Thursday, June 24, 2010

Fairy Tale Fridays: A Latin American Tale

Special Thanks to my Personal Faery Friend for the Button Art: Ye Olde Faery Shoppe

This week's selection for Fairy Tale Fridays took us to Latin America and in particular, Colombia with The Mother of the Jungle.  I discovered this adorable book with some amazing illustrations at the library . . . Once Upon a Time:  Traditional Latin American Tales by Rueben Martinez.  The beauty of this book is that it is actually bi-lingual . . . English on one page and Spanish on the other.  I am far from fluent, but I still completely appreciate this book!  As for the weekly selection . . .

I would first like to share the background on this story as written by Martinez . . .
"Also known as the Madremonte, the Patasola, and the Marimonda, this mythic woman originated in Colombia, though her fame spread to other countries, including Venezuela, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.  The Madreselva reminds us of the importance of taking care of Nature, and of learning to live in harmony with her."
 As you can guess from this brief history combined with the title, this is a story of the jungle.  A woodsman is cutting down the jungle to earn income and put simply, Mother Nature takes care of that problem in a flash!  As the last line states . . .
"He knew at once what had happened:  the Mother of the Jungle had come to defend the jungle from those who threatened it."
Oddly, when I selected this story, I randomly chose the tale mainly based on the artwork.  I had no idea of the theme behind it and how much it actually pertains today when in relation to what is currently going on with the oil spill in the gulf.  Seeing the multitude of pictures and hearing from those I know who are experiencing this sadness first-hand, I truly wish that Madremonte had appeared to protect this nature.  We sure could have used her this time around!  Either way, I believe that many lessons can be learned from this story, particularly surrounding our environment.  It is a very, very relevant one for our generation!

I truly enjoyed visiting a Latin American tale this week and I am strongly considering featuring another one in the near future.  Because I was unable to find the full text of The Mother of the Jungle online, I am curious if other participants read this tale or another Latin American tale.

What tale did you feature this week for Fairy Tale Fridays?  What are your thoughts on this cultural perspective?

UPCOMING TALES:
**SPECIAL NOTE:  I have linked those stories that I can find above either in writing or as a video of the reading via YouTube.  The generic link via the country's tales will take you to a listing of additional tales or possible replacements.  Enjoy!



5 comments:

  1. I haven't posted yet, but I actually read the same version in the same book. And was thinking the same thing, even down to the oil spill.

    Maybe I'll look at one of the others, too, before I write mine up.

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  2. carolsnotebook . . . I see that you have posted now and I am heading over right now to read it! Chat again soon! :)

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  3. Don't think I've ever read a Latin American fairy tale, but this one sounds intriguing! Like you, I wish Mother Nature would show up to handle the oil spill, as us humans don't seem to be doing so well. :(

    Great choice this week!

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  4. Oh wow! This one does sound cool. I haven't heard of this fairy tale. Neat!

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  5. Alexia561 . . . Thanks Alexia561! And, I can't agree more on the oil spill! It is so very sad! :(

    J. Kaye . . . I'm glad you find this one neat! I would highly recommend this one!

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