Robin Hood: A Story Transcribed

Today it is time for another installment in my series looking at Robin Hood. We have already looked at the possibility that the legend was inspired by a real person as well as the way the legend has evolved over the years, which has brought us to the half-way point of my series. These last two posts are going to look at the more modern incarnations of the legend beginning with those in written form. Let’s get to it.

A Story Transcribed

The past two centuries have seen the story of Robin Hood written and rewritten many times. Sometimes he gets a tale all his own and other times he is a background character in someone else’s story. He makes an appearance to young Wart in T.H. White’s Once and Future King and the characterization given to him by Walter Scott in Ivanhoe is often attributed as the basis for our current interpretation of his character. It is always fun to see our favorite outlaw make an unexpected appearance in another’s book, but it is even more fun to read a book that is his story to tell.

One of the most classic books of Robin Hood is Howard Pyle’s The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Pyle took many of the traditional stories and adventures of the famous outlaw and compiled them into cohesive narrative that is meant for children. This is one of the books that I actually own, though I haven’t exactly read all the way through it. Pyle uses a style of writing that I find very tedious to read for long periods of time, but it is great to pick up when I need a quick fix.

As can be inferred from the title, this story of Robin and his Merry Men focuses on their heroic adventures as they seek to resist corrupt authority and help those who are less fortunate. Pyle’s book came at a time when the image of Robin as a hero who steals from the rich to give to the poor was growing in popularity and it helped solidify that image into the modern canon.

Another trend that has cropped up in more recent times is to take a deeper look into the character of Maid Marian, often with the author focusing on her more than Robin. The first book I ever read that did this was Maid Marian by Elsa Watson. This was one of those books I stumbled upon at the library and decided to take a chance on. While it was certainly nothing groundbreaking, it was enjoyable and stayed true to many of the classic elements of the Robin Hood legend. The story was told from the perspective of Marian, who was not simply a passive damsel in distress. Even though she went to Robin for help, she was still a woman of action.

Robin McKinley took this idea of a strong Marian further in her book, The Outlaws of Sherwood. Once again McKinley took a much loved and well known story and flipped it on its head. In her version of Robin Hood he is actually the worst archer of the group and Marian proves to be an invaluable asset to him and his men. She is the ones who procures a longbow for him when he must flee to the forest, she provides the green cloth for their camouflaged clothing, she saves the lives of Robin and his men through her quick thinking and negotiation, and it is she, not Robin, who shoots to win the golden arrow.

My favorite version of the Robin Hood story that I have read to date is also the one that makes some of the most severe changes. In Stephen Lawhead’s King Raven Trilogy, Robin is not an outlaw living in the Sherwood Forest fighting against the evil Prince John who is trying to usurp his brother’s throne. Instead, Bran ap Brychan is a Welsh Prince who is forced to live in the Greenwood when Norman invaders steal his land and home. Even with the very different time and location, though, the heart of the story is true to the modern day legend we have grown to love and there are many familiar faces that crop up throughout.

There are many more books out there that tell the story of our heroic outlaw than I could ever read, but I will never stop trying. There is just something about Robin Hood that speaks to me – strikes a chord within me – and I will never tire of visiting him within the pages of a book.

What books about Robin Hood have you read? Which are your favorites? Least favorites? Let me know in the comments.

GUEST POST: Debra Kristi – The Tree Takes a Backseat

I am incredibly excited for my guest blogger today, the fabulous Debra Kristi.

The first time I visited Debra’s blog it was love at first read. Whether it is her “Immortal Monday” series, which is right up my fantasy nerd heart’s ally, or one of her many inspirational posts, I always know that I am going to find something enjoyable. I was absolutely thrilled when she agreed to write something up for me and, let me tell you, it is a good one. Take it away Debra!

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It’s a real pleasure to be here at the home of the sexy nerd, Jessica O’Neal. I want to be cool like her – shooting arrows with deadly accuracy. But that’s not why I accepted this gig. Anyone who knows Jessica knows what a fabulous, kind and true individual she is. That’s why I am here today!

