Tag: nature

research

Legend of the Pussy Willow

leanbhpearson

“The Legend of the Pussy Willow”

In an old Polish legend, many springs ago, a mother cat was crying at the bank of the river where her kittens were drowning.

The willow at the river’s edge longed to help her, so they swept their long graceful branches into the waters to rescue the tiny kittens who had fallen into the river while chasing butterflies.

Each of the kittens gripped tightly to the willow branches and were safely brought back to shore.

According to the legend, each springtime since, willow branches sprout tiny fur-like buds at their tips where the tiny kittens once clung.

research

Folklore of Bluebells

leanbhpearson

The feared fairy bell and impending death

According to English folklore, Bluebells were often used to call fairies…If you “rang” a bluebell like you would any normal bell, it was believed fairies would come to you. But fairies are notoriously dangerous bargainers and the need to call fairies for aid must be great to risk the summons.

There is another folklore that states if you hear a bluebell ring, somebody close to you will die. Bluebells growing en masse in a field were best avoided.

reads, Recent Reads

Dark Nature

leanbhpearson

*** I received an ARC/Review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***

Publisher’s Description

Generation after generation, humans have ripped apart the world, leaving garbage and desolation in our wake.Burning, destroying, and stealing from the earth. We see it happening day by day and do nothing about it. Our air is toxic with pollution along with our waters and the earth cries as it watches the destruction.

Until now.

From the depths of the darkest minds of horror comes mother nature’s final retribution. It’s time for Gaia to fight back, and karma really is a b*tch. Dark Nature is an anthology of thirteen dark tales of nature.

Review

My latest read was a horror anthology Dark Nature by Macabre Ladies Publishing.
Particular favourites of mine included “In the Wych Elm” by Emma Kathryn, a nice portrait of past and present uniting in a darkly woven tale of folklore and magic. “She Weeps Vermilion (O, Harbinger)” by Hayden Waller is an ocean themed tale of the destruction wrought by humanity and the vengeance that rises as a colossus from the depths. Lastly, “Pt. Reyes” by BF Vega was another good blend of environmental disrespect, cause and effect, with surreal folklore of the natural world creating new horrors for the mind.

Final Thoughts

Dark Nature is a unique horror anthology exploring scenarios when natural forces seek revenge on humanity for abuse and desecration of the environment. Although some stories were slow to build action or create tension, there were particular favourites of mine that underscored vengeance sought by the darkest of nature.

Conclusion

Recommended read for readers seeking an unusual anthology of different voices on the darkest natures of humanity and our environment. Well worth reading!

research, Short Fiction, Writing

Inuit legend of the Qallupilluk

leanbhpearson

I am always fascinated by First Nations legends and lore. One of my current research projects has focused on the Inuit legends of the Qallupilluk, monstrous female beings who lurk in the frozen waterways and beneath the ice sheets, snatching unwary children beneath the icy water.

My latest short story examines this legend from the perspective of an outsider, someone who is not of the Inuit, and to whom the legends are foreign, placing her and her child at risk.

research, Short Fiction

Dark Legends of the Thunderbird

leanbhpearson

In writing a flash fiction story, I explored in the legendary Thunderbird, a powerful elemental being, found in many First Nations religions across North America.

The Thunderbird is a being found in many First Nations legends stretching from the desert plateaus and lands, the prairies and plains to the redwood forests and the Rocky Mountains. The Thunderbird is a powerful being, the beating of its wings makes the thunderclaps and gales, the silver of its eyes is the lightning. The Thunderbird also has an association with battle to many First Nations cultures, the bringer of storms both literal and metaphorical. I have a post here on the Thunderbird, or ‘Wakinyan’ in the Lakota-Sioux dialect.

As with any reimagining of a legendary being, I was conscious of cultural appropriation. My own reimagining of the Thunderbird, I focused on the connection between the prairie and desert landscapes, the reliance on the life-giving thunderstorms, and as a being invoked to protect land but also warriors and their horses.

reads, Recent Reads

Son of a Trickster

leanbhpearson

Publisher’s Description:

Meet Jared Martin: sixteen-year-old pot cookie dealer, smoker, drinker and son with the scariest mom ever. But Jared’s the pot dealer with a heart of gold–really. Compassionate, caring, and nurturing by nature, Jared’s determined to help hold his family together–whether that means supporting his dad’s new family with the proceeds from his baking or caring for his elderly neighbours. But when it comes to being cared and loved, Jared knows he can’t rely on his family. His only source of love and support was his flatulent pit bull Baby, but she’s dead. And then there’s the talking ravens and the black outs and his grandmother’s perpetual suspicion that he is not human, but the son of a trickster.

