The Wisdom of the Wicked Witch – Part Three – Voracious Heroes & Heroines, Gluttonous Cannibals & Ogres

In Rumble-Mumble Goose Egg, the hero needs enormous quantities of food; he uses the superhuman strength he gets from consuming food for the good of others. In characters like these, we find the quantity of food they need is matched by their great generosity and wide-heartedness. Of similar appetite, but of entirely different character is the false queen in The Witch in the Stone Boat, who eats meat from a trough and never stops till she has finished – but she cares only for herself.

INSTRUMENTS: STORYTELLING, COLOUR, INDIVIDUAL WORK, BREAKOUT-GROUPS, WHOLE GROUP WORK

What will we do? We will use traditional folktales and storytelling to:

  • Discover the special kind of hero/heroine we are dealing with; and the kind of hunger, nurture or nourishment that needs to be satisfied;
  • Work on the symbolism of ‘hungry heroes’, generosity and wide-heartedness in folktales and in festivals celebrated with ‘grand feasts:’ abundance, fertility, prosperity, love and resurrection;
  • Compare this to folktales where ogres are gluttonous and selfish;
  • Know why ogres will always be hungry.

Why? We need to know how to think creatively about the distribution of wealth and nourishment on all levels and folktales can be used to help us:

  • Understand how to ‘translate’ soul-food into energy for change;
  • Recognise the importance of storytelling and feasts for healthy communities;
  • Create storytelling feasts to cultivate generosity and compassion.

What will you gain?

  • Further development of your storytelling skills;
  • Honing your ability to discern the different qualities of heroes and villains and bring this to life in your telling;
  • The skill to overcome ogres.

PDF brochure – workshop ‘The Wisdom of the Wicked Witch’ part three with Iris Curteis

Next workshop: TBA