women and deer

(and what is it with women and deer ....)

this reaction on a blogpost from laura ferrara made me think about my love for deer.

i considered the disney bambi film (but when i was a child, i never really liked disney films with only animals). but then i remebered this story by the Grimm brothers: "Broertje en Zusje" ("Brüderchen und Schwesterchen"), it was one of my all-time favourite stories about a brother and a sister who are running away from their stephmother. they run into the woods, and when the night comes, the brother's so thirsty they have to search for a spring. but their stephmother had bewitched all the springs in the woods.

They found a spring, glistening as it ran over the stones. The brother was about to drink from it, but his sister heard how its rushing sound said, "Whoever drinks from me will become a tiger. Whoever drinks from me will become a tiger."

Then the sister cried out, "Please, brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild animal and tear me to pieces."

The brother did not drink, although he was very thirsty, but said, "I will wait for the next spring."

When they came to the second spring the sister heard it say as well, "Whoever drinks from me will become a wolf. Whoever drinks from me will become a wolf."

Then the sister cried out, "Please, brother, do not drink, or you will become a wolf and eat me."

The brother did not drink, and said, "I will wait until we come to the next spring, but then I must drink, say what you will, for I am very thirsty."

When they came to the third spring the sister heard how its rushing sound said, "Whoever drinks from me will become a deer. Whoever drinks from me will become a deer."

The sister said, "Oh, brother, do not drink, or you will become a deer and run away from me."

But the brother had already knelt down by the spring, leaned over, and drunk from the water. As soon as the first drops touched his lips he lay there in the form of a young deer.

(the entire story: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm011.html)

never thought about those children's stories and their impact on my work.

but when i was making a list of my favourite fairytales, i discovered all my current loves and obsessions (long hair, deer, transformations, graveyards, the sea, mothers and daughters, ...)

1. de wilde zwanen (Andersen)

2. ezelsvel (Perrault)

3. rapunzel (Grimm)

4. broertje en zusje (Grimm)

5. het meisje met de zwavelstokjes (Andersen)

6. blauwbaard (Perrault)

7. vrouw holle (Grimm)

8. de rode schoentjes (Andersen)

9. repelsteeltje (Grimm)

10. rozewit en rozerood (Grimm)

i should re-read them someday..