Trawling back through the memory card on my phone, I'm reminded that in August 2015 I found myself at the market in the French seaside town of Dinard. The outside of the market building had a series of tiled mosaic pictures around the outside (and still does, look). I took poor quality photos of my favourites, and remember wondering at the time whether these pictures depicted French folk tales with which I was unfamiliar, or were merely ways to evoke the produce on sale in the market (seafood and fruit, in these examples). But I never did find out. Two minutes' basic Googling leaves me struggling to find any kind of folk tale about a mermaid turning a suitor into a lobster. I haven't even bothered looking for one about magpies eating cherries... but look - that cherry has a skull inside! What's going on?
I think they're quite interesting, whatever their backstory, but does anyone have any thoughts? Or knowledge of French/Bréton folklore?
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Brilliant that you noticed these and kept a record. I like them and I'm equally intrigued by them. If I was still doing my weekly French classes I could've shown these to Carole (native French and interested in the arts, as well as a great tutor) but had to stop a while back now so I no longer have that particular 'in'.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... they do warrant further investigation, though... if I can find anything I'll let you know!
I particularly like the mermaid/lobster one, and since I couldn't find a matching folk tale for it, I did consider trying to write one of my own. But the world doesn't need more mermaid stories... so maybe I'll try the magpie one instead, sometime. Assuming, that is, I ever get back on the fiction-writing horse again...
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