Jessica has left the door wide open for me to discuss anything as long as it fits with her blog. That could be very dangerous, but I think I can keep myself in check.

Today, as I stood on the mid-way up the stairs, staring off into my living room at the splendor of my big beautiful Christmas tree –– YES, I know. It’s nearly the end of January and it’s still standing. Shame on me! But before any of you start looking at me funny, this leads me to my topic for today’s guest post – priorities.

The Tree Takes a Backseat

I held my coffee cup in hand and placed the box neatly beside the tree ready to collect all the ornaments so that the tree may be put away and stored until we do it all over again next year. My husband walks by and raises a brow, “Really, I thought we were just going to leave it up until next year and save ourselves the hassle?”

The man is a gem. He puts up with so much when it comes to our house. I’m a Type A personality. Translation — I go a little crazy when things are out of order or get a little messy. Well… I have had to do a little readjusting to that way of thinking or I would never get anything written – like EVER! I could seriously spend my entire day picking up after my kids, but where’s the fun in that?

Before the WIP I was always cleaning, organizing and spritzing. That was my typical day. But since I have made a full commitment to my manuscript, all hell has broken loose in the homestead. It has become a year of adjustment, as we all learned as a family what worked and what didn’t. The key lesson? That I needed to prioritize differently than I used to. And high on the list needed to be the really important things. The things that we sometimes take for granted – like time out with the kids or the husband. It seems obvious when you read or hear it, but living it is a different story. Life is funny that way. And so, when I started removing the ornaments that night and was then asked by my husband to join him for some television time, you can bet I did. The tree still stands.

Can I work on the tree while the kids are at school? You bet I can. But is that really more important than my workout or my writing? Again, it’s all a matter of priorities. I don’t care if the neighborhood thinks we’re crazy because our tree is still up. They probably think we’re a little crazy anyway. I am taking care of my most important needs first. My family and my (mental and physical) health come before the décor of my home. The holiday decorations… well, they are relegated to the back – the backseat, as my father always said.

I’m very capable of having the tree and all other Christmas decorations neatly put away by now. But I think you’re getting the picture. It hasn’t been the priority yet. Since joining the world of social media, I have opened myself up to many new things that fill my plate. And I am eternally grateful for all of it! I LOVE all the people I have met and the conversations we have. Sure, it cuts into my already short days, but that just means I need to keep my priorities in line even more. This is a good thing.

It’s been months since this weird pressure cooker living started in my home. My brain is feeling a little like a slurpee. Everything could be easily stiffened out with a straw, if you could only get that straw through my thick skull. Trying to do everything contributed to its rapid deterioration. But setting my sights on the most important things to me and dealing with the other items in small doses have helped me get back in control. So far, so good.

I used to be a serious list person. I made a list for everything. Somewhere along the line I lost my way. I didn’t want to take the time to make the list, so I chanced it and started going without. As a result I’d go shopping and forget small items. What does that get me – another trip to the store – more time wasted than it would have taken to make a list in the first place. Lesson learned – prioritize! Make lists.

Now I make a daily reminder list. I’ll remind myself that I am not my protagonist and I can not take on the world in the same manner. I will be forced to check off that my bra is on underneath my shirt and not over it. I’ll make sure I put the milk away in the refrigerator and not the pantry. These are all good places to start.

And when Christmas rolls around next year, I will likely have started a new tradition of celebrating all holidays in December because none of the decorations were put away throughout the year. That’s right. We’ll be trendsetters. And when Christmas rolls around, the tree will already be up!

How about you? How are you prioritizing? How have your priorities affected the home and family?

Big thanks to Jessica for having me over. I hope everyone enjoyed my post. (Waving) Bye all!

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I want to say a huge thank you to Debra for writing this post. This is something that I for one need to be reminded of constantly. I am not always the best at sticking to the priorities I set for myself.

