RACCONTANDO UNA FIABA TI RACCONTO IL MIO MONDO

COURAGE AND LONELINESS

DALLA BABA JAGA ALL’ORSO DELLA LUNA CALANTE

The “Baba Jaga” is a common story with all the ingredients for a tale of fear.It’s similar to “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”, “Hansel and Gretel”, but it’s also similar to other no common stories: the chinese “The waning moon beard and the girl”, the russian “Vassilissa the wise girl”.All the girls in these stories have the same task:

All the girls become strong and powerful at the end of the story.

The growth of the soul

All the girls of these stories are

similar to the american indian

boys going around the forests,

the rivers and the mountains,

searching for their totem

animal to ask for protection,

strength and power.

Eastern cultures

Mountains are a good place to fight against weakness and fear

European cultures

Wood and forest are good places to fight against fear and the unknown during the night.

American cultures

High rocks, peaks and the Grand Canyon are ideal places to fight against fear, weakness, illness of body and soul.

African culture

The desert is the right place where children can face dangers, fear and death.

FEED

SLEEP

FIGHT

PROTECT ONESELF

STAY ALIVE

TAKE COURAGE

Children in these stories start a journey that take them to a very important point of their life: the time of growth

Vassillissa takes with her the gift of her died mother, a puppet.The american indian boy ‘without a name’ takes with him his knife and his axe.Nguru takes with him his stike.Lao Chin takes with her a bowl and food .

Vassillissa knocks at the Baba Jaga door and waits for the answer.The american indian boy without a name sits at the entry of the Grand Canyon, shuts his eyes, and waits for the voices of his ancestors.Nguru waits for the prey.Lao Chin waits for the terrible beard.

Vassillissa goes towards the wood like Little Red Riding Hood .The american indian boy ‘without a name’ goes towards the Grand Canyon. Nguru, the african boy, goes towards the desert.Lao Chin, goes towards the mountains.

Vassilissa has to sleep outdoors in the wood, with no moon, no lights, no food, nor bed. She fights against her fears.

The american indian boy without a name sleeps outdoors, during the dream he receives a light eagle shaped.

Nguru doesn’t sleep, chases his prey and fights with a lion.Lao Chin sleeps and at daybreak she prepares some food, puts it in the bowl and leaves the bowl in front of the cave.

Vassilissa receives the light and goes home with the BabaJaga and her broom.The american indian boy can go home, he finally has a name: white eagle.Nguru cuts the skin of the lion and goes home.Lao Chin bacomes the only friend of the terrible beard and receives a hair from him to save her father.

Little Red Riding Hood finds a hunter who saves her life, she doesn’t succeed in the task without the help of an adult. But she experiences the emotion of death and rebirth.

The american indian boy kills wolfs and beards. Along the way he dreams a wild animal helping him, his totem animal, and he learns the animal language too. After the journey his life becomes part of the totem animal’s life.

Vassilissa the wise girl receives the help of the Baba Jaga, the witch gives the girl the fire of courage she was looking for. Her only help comes from a puppet, a gift of her died mother, she holds it in her hand during the whole journey to feel protected.

The african boy goes through the desert to receive messages from the spirits of his ancestors. He must kill a wild animal and then return to the village with the head or the skin of the prey.

The chinese girl feeds the dangerous beard for a long period and then she speaks to the animal and receives a hair to save her father’s life.