Dr. Jane Yolen is the multi-award-winning author of over two hundred books for children, teenagers, and adults. Among her many recent publications are Mightier Than the Sword, a collection of folktales; Sword of the Rightful King, an Arthurian novel for Young Adult readers; The Radiation Sonnets, poetry, and Take Joy: A Book for Writers. She and her husband divide their time between homes in western Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
Endicott Studio News

Our biggest news right now is that we have just launched our Mythic Arts Community Bulletin Board. We wanted to find a way to bring you book recommendations, event information, and other news in quicker fashion than was possible on a web site that is updated quarterly—and we also wanted to provide a place where you, our readers, could contribute your own recommendations, and share your own mythic arts events and links. Please note that this is a bulletin board (for announcements and recommendations) rather than a discussion board. An excellent discussion board for myth, fairy tales, and mythic arts already exists, hosted by the Surlalune Fairy Tales pages, and we didn't want to duplicate their efforts. Please come check out Endicott's new Bulletin Board; we hope you'll find it useful.

This winter, we welcome a new member into the Endicott Studio: Theodora Goss, who I consider to be one of the finest new writers to emerge in the mythic fiction field in recent years. Theodora was born in Hungary; spent her childhood in Italy, Belgium, and the United States; earned a degree from Harvard Law School; and is currently working on her Ph.D. in English Literature, specializing in the literature of the fantastic. She is a graduate of the Odyssey and Clarion writing workshops and has published fiction and poetry in a variety of venues, including Realms of Fantasy, Alchemy, Polyphony, Strange Horizons and Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet. Her gorgeous Sleeping Beauty story “The Rose in Twelve Petals” was selected for The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 16. Three of her fine stories are available on-line and are highly recommended: "Sleeping with Bears" (inspired by the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red), "The Rapid Advance of Sorrow," and "The Tile Merchant's Garden. We also recommend Theodora's on-line poetry anthology, Poems of the Fantastic and Macabre, which is part of her excellent Web site, www.theodoragoss.com. Theodora lives in Boston, Massachusetts with her artist/scientist husband Kendrick Goss and their new baby daughter, Ophelia Philippa Goss. We're very pleased to welcome Theodora and her family to the Studio. We hope that Endicott readers will seek out her work—including the poem she's contributed to this edition of the Journal of Mythic Arts.

In other news, please keep an eye out for Medicine Road, a terrific new novel set in the Arizona desert by Charles de Lint, handsomely illustrated by Charles Vess, due out soon from Subterranean Press. This is a limited edition, so copies will be snapped up fast—be forewarned! In film, work by three Endicott contributors can be seen on the cineplex screens right now: Alan Lee's stunning design work for The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (including his drawings featured during the film's final credits); Iain McCaig's design work for Peter Pan; and Brian Froud's conceptual design-work for the character of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. We heartily congratulate Alan for receiving an Oscar for his work on Return of the King. It was certainly well deserved.

Endicott contributors Delia Sherman, Ellen Kushner, and Helen Pilinovsky will be attending The International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts, held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in March. The theme of the conference this year is The Global Fantastic; the Guests of Honor are Daína Chaviano, Marcial Souta, and Elizabeth Hand. If you're there, feel free to stop by and say hi—and ask them what's new at the Interstitial Arts Foundation.

Coming Up

We hope you'll join us for the next edition of the Journal of Mythic Arts, when we'll be looking at “magical marriages” in myth, fairy tales, and contemporary arts—and where we'll feature a brand new story by Laurie J. Marks.

This web site is designed, copy-edited, and maintained by our talented Web Wrangler, Anita Roy Dobbs, with help from Charles Vess in finding illustrations for this edition. Helen Pilinovsky is our Book Review editor. Midori Snyder is the angel who set up our new Bulletin Board, and Tom Canty and Ellen Kushner have been helping out behind the scenes. If you'd like to know more about the philosophy behind our Journal, please visit our Vision Statement page. If you'd like to know more about the charities we support, please visit our Kids page.

Thanks once again for dropping by the Studio, and for your continued support of mythic arts—including the words of encouragement so many of you have sent. I apologize that the volume of correspondence (combined with my overloaded work schedule) makes it difficult for me to answer every single letter—but Anita and I sincerely appreciate hearing from you nonetheless. It's heartening to know that others out there are also writing stories, trading books, making music, art, movies, and plays....keeping this form of art alive and vital in a myth-hungry world. Your support means a lot and keeps us going. Thank you.

Terri Windling

Tucson, Arizona

February 2004