This is my kind of story.
From wikipedia's article on Awilda. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awilda
Awilda, also known as Alwilda, was a legendary female pirate.
Awilda was the daughter of a 5th century Scandinavian king; in one source he was named Synardus and was a "Gothic king". The King, her father, had arranged a marriage for her to Alf, the crown prince of Denmark, whose father was King Sygarus of Denmark. However, Awilda refused her father's choice. She and some of her female friends dressed like sailors and commandeered a ship. While sailing, they came across a pirate ship that had recently lost its captain, and the pirates elected Awilda as their captain. The King of Denmark sent his son and a navy ship to battle with the "irksome" pirates. Prince Alf and his men were able to board their ship and gain the upper hand in the battle. Apparently, Awilda was so impressed with the prince's courage that she revealed her true identity, and agreed to marry Alf. They married on board, and lived happily ever after as King and Queen of Denmark.
The tale smacks of legend and likely is closer to fairy tale than historical fact. But examining the storytelling facets tells us more. Prominently, there is the contrast of feminizing highly masculine concepts; Awilda the king's daughter as not only a pirate, but the captain. There is also the aforementioned princess trope, the romantic star of many a fable. In some feminist analysis, the princess concept is less that of a girl and more a representation of qualities attributed to women; captive, virginal, fertile, and thus highly desirable for her baby-making abilities as well as for her father's fortune. The princess is a wealthy future.
Her viability is threatened by becoming a pirate, which normally acts as the greatest threat to the princess bride concept; violence, rape and plunder. But no, Awilda not only refuses to be a victim and play the princess, she leaves it all behind with her coterie of faithful girls disguised as sailors, and then becomes the pirate queen herself. How she convinces he captainless crew of her leadership qualities is beyond me, but I think it speaks to the magical quality of the princess trope; there is just something about her that charms her life. Is it magic? Is it the blessing of a protective deity? Or is she that noble-blooded and well bred that her true royal mien shines through? Generally, the answer is yes.
Still, all female concepts must be defeated by men. In this case, the prince is sent to protect his kingdom from pirates and attacks Awilda's ship. Of course, the story slants a bit to continue to celebrate Awilda's divine glory and preserve her feminine dignity by saying the prince's forces didn't actually win, but were gaining the upper hand in battle. The prince doesn't murder her crew and friends and claim the pirate queen as his bride. No, Awilda is impressed with the prince for his own strength and leadership, attributes she respects in herself as a pirate. She refused the prince's claim to marriage before actually knowing him (or at least knowing him like a man - in battle. Meeting him as a woman left her cold, clearly, but so did being a woman at all.)
To save her crew (like a good pirate captain) and her future (like a good princess) or maybe because the prince's swashbucklery warms her knickers, Awilda reveals her identity and agrees to marry him. They tie the knot of the boat and leave off being mere leaders of warriors or pirates, and instead reign their entire shared kingdom together. It isn't necessary to detail if the gender equality unbalanced after that; were her pirating days just a rebellious princess phase, or if she and her husband continued to meet in battle, this time on the field of marriage? Did she embrace her fertile potential and make lots of Danish babies?
Ultimately, Awilda makes the choice every time. Feminist reading between the lines and cultural storytelling development notwithstanding, I love this.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Story time
Once upon a time, there was a girl. Go ahead and call her a princess. Anyway, she was so sensitive to the world around her that she convinced herself that a life locked in a tower would be safer, and thus have a happier ending. Perhaps there was a wicked witch involved, or husband, whatever. She lives the rest of her life as a prisoner and turns into an internet troll, the end.
Or, she acts as the vehicle of her own escape (+5 CHA blonde tresses,) in collaboration with the handsome price who comes to rescue her. Not to reduce the prince's role, mind you, with his dexterous fingers. For braiding, you perv. (You're not wrong.) Also, the noble steed and the fantastic far-away land where if she could handle five months in a two-bedroom luxury apartment, their new castle would be epic and she could even help pick it out.
This is not an ironic tale of a girl in love with the drama of storytelling, who married a boy who lost his creativity down a well, and her adventurous epic stalled into a boring survival story.
Fuck that. I'm not the girl in the tower. I'm the hottie in the fairy tale.
