(A twist on Snow White. From Récits historiques et légendaires d’Alsace, compiled by Robert Wolf, 1922. Translation originally posted on Patreon in December 2022.) On a mountain near the village of Eguisheim, not far from Colmar, stood three old castles of which nothing remains today except three tours, the three Exes. Seven years ago, theContinue reading “A different sort of “Snow White” – Alsatian folktale”
Tag Archives: french folklore
French Folklore Collection (2014-2021)
In December of last year, I collected together all of the folklore I’d translated to-date, something I’d been planning on doing since I started. I also couldn’t resist adding in two more new folktales to help round out the collection. I posted the collected e-book publicly on Patreon. Enjoy!
The Ankou of Brittany
(Originally posted on Patreon and Twitter, September through October, 2021). The following is a translation of the article “L’Ankou, l’ouvrier de la mort” serialized on Twitter: “In Brittany, Death is personified by a fearsome being called the Ankou. The Ankou isn’t exactly ‘Death itself’ but a servant of Death (oberour ar marv) that labors forContinue reading “The Ankou of Brittany”
Some Dragon-lore of Alsace
The following paragraphs are translated from Revue d’Alsace, 1851. They were originally published on Patreon in March 2021. The serpents that can be seen, sometimes, at night on the banks of the river Mossig in the Kronthal valley, and shine with a phosphorescent glow, are also specters from hell. The devil also appears in theContinue reading “Some Dragon-lore of Alsace”
“The Bride of the Dead,” Alsatian folktale
(Originally posted on Patreon in October 2020). “La fiancée du mort,” collected by Anatole Le Braz in La légende de la mort chez les Bretons Amoricains, 1902. In Bégard, the title of “handsomest peasant’s son that ever lived” fell to René Pennek, son of Ervoann, and the “prettiest girl in ten leagues around” was DunvelContinue reading ““The Bride of the Dead,” Alsatian folktale”
“The Women of Rouffach,” Alsatian folktale
(Originally posted to Patreon in September 2020). “The Women of Rouffach,” is an Alsatian folktale collected in Les récits historiques et légendaires by Robert Wolf, 1922, found here. Around the 12th Century, the capital of the holdings belonging to the bishops of Strasbourg was Rouffach. There, these prelates had an important fortress built that wasContinue reading ““The Women of Rouffach,” Alsatian folktale”
A Sunken City of Ys
(I found a book about Death legends in Brittany, and I couldn’t resist. Then I encountered a chapter all about a sunken city I had never heard of…and I just had to explore it. Come with me on this trip to the sunken City of Is.) One night, some sailors from Douarnenez were moored inContinue reading “A Sunken City of Ys”
“The Enchanted Armies of Ochsenfeld,” an Alsatian folktale
(Originally posted February 2018) I translated this particular version of the tale from Récits historiques et légendaires d’Alsace, collected by Robert Wolf. 1922. Not far from Cernay lies a great, desolate plain called the Ochsenfeld1 cattlefield. There, come evening, a faint clatter of weapons can often be heard. It is here that the armies of the infamous sons ofContinue reading ““The Enchanted Armies of Ochsenfeld,” an Alsatian folktale”
“Tales of Christmas Horror from Illzach, France”
‘Twas the Wednesday before Christmas…. (Originally posted to Patreon as a Christmas special for my patrons, 2018) From Illzach: The Beast of the Wednesday Before Christmas (oral tradition, recorded in the Revue des traditions populaires, 1901) This phantom animal is the size of a year-old calf; its eyes glow like lightning and are as bigContinue reading ““Tales of Christmas Horror from Illzach, France””
“The Nymph of Wangenbourg Castle”
(Originally posted January 2015) Translated from “La Nymphe du château de Wangenbourg,” from the Castles of France website, legends section. Once, a long time ago in Wangenbourg castle, there lived a quarrelsome lord of dubious morality. On his return trip from a military campaign with his comrades-in-arms, he spied a lovely young woman in aContinue reading ““The Nymph of Wangenbourg Castle””
little translator 