Final thoughts

           At the beginning of the semester, my blogs were a bit jumbled in thoughts. As I reflect back on the semester I can see clearly now that my blogs are still just as jumbled, go figure! For this last blog, I wanted to collect my thoughts and discuss how I felt about the things we learned throughout the classes. I actually really enjoyed the class, I am a history and archaeology major, and most of the classes I take are standard lecture and note taking classes. We never read anything like fuzzy baby Merlin. However, I did not enjoy some readings at all.

Granted, it did take up the entire first half of the semester, but when we were done with it, I wanted to toss Kors/Peters into the fires of Mount Doom. That darn Aquinas. With the exception of the Malleus Malificarum, I thought the readings were painful to read. I liked the Hammer of Witches because it was utterly ridiculous. I mean, witches cannot cry but some can. Witches cannot lie but some can. It was very humorous to read…. However, I do not think I will never look at birds’ nests the same way again…

But, I think my all time favorite readings in this class were the Grimm fairy tales. In addition, I was very happy that one of the stories we had to read for class happened to be my favorite Grimm tale (Godfather death). A bit of a dark story, I know, but the guy totally had it coming. 

The last class we had Dr. Mitchell-Buck posed the question why do people still believe in magic, and why do we continue to write about it? I think it gives us an escape from reality. In many of these stories, it is an ordinary person who happens to stumble upon something fantastic and gets to go on an adventure. Well, who wouldn’t want that? In reality if we were Harry Potter, it wouldn’t be Hagrid showing up at the door it would probably be child services. But who wouldn’t want a letter rubber stamped with the message YOU’RE MAGICAL!  Plus I’d totally be down with a pet owl. Magic lets us tap into our imagination and see things in a different way. 

Blog 5 of 5

Dumbledore or Gandalf Ultimate showdown?

Hello everyone, so the other night at dinner I am sitting in the dining hall discussing this class with my friends. We were totally nerding out and began to debate the ultimate topic:

Who would win in a fight Gandalf or Dumbledore?

We were completely divided down the middle between the two wizards. Does anyone wish to express their side? Our main arguments were (*based solely on the movies*) :

                Pro Dumbledore

                1. He is knowledgeable on most things magic, whereas Gandalf had to go and do research.

                2. He had the power to do the death spell the ultimate curse.

                3. Dumbledore was in possession of the elder wand the most powerful of the wands.

                4. Dumbledore was able to touch his evil ring (the horcrux) granted it was slowly killing him…..Gandalf could not touch the ring.

                Pro Gandalf

1.       He was always in the midst of battle. He fought orcs, and goblins.

2.       (as my brother likes to quote) He fell through fire and water and fought the Balrog on the highest peak of the lowest dungeon and won.

3.       What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. On the other hand, in Gandalf’s case, what kills you makes you stronger and you come back with a mission and are more powerful than ever.

Personally I am for Dumbledore, because I am not convinced that if Gandalf got hit with that forbidden curse he would come back again….Any opinions?

…..or should we just toss them both aside and crown the winner doe-y eyed Merlin?

Blog 4 of 5

Hauling witches up a tower to Gold Spinner Splits in half....Grimm Tales has Something for Everyone......

When I was reading the Grimm fairy tales I could not help but think, “Wow, these outcomes are extreme”. I do not think that the punishment fits the crime for all these stories. In addition, there are some cases where there is no punishment at all.

             For instance, the story Rapunzel: the witch steals a baby and locks her in a tower. On top of that, the witch makes Rapunzel haul her up and down the tower with her hair. Then she cuts off her hair banishes her, and pushes the prince out the window and blinds him. Once Rapunzel and the prince are reunited the story ends. Well, what about the Witch? Shouldn’t she get her comeuppance? However, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, there is the story of Cinderella.

            Cinderella’s mother died and her father remarried before the snow melted. The stepmother and stepsisters were cruel to little Cinderella. However, the father showed no compassion towards Cinderella, he did not even let her go to the ball, let her sit home, and pick lentils out of the ash. In the end, the stepsisters were invited to the wedding only to have their eyes pecked out by birds. In some instances, they cut off their toes and heels to fit in the shoes. I think this is extreme. Moreover, the father and stepmother, they were cruel to her too but they were allowed to keep their eyes and toes.