Debra Kristi lives with her two kids, husband, and a Green Tree Frog names Darth. She is currently working on her first upper young adult fantasy trilogy. You can connect with her through her blog and twitter.

Son of a Bad Man

When I met and started dating my husband he was in a band. A hard core band. Everyone should have known it was love based on the fact that I listened to his band’s CD all the time – to the point where I knew all the lyrics, which, if you have ever listened to a hard core band, you know that is no easy feat. Eventually that hard core band broke up and he started a new band with some of his friends, this time a more poppy, rock band, which was much more enjoyable.

When that band broke up he decided that he was finished with performing, but he still wanted to be involved with music. Nearly all of his friends were musicians and were either in bands or worked in some other area of the industry (sound, recording, promoting, etc.), so it was only natural for Eddie to want to keep his foot in the music industry waters. He dabbled in production and recording, but in the end settled into the role of manager.

He lucked out and found this young kid named Shawn Fisher who had the most incredible and unique vocals any of us had heard in a long time. Oh yeah, and he was a killer songwriter. He approached Shawn and soon started managing him. The cool thing about having a lot of musician friends and connections is that you have a lot of resources to pull from. Eddie was able to pull from this large pool of musicians and pretty much hand pick a super band to join Shawn. This band became known as Son of a Bad Man.

Left to Right: Jordan, Brad, Shawn, Brett

So why did I share all this history with you? The answer is simple: I am about to rave about Son of a Bad Man and their new CD and wanted to make sure I aired all of my personal connections to them up front. The truth is, none of those connections matter. This band is incredible and I am not the only one to think so.

Shawn is a writer with EMI Music Publishing’s NYC Office, was named one of BMI’s “Top Ten Songwriters to Watch in 2009”, has written songs with Kevin Jonas, John Paul White (The Civil Wars), and Dan Wilson (Semi Sonic). Son of a Bad Man has worked with producer John Fields (production credits include Pink, Switchfoot, Miley Cyrus, and Jimmy Eat World) and played festivals such as Lollapalooza and South by Southwest (SXSW). Even more impressive than all of this, though, is what happened when they decided to record their first full-length album.

Like most bands, Son of a Bad Man is broke. But they really wanted to make a CD for those fans who have been so loyal to them, so they started a Kickstarter campaign, which basically asked people to donate money to help them record their CD. They were hoping to raise $2,000 and were unprepared for the outpouring of love they received from their fans. They ended up raising over $4,000! I think that is incredible.

The CD that their fans paid for, “Here’s to the falling in…”, comes out this Saturday, January 28th and, I must say, it is nothing short of brilliant (One of the perks of being married to the manager is that I get to hear things before they are released ). You really should check them out – I promise you won’t regret it.

You can find them on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also check out a two song preview from the new album.

Watch them cover Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”

Watch them perform “Shrug it Off” from their new album. Thank you to Richard for recording this!

Lead Vocals/Guitar – Shawn Fisher

Lead Guitar/Vocals – Jordan Allan Davis

Bass/Vocals – Brett Barley

Drums – Brad Moxey (as a side note, this guy was the Best Man in my wedding)

What do you think? Do you like their sound? Let me know in the comments.

Being Human in England and America

As you may have figured out from some of my other posts, I have a thing for British television. It all started when I went to my dad’s and he showed me an episode of the British sitcom Coupling. I thought it was one of the funniest shows I had ever seen and rushed home to check onDemand to see if it was there. It was and I watched the entire series.

During this period of marathoning Coupling I saw the first advertisements for Robin Hood. I, of course, had to check it out and instantly fell in love. From that point on I began to randomly check the BBC America folder in onDemand to see if there were any shows that sounded interesting. One day I saw a new folder for a show called Being Human. I looked to see what it was and it said that it was about a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf who all lived in the same house and helped each other in their endeavor to live like humans.

