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The Castle of the Fly by *Himmapaan:iconHimmapaan:

Categories Traditional Art > Drawings > Illustration > Storybook

©2009 *Himmapaan
:iconhimmapaan:

Artist's Comments

‘I’m Rumbling Thunder! I’ll tumble you under! I’m Bear Thicklegs!’

Illustration for The Castle of the Fly, from Myths and Legends of Russia, collected by Aleksandr Afanas'ev and translated by Norbert Guterman; published by The Folio Society: [link]

I found this short tale irresistable to illustrate. A fly builds a castle in which he is joined respectively by a louse, a flea, a mosquito, a mouse, a lizard, a fox, a hare and a wolf. The tale ends abruptly with the arrival of the bear, who promptly smashes the castle asunder.

I'd always wondered whether it was an allegory of some kind, since the bear plays such a large part in Russian folklore and literature, and is moreover such a distinctive symbol of Russia herself. If so, what do the other creatures represent? And why therefore should the bear appear to be the bully in this instance, when surely the honour of hard work and kindness must belong to the fly who has built the castle, and companionability and neighbourliness belong to all the creatures who share it?

Of course, I could simply be reading far more than is necessary into it. :D
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Comments


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:iconraini-tempest:
*Raini-Tempest Sep 3, 2009, 8:15:51 PM
I study folklore and I absolutely love to hear of new stories and tales. I will definitely have to check this story out.
:iconpallanoph:
*pallanoph Sep 3, 2009, 8:29:58 PM
That is an excellent question there... but unfortunately I have not the faintest idea. :giggle: Seems to be such a peculiar story, too... (And now you've got ME thinking about this!)

As for this illustration, it is as fantastic as the rest! :aww:

--
Mind over Matter.
:iconskyetrinity:
*SkyeTrinity Sep 3, 2009, 8:41:18 PM
Stunning piece. It is amazing how much detail you can create with black and white silhouettes.

--
Words create lies. Pain can be trusted.
:iconsun-rice:
~sun-rice Sep 3, 2009, 8:50:22 PM
It looks awesome^^ and the story sounds cute. Especially likes it's something as small as a fly who builds it.

--
I'm Big Horn in deviantART's Ginga Crew!
:iconconejitoperverso:
=ConejitoPerverso Sep 3, 2009, 8:53:34 PM
can only help in mexican folk tales lol but I do wonder about that bear!

amazing work the details are so many and so beautiful!

--
-This oneeyed Göblin loves soy milk :milk:
:icondarkelfmifaien:
~DarkElfMiFaien Sep 3, 2009, 9:09:32 PM
Its a wonder how you're able to do such intricacies with a silhouette. Some artists feel constrained within parameters like that, I think you instead push the envelope every time.

I'll have to check this story out too; sounds interesting.

--
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued

~~Robert Frost, "Dust of Snow," 1923
:iconlizn:
*LiZn Sep 3, 2009, 9:19:26 PM
It's quite obvious (to me) that the bear is merely concerned for our health and general well-being:

Flies carry Chlamydia trachomatis, which causes trachoma primarily in children.
Mosquitos carry Plasmodium sp., which cause malaria.
Mice carry hantavirus, which causes hauntavirus pulomnary disease.
Louses carry Rickettsia prowazekii, which causes epidemic typhus.
Fleas carry Yersinia pestis, which causes plague.
Lizards carry Salmonella sp., which cause gastroenteritis.
Hares carry Francisella tularensis, which causes tularemia.
Wolves and foxes carry ticks, which in turn carry Rickettsia rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Microorganisms that infect us and make us sick work very hard to do so, but that doesn't mean their industrial nature needs to be rewarded. GO BEAR! :w00t:

--
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...' "
Isaac Asimov
:iconutao:
*Utao Sep 3, 2009, 10:11:56 PM
You are truly wonderful and talented!

--
Ordo Homunculi

"Do you forget who the hell you're dealing with? I am Greed incarnate! Money, women, henchmen, everything - They're my possessions! They're all mine! I won't let you take away what belongs to me!! Because I'm ß%@ing Greed!!"
:iconvifetoile:
~vifetoile Sep 3, 2009, 11:42:52 PM
This is a wonderful piece, as always. :) I'm a longtime watcher but haven't commented before.

That story reminds me of the story of the Mitten, where a boy drops a mitten in the snow and a little mouse finds it a nice, snug new home for the winter. A frog (what's a frog doing in winter?) comes by and asks to join the mouse. The mouse goes, "All right, just this once." Soon a rabbit, a fox, a boar, and a bear join up - and the mitten is still holding together but full to bursting. Finally an old withered Mrs. Cricket comes by and asks if she can join them. They all shout "No! No room!" But she goes, "Nonsense. Always room for one more." And she puts her foot in and KABLOOIE! Mitten bursts. Boy comes back and wonders "what happened to my mitten?"

... And that was far too long. I rather prefer the version with the castle, especially as you illustrate it.
It could be a warning about being too hospitable, allowing people to take advantage of you until you cannot keep body and soul together, or until someone really unsavory comes along.
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