My Review:

Son of a Trickster (Trickster Trilogy, #1) by Canadian First Nations author Eden Robinson, a contemporary fantasy inspired by folktales and beliefs of several First Nations tribes in the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America and Canada.

The protagonist is Jared, a teenage boy struggling to find his place in the world, his self-destructive mother who, despite a fierce love for him, is often more a danger than a help. Jared has his own personal issues to fight and, despite caring for his elderly neighbour who offers what comfort his mother cannot, Jared is largely alone in his world.

The turmoil of Jared’s life begins to boil over when several strange experiences start occurring, ravens begin talking to him, and the lingering words of his maternal grandmother, insisting he is the son of a raven trickster. Struggling to hold his family together, his only money making venture (pot-dealing) is crushed, and desperate to keep his family afloat, Jared soon discovers his mother is more than he ever imagined as the supernatural world of Tricksters and those who oppose them seek him out.

Final Thoughts:

Son of Trickster is a fascinating exploration of Canadian First Nations culture with the ever-present backdrop of life in a small town. The sense of otherness caused from discrimination, whether it is racial or socioeconomic, adds lived heartache to the story.

My Conclusion?

A recommended read for anyone interested in Canadian First Nations cultures of the Pacific Northwest, the complex and quirky characters are delightful and bring the story alive with the uniqueness of each. A modern fable for growing up, finding strength and independence….with the added pressure of a Trickster heritage.

Recent Reads

Silver in the Wood

leanbhpearson

Publishers Description:

“There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.”

My Review:

I had head many wonderful things about Silver in the Wood, the first novella in the Greenhollow Duology by UK author Emily Tesh and decided I had to experience this for myself. I’m thoroughly pleased I did.

Silver in the Wood follows the protagonist Tobias, the so-called Wild Man of Greenhollow wood, a centuries old protector of the woodlands near Greenhollow Hall. The arrival of the new young lord Henry Silver to Greenhollow Hall begins an unexpected friendship and bond between both men. Silver is intent on discovering the many secrets of Greenhollow woods which includes the stories of a mysterious historical figure “Bloody Toby”, once accused of murder alongside a fellow criminal, Fabian. But the legends surrounding Tobias and Fabian are not entirely true, and Tobias must confront the Fae being who stalks Greenhollow wood in the guise of Fabian. For when Silver starts digging up the past, he uncovers a darkness best left sleeping beneath the woods. The promise of acceptance and romance between Tobias and Silver can only be fulfilled if Silver is saved from Fabian and Tobias must confront Fabian one last time.

Final Thoughts:

Silver in the Woods explores of the mysterious folklore surrounding legends of the Fae, the Green Man and the Oak and Holly King without specifying either lore, this maintains the sense of mystery and wonder to Greenhollow. Connected to this vital part of the storyline are the vibrant characters and the deeper discussions of humanity and acceptance of the other.

My Conclusion:

A recommended read for any folklore fans, historical fantasy fans, LBGTQI readers, and readers who enjoy character diversity with vivid storytelling. A wonderful book!

events, Writing

Unnatural Order Anthology Release

leanbhpearson

I’m delighted to announce the release on 31st December, 2020 of speculative fiction anthology Unnatural Order by CSFG. This is a fascinating collection of stories inspired by the monstrous, unnatural and the fantastic.

Featuring my own story “The Bargain”, a tale of Fae guardians and the bargains struck to assure the equilibrium between the nature, Fae and humanity. You can read more about my research for “The Bargain” here.

Are you interested in these tales of the fantastic and monstrous? More details purchasing ebook or paperback copies of Unnatural Order here.

Short Fiction

The Wendigo & Dark Fiction

leanbhpearson

Another of my recent work-in-progress short fiction pieces, has been a dark fiction story inspired by wendigo psychosis an unusual form of ‘cultural psychosis’ specific to First Nations peoples of Canadian-North American Great Lakes regions where belief in a supernatural being, the wendigo, provides a unique cultural framework for a psychosis. This psychosis has specific disease symptoms which like the cultural belief – is unique – and found nowhere else in the world.

What is a wendigo then? It is a legendary being originating from northern Algonquian First Nations oral folktales and legends (recently popularised in supernatural fiction and movies), described in varying ways but, almost always, as a ravenous cannibalistic monster with an insatiable hunger. Historically, the First Nations peoples including the Algonquian, Cree and Ojibwa attributed wendigo possession to those driven mad in the harsh winter months of isolation and deprivation who resorted to cannibalism, often without a famine present.

In this short story, I was interested to take wendigo folklore and wendigo psychosis deliberately outside its necessary cultural context to explore the shadowy boundary between reality and insanity, and the inherent horror of uncertainty: a human monster or monstrous possession? This story was written through a single character’s point of view, exploring the darker, unintentional psychological motivations of a declining mental state and attempts to rationalise violent, aberrant behaviour.