That sounded like something right up my ally. I watched all the preview clips, looked it up to see what I could learn about it online, and set my DVR for a series recording. I couldn’t wait to watch the premiere. When it was over I sat staring at the TV and just smiled. I knew that I had found another hidden gem of British television.

Three seasons of the show have been completed with the forth getting ready to start on February 25, and I am just as hooked as I was from the first episode. So much has happened on the show that it is hard to believe that the seasons are only 6-8 episodes long. The past three seasons have been full of twists and surprises that seemed impossible. It always keeps me guessing, perched on the edge of my seat and, on more than one occasion, has brought me to tears.

Imagine my surprise last year when I discovered that a copycat show was being made for SyFy, like what NBC did with The Office (as a side note, I found out about this during the commercial breaks for Merlin, yet another BBC show I adore). At first I was completely indignant. How could they possibly think to do an American remake of this incredible show? I swore that I would in no way be tuning in to this abomination.

Well, as time went by and I kept seeing commercial after commercial, I began to get curious. How close to the original would it stick? Could it be good? For a while I continued to stubbornly say that I would never watch it, but eventually my curiosity got the better of me. I set my DVR to record the pilot, not the whole season, just the pilot.

It was with great trepidation that I sat down to watch it – I literally had no idea how I would react. Much to my surprise, I loved it. So much so that I bit the bullet and set up a series recording. The thing that sold me was that, even though it lifted the main plots directly from the original, this new version was distinctly its own show while still being respectful of where it came from.

There were a lot of added plots and elements to the SyFy version, which was to be expected since it was taking a six episode season and turning it into twelve. Those additions were enough to keep me engaged and curious about what was going to happen since I already knew most of the major plot points (although they did make some pretty significant changes to the way the end of the season went down). Another little touch that I thought was nice, was that they named the main vampire Aidan in honor of the actor, Aidan Turner, who played the British vampire.

Season 2 of the America version, which airs on SyFy, has just started and I am very excited to see where they go with it and how much they deviate from the original. Just from the premiere it seems as though there are going to be some pretty drastic differences and I am okay with that.

I never would have believed that I could love two versions of the same television show, yet that is exactly what has happened. The original BBC version will always hold a special place for me as the one that started it all, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find equal enjoyment from the SyFy copy. I can’t really say if I like one version more than the other – they both had parts that I loved and parts that I could have done without. I don’t think it really matters, though. I now have two shows that are able to whisk me away to the world of the supernatural and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

Have you watched Being Human? Which version? What do you think about it? Is there one that you like more than the other? Let me know in the comments.

MASH-UP: Berttie Bott’s, Man Movies, and More

It’s been a while since I posted a mash-up, but I have one for you today! Make sure you take the time to check at least some of these out – they are all fabulous.

Did I Eat All the Bertie Bott’s Beans Flavors? by Marcy Kennedy: This post is from about a month ago, but this is the first mash-up I’ve done since then and I don’t care. It is hilarious and one that I related to from experience.

The Opposite of Chick Flick by Fabio Bueno: Ever wonder what the male equivalent of a chick flick is? Fabio answers that question in this fun post.

A Pitfall of Creativity by Lisa Hall-Wilson: As a fellow person who is “not clumsy – just distracted”, this post had me rolling with laughter.

Are You Suffering from Information Overload Syndrome? by Debra Kristi: This is a post I think EVERYONE can relate to. Who hasn’t felt overwhelmed with all that needs to be done at some point in time and suffered from the resultant sluggishness?

My New Time-Saving Social Media BFF: Triberr by Jenny Hansen: If you are like me you have been seeing this weird word, Triberr, all over the placewith no idea what it meant. Jenny takes the time to explain it and there is even a Part 2.

Taking a Stand Against SOPA and PIPA

As you may or may not have seen, today I joined in the Internet blackout to protest the SOPA and PIPA bills. I would try to explain it to you, but I would probably only confuse you more. Instead, I will provide links to other places where you can learn more:

Wikipedia

The Great Internet Blackout: Why everyone is freaking out about SOPA and PIPA by Jimmy Bean at Hypable.com

Why SOPA is Dangerous by Chris Heald at mashable.com

Join the strike here

You can also click the ribbon in the corner of my blog.