             I always wondered how the endings to these stories were thought up. Rumplestiltskin, I think he technically had every right to take the child, but the hero of the story is the queen who guesses his name. He ends up being stuck in the floor, ripping in half, and dying. On the other hand, in some versions he just falls through the floor and dies. What is up with that? I guess they are called Grimm tales for more than just the names of the authors......

Blog 3 of 5

Final thoughts on Merlin

During class, we started discussing Merlin, and how he has changed throughout the stories we have read as well as his portrayal in the BBC television series. One of the conclusions we came to was that Merlin has lost power and magic throughout time. Perhaps I am alone in thinking this, but I don’t think that he has become any less powerful. I see it more as he is becoming a more rounded character.

Instead of seeing all these stories as separate pieces, try thinking of them as parts of a whole. What we would get is a version of Merlin who is a wide-eyed youth (Merlin, BBC), who becomes a kind elderly chap who takes care of lost kids (sword in the stone), and who is deeply troubled by the loss of his dear friends (Monmouth). When you combine all these stories of Merlin together, you get a more personable character rather than an extreme attribute of a personality. I remember a book I read for fun in high school called…..Magic Inc. Merlin was a background character but he was portrayed as a CEO of the magic industry and looked sharp in a pinstriped suit.

            Unfortunately my need combine things I read or see have now permanently given me the image of Merlin as the ultimate magical being with a pointy hat who can see the future and the past, adorkable in his youth, and can run a company pretty well.

             It is possible that this is a stretch but Merlin is supposed to be immortal, right? And, he is awaiting the return of King Arthur when the world needs him most? Couldn't that be said that even if Merlin is a fictional character, by having him appear in stories and TV shows today, you are keeping Merlin alive?  I know that in a lot of lore from around the world to speak, a name is to give it power, and in some cases it gives it life. Perhaps Merlin’s immortality is dependent on how long people remember him. And if nothing else at least he looks good in a suit. 

Blog 2 of 5

Thoughts of Merlin will never be the same. Thanks Geoffrey of Monmouth

 So reading Geoffrey of Monmouth completely shattered my image of Merlin. Before reading this, I thought of Merlin as a combination of Gandalf, Dumbledore, and Santa Claus. He was the ultimate magical being with a heart of gold. In addition, he was a part of my favorite story as a kid, which was the legend of King Arthur. *that earned him extra brownie points*

However, reading that after the war he completely broke down to a puddle of woe definitely put a damper on his “cool” factor. Although it is understandable that he would be affected by war and the death of his dear friends, but it was war, I would think that casualties were to be expected. Also the fact that his sister and her husband were able to chain him up in the castle, as I was reading all I could think about was why doesn’t Merlin just poof out of the castle. This was because I was still holding on to the belief that Merlin was magical, even though in this story he really wasn’t.

He was just a kooky older brother of the Queen, who liked the woods way too much and did not respect his wife. They referred to him as a prophet and the example they used was the fact that he told King Rhydderch that his wife was cheating on him. But, I think he just saw it, she was under a tree, not really hiding, he could have just walked by, or maybe the Ents told him. J

I guess the only thing that didn’t bother me or warp my image of Merlin was his appreciation for the woods. I think most of the stories I read about Merlin growing up involved finding him in the woods, or forest. I mean legend has it he sleeps in a cave until the world needs him. You don’t find many caves in the city. 

blog 1 of 5

Hildegard von Bingen saintly woman, or evil in a dress?

I was unable to attend class when we discussed mystics, so I decided for this blog post I would talk about my thoughts on Hildegard von Bingen. My first thought was: how was this woman not tried as a witch?!?!?! The reason being is that she has all the requirements of being a witch. 