Or, she acts as the vehicle of her own escape (+5 CHA blonde tresses,) in collaboration with the handsome price who comes to rescue her. Not to reduce the prince's role, mind you, with his dexterous fingers. For braiding, you perv. (You're not wrong.) Also, the noble steed and the fantastic far-away land where if she could handle five months in a two-bedroom luxury apartment, their new castle would be epic and she could even help pick it out.
This is not an ironic tale of a girl in love with the drama of storytelling, who married a boy who lost his creativity down a well, and her adventurous epic stalled into a boring survival story.
Fuck that. I'm not the girl in the tower. I'm the hottie in the fairy tale.
On Fanfiction
A friend asked me about my thoughts on fanfiction as part of literary heritage. I have my own seedy, embarassing background in Star Trek and Sailor Moon fan fiction, and woud like to share my observations for him, with you.
When someone is inspired to write after reading a piece of literary work, there are no guarantees the fledgling writer has any skillset to draw on to compose her own epic. Instead, our writer relies upon what delights, inspires and draws her to the page. Generally, she does this by ripping off her favorite stories wholesale while she learns the tricks of the trade. One does not know the clever means of storytelling, characterization and dialogue without hacking her way through a few attempts. It is a learning process, after all.
Thus, fanfiction. Horrid, yet imaginative. Bastardized, yet creative. Rampant misuse of copyrighted characters, but absolutely essential for the artistic process of learning writers.
Is fanfiction a vital part of our literary heritage? No more than the notebooks and sketchpads of other writers and artists. It is a part of the process, but not the finished product. And while many an audience devours the final piece and desires to see the DVD extras of the way it was wrought, such behind-the-scenes details are not the reason we create, but the means to hone our craft.
No, our literary heritage is what we labor to create and present, not the confused and convoluted path we take to get there.
When someone is inspired to write after reading a piece of literary work, there are no guarantees the fledgling writer has any skillset to draw on to compose her own epic. Instead, our writer relies upon what delights, inspires and draws her to the page. Generally, she does this by ripping off her favorite stories wholesale while she learns the tricks of the trade. One does not know the clever means of storytelling, characterization and dialogue without hacking her way through a few attempts. It is a learning process, after all.
Thus, fanfiction. Horrid, yet imaginative. Bastardized, yet creative. Rampant misuse of copyrighted characters, but absolutely essential for the artistic process of learning writers.
Is fanfiction a vital part of our literary heritage? No more than the notebooks and sketchpads of other writers and artists. It is a part of the process, but not the finished product. And while many an audience devours the final piece and desires to see the DVD extras of the way it was wrought, such behind-the-scenes details are not the reason we create, but the means to hone our craft.
No, our literary heritage is what we labor to create and present, not the confused and convoluted path we take to get there.
PSA
"I'm looking forward to having happy naked sexy times with you."
For some reason, this is the most perfectly arousing thing I can say to my lover right now. We've shared enough erotic conversation in the long distance part of our relationship. I turn to quivering jello when he tells me his midnight dark threats against my body. But that's just as much a part of the game as the rest. We like this game. We play a lot.
And then sometimes it's satisfying to be plain and honest. I want to be naked and laughing with you. I would rather you were on top of me than at work right now. I feel so beautiful when you come.
This is what I had been missing. This is that perfect, intimate place that exists between two people. I once pretended I didn't need in my marriage, or perhaps didn't deserve it.
If you are in any way thinking along these terms, STOP! Voraciously attack the method of your living until it changes to include a partner who wants you as much as you yearn for that beautiful point of intersection where the parameters of self permeate with your lover.
It is so worth it. You do deserve it.
For some reason, this is the most perfectly arousing thing I can say to my lover right now. We've shared enough erotic conversation in the long distance part of our relationship. I turn to quivering jello when he tells me his midnight dark threats against my body. But that's just as much a part of the game as the rest. We like this game. We play a lot.
And then sometimes it's satisfying to be plain and honest. I want to be naked and laughing with you. I would rather you were on top of me than at work right now. I feel so beautiful when you come.
This is what I had been missing. This is that perfect, intimate place that exists between two people. I once pretended I didn't need in my marriage, or perhaps didn't deserve it.
If you are in any way thinking along these terms, STOP! Voraciously attack the method of your living until it changes to include a partner who wants you as much as you yearn for that beautiful point of intersection where the parameters of self permeate with your lover.
It is so worth it. You do deserve it.
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