When you're raised on the river, washed in the blood

[sovay]

This is a logical train of thought. It starts with Pamela F. Service's Tomorrow's Magic—the recent omnibus reprint of Winter of Magic's Return (1985) and Tomorrow's Magic (1987)—which I picked up from the bookstore this afternoon and have just begun to re-read. The last time I read the books was age eleven, at the latest; I had remembered the post-apocalyptic Arthuriana, but completely forgotten that it takes place in Wales. This reminds me again that between the Prydain Chronicles, The Dark Is Rising, The Crystal Cave, The Owl Service, the Mushroom Planet books, and Howl's Moving Castle, it's probably some kind of miracle I ever realized that Wales was not in fact synonymous with the otherworld. Time out for a fragmentary, tangential recollection of the dream I had last night, which contained Merlin and Nimue (and someone had stolen my face), which zigzags back to wondering whether magical talent / sensitivity in novels and stories usually is ethnically tied: not to pick on Peter S. Beagle, Julie Tanikawa's ability to summon the goddess Kannon in The Folk of the Air; whether that's orientalism or merely a reasonable expectation that a god will listen most attentively to its traditionally affiliated kin-group; e.g., there are not many goyishe golem stories. I am too tired to draw up a proper list in my head (either for or against) and decide to stare at my bookshelves tomorrow. Nonetheless, the sentence that still resolves at the end of this contemplation is: I totally resent my genetic inability to sing golems into being. It's a good thing I like my brain.

Comments

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I picked up the second of the Service books at a library sale a few years ago, rather enjoyed the first couple of chapters, thought I should locate a copy of the first in order that it should make more sense, and never quite got round to doing so.

Interesting dream, that.

which zigzags back to wondering whether magical talent / sensitivity in novels and stories usually is ethnically tied:

Hmm... it does tend to be. At best, it... well, it somehow fits. Seems appropriate. Makes sense.

At worst... it's mock ethnic kitsch, and annoying as Hades on a pogo stick. Except Hades on a pogo stick wouldn't be annoying, he would be rather funny. Sorry, my simile generator is broken the now.

Nonetheless, the sentence that still resolves at the end of this contemplation is: I totally resent my genetic inability to sing golems into being.

It would be nice to be able to do that sort of thing, I suppose. Hmm, for some reason I didn't realise and/or remember that the process of making a golem required singing.

It's a good thing I like my brain.

Indeed.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I think a lot about the connection between otherworlds and the ethnic maps of this world, and whether on the edges of our ethnic maps, those otherworlds mix, and how well they do it--or don't do it.

I think I concluded that otherworlds travel with the travels of people in this world--I think.

Regarding people's interactions with the otherworld(s), I do think strength-of-wanting can make some things happen; it works in this world after all, sometimes (though very definitely not others). If you want to sing a golems into being, and work hard enough at it, I'm sure you will. In fact, I imagine there are quite a few out there already that you've created, and you just aren't aware of where they've gotten to.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I haven't read those.

Wales isn't as exotic as you probably think. It's very peculiar for me when I meet Americans who think it is the Otherworld and are very surprised to find it's a real modern place with politics and industry and unemployment and more people speaking Gujerati than Welsh.

[clarionj.livejournal.com]

wondering whether magical talent / sensitivity in novels and stories usually is ethnically tied

Interesting to read this just as I was researching ghost stories and urban legends from other countries. Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas--I think it was them, sorry don't have the linke now--are putting together an anthology of ghost story/urban legend retellings (with emphasis on making these stories feel real again, bringing new life to them). I think most stories were solicited, but they now have an open reading period. Anyway, there's a need for stories from countries other than the US and UK, and I started researching some South American legends. When it came to opening my imagination to the one that caught me, I realized I had to first feel immersed in the land, the culture, the colors of this country--rural village? city? what do the people eat, drink, wear?--then in talking to a friend from Brazil, I got his take and he brought the little magical trickster here to the States and had him at a Bulls game. And this was an easy trip for him; he knew the creature. I think he already understood his tricky heart.

sorry if this double or triple posts

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I totally resent my genetic inability to sing golems into being.

This has made me sad that I cannot raise the Midgard Serpent with my terrifying death metal skills, which went on to make me sad about my lack of terrifying death metal skills.

On second thought, I'd just as soon leave Jourmundgy where he's sleeping and have him know as little about me as possible.

This must be why I am not metal.

whether that's orientalism or merely a reasonable expectation that a god will listen most attentively to its traditionally affiliated kin-group; e.g., there are not many goyishe golem stories.

It's a strange feeling to consciously notice how important heritage is and always has been in fantasy. Magic and heroism are usually carried on the blood. The hero's journey usually isn't some person without antecedent doing something extraordinary, but the person who has something great or terrible buried in their heritage that they grow into or come to accept (or, in rarer cases, reject in heroic fashion). It's a trope so big, I'm looking back at the things I've worked on and realized how many times I've used it without knowing what I was doing. The importance of heritage as an invisible theme in a lot of fantasy leads pretty naturally to a pairing of ethnicity with the culturally expected effects.

[tinkbell.livejournal.com]

That's funny - i just re-read Winter of Magic's Return this last year. The author grew up with my mom around Berkeley and we got that when it came out, but somehow I didn't know there was a sequel (my mom isn't always great at keeping touch, and I think the author's a very busy woman - maybe a scientist too, I can't remember). I'm glad to hear it has one, because I really felt there needed to be more.

[xterminal.livejournal.com]

Wales is synonymous with the otherworld. Even its realist fiction is way off the beaten track. (Read Rhys Davies, assuming you can find any of his stuff now; he fell out of favor thirty or so years ago.)