Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Kiss

I don't think I need to explain to you the very personal nature of a kiss between a man and a woman. This blog is really about the prince/maiden mechanic that is generally employed within old and even new fairy tales. So Romeo and Juliet don't really belong here.

Kisses in fairy tales do not often happen simply because someone is in love. Those petty kisses are simply assumed. When a kiss actually occurs in narrative, it is a demonstration of a pure heart over a cursed one. It is a matter of great import when these kisses occur.

There are a number of fairy tales out there that either end in kisses or specifically strive for them. The common reason is a need for spiritual cleansing, and it is almost always on behalf of a female. The woman is either cursed or made unclean in some way. She seeks or is in need of one with a pure heart to cure her of these woes. Often the man in question ends up being a prince, but the latter is not always the case. In some cases, the prince has brothers who do not live up to the qualifications of the one true prince who is pure-hearted enough to cleanse the woman of her taint.

Although it is not necessary for the prince to love the woman, it is almost always a trope that he does. For this reason, it is usually referred to as a "Kiss of True Love." This sometimes removes the pure-hearted aspect and trades it for a new concept--that being the power of love. It's all very girly and fun, but I am more interested in the purity of the heart rather than just simple love. Love can be an awfully selfish thing sometimes. I'm not too sure how it would be very good at cleansing the blight of a cursed female.

The kissing scene in fairy tales are more loved in modern times then I believe they were in days of old. Many fairy tale adaptations include them where the originals seemed to be lacking. This is not a bad thing at all. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" in its original version did not have a kiss in it at all. The later editions, as well as the Disney movie, actually fixed a very poorly written scene by adding the now famous kiss to it. These scenes are often very moving and add a lot to it with the male/female dynamic playing very strong to the reader or viewer. Relationships are important. And let's all just be honest and admit that a kiss is far more dramatic than an apple piece flying out of Snow White's mouth when her coffin falls over. I mean really.

Probably the greatest example of a well-accomplished kissing scene was in "Sleeping Beauty in the Wood" which we now commonly just shorten to "Sleeping Beauty." In this scenario, you have a beautiful woman who was cursed to sleep for many years. A prince finds her and instantly falls in love with her beauty. He is compelled to kiss her, and all at once, the curse is removed. This is likely the most profound example, and it is often copied over into other stories whether the originals have them or not.

When it is done right, the famous kiss is intended to be a purifier. It is the male and female dynamic in full display and magically so. Yes, the man is the purifier. Where I am sure there might be a political motive to have the woman be the one to save the man, this always hits me as a forced narrative. The exception, I guess, would be the "Frog Prince," but this story has the woman humbling herself in order to save a cursed man. It is really the same thing at the end of the day--not to mention that story in its original form did not even end with her kissing anybody. Fairy tales as old as time have shown man to be the great purifier of women. It is a beautiful thing not to be sullied in the slightest. It is a brimming example of true love and an honest relationship in motion.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you like or hate what you read here? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Smooch!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Bluebeard

The following blog contains multiple spoilers for multiple franchises. You have now been warned.

There have been many variations made of this frightening story throughout history. I wager that it is one of the oldest, being that there is a note of truth that runs through it. This is one of those stories that feels real regardless of its magical aspect. I have read a number of these variations and they do not move too far away from one another.

Bluebeard is a man--or at least he looks like a man--who is very fond of women. He falls in love and wants dearly to spend the rest of his life with each woman he has a crush on. The man is extremely charming and kind, and woman cannot help but fall for him. Bluebeard is remarkably loyal too. He will never, ever fail to love and honor his dear wife. This is a fact, and it is very important to note that this aspect of Bluebeard is caused by a very severe mental corruption. You see, he expects the same in return.

Once he is married, he always gives the new wife a tour of his very lavish estate. And I must be clear that this mansion of his is wonderful. The woman will live in luxury for all of her days. He will give her anything and everything she desires. She is enthralled by her new life and looks forward to many good days. In the middle of the tour, she is shown the door of some old room and told that she must never ever enter into it. She will not even be allowed to take a peek inside. It should remain locked for eternity, and she is never to unlock it.

Despite the latter, he will give her a key to the door before leaving on a long trip. Once again, she is allowed to go anywhere she wants, but she is not allowed to open that one door. As you might expect, the curiosity gets the best of her. She looks inside--thinking that there will be no harm in having a peek.

The inside of this mysterious room varies from version to version, but the basics of it is that it contains the bloodied--often beheaded--remains of the former wife. We're talking bathtubs filled with blood that never ever dries up. It is a cesspool of chaos and gore in this room. A true horror. In her fright, the woman always drops the key into the liquid blood. She attempts to wash it, but the key was enchanted. It cannot be cleaned.

When Bluebeard returns, she is asked to return the house keys. She comes up with a few delaying tactics but eventually gives up the bloody keys. This, of course, is a death sentence. The woman is taken to that room to receive a similar fate. Bluebeard does not kill her angrily. It's more of a disappointment to him. He takes care of the deed and moves on to the next woman and likewise tests her loyalty. Often the story ends when one woman can signal someone to come to her rescue, usually at the very last second. Thusly, we have the Bluebeard formula.

People like Bluebeard have existed since the beginning of time. Fiction has reproduced him more times than are countable. We are aware of him, but more often than not, we'd like to pretend he doesn't exist. He is a frightening example of sociopathy, paranoia, and obsession. He is alive and real to this very day. He is a living demon who cannot be turned right or left in the course of his life. The strange thing is... he will be forever loyal to you if you are loyal to him. He will be the world's best husband to the perfect girl. He will not cheat. He will never, ever cheat.

In the hit TV show "Gotham," Bluebeard was wonderfully represented by a character named Jason Skolimski (also known as The Ogre.) This man was a sociopath that met up with women and expected perfect loyalty from them. If they failed at this--even slightly--he would take them to a special bondage chamber where he would torture them until finally killing them. The chamber, of course, is similar to the hidden room of Bluebeard's mansion. You still get the idea that he would be the perfect husband if the woman played entirely by his rules.

In the video game "Outlast: Whistleblower," we found a particularly terrifying version of Bluebeard in the way of a man named Eddie Gluskin. Eddie was not as subtle as many Bluebeards were often shown. He was a psychopath who saw everyone as women who were disloyal to him. He would capture men and women and talk to them in a pleasant voice about how women need to know their place in a relationship... right before he would cut holes into them. His realm was one not dissimilar to the gory room that you were not supposed to enter. The difference was that it was everywhere rather than locked away. He still enjoyed storing the bodies away as Bluebeard did.

Bluebeard is one of the oldest horror stories ever written. It is very likely based on real events. It resonates with us very harshly even to this day. Beware of monsters that look like handsome men!

Thank you for reading this scary blog of mine. If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Don't go in!

From Gotham: Jason Skolimski (The Ogre)

From Outlast: Eddie Gluskin

Labby the Rat has been published on Smashwords!

Labby may have looked like an ordinary lab rat, but with the help of advanced human science, he may end up becoming the savior of the entire planet. Bullied and misunderstood by his peers, he struggled with the vast potential within him to ascend to heights no rodent has ever known. Within the course of three stories, you will come to understand how one small rat somehow changed the course of the world as we know it.

Labby the Rat: The original tale of an intelligent and misunderstood rodent and his rise to greater things.

Blue Skies: Two rats are trapped within an automated lab that seems out to kill them.

Rodents of a Doomed Planet: The Earth becomes a wasteland filled with monstrosities. A brave group of rodents work together to escape to the moon.

This new collection of stories by T.K. Wade is filled with adventure, comedy, and action like no other.

Available for $1.99 on Smashwords by clicking HERE! Paperback coming soon!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Wolf

There is a reoccurrence in fairy tales of a wolf. I have yet to really find one who is not villainous. Some people complain about this portrayal. They see wolves as majestic pack animals who should not be vilified. I would like to begin this blog by rather bluntly laying out that I do not really care what these people think. A wolf being cast as a villain so many times in history does not strike me as centuries of ignorance as much as it seems to speak of bonafide truth.

Wolves only seem to be friendly when it benefits them. Inside, they are opportunist looking to make the most of their stay on planet Earth. A good number of fairy tales confirm this--if you are willing to look past all the modern-day hearsay about them. Now, am I saying that I believe wolves of today to be truly creatures of evil that are not to be trusted? The wolves of today: no. Should you trust them? Also no. The wolves of today are mere animals, but the wolves of ancient days gone by may have been something much worse.

Imagine, if you are so inclined, a creature who is literally at one with cynicism. That is to say you are born into the world with the inherent belief that there is no point to trying to make the world a better place. Even more so, you believe that evil is actually the proper way of things. The strong live well by oppressing the weak. To devour your lessers places you higher in the world where it is safer. And so be safe is the greatest thing of all. You get to live your life and let those beneath you provide you with your meal.

The wolves of old fairy tales have always been cynical creatures. They look for opportunities to kill the innocent to suit their own happiness. And they desperately wish to be happy. For a wolf to sneer is to know that it has succeeded in its efforts in some way. They have bested you or someone like you. No crime is too much for them to commit. They simply do what they need, when they need, in order to survive. And everyone but them is expendable.

Now, are not these tales of wolves really just examples of abhorrent human behavior? Why, yes. They certainly are. They are also about the wolves who inspired these people. The answer is really that these stories are both about humans and wolves. Indeed, there are people living on this planet that live the cynical lives of these wolves. They may not actually eat someone... maybe. It's not off the table, so to speak. They may simply devour people in other ways. Perhaps, simple murder. Maybe, they just steal from them. You see, the thing about wolves is that they only do what they need to survive. Too much often times will cause them unwanted attention, and wolves do not like attention.

The object of the wolf is to remain alive and safe. If they achieve decadence, they will indulge. But outside of that, they will employ every sin in order to continue surviving. They will use every trick in the book. They will employ disguises. They will speak with the tempting voice of a snake. They will murder. They will rape. They will destroy all that is good in the world if only for one good night's sleep. The wolves came first, and there are humans who have learned from them. Don't throw around your trust so easily. You might end up a bloody meal.

Thank you for reading my creepy blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Snarl.

Rat - Available in Paperback and Ebook!

An old, maniacal rat who wants to control others.
​
A white slave rat who never knew freedom.

A son coming to terms with his father's evil ways.

The lives of rats are cruel and deadly.

Enter into their world and discover the darkness within.

"Rat" by T.K. Wade follows the adventures of an evil rat named Cornelius Wolfington the Fourth. He will stop at nothing to control his destiny even at the expense of those around him.

On sale at www.tkwade.com!

[Warning: This book is not intended for children!]

A Wolf in My Bedroom - Available in Paperback and Ebook!

Imagine if your daughter was secretly being visited by an evil entity every night in her bedroom… and you were unawares. In this dark tale, T.K. Wade relates the story of Darlene–a young girl who has developed a relationship with a brooding wolf named Shadow. In many respects, this is a modern-day take on Little Red Riding-Hood and focuses on a feminine desire to be possessed, controlled, and ultimately devoured.

Can Darlene ultimately overcome the creature’s possession, or will she inevitably become his meal? "A Wolf in My Bedroom" is a slow-measured horror story intended for young adult readers and up.

On sale at www.tkwade.com!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Little Red Riding-Hood

This blog contains spoilers. You have been warned.

Many of us have heard this story growing up, but very few bother to seriously examine it. "Little Red Riding-Hood" is one of those stories that have been authored by many. Its true origin is uncertain. There are many variations of it, and some of those variations are more telling than others.

The basic concept of "Little Red Riding-Hood" was that a girl leaves to see her sick grandmother with some sort of gift--usually food. On the path to meeting with her, she runs into a talking wolf who advises her to take a different path or proposes a race. The wolf always gets to the house first and devours the grandmother. He pretends to be her which may or may not involve cross-dressing. Upon the little girl's arrival, Little Red will marvel over the non-human features of the wolf which produces a number of clever explanations from the disguised wolf. Upon saying the line, "My, but what big teeth you have!" The wolf will reply, "The better to eat you with!" and then promptly devour the girl. That is the story in its most basic form. Anything else added to it is a modification.

In later years, likely within the 1800s, a new character was introduced to the story. In the Grimm's version, a hunter comes along--quite randomly--and finds the wolf sleeping, with the girl and grandmother stuffed in his belly. He promptly chops the wolf open and rescues them from a very untimely digestion. This is the version I hear about more often. It is also the most unrealistic version. People would argue that anything is possible in fairy tales, and I would agree. However, I believe the most beloved fairy tales generally have origins in truth, The Grimm's version is cartoony and ridiculous. It is not to be taken seriously by an adult.

The advent of the hunter also seems like it takes a little too much from a different story known as "The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids" which also has a belly opening as a rescue attempt. Where it is a common thing to see similarities between tales, I must still insist that the hunter event is a modification of a much simpler story. People only liked it cause it made them feel safer. I don't mean to upset them, but wolves are actually very dangerous animals when they are hunting you.

Although I am sure it was not the first version of this story, the earliest copy of "Little Red Riding-Hood" that I was able to read was by French author Charles Perrault--published in 1697. Not only does this story end in death, there are some other anomalies of note that you may find striking and even quite horrible. Perrault made no secret that the story was a parable about how little girls should be wary of older men. This version of the story makes that quite clear.

For one, the girl seems quite pleased to meet the wolf on the road. She is goaded into a race to her grandmother's house, and she does not dissuade him in these thoughts. He runs off, and she continues at as a more casual pace. The wolf eats up the grandmother as usual, and as far as I could tell, he does not really cross-dress. He only pulls the counterpane up to his face. Now, it was clear that the girl knew what a wolf was and did not seem to care. When she goes into her grandmother's house, there is a strong sense that she already knows that it is the wolf pretending to be her grandmother. She may even know that her grandmother is dead already. There might even be blood. Either way, she does not seem to worry about it.

This suggests that the famous questionnaire is a simple game between Little Red and the wolf. It really does not help that she undresses and gets into bed with him before it begins. She is teasing him, and he likes it. But perhaps, the teasing goes too far. He devours her... and she dies. And that is the end of the story.

Obviously, if you look at this from a sexual perspective, this is actually an attempt to keep little girls away from men she does not know. She may think she is in control, but she does not entirely understand the nature of a wolf. If you replace the wolf with an older man and the devouring with rape, then the story suddenly takes new meaning--perhaps, its true meaning.

Alternately, if we go back far enough, this could be a look into a dark age where animals really could talk. And we may find that the little girl really was that uncaring, heartless, and quite frankly, stupid. Whatever the case, "Little Red Riding-Hood" will forever be a very powerful story in support of personal vigilance.

One a final note: I have written a fictional novella which is expounds heavily on the darker meanings of the Charles Perrault version of "Little Red Riding-Hood." It is called "A Wolf in my Bedroom," and it is available as an eBook or in paperback. You can find out more about it at my website: www.tkwade.com.

What did you think? If you would like to say something about my blog, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. My! What a big blog I had!