What kind of fairy tale would be complete if it did
not have a little
bit of magic in it? Magic is a powerful notion, one in which humans
have always been interested, whether we believe in it or not. It is
something to be much desired and forever sought after. I know that I
waited for my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and I still feel a little
upset about the fact that I'm a just a plain Muggle. Nonetheless,
stories that include magic can be incredibly powerful and meaningful.
Take for instance, Harry Potter. An entire society of witches and
wizards, just beyond our grasp, using magic as a part of everyday life,
held so much allure for so many people, that the books became the
best-selling series of all time. Just as Hogwarts brings to life an
incredible world of enchantment, I will attempt to do the same with in Late Night with Jerry Sorcerer, a
talk show where several disgruntled citizens of Turkey come together to
tell their stories about magic.
Magic is the greatest kind of
gift, but it must be wielded properly. If magic falls into the wrong
hands, things can get ugly fast. The results of using magic can vary
from a life of happily-ever-after to complete destruction of a human
being. We will see both of these extreme scenarios depicted in the
stories about Turkish fairy tales which I have collected for you.
Because of the tremendous effect that magic can have on
people's lives, the magical tales in this Storybook also provide morals
about life in general. Stories about magic usually have a much deeper
meaning.
The stories in this Storybook come from Turkey, and
will be new to you,
but you might be surprised at how similar they are to fairy tales you
already know. One classic fairy-tale that comes to mind is Aladdin.
When he first acquired the magic lamp, the power of it consumed him,
and in his greed he was selfish, and bad things started happening to
him. Eventually, he saw the error of his ways, overcame his lust for
the magic, and did the right thing. Aladdin is much more than a tale
about a young man, a magic
lamp, and falling in love. It is about the ultimate human goal to be as
selfless as possible, and to do unto others as you would have them do
to you.
Turkey has a rich cultural history, one that draws
upon many influences. It is one of only five other countries that sits
in two continents (Europe and Asia), and because of this, the culture
has a unique mix of Eastern and Western civilization. The time of the
Ottoman Empire is perhaps the most well-known in Turkish history, and
for good reason. Its reign lasted for over 600 years, up until the
beginning of World War I. I picture many of the fairy tales taking
place in a time such as the Ottoman Empire, which dates all the way
back to 1300. Ottoman architecture (such as the Blue Mosque on my
coverpage) is everywhere in Turkey. Mosques played a central role in
Turkish history because the mosque was integral to society. Back then,
a mosque
would have been the equivalent of city hall, a downtown market square,
the court house, and a high school all rolled into one! Many Turkish
baths, tombs, hospitals and schools also come from the Ottoman time
period. This time period was very rich and diverse culturally. The arts
were focused on greatly, classical music was was emphasized in
education, and Ottoman cuisine was something to be taken very
seriously. I think my stories greatly reflect this central time period
in Turkey.
In the book Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales
by Ignacz Kunos, magic is a prevalent theme. There are so many
beautiful
stories, it was hard to choose only four. Because the topic of magic
can lead to
many crazy and incredible things, the stories in my storybook are
told as if one were watching a day-time TV talk show, such as Jerry
Springer.TheGenie
and the Magic Mirror
is the story of a poor young man who comes across a magic mirror, that
when looked at produces a genie who will grant any wish (much like
Aladdin!). When people hear about his gift, they become greedy, and the
ensuing journey surrounding this piece of magic mirror involves many
twists and
turns. The
Magic Bobby Pins is about a pure, young
woman who
meets her demise through magic because of the jealousy of others. By
the end of the story however, the wrong-doings of certain people
through magic are revealed, and the beautiful young woman is redeemed. The Fish Witch is about a
magical
woman who gives a greedy king whatever he wants in order to be with the
man she loves. The last story, The
Horse-Man and His Evil Mother, is about a greedy witch who
wants
her all to herself, and will stop at nothing to get rid of his son's
wife. All these stories show what a disruptive force magic can be. All
of them, except the first, demonstrate that a life without magic is
generally a much easier and peaceful one.
Hello everybody and welcome once again to Late Night with Jerry Sorcerer!
Last week you saw what happened when thirteen-year-olds decided to
start having
sex... and what their parents thought of it. But this week, we've got
even more excitement and drama for you! Wait till you hear the crazy
stories about magic that these people have in store for you. For our
first guest, we have a young wood cutter's son who became entranced by
a
piece of magical mirror. Davie, come on out!