 

Robin Hood: The Evolution of a Legend

I suppose most of you are aware that today is Tuesday not Monday. Oops. The only excuse I have for not getting this post out on time is that these past few days have been one of those times where life just got in the way. I was going to get this post written and up yesterday when I got home from work – late, but still Monday – until I realized that I was so tired my brain was not functioning properly. So I made the decision to wait until I could write something decent and trust that you would forgive me for being a day late. You forgive me, right? *puts on irresistible “I’m sorry” face* Aw, thanks! You guys are the best! *hugs* Now that we got that out of the way, here is my post:

Two weeks ago I began a new series, this time looking at the legendary figure of Robin Hood. In that first post we explored whether or not the famous outlaw was based on a real person and, if so, who could he have been. This week we are going to look at the way his story has evolved over time to become the legend that we all know and love.

The Evolution of a Legend

Like any good myth or legend, the tale of Robin Hood has morphed over the centuries with each retelling. The Robin that we are familiar with today is not the Robin who was originally passed down through grand oral tradition. In the earliest ballads – such as “Robin Hood and the Monk”, “Robin Hood and the Potter”, “Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne”, and most notably “A Gest of Robin Hood” – there are very few similarities to the actual person of Robin Hood that we now know and love.

Robin was originally described as a yeoman. While there is some uncertainty as to what exactly this term meant for Robin since it was a word used for several different types of men, it is clear that he was not the noble he later becomes. This early version of Robin was also a lot more violent; it was nothing for him to kill those who got in his way or behead his enemies. He would even pick fights with his friends, which at this time included the familiar names of Little John, Will Scarlet, and Much the Miller’s Son.

Another interesting difference between this early Robin Hood and the one of today is that he was not the head of a great uprising and he did not steal from the rich to give to the poor. He mostly stole money from those he saw as corrupting the church. Robin was a devout Catholic in these early ballads and tended to target bishops, abbots, sheriffs, and other figures that he saw as corrupt. And while there are instances of Robin helping out the poor and being generous to those he comes across, overthrowing social order was in no way his original goal.

By the 15th Century, Robin Hood had become an integral part of the May Day celebrations, often being labeled as the King and being heavily featured in plays and processions. It is through these May Games that the characters of Friar Tuck and Maid Marian are believed to have been introduced. Tuck appears in a play called “Robin Hood and the Friar”, but Marian has a more interesting introduction to the legend. The character of Marian was orginially from a French pastoral play called Jeu de Robin et Marion, but this Robin was not Robin Hood. When her character became a part of the May Games where Robin Hood already had such a presence the two characters were gradually melded into the same story.

With the violence and less than honorable actions of the early Robin Hood it is unsurprising that he was not always looked upon favorably by all. As people sought to improve his reputation changes began to creep into the story. This is when he began to be known as a friend to the poor and as someone who spoke up for social injustice. By the 16th Century, Robin had been turned into a noble and found his permanent home in Sherwood during the time of Richard the Lionheart.

During the 17th and 18th centuries many new ballads were written about the outlaw and his Merry Men. Origin stories for the characters were created and a new character found his way into the canon: Alan a Dale. During this period the old stories were also modified and became more campy with Robin almost always being bested by the tradesman he is fighting and then asking that man to join his band of Merry Men.

It is always fascinating to look at the ways legends have changed over time. In the case of Robin Hood some of those changes have been quite drastic. The basic elements – his outlaw status and archery skills – were always there, but his character and moral code, parts of him which we now take for granted as basic canon, were not. I am sure as time goes on and there continues to be change in social and political practices, the story of Robin Hood will continue to change as well. He is a character that stands for justice against corruption, and as that ideal changes with the times, so to will its hero.

