White Rose of Avalon

Fairytales

  • The Perrault and Grimm’s Tellings of Cinderella

    The Grimm Brothers version of Cinderella is much different from the Charles Perrault one that was made most famous as the basis of the Disney classic!    Of course it is true that both versions offer the same basic story.    An orphaned girl is left in the care of her wicked step-mother upon her…

  • Woodland Fairytale Wedding

    Many fairytales take place in a woodland setting.    This is something that I have always adored, and my husband and I used this as an inspiration at our wedding!    Ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to get married in the middle of the woods, and this weekend I got…

  • The Sleeping Beauty Ballet

    The Sleeping Beauty Ballet was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.   It is based on the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty.   It is one of three ballets composed by Tchaikovsky.    It is my personal favorite Tchaikovsky ballet, and actually my favorite ballet of all time!   I am, in fact, walking down the aisle…

  • Symbolism of the Color White in Tales of the Supernatural

    Since ancient times colors have had deep symbolism.   Today I want to look at the symbolism of the color white, and its association with the supernatural!   In ancient Celtic tales white was a symbol of faeries.    This symbolism of white with faeries and the Faery realm carried over into Arthurian legends.  …

  • Faerie Queen Maeve

    The Faerie Queen Maeve is an Irish goddess.   She is strong willed and glamorous deity!   Maeve is often described by other name such as Medb.    In poetry and plays she is often simply called Mab.    Percy Shelley and William Shakespeare have both utilized the name Mab for Faerie Queens.    Legends…

  • Beauty in Fairytales

    The subject of beauty in fairytales is one that is present in many folk tales.   The word beauty even appears on titles of fairytales like Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. In Snow White the Wicked Queen is a prime example of vanity in a woman who is aging.   The Queen is…

  • Rumpelstiltzkin

    The tale of the faerie man called Rumpelstiltzkin is one of a man who can turn straw into gold.   He came to the aide of a young woman who was tasked with turning straw into gold by a king.   Since she was a simple miller’s daughter she was willing to give up anything…

  • Fairytale Re-Imaginings

    Today I want to discuss the multitude of fairytale re-imaginings that have become so popular in the last decade.   The major surge in re-imaginings in my opinion began with Once Upon a Time in 2011.    Also in 2011 the film version of the novel Beastly came out.   In 2014 Maleficent turned the…

  • Faerie Brides

    The tradition of faerie woman luring men into Faery to be with them is a long one.   Equally long is the tradition of faerie woman leaving Faery to be married to human men on earth!    That’s right today’s subject is faerie and human couplings!   Countless fairytales, myths, legends, and poems present the…

  • Maleficent

    Maleficent is the antagonist of Disney’s 1959 Sleeping Beauty.   She is a wicked faery who has the magical ability to transform into a dragon.   In 2014 the story of Sleeping Beauty was re-imagined in Disney’s Maleficent.   She was portrayed by Angelina Jolie, and Elle Fanning brought life to Aurora!   In 2019…