Celtica Diamond is one of my characters that is proving to be an enigma for me. When she does talk to me, she doesn't give me much to go on. At other times, she leads me a merry dance all over the place, getting me lost, introducing me to new characters who she seems to believe I really SHOULD know already!
To that end, I've decided to re-edit her story and get it together in a semblance of order.
Here's the first part I've edited.
Introduction
Legends, myths, folk tales – an intrinsic part of every nation, even relatively new ones, nations less than a millennia old, less than half a millennia old.
Vampires seem to have become the most common legendary creature, made popular in the 19th century, romanticised by novelists and playwrights and embraced in popular culture. Varying stories came across the vast oceans with the new settlers, most woven with common threads. Witches, werewolves, hob-goblins and trolls are there too, nestling in amongst the tales of hardship, loneliness, hunger and strife. It wasn’t enough that the settlers in a new land were unprepared for unknown natural hazards to overcome, they also had to battle longstanding ones from the old country. The vampires, witches and werewolves travelled along with them in their minds, their hearts and their fears.
Stories of hardworking people trying to make a new life for themselves in the new, exciting, dangerous, but ultimately rewarding land sprang up and were peppered with tales of temptation. The devil handed out prosperity seemingly too easily in exchange for a man’s soul and proved adequate warning against laziness. Those stories drove a spike of terror into the hearts of the few in a community who bemoaned their lot and wished their lives were just that little easier or that all their dreams could come true in an instant.
What? You thought the idea of instant gratification was a new concept? Not even close.
Those tales were understandable. Morality tales and fables of temptation, portrayed the ultimate turn-around of a fallen sinner, redeemed at last by the love and devotion of a family and a community. Putting their trust in hard work and men of God provided comfort and assurances that their reward would be delivered in this world or the next.
A community once divided by greed, for the sake of them all, must be brought back together by the clever defeat of the Prince of temptation, Old Hob, Scratch, the Devil. The eternal struggle of good over evil.
What of other tales? What of the myths dragged along behind pilgrims and settlers from the old countries? What purpose do they serve? Why do men perpetuate those tales?
Blood sucking vampires, men turned to beasts of the field by the light of the full moon, goblins, witches, faeries, trolls, giants, dwarves? Why do these stories persist? If it is not for a useful and instructional moralistic tale, is it then because there may be a basis in fact?
*Here's what I started with
Legends, myths, folk tales - every nation has them, even the relatively new ones, nations that are less than a millennia old, less than half a millennia old.
Vampires have become the most common, even popular. Varying stories that came across the vast oceans with the new settlers. Witches, werewolves, hob-goblins and trolls are there too, nestling in amongst the tales of hardship, loneliness, hunger and strife. It wasn’t enough that the settlers in a new land had new, natural hazards to overcome, they had to battle longstanding ones from the old country too. The vampires, witches and werewolves travelled along with them in their minds, their hearts and their fears.
Stories of hardworking people trying to make a new life for themselves in the new, exciting, dangerous, but ultimately rewarding land were peppered with tales of temptation. The devil handing out prosperity too easily for the price of a soul gave adequate warning against laziness, drove a spike of terror into the hearts of communities that wished their lives were just that little easier or that all their dreams could come true in an instant.
What? You thought the idea of instant gratification was a new concept? Not even close.
Those tales were understandable. Fables of temptation and the ultimate turn-around of a fallen sinner, redeemed at last by the love and devotion of a family and a community who put their trust in hard work and men of God.
A community once divided by greed, brought back together by the clever defeat of the Prince of temptation, Old Hob, Scratch, the Devil. The eternal struggle of good over evil.
What of other tales? What of the myths dragged with pilgrims and settlers from the old countries? What purpose do they serve? Why do men perpetuate those tales?
Blood sucking vampires, men turned to beasts of the field by the light of the full moon, goblins, witches, faeries, trolls, giants, dwarves? Why do these stories persist? If it isn’t for a useful and instructional moralistic tale, is it then because there may be a basis in fact?