What parts of the Robin Hood legend were you familiar with? Did you know of his less than noble beginnings? What are your favorite pieces of the legend? Least favorite? Let me know in the comments.

For further reading, visit this website.

GUEST POST: Coty Chanley – lolcats 101: A Lesson in Funny

You know, today has just been one of those days. The original person I had lined up to do a guest post for today fell through, so yesterday I asked my really good friend and Glee Chat co-host, Coty, if he would write one up for me. He very graciously agreed and then, lo and behold, his computer stopped working. Thankfully, he loves me, so he gave me permission to steal a post of my choosing from his blog. Thanks, Coty!

The post that I am going to share for you is one that he actually wrote for me specifically and requires a brief set up. One day he and I were talking and he started going off about something called “lolcats”. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he seemed to think they were hilarious. Coty and I pretty much have the same sense of humor – very rarely does one of us not laugh at something the other thinks is funny – so I was excited to be let in on the joke. I eagerly waited for him to send me a link to a blog post he did using these lolcats. I rushed to click it when it finally arrived and raced to read through the post.

Um…wait. That’s it? Lolcats are just crazy pictures of cats with captions using poor grammar and spelling? How is that funny? I didn’t get it at all.

Coty was absolutely incredulous at what he considered my lack of humor, so he decided to “give me a lesson in funny”. The only other thing you may not know is that John Thrasher is the host of Glee Chat, the one who brought us all together. You will understand why that’s important in a second.

lolcats 101: A Lesson in Funny

My dearest friend Jessica doesn’t think lolcats are funny. I think it’s because she’s old. So I’m going to school her on the fine art of lolcats and show her how funny they really are.

Now, let’s do a little comparison between cats with great spelling, and cats with bad spelling.

versus

Now honestly Jessica, which one is more humorous? Hint: It’s the poor cat that has gots all imtangeld up. Here’s another comparison.

versus

A quick thank you to John for allowing me to make fun of him.

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I have to admit, this makes me crack up every time. I still don’t really think lolcats in general are funny, but for whatever reason this really and truly did make me laugh out loud. I shouldn’t be that surprised, though. I laugh out loud at nearly everything Coty does and if you have ever listened to Glee Chat you probably know exactly what I mean. Be sure to check out the rest of Coty’s blog and follow him on Twitter.

Had you ever heard of lolcats before this? Do you think they are funny or dumb? Let me know in the comments.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream…When Dieting

Like most women I know I am a sweet fanatic. I pretty much love it all – cookies, brownies, cake, cheesecake, muffins… – I love me some sweets. Where I differ from most women I know is that I am a bottomless pit when it comes to food in general, but especially dessert. It is not uncommon to hear this claim made, but you know as well as I do, that when you actually sit down with one of these claimers that what you see does not quite match up with what was boasted. One of the reasons I know I am different – I see the expressions around me change from “Yeah right, you’re gonna eat all that” to “Holy crap! She really is!”

I can throw down some food, but what’s more, I truly enjoy food. I look forward to eating. As soon as I finish one meal I start thinking about the next. It is not uncommon for me to begin to feel as though I am a subject in one of Pavlov’s experiments as I start salivating just thinking about the food or, even more exciting, dessert that I am going to get to eat.

So, what is the point of all this? To help you better feel my pain. A nasty side effect of eating the same amount as a 250 pound man is that sometimes I gain a little weight and I have to go on a diet. Like right now.

No pancakes drenched in syrup, no pasta dripping with cream and cheese, no 10 ounce steak, no cookies, no pizza, no …… Needless to say, I am missing my food greatly and, on occasion, I may be a little, wee bit grumpy. Just a little.

And the worst part is, I am an all or nothing girl. I am not one of those people who gets a craving for a cookie and can eat just one small cookie to satisfy it. Nope. If I eat one, I want ten. If I never actually taste the deliciousness of the sweet treat that I am craving, I can pretend it doesn’t exist, push it aside. But if I let even the tiniest morsel touch my tongue…let’s just say it can get rather messy. The thing that I miss more than anything in the world though, is ice cream.

