Let's talk about books and folklore for a moment, shall we? We often say that fiction is better than reality, but there are elements of reality that keep fiction alive, connecting us to the world and teaching us that there is still hope. How about we make it unique by learning about the places pictured in fiction? Let's talk about Once Upon a Place: Forests, Caverns & Other Places of Transformation in Myths, Fairy Tales & Film, by Holly Bellebuono, with a foreword by Jack Zipes. Thanks to the author for the copy to review!
- Print Length: 208 pages.
- Publisher: Llewellyn Publications.
- Publication Date: March 8, 2025.
- Genres: Folklore, Mythology, Non-Fiction, Paganism.
- Rating: 5/5 stars.
Once Upon a Place explores narratives from modern film, famous fairy tales, and ancient mythology to define the five core locations that shape every story: the Cavern, the Deep, the Vessel, the Forest, and the Labyrinth.Popularized by Joseph Campbell, the hero's journey features narrative stages along which a person matures and transforms. But where heroes transform is just as important as what they do to get there. Holly Bellebuono shows you how the location of each hero's journey step is intimately tied to the challenges faced, setting the tone for the entire adventure.To illustrate each location, Bellebuono shares fifteen original adaptations―such as the tales of Persephone, Gilgamesh, Cerridwen, and Alice―to explore how the "sense of place" drives the adventure and outcome. From Innana's descent into the Cavern to Snow White entering the Forest, this book offers powerful wisdom about personal growth, life's purpose, and the origins of creativity.
What I like about this book is how simple yet insightful it is. You don't need to be that familiar with the stories in order to enjoy them or follow them. The author captures their essence as she retells them in a conversational style that retains the evocative language they were written with so long ago. That is already a good mark in my eyes!
Not only that, but also the ideas that Holly Bellebuono explores in each of the stories, and their settings, are as universal as you can expect them to be. We are all familiar with concepts like rites of passage, maturity, adulthood, and coming of age. However, the way she shows them under a different light, more spiritual than anything else, is fascinating.
I wasn't that convinced about The Vessel chapter because it is not a setting, strictly speaking. Nonetheless, as a crucial element in the stories that feature it, you get to see it as a remarkable object that can symbolize anything from birth to knowledge. I would say this one was my least favorite chapter, but it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.
As a specialized book, this is perfect for Pagans and witches interested in folklore and symbolism. Far from being the typical, overly commercialized book of spells that promises to change your life, Once Upon a Place presents you with a choice: you either change and evolve, or stay stagnant. As you learn in all the chapters, this should be a no-brainer
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