Once there was a little hobgoblin who lived deep in the woods, in a little rocky dell. He was a very naughty little hobgoblin, for his favorite pastime was to play tricks on the farmers, and on the farmer’s children, and on the townspeople, and on the townspeople’s children.

When night came and it was dark outside, the little hobgoblin would peer out of

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Create a poster of the gods. Watercolor a huge Yggdrasil tree and then I drew and scanned in a male figure and female figure on the computer to print out many copies of each. He could have probably drawn the figures individually, but he was struggling with perfection at the time and this way he only needed to add the individual features for each god or goddess (hair color, clothes, what they were holding.) As we went through the stories, he colored and cut out the god or goddess we had read about, then pasted them onto the poster with their name. He then drew lines connecting them (i.e. man/wife, parent/child, etc.) but now that I look at it, that part is real confusing since they connect in so many ways. btw, my younger one was also a first grader at the time and he ended up doing his own poster as well.

Also there are a lot of great books for Norse Mythology – I think they are listed in Path of Discovery – and rather than picking just one, we borrowed them all and enjoyed comparing the variations each story (and even the god’s names) would take. Since I didn’t have the time to read each story with him (and since Corey is a voracious reader) I would only read one version with him, then he would narrate others to me, building story telling and memory skills. I just checked his main lesson book and I suppose the other reason I had him narrate so much is he

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First I share a slideshow of some books we have read to see how different people’s view creation, and below are a few quick samples of actual and simple creation stories from around the world and many different cultures. Then I share some of my favorite links to onsite myths…

Enjoy and remember to share your creation story, comments, etc. below.

The Blessing Seed
God creates man and woman and assigns them a special duty that is also a special gift, “You will care for everything on earth. Listen for the song that I sang at the beginning. My song is in everything and it will help you to learn and to care.” When Man and Woman eat of the Tree of Life, instead of punishing them God leads them to the four paths: wonder, emptiness, making and coming home. From now on they will have the blessing seed within them to spread through the world.

Apache Creation Story
In the beginning nothing existed, no earth, no sky, no sun, no moon, only darkness was everywhere. Suddenly, from the darkness emerged a thin disc, one side yellow and the other side white, appearing suspended in midair. Within the disc sat a small bearded man, the Creator, the One Who Lives Above.

California Yokut Creation Story
A Great Flood had occurred upon Earth long, long ago. While Earth was still covered with water, there were no living creatures upon the land. Then out of the sky one day glided an enormous Eagle, with a black Crow riding upon its back, searching for a place to light. Around and around Eagle flew until he discovered a projecting tree stump, or what appeared to be a stump, upon which he landed to rest. There was a home at last upon the flat surface which was amply large enough for Eagle and Crow to roost upon.

Comanche Creation Story
One day the Great Spirit collected swirls of dust from the four directions in order to create the Comanche people. These people formed from the earth had the strength of mighty storms. Unfortunately, a shape-shifting demon was also created and began to torment the people. The Great Spirit cast the demon into a bottomless pit. To seek revenge the demon took refuge in the fangs and stingers of poisonous creatures and continues to harm people every chance it gets.”

Washington Chelan Indians
Long, long ago, the Creator, the Great Chief Above, made the world. Then he made the animals and the birds and gave them their names–Coyote, Grizzly Bear, Deer, Fox, Eagle, the four Wolf Brothers, Magpie, Bluejay, Hummingbird, and all the others. When he had finished his work, the Creator called the animal people to him. “I am going to leave you,” he said. “But I will come back. When I come again, I will make human beings. They will be in charge of you.” The Great Chief returned to his home in the sky, and the animal people scattered to all parts of the world.

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The best and most recommended fairy tales are several select ones from the Brothers Grimm. Before the “age of reason”, higher learning was transmitted through archetypal characters in stories and in fairy tales.

In modern times, these all important stories have been relegated to a secondary position with no recognition of their deeper meaning…..

We are not human beings having spiritual experiences as much as we are spiritual beings having human experiences. We are deeply connected to these stories, and they are the soul food for growing and developing children.

Free Grimm’s tales to get you started follow at the links below:

• Homepage of the Brothers Grimm
• Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore & Legend
• Folklore & Mythology Super Site!

Our special picks by Waldorf Teachers:

• The Sleep and the Seeds by Charlotte Dukich (.pdf file)
• The Princess and the Woodcutter by Helen St. John (.pdf file)
• The Big Enough House & Flick and Flack (.pdf file)

The Baldwin Project, Hundreds of Stories for Children, click here

Fairy tales have an enormous and irreplaceable value in the life of a child. They educate, support and liberate the emotions of children. Fairy tales provide a unique way for children to come to terms with the dilemmas of their inner lives.

The prince, the tailor, the miller, snow white – all of these are images of different elements of our own nature. It is this resonance which endears these figures to us. There is a wisdom in these characters which runs much deeper than allegory or what can be found is psychoanalysis.

“In the art and fantasy of fairy tales lies a very deep wisdom which has power to awaken children from the sleep of ordinary life. Forces of healing are also hidden in each fairy tale. The most important effect of the fairy tale is that they stimulate the feeling that man is a being of development, of struggle, of metamorphosis, and that behind all the adverse forces of giants and dwarfs, witches and demons there lies the good world of the true genius of man.” ~ Frederick Hiebel

Parents frequently express concern about violent, even bloody incidents that occur in Grimm’s fairy tales. Today, we often see these tales edited to remove or soften these aspects. This results in a kind of deprivation of our children’s sense of life that is similar to the effects of painkillers and can dull that sense. At a Waldorf School, these unedited fairy tales are an important part of the curriculum of early childhood and first grade.