To say that I love ice cream is the understatement of the century. From the time I was about 18 months old until I was 18 years old I ate some form of ice cream nearly every single day. I am not exaggerating. My mother has the pictures to prove it. I am also not quiet about it.

For some odd reason I have always felt the need to declare my love for ice cream to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen. Everyone who knows me knows about my love affair with ice cream. My senior year of high school I received an ice cream maker as my prank gift and nearly everyone who mentioned me in their senior will bequeathed me ice cream.

It is not just the depth and breadth of my love for ice cream that fascinates people, though. It is also the quantities I am able to devour and the time frame in which I consume them. I do not set out to preform a magical disappearing act with my ice cream, it just happens. Honest to goodness, I feel like my portion sizes are perfectly reasonable and that I am eating it slowly. When I am attempting to be good and eat “normal” size bowls I am able to make a half gallon last about a week. When I am being not so good and eat “Jessica” size bowls I finish a half gallon in 2-3 sittings. If I don’t even bother to dip out a bowl I have to be very purposeful in putting it away, otherwise I will eat the entire half gallon in one sitting (I have done that on more than one occasion).

My biggest claim to fame, however, is the speed with which I eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. When my husband and I first met it did not take long for him to learn what his biggest competition for my love was (he was also the first person to point out that I have a happy dance when I know that I am about to get dessert). Thankfully he thought my very unladylike consumption of ice cream was funny. So funny, in fact, that he told all his family and friends how I could eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in five minutes. Everyone would always laugh, but as I mentioned earlier, no one really believed it.

The first time my future in laws saw me with one of those deliciously chunky pints of chocolate goodness they chuckled as I dug in with gusto and then continued to talk. Five minutes later when I wiped my mouth and quietly set the empty pint down everyone stopped talking and eyes stretched wide as they stared into the empty container. From then on it became a sort of tradition for them to buy me a pint of Ben & Jerry’s whenever a new person came around. My ice cream eating was a sort of parlor trick and every time it ended with the same incredulous expressions on the faces of the newbies.

So as I sit here, staring at my empty salad container while still hungry, I dream of the foods I wish I could eat, especially ice cream. Maybe if I could learn a little self-control and moderation I wouldn’t be in this situation of self-imposed torture. I alway have such great intentions of turning over a new leaf, but it never lasts long. So I will continue to dream and salivate until the scale tells me I can be set free once more.

What are the foods you crave more than anything else? Is there any food that you have trouble avoiding overindulgence with? Any dieting horror stories? Let me know in the comments.

A New Take on a Timeless Legend

Today’s post is a going to be a repost of an old post, but considering the only people who read my blog when I originally wrote were my mom, my husband, and Martin Shone I figured most of you would be okay with this. This past Friday the fourth season premiere of one of my all time favorite television shows aired here in the US. If you have never watched Merlin I hope that this post convinces you to start.

A New Take on a Timeless Legend

One of the most iconic figures of myth, legend, and fantasy is that of King Arthur. His legendary story has been passed down through the ages with each retelling putting a unique spin on a standard element or adding something new completely. Like any good lover of the genre I devour anything I see that is to do with the Arthurian legend regardless of the medium. One of the more recent reworkings of this timeless legend that I have particularly fallen in love with is the BBC television series Merlin*.

I would imagine that it would be easy for true fans of King Arthur to take issue with this show for the many, many liberties it takes with what most would consider to be the most basic pieces of the cannon. In truth, the show changes pretty much everything other than the character’s names and fundamental personality traits. In this version Arthur is being raised by his father King Uther rather than Sir Ector, Merlin is the same age as Arthur rather than an old man, Guinevere is the maid of Uther’s ward rather than a princess, and Mordred is a druid boy rather than Arthur’s illegitimate child. But even with all of these – rather severe – alterations it holds true to the ideals of chivalry (honor, bravery, justice, courtly love) which reside at the heart of the legