Your grandmother always told you not to venture near this dark, ruined house on the edge of the forest. At first she wasn't too particular why you shouldn't but when you asked her some years later she told you this tale of legend and superstition. I am interested in these stories and I know others will be as well.
About the "Tell me a Story"Project:
The project's goal is to collect enough fascinating, known and unknown folk tales from all over the world to fill an illustrated book. Instead of taking stories from books the project aims to 'collect' these stories directly from the source: the people, you. On a regular basis Isabella will illustrate a submitted story. He or she who submitted this story will receive a free print of the illustration. Eventually all these illustrations combined, of course accompanied by the original stories, will be published in a book.
Isabella will update her blog regularly on the progress of the "Tell me a Story" project.
How to participate in the project:
Participating in the project is rather simple: Send your story! Multiple submission allowed. As not all stories will be illustrated sending in more then one story will enlarge the chance of one of them being illustrated.
If your story is chosen you will receive a free print. Next to this, both story and illustration will be published in the book. Please state beforehand if you want your name and hometown to be mentioned or rather wish to remain anonymous.
What am I looking for:
Every story connected with folklore is welcome. This can be anything: maybe there is a haunted cemetery or mansion in your home-town, or you remember this fantastic story your grandmother told you when you were young. Is Bloody Mary haunting your mirror as well or do you know another urban myth which circulates at your school. Personal encounters, rituals or superstitions are very interesting as well. This story can be traditional or modern as well. I am looking forward to every story you will surprise me with, and not only me, the readers of the blog as well.
A few 'rules' and notes:
- When you are ready to submit the story send me an email.
- There is no word limit or anything but don't be too comprehensive, I intend to reserve a single page for each story.
- Please keep in mind this is no writing-contest, I am looking for folk tales, not stories made up.
- Everyone who submits will receive an answer, it might take a few days as I can be fairly busy now and then, but you will get a note in return from me for sure!
- Once I have picked a story to illustrate, you will receive a small 'contract', nothing fancy, nothing scary just to have everything sure for the both of us.
About Isabella:
Isabella is a Dutch artist/illustrator who is hugely interested in...., no passionately about, portraying folklore, myths and legends. The "Tell me a story" project is thus something very close to her heart.
Ooo! Love this! I am going to chat with my gram tomorrow :) It's such a great idea and fits your work so well!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm looking forward to hear your story.
ReplyDeleteI like your drawing style.... It is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteooo is this contest still in progress? I'd love to submit a story. :)
ReplyDeletePlease do, I am still in need of stories :-)
ReplyDeleteI would love to tell you a myth from my homeland, because I think it's pity for it to decline. Slavic word for fairy is vila, however, vilas originally weren't pretty pixies, but fearsome faeries of old. They are supernaturally beautiful, so much that man who see them in their true forms go mad or blind. They have skin paler than vampires and long hair, usually white,silver or golden, but sometimes brown,black or fiery red. Because of this, they are often called white ones. If you pluck but a hair, they will die or forever revert to their true forms. Some say they have horse or goat legs. Their dresses are mostly white, but green and blue are common too. It is believed that plae,blue eyed and blonde people that have Sigth have vila blood in them. As their looks are enchanting, so are their dance,song and music. Only best can hope to sing as good as vila. If you compete with them, you will lose and they will take your eyes. But they're not delicate flowers, they are warriors so great that gods employ them as bodyguards, and land shakes when two vilas have disagreement. They are artists when it comes to weapons. They see future and past as clearly as present. They know hidden secrets. Manipulative and wise, can mingle out of every situation. There is no injury they can't heal. Sky, earth, forest and waters are their domain. They can use strongest of magics. people that can let their spirits out to battle alas, demons of bad weather, are known as viloviti ( fairy like). If man takes their pokrilje ( cover), magical veil that they put on wings, that sometimes they can detach from bodies, vila must marry him. Children born from this union are vilenjaci ( elves, literal translation fairy, kin, descendants, x) and vila will always give birth on doorstep,symbolising child being of mundane and magic, civilisation and nature, our world and spiritual one. Vilas are great wives, but too smart,too wild, too strange to fit in. They are born of natural elements, from flower and autumn leaf under rainbow or something other, unknowable to all but vilas ( even if some will tell you that they are spirits of frivolous girls). They grow bored of confining life where woman have no rights and go back. Man can follow them and prove their worth, when vila will help them against her mother, happy at his determination. their children are smarter and more imaginative, and better than all, but in end, they leave searching for their mother. Then, if they have been mistreated, vila will destroy a village or city of father with storm, or their gaze will turn them all in stone. Water in which they bathed is magical, if you drink from it, your children will have red eyes, white hair and wings. They raise heroes and their milk makes Heracle look as weakling to one that drinks it.
ReplyDeleteMost famous vila is Ravioila, posestrima ( sworn/blood sister, ritual in which 2 people recognise each other as kin even if there's no biological connection) of Prince Marco, epic hero. He unweaved her hair from thorns and they became best friends. She gave him her milk and revealed where to find sarac ( Colourful One), intelligent horse strong as Marco, only one not to die under him, who drank wine. Once she killed Marko's pobratim, Milosh, because he singed fairer than him, but after Marco fought with her she revived him. She helped him defeat Musa Kesegiia, Turkish hero with three hearts, one normal, one dancing and one with snake, by distracting him with her beauty. She is probably vila that foretold Marco's death, and maybe even hid him in cave, to wait for greatest need, ala King Arthur, or dug him grave when all friends left him when he as 3000 year old went to war, where he was injured with first shotgun.
I post as anonymous, as I speak in name of all those that hope cultures of whole planet won't be consumed by now, modern excuse for it that is bland and shallow.