Advanced Creative Writing Post #8: Marchen Fairy Tale (Part 1)

The goal for this post is to write a fairy tale that follows both the style of the Hero's Journey and the German fairy tale style of the Marchen. The Hero's Journey has already been described in a previous entry so I won't go into that.

The definition of the Marchen is as follows: "A favorite narrative form in German Romanticism. The term includes but has a wider range than the English fairy tale. It can refer to the Volksmarchen ("folktale"), such as those collected by the Brothers Grimm, or to tales written in the folk style. The action is generally intense, the atmosphere is abstract, and the setting is removed from time and space. The key figure is frequently a hero who must go on a journey, during which he is put through tests and encounters various forms of evil. Generally, his tasks are three in number; symbolic numbers, superstition, supernatural creatures, and forms of magic are all important devices. In the end, the hero succeeds at his given tasks and is well rewarded, while his evil opponents are severely or fatally punished. The term Marchen can also refer to the deeply philosophical, allegorical form of the Kunstmarchen ("art tale"), the definitive example of which is Goethe's Das Marchen. Novalis, Brentano, and E.T.A. Hoffman also employed this form for different effects."

So...let the story begin.

The Celestial Fairies were once a peaceful and beautiful race. They lived in the Elderworld, the land of the Myths and Legends. The Fairies traversed the two realms freely, bringing serenity and blessings to those they encountered. They lived off the love, desire, and adoration of the people of the mortal realm, their everlasting beauty sustained by it. Very few were fortunate enough to have their love returned, for few Fairies found mortals worthy of their love. And only a fool would turn down the bliss such a union would bring. Decades ago, the Queen Fairy traveled to the mortal realm. There she met a handsome and charming prince, soon to be king of much of the mortal realm. The Prince showed the Queen Fairy much love and adoration, showering her with every gift his wealth could afford. She began to return his affections, his love. Her presence at his side was a powerful political tool, bringing many to believe him worthy of the throne. Soon, the time came for his anointment. As he was presented the royal crown, the Queen Fairy professed her love to him and requested he be spirited away with her to the Elderworld to live forever...as King of the Fairies. Never had such an offer been proposed. The Prince merely laughed and placed the crown upon his head. He confessed that he never really loved the Queen Fairy, instead only using her to gain the power he needed to obtain kingship. Angered at being scorned and used, she vowed vengeance against the new King. She threatened to tear his empire from his grip and make him suffer an eternal agony no man had known before. She fled from the palace, retreating into the Elderworld with her fairy people in tow. Using her power she sealed the bonds between the realms, vowing that when the Fairies returned the King would sooner offer his own life to stop the destruction they wrought upon his realm. The King merely laughed and took his place upon the throne, pronouncing to the kingdom that the fairies would never triumph over their armies.

Four decades passed and the realm flourished under the King's direction. Not a single war was lost and the army was ten-thousand strong. On the eve of the King's coronation anniversary, the sky began to darken. Black clouds twisted and churned in the sky, boiling over the landscape. By nightfall, the land was completely covered, thrown into a blackness that snuffed the very light from the sun. Only a hazy light shown through the heavy clouds. Torches across the palace were lit hurriedly. Torchlight bathed the royal hall, chasing the shadows into the corners. The King sat upon his throne, addressing his army's general.

"How far do the clouds spread?"

"An immense darkness has covered the land, milord. It seems we have received the full year's foul weather heaped upon us at once. The torches are lit across the palace grounds and the guardsmen are at the ready should bandits attempt a raid under the guise of night."

"Good good, though I do not expect any raids. The kingdom has been at peace far too long for worry for such an attack."

All the torch lights in the royal hall sputtered and died. The startled guardsmen drew their swords. The General swiveled to face the doors, protecting the King behind his large frame. Although the windows were shut, a strong wind swept through the hall. A soft blue light began to glow in the middle of the darkened room. All the guards faced the center of the room, trying to locate the source of the light. The air under the light began to shimmer and waver. And then She was standing in the center of the hall, her beauty both magnificent and terrifying. Her aura radiated blue, her skin glistening with shimmers of light. She began to glide slowly across the palace floor towards the General. She came to a halt several feet from the General.

“I cannot let you harm my king, a lady though you may be,” said the General, bringing his sword up in front of him.

“Harm him?” Her voice was sweet as honey. “No, I merely bring the old fool a message from a dear old friend.”

The King placed his hand on the General’s shoulder and signaled him to step aside. He met Her gaze and a sorrowful smile crept across his wizened features.

“I was wondering when you would return, fair lady. It has been many a year since I saw or heard from your people. I suppose the time has finally come for my penance to be paid for the wrongs I did you. Come then.”

She let out a harsh laugh that didn’t fit her features. “As I said so many years ago, you will wish that I would take your life. Now you will truly suffer for your crime against me. And I will start with your daughter!”

She whirled around and the doors to the palace blew open. Two fairies glided into the room, a writhing Princess between them. Her struggles did not seem to have any effect on the fairies’ hold. The glided to the center of the palace, stopping under the blue glow.

“My daughter?! Let her go, please. Your quarrel is with me, my daughter has done you no wrong,” the King said.

“She is but a tool against her fool father,” She snarled. “She will stay with my people and me in Elderworld to make sure you do as I say. Unless you want ill to befall her, you will do exactly as I tell you.”

“What is it that you want? I will do anything, just let my daughter go,” the King pleaded.

“You will destroy your own kingdom, the one you used me to obtain. I want to see the palace lay to waste and your people scattered and rejected as mine were. I want you to make your people loathe you, so you will feel the rejection I felt at your hands.”

“I cannot make my people suffer for my wrong-doings. I will give up the throne and leave my people, but I cannot destroy their homes and lives.”

“Then you will never have your daughter back.”

She turned to leave. The General stepped in front of her.

“I cannot allow you to threaten milord or his daughter this way. I have sworn to protect them and that is what I intend to do. Release her or suffer at the hands of my blade.” The General pointed his sword at Her, hand steady.

“Fool, you would die for him?”

“Yes.”

“As you wish.” She reached a hand out and touched the end of this sword with the tip of a finger. Both sword and General began to glow a bright violet, pain distorted the General’s face. Before he could scream, he erupted into a shower of violet lights. She turned to face the King. A twisted smile crossed her lips and then the fairies were gone in a flash of blue light.

Advanced Creative Writing Post #6: The Hero's Journey

In Irelan's AP Literature class, we were going over what a quest type of story is. The most common type of quest story is the Hero's Journey. So, we decided to tie that into my creative writing and make that my topic this week.


The Hero's Journey has many steps, but can broken down into three distinct phases: the Departure, the Initiation, and the Return.

The Departure begins with the Hero's call to adventure. This is usually some sign given to the hero that everything is going to change. This is usually followed by the refusal of the call, or at least the refusal to believe that it is happening. For example, in The Lord of the Rings, Frodo is told by Gandalf when he finds the ring that he must take it to Mount Doom and destroy it. Frodo refuses to believe that he is in danger until the Wraiths attack them. The next stage of the quest is the appearance of supernatural aid. The purpose of this guide is to help the Hero transcend into adventure. After the supernatural aid comes the Crossing of the First Threshold. This is the true beginning of the journey for the Hero. This is the first experience in the other world. Going back to the Lord of the Rings, this is when Frodo and Gandalf meet with the others to create the Fellowship. The last piece in the first Departure is referred to as the Belly of the Whale. In this stage, the Hero has become fully submerged in the adventure. Their old life is left behind and their new life begins. This is usually symbolized by something dark, unknown, and frightening. This is the transition for the Hero in becoming their new self. In LOTR, I think this is when the Fellowship fights the Orcs and Boromir dies.

The second phase of the Hero's Journey is the Initiation. The second phase revolves around the Hero's trials and transformation into the new self that will ensure the Hero comes out, well a Hero at the end. The phase begins with The Road of Trials. This is usually a series of tests, most of the which the Hero often fails. The next step of the journey is the Meeting with the Goddess. This is where the Hero finds him- or herself through an all-powerful love. This is usually when the Hero sees him- or herself as non-dualistic. There is no longer an old self and a new self, only the Hero as a whole. After the Goddess comes the Woman as the Temptress. This portion of the journey is where the Hero is tempted to stray from his journey. As with the Goddess, this does not necessarily have to be woman. However, woman is a metaphor for the phyiscal or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust to abandon his spiritual journey. After temptation comes atonement. The hero atones with the highest authority, usually a father-figure. All of the steps in the journey before this lead up to it and all the steps after it move forward from this point. This step usually involves the "death" of the hero's old self and a grand transformation into the Hero figure. In LOTR, the "death" of Gandalf the Grey and the transformation into Gandalf the White is arguably an example of this. The next step, depending on the story, either becomes the transformation of the Hero from the mortal plane into a deity-like state, or simply the peace before the Hero's return from their destination. The last step is known as the Ultimate Boon.

The last phase of the journey is The Return. The first thing the Hero usually does is refuse the return. After all, after having achieved so much and dined with the deities and gods, why return to the world of mortals? If the Boon had to be taken from the gods, the Hero must escape with it, making up the next step of the journey, called the Magic Flight. The next step incurs supernatural aid. Just as the Hero needed assistance to get this far, help is usually required on the return trip as well. After this comes the Crossing of the Return Threshold, wherein the Hero must integrate the wisdom gained on the journey into their normal lives. The Hero then becomes the Master of Two Worlds. This is the Hero becoming comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds. The last and final step of the journey is the Freedom to Live. The Hero is no longer fearful of death and is therefore free to live. This usually consists of the Hero neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.