Week 15 - Reading Part B

(Image taken from Wikipedia )

Part B of the Week 15 reading focused more on a value that the Czech folklore idealizes, wit. Through out this section there are still nods to the monarchy and royalty, but this section has a lot more mythological creatures starring in the plot. We are introduced to ogres, giants, and dragons alike (thus prompting the Shrek photo in the post.)

The stories in this section were a little different than the last because they show an affinity to cleverness and wit that the other stories only mentioned before. It is quite easy to see why the Czech people would value this trait, especially in the elder days, over honesty or integrity. The world was a larger and scarier place with almost no real accountability being pushed upon people. If a man could benefit from cleverness it is important to treat him with respect.

Bibliography: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis can be found in the Czech Folktales unit of the Mythfolklore Blog.