          1. She is a woman,

This right away should cause suspicion as we have learned from our good friends Kramer and Sprenger.       
          2. She has “Visions”

I know she did not reveal her visions to many people but those who knew, did they never question this woman? I am surprised that no one thought that maybe she was being possessed by a demon. Or that she herself is receiving prophecies as a result witchcraft?
          3. She was educated

She was ambitious and educated enough to read and write. Von Bingen knew how to read Latin and was a part of the church. We have learned in class that this is the gateway to necromancy!
          4. “She used the curative powers of natural objects for healing…”

This is something that I thought was a major selling point to convincing people that she was a witch. I do not understand how people overlooked this aspect of her life. If anything, I would think it would condemn her to the stake, she is mixing herbs to create a type of medicine. Or maybe just maybe she was mixing herbs to make…..a potion!! MAGIC!!!

The only thing that I can think of that would make her more witch-like would be if she were a mid wife as well. Luckily, she studied medicine and herbs instead. Now I do it is great that this woman was able to gain the respect and fame that she did. I do find her story inspiring especially for a woman during this period. However, I do not think that I am alone in feeling a little confused as to why this woman specifically was not met with scorn or suspicion. To be honest when I first read about her I kind of wanted to drop a house on her. I’m not  going to lie…..

What is more powerful? Witches, or Fear?

For this blog post, I wanted to take a step back to a few weeks ago when the topic of discussion was the hammer of witches. When our group presented we posed the question: Do you think that witches have grown stronger or weaker in power? I thought that I would use this blog post to present my own opinion of what I think has changed about witches.

                In my own opinion, I do not think that witches gained anymore power. The reason being was that in earlier readings we learn that witches and demons can cause physical harm to a person or crops. True they get their powers from Satan and though it is not true creation, it leaves a great impact nonetheless. In Malleus Maleficarum, it does provide some examples of what witches can do, such as turn a girl into a horse. Then the authors go into detail about how the witch did not in fact turn the girl into a horse, it was all an illusion. In the next example, they state that witches steal men’s “bits” but that too is just an illusion.

                This leaves me to believe that witches have devolved from powerful beings to more of a scary story you tell children, a medieval version of the “Boogey Man”. After making this connection, questions started to flow through my mind, such as why are the people of the time so afraid of witches, if all they do is create illusions?

Granted back then it was considered heresy if one did not believe in the existence of witches or even the existence of magic. However, where does it say that you have to be afraid of them? It is times like these that I wish I had a time machine to go back and tell the people of medieval times that they are giving witches power, by just fearing them. Fear is one of the ultimate sources of power.  

I also found it interesting that during the Malleus Maleficarum, it was more finger pointing than anything else. It was not about blaming women for being witches because they were eating babies, or wilting crops. Instead, it was blaming them for being women. They even went as far as to berate Christianity, by stating that women were made to deceive because they were made from a bent bone. This statement made me question after our presentation, why were the authors not called out for blasphemy. Shouldn’t somebody have questioned them? 

Magic

For my first ever blog post, I apologize if it seems a bit jumbled, I hope to get better as the semester goes on. To start I wanted to talk about magic. While reading the Kieckhefer book I giggled and laughed at some of the things people believed in the past. Then I started to think about whether we were far off from them, in our own beliefs about magic. That is when I realized some of us still hold on to that fundamental belief in magic. While we may not make potions to cure our lameness or find love via hitting someone over the head with a hazel stick (caveman style…. Though we might still do it today if it was not considered assault with a deadly weapon….) we do show our belief in things that we do or not do.

                For example how many of us see a coin on the ground, but hesitate even if only for a second to check if it is heads up? Or even on campus, who does not split the pergola poles? Lucky socks anyone. I guess the point I am trying to make is that I think most of us still believe in magic deep down. True some people may say that it is not magic it is superstition, but don’t they go hand in hand? You can take superstition and create a thread line to magic.  Superstition: Black cats are bad luck, why? They are associated with witches. What do witches do? Witchcraft, what is that? MAGIC!

                Now that I am an adult, I always hear the phrase “magic is for children” or “Only children believe in magic”. My question is, why? I think that it is small minded to not believe in magic, even a little bit. The world seems like a barren place, magic can give people hope and I think that is worth something. After all, it is as Roald Dahl said, “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it”.