In a true fairy tale, such as those collected by the Brothers Grimm, human beings undergo trials and suffering and accept that deeds are a part of proving oneself worthy of the reward at the end of the path, whether the reward is the hand of the princess or a kingdom. They confront evil and overcome it.

Children experience the greed of the wolf and the evil of the witch quite differently than we adults do. They experience these qualities more as archetypal pictures about life, but do not yet identify themselves personally with the suffering. They trust that there will be a happy ending or that good will triumph over evil.

“Fairy tales form the foundation for the teaching in the kindergarten, first and second grades of a Rudolf Steiner school. The folk fairy tales of various nations and of ancient times, such as the Grimms collected, are considered basic education. Out of them grow the other subjects – painting, drawing, writing, counting. eurythmy, as taught in the elementary grades.”
~Waldorf Schools: Kindergarten and the Early Grades

Such stories strengthen the moral lives of children, so that later, after these pictures have lived in them for many years as seeds, this strength and guidance will help them to deal with the challenges life brings to them.

Of course, this is our site and what we believe. The “fairy tale debate” is noting new and you need to decide what side you are on.

(Source: The above quoted paragraph comes from the new book entitled: Beyond the Beyond the Rainbow Bridge : Nurturing our Children from Birth to Seven by Barbara J. Patterson and Pamela Bradley. This new book is full of wonderful information on all aspects of parenting and I highly recommend it.)

Long Live The Fairy Tale!

“Each person needs a field of activity for his inner life, for his willing, feeling, and finally for his thinking soul. The child needs this field of activity for the strength of his soul as does each adult. If I do not present the child with the images of the language of the fairy tales, then the contents of his soul will be supplied by the idle talk of the alley. Car makes and money concerns; trivial, unimaginative bits of everyday conversation will rule the field of his soul, resulting in a field filled with weeds.” ~ Helmut von Kugelgen

Fairy tales are filled with PROMISE.

That is their strength.

The weak CAN become strong…

Evil CAN be turned to good…

The ugly CAN become beautiful…

Each and every human being can rise to his or her TRUE POTENTIAL and stature.  Even the smallest child can realize this and rejoice for future victories.

Waldorf teachers have an understanding and are inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s view of the cosmic order. They understand that a child builds himself a world much like paradise. Their play is like a dream… But eventually the child must awaken from this dream state into his own selfhood. While the soul of the child plays in this dreaming state, he meets no temptations or dangers. But at the moment his soul begins to awaken to his inner consciousness, he begins to lose his paradise. Then a new period begins – a period of struggle with those adversaries that hinder the discovery of his own personality.Waldorf teachers have an understanding and are inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s view of the cosmic order. They understand that a child builds himself a world much like paradise.

Their play is like a dream… But eventually the child must awaken from this dream state into his own selfhood. While the soul of the child plays in this dreaming state, he meets no temptations or dangers. But at the moment his soul begins to awaken to his inner consciousness, he begins to lose his paradise. Then a new period begins – a period of struggle with those adversaries that hinder the discovery of his own personality. The child of this age longs to discover his own selfhood and fairy tales meets this longing like nothing else can. It helps him to unfold to the realities of the world around him, gently without shock.

Throughout the Grimms stories there are simpletons who are called all sorts of things, but what the stories show is that even the most “simple” person has their own gifts that allow them great success in life. And that wisdom is not dependant on intelligence. Its a standard in German and Polish stories too for members of the upper  classes to be quite abusive with the fairy folk (a reflection on the  treatment of the lower classes) and to be taught a lesson for their  lack of compassion..  ~Kerr Herbert

How To Nurture Story Telling, click here

The Art of the Fairy Tale, click here

Suggested Reading

I picked up a really interesting book this weekend. It is entitled A Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk by Edain McCoy. Basically it is a dictionary of about 230 types of fairies! Section one explains the nature of fairies, the faery experience around the globe, how and where to find them, how to protect yourself from the bad ones and a “guided meditation to fairyland”. Section two has ideas on spells and rituals for you and the little people and how to create your own fairy beings and section three is a dictionary of the “Fairies of the world”.

It is REALLY a great book! I just opened up to a page and scanned in one of the descriptions of a fairy:

Alven

• Land of Origin: Netherlands.
• Other Origins: None known.
• Other Names: Ottermaaner.
• Element: Water.
• Appearance and Temperament: Alvens have bodies that light as to make them almost invisible. They are not winged but they can travel through the air by becoming encased in a water bubble. Occasionally they will show themselves while wearing the skins of otters. Their malice towards humans extends only to who choose to desecrate their homes and sacred plants.
• Time Most Active: At night.
• Lore: Alvens are creatures of the moon under whose light they dance and play. They are water faeries who live in ponds, lakes and rivers, but the River Elbe is sacred to them and in it they make principal home. They cherish night-blooming plants and will harm any human who attempts to pick or destroy them.
• Fish are their only known enemies, and they prefer to live in water enclosures there are none.
• Where to Find Them: In the River Elbe, an easy journey on the inner plane.
• How to Contact: Look for them in Faery land and try approaching them as a friend, someone who also loves the moon and nature.
• Magical and Ritual Help: Undetermined, but they may be useful in protective and healing spells for a night-blooming garden or for the marine environment.

That is just an example of one type…a few other names: Ballybogs, Baraboas, Brownies, Coblynau, Domoviyr, Elle Maids, Fireesin, Gnomes, Gremlins, Hobgoblins, Jack Frost, Knockers, Lesidhe, Lorelei, Merrows, Nokke, Oakmen, Pixies, Portunes,Saleerandees, Spunkies, Twlwwyth Tegs, Undines, Wag-by-the-way, Zips… the list goes on!

There is a great resource guide in the back and suggestions for making up stories, etc…

Enjoy!

CRAFT IDEA:  Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects