One of my favorite Grimm’s Fairy Tales growing up was ‘Snow White and Rose Red’. This story has nothing in common with the much more popular ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ – except that both tales were among those collected by the Brothers Grimm. The Snow White of ‘Snow White and Rose Red’ is an entirely different character, with a distinct background and personality.
Snow White and Rose Red are sisters who live with their widowed
mother deep in the woods. Together they befriend a bear in winter time and
rescue an ungrateful dwarf from a variety of unpleasant fates. Little do they know the bear is actually a
prince under a curse cast by the dwarf.
Each time they rescue the dwarf, they inadvertently take away some of
his magic. This eventually results in the bear being able free itself from the
curse by killing the dwarf. The prince
takes Rose Red as his bride, and as luck would have it, successfully matches up
his brother with Snow White. Both sisters not only live happily ever after,
they live happily ever after together.
Sisterhood is a repeated theme in many tales, and it has
always appealed to me.
Growing up, I was an avid follower of the adventures of
Laura and Mary, from Laura Ingalls-Wilder’s classic Little House series.
When as an adult, I read The
Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, what impressed me most was not so
much the retelling of Anne Boleyn’s story (after all, by then I knew how it all
began and how it would all end), but the exceptional skill with which Gregory
captured the essence of sisterhood: the
love, the admiration, the jealousy and rivalry, the bond of blood and affection
capable of withstanding almost anything, even the fatal political and sexual
intrigues of the court of King Henry VIII.
More recently in the Hunger
Games, the power of sisterhood has resurged with Katniss Everdeen taking
the place of her sister Primrose, and thus becoming a hero – oops! I mean, a heroine
-- before even stepping foot inside the Games.
I have been blessed with having a sister; so every time I
read a story about sisters, I’m reminded of that relationship, and all that my
sister has meant to me and given me over the years. Love, encouragement, faith
in my ability to achieve my dreams, an example to aspire to, someone to care
about, support and depend upon. Big
sisters are especially wonderful because they so often serve the role of
pathfinders. They are the ones who forge ahead into life’s unknown territories,
and come back to share their wisdom with younger siblings.
In the world of my novel EOLYN, sisterhood also has a
special meaning. Eolyn herself has no
biological sisters, but in the tradition of the Magas, all followers of Aithne,
the woman who first discovered magic, are sisters. For the Magas, sisterhood transcends
boundaries of time, place and bloodlines.
One can even speak of ‘sisters’ who lived centuries ago. The Magas believe that all practitioners who
have passed into the Afterlife continue to watch over their sisters in the
world of the living. So while Eolyn is
on her own for much of her journey, she is never truly alone with her
magic.
These are some of my thoughts on sisterhood; it’s importance
in our stories as well as in our lives.
Now it’s your turn. What does
“sisterhood” mean to you? Who are your
favorite sisters in fiction and history, and why? How have your sisters, in blood and in
spirit, made your life easier, more interesting, more fulfilling and fun?
By Karin Rita Gastreich
Eolyn
By Karin Rita Gastreich
In a land ravaged by civil war, the Mage King Kedehen
initiates a brutal purge of the Magas.
Fleeing his wrath, Eolyn, daughter of the last of the Magas
and sole heiress to their forbidden tradition, seeks refuge in the South
Woods. There she meets the mysterious
boy Akmael, and forms a friendship that thrives on shared magic. Destiny leads them down a tortuous path of
love, betrayal and war, until one day the Maga Eolyn takes up arms against the
new Mage King.
Must Eolyn slay the man she loves in order to free herself
and her people?
The answer lies in the extraordinary magic she commands, and
in the hidden power of a Maga’s heart.
“Vigorously told deceptions and battle scenes. . . with a
romantic thread." – Publishers
Weekly
Purchase
Links:
Barnes
and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eolyn-karin-rita-gastreich/1100046332?ean=9780982946794
Excerpt from Eolyn,
Chapter 2
By Karin Rita Gastreich
By the time Eolyn arrived at a large stony riverbed, she
had lost track of the moon’s passage. In a few months spring would fill the
river’s banks to overflowing, but now with autumn drying up into winter she
crossed the water without wetting her feet, by jumping from one stone to
another. She paused on the opposite bank and considered following the current
downstream. Before she could decide on her next step, Eolyn saw another
Guende.
The
creature stood but a few feet away, reflecting the hues of day and fall. It
wore colored leaves in its cap and an evergreen vest embroidered with seeds and
nuts. With smiling eyes peeking out from under bushy brows, it proffered its
hand. Eolyn was surprised by the feathery lightness of its touch, as if it were
not a real hand at all, but an impulse of energy that took hold of her and
pulled her forward.
They
left the river and walked for almost an hour, until Eolyn felt a subtle shift
in the resonance of the forest. The woods did not look any different, with its
old trunks, crusty bark and draped moss. Yet something had changed. Caught
between curiosity and apprehension, Eolyn’s heart beat so hard it pushed into
her throat. The Guende tugged on her hand in reassurance. An intense drone
filled her ears, as if she were passing through an invisible hive of bees.
After a few steps the buzzing stopped, the Guende disappeared and Eolyn stood
alone in a small clearing. The thick expanse of trees that defined her world moments
before had melted away. Under a cover of soft grass, the ground sloped downward
and then rose again. Beyond a low hill hovered a faint wisp of chimney smoke.
Taken with a sudden enthusiasm founded on the hope of human company, Eolyn
bounded forward. On the other side of the rise she saw a simple cottage
surrounded by a thick garden.
“Good
day!” she called out. “Is anyone home?”
The
bushes rustled. A dark hood rose up and peered at her. “Well. Who is this mouse
that calls upon my humble house?”
The hag’s voice crackled and hissed like a night fire.
Eolyn stepped backwards, regretting her boldness at once. How could she have
been so foolish? She knew the stories about hags living in the woods. They were
witches, all of them. They turned children into bread and ate them for
breakfast.
Rising
to her full and somewhat crooked height, the hag shuffled toward Eolyn. “Don’t
run away, my child.”
Eolyn
had no intention of obeying, but her feet betrayed her and rooted into the
ground like stubborn weeds. Locating a stump next to the girl, the old woman
eased herself down. Several minutes passed in silence.
“You
are not much of a talker,” she said at last. “All the better I suppose. I’ve
grown accustomed to an existence without chatter in this place. How long have you
been in the woods?”
“Nearly
a moon, I think.” Eolyn’s voice was subdued with dread.
“A
full moon?” the old one repeated with surprise and interest. “How did you
survive so long on your own?”
“I
know the late harvest berries and mushrooms and how to find springs and draw
water from the moss. Then the Guendes found me.” And led her here. Treacherous creatures!
“I
see. And what drove you into the forest in the first place?”
Eolyn
blinked and looked away. Her eyes began
to burn and her throat ached.
“Come,
child.” The woman’s voice was quiet and gentle. “You can tell me.”
Eolyn
was not going to tell her anything, but then words came spilling out anyway.
“There were horses and soldiers and terrible fires and . . . they killed my
father, and my brother never came back . . . and then I . . . heard my
mother. I saw her, I swear! She told me to follow her, but it wasn’t her
after all . . . and then I got lost.”
The
hag folded her arms. “You’re a very courageous girl. How many summer solstices
have you seen?”
Eolyn
shifted nervously on her feet.
“Nine,
perhaps?” The old woman asked.
The
blood drained from Eolyn’s face. Proof of witchcraft! How else could she have
guessed her age?
“Speak,
child. A guest in my house must say what she thinks.”
“Are
you the witch who eats children?” Eolyn covered her mouth with both hands,
shocked by her reckless tongue.
The
old lady’s eyes sparked in the shadow of her cloak and she reached up to remove
her hood. Eolyn expected to see an ancient face twisted into a sharp warty nose,
unkempt hair splayed like straw and inflamed eyes that would hex her on the
spot. The truth proved oddly disappointing. The woman’s features were soft,
lined with the many years that had bent her body. Her thick gray hair lay
braided in a neat coil at the nape of her neck. Her nose was an unremarkable
peak over narrow lips. She watched Eolyn with keen gray eyes. “Well that is not
a question I get every day. Tell me . . . What did you say your name was?”
“Eolyn.”
“Nice
to meet you, Eolyn. I am Ghemena. Tell me, why do you think I am a witch who
eats children?”
“Because
you are an old woman, and you live alone in the South Woods.”
“That
is rather damning evidence,” she conceded. “What else do you know about this
child-eating witch?”
“She lives in a house made of sweetbread and the children
come to eat it. That’s how she fattens them up before she throws them into her
great oven.”
“I
see. . .” The woman nodded, her face a mask of careful reflection. “Well, young
Eolyn, you can see my house. It does indeed bear the shade of honey-sweetened
bread, now that I think about it. Why don’t you take a bite? If the legend is
true you’ll be able to eat it. Even better, I’ll be able to eat you. But I will
let you run first. I’ll give you a full half-a-day’s head start just for being
such an astute little girl.”
Author Bio:
KARIN RITA GASTREICH was born near Kansas City, Missouri.
After living and working for ten years as a tropical ecologist in Costa Rica,
she recently returned to her home town and is now a Professor of Biology at
Avila University. Her past times include camping, hiking, music and flamenco
dance. Karin's first fantasy novel,
EOLYN, was released by Hadley Rille Books in 2011. The companion novel, HIGH MAGA, is scheduled
for release in 2014. Karin’s short stories have appeared in Zahir, Adventures
for the Average Woman, 69 Flavors of Paranoia, and A Visitor to Sandahl. She is a recipient of the Spring 2011
Andrews Forest Writer’s Residency. Visit her at the blog for Eolyn, http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com,
and at Heroines of Fantasy, co-authored with Terri-Lynne DeFino and Kim
Vandervort, http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com.
KARIN RITA GASTREICH was born near Kansas City, Missouri.
After living and working for ten years as a tropical ecologist in Costa Rica,
she recently returned to her home town and is now a Professor of Biology at
Avila University. Her past times include camping, hiking, music and flamenco
dance. Karin's first fantasy novel,
EOLYN, was released by Hadley Rille Books in 2011. The companion novel, HIGH MAGA, is scheduled
for release in 2014. Karin’s short stories have appeared in Zahir, Adventures
for the Average Woman, 69 Flavors of Paranoia, and A Visitor to Sandahl. She is a recipient of the Spring 2011
Andrews Forest Writer’s Residency. Visit her at the blog for Eolyn, http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com,
and at Heroines of Fantasy, co-authored with Terri-Lynne DeFino and Kim
Vandervort, http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com.
Author web links:
Blog for Eolyn: http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com
Blog Heroines of Fantasy: http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Eolyn/110814625640244
Please click on the logo above to learn more about the wonderful fantasy authors who participate in the Magic Appreciation Tour.
4 comments:
I have 3 brothers, so I'll never understand the sister connection. I love how you use it, though, to inspire your writing.
Your book sounds like something I would definitely enjoy, so I'm off to add it to my amazon wish list.
Thanks for guest posting w/ Marsha!
Thank you, Terri!
I also have a brother; and interestingly enough, while I didn't give Eolyn any biological sisters, I did give her a brother. Brothers are the best; I'll have to do a post about them someday, too. :)
Marsha -- Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog! It has been great meeting you and getting to know your work.
Karin, it's been my pleasure. Your book sounds fascinating, one I definitely want to read.
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