Ellin Greene

Storyteller and author Ellin Greene gathers folk and fairy-tales set during midsummer in this lovely anthology, pairing the stories from various sources with brief descriptions of folk practices related to this time of year, as well as midsummer recipes. The latter include such delicacies as Swedish creme, fruit soup, Irish currant cake, heart-shaped cookies and Midsummer cake, while the former covers customs such as the Midsummer tree, various forms of divination (usually to determine a future husband or wife) done at that time, love charms, and magical herbs and flowers. The stories themselves include:

The Girl Who Met the Witch of the Woods by Helena Nyblom, originally included in her collection, The Witch of the Woods: Fairy Tales from Sweden, and translated by Holger Lundberg. In this story, a young named Maria is kidnapped by the titular witch on her way to deliver milk to her grandmother on Midsummer's Eve, and lives with her in her mountainside home, playing in the forest below, as time passes.

The Golden Bird by Sven Grundtvig, originally included in Danske Folkeeventyr, translated by Phyllis Rasmussen, and adapted by editor Ellin Greene. This Danish folktale follows youngest son Alexander as he seeks the golden bird needed to cure his ailing father, accepting the help of a cunning fox as his quest eventually involved a golden horse and a beautiful maiden as well.

Cledog and the Ceffyl Dŵr by Ellen Pugh, originally found in More Tales from the Welsh Hills, tells of how a humble woodcutter agrees to pay any price in order to obtain the services of the enchanted horse known as the Ceffyl Dŵr, which lives in a nearby lake. Little does he realize however, that the price will not be a possession, but something (someone) he treasures far more.

Wee Meg Barnileg and the Fairies by Ruth Sawyer, taken from The Way of the Storyteller. This Irish folktale concerns a rude, destructive and lazy young girl named Meg, who is eventually kidnapped by the fairies, made to work, and (having been reformed) returned to the human world.

Diccon and Elfrida by Barbara (Leonie) Picard, originally found in The Goldfinch Garden, is an English folktale about the love between a human man and fairy woman. Having lost his beloved Elfrida, Diccons longs for her for the rest of his life, little knowing that she is always nearby, in the form of certain objects, animals and people around him.

Maid Lena by Sven Grundtvig, retold by Ellin Green from content in Fairy Tales from Afar, translated by Jane Mulley. This is another Danish folktale, and follows the love between a human man named Esben and an enchanted princess name Lena. When their marriage is interrupted, Esben must seek his beloved in a castle south of the sun, west of the moon and in the center of the earth.

Count Alaric's Lady by Barbara(Leonie) Picard, taken from The Faun and the Woodcutter's Daughter. This second English folktale from Picard tells the story of the eponymous Count Alaric, who meets and falls in love with a beautiful young maiden who recalls nothing of herself or her history. Saddened by the fact that his beloved always seems to have her gaze fixed on something beyond, and determined to make her fully his, Alaric learns she is a fairy woman. But can he make his love perfect—the only thing said to be able to win such a woman?

I enjoyed all of the stories here immensely, particularly those by Nyblom and Picard, and also appreciated the folk beliefs, customs and recipes that were presented. I was familiar with all the authors whose stories were included, except for Sven Grundtvig, whose work I am happy to discover. The accompanying illustrations here are done by Barbara Cooney, whose artwork is always worth perusing! All in all this is a wonderful thematic collection, one I would recommend to folk and fairy-tale enthusiasts, and to anyone looking for story collections set at Midsummer.… (more)

Set in prehistoric times, this Lenape/Delaware folktale explains how the Yah-qua-whee (AKA mastodons) were first created by the Great Spirit as an aid to the people, how the two species (and others) lived in relative harmony for many generations, and how they eventually came into conflict, when their great migration to the eastern coast of what is now North America came to an end. Having turned vicious to both humans and the other animals, the Yah-qua-whee were deliberately hunted to extinction, driven into great pits where they were stoned to death, or sinking and drowning in the bogs created by their struggle with humans. Eventually, when all the Yah-qua-whee were gone, the site of their battles with humans yielded a new, never-before-seen crop: the cranberry...

According to Ellin Greene's author's note at the rear of the book, the story in The Legend of the Cranberry: A Paleo-Indian Tale is an adaptation of part of Richard C. Adams' 1899 A Delaware Indian Legend and the Story of Their Troubles. The story itself it very sad, covering the extinction of a species that people today find fascinating. As it happens, scientists have been working on possibly reviving the later woolly mammoth species. As I read, I found myself wondering about the story, and the possible history it recorded. Did the ancestors of the Lenape, so many thousands of years ago, coexist with mastodons? If so, this story must represent a folk memory of how that relationship ended. Pits with mastodon remains in them have been found, and some scientists believe that human hunting may have been a factor, along with possible climate change, in the extinction of the species. Is this story a faithful representation of what happened—that the mastodons became destructive—or it it a means of putting a good face on a less pleasant tale, in which unwise humans over-hunted one of their major food sources, leading to a disaster?

Whatever the case may be, it's certainly fascinating to think about, and amazing to see that the folk memory of the Lenape people stretches so many thousands of years back into prehistory. I recall reading an Iroquois folktale many years ago, that also addressed ancient prehistory, and the existence of woolly mammoths—I'll have to see if I can find that story again. Perhaps it was in a Joseph Bruchac collection...? In any case, I found the story here engaging, although also very sad, and I thought the accompanying artwork, done in watercolor by Brad Sneed, was lovely, and quite expressive. With the exception of more sensitive youngsters who might find this one a little distressing, and sympathize with the mastodons, I would recommend this one to young folklore lovers, as well as to those looking to explore the idea of folk memory and oral history with young people.… (more)