CURRENT MOON

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Original Clap Harder!











Wow. I swear that if Atrios has the stupidest trolls on the internets (and, it's true, he does), then I have the smartest and most creative readers.

In response to my query about the meanings behind the story of Peter Pan and Wendy, Mahud has written a really fascinating post about similar myths. Reading his discussion, I had another of those "duh" moments: crocodile=dragon. Female. Watery. Wants to bite the man's "hand" off. Vaginia dentata.

Ina suggests that, rather than a fantasy about how men can avoid growing up, the story is really about how girls can make life work in a patriarchy. And, reminds me of some S.J. Tucker songs.

4 comments:

ina said...

Thank you for the link, Hecate!

And I do recommend the 2003 "Peter Pan" when G/son gets a little older.

We also enjoyed "Hook."

Anonymous said...

Thanks from mahud too :)

The Vaginia Dentata motif definitely fits.

Also reminded me of Gaia's and Kronus's conspiracy to slice off Uranos's genitalia. It has been suggested (and it's common sense really), that the Titan was hiding inside Gaia's vagina, waiting for his father, who forced Gaia to have sex with him, and chopped 'em off. Setting free Gaia's Children from the womb of the earth.

Don't know much about the Vaginia dentata motif, other than it appears in some Native American myths.

From the little I do know it usually involves a hero who must subdue the power of the feminine, by wearing a stone phallus.

And these dragons and sea serpents alike are often thought of as female.

The Ouroboros on the other hand is both phallic and (to paraphrase J.Campbell) But it should also be recognised as the swallower.

Anonymous said...

thoughts on Peter Pan:
The original version, like most of the original versions of fairytales, was bloody and so politically UNcorrect it was mindblowing. (Nearish) Quote: "When they seemed to be growing up, which was against the rules, Peter thinned them out". That seriously creeped me out.
Also for a seriously bloody, Celticized, Peter Pan retake, you can read The Child Thief by Brom. It is just awesome.

Anonymous said...

GREETINGS,
Mother Earth Energy..Gen 3 15 says.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
(the hidden teaching is born again experience for males by removing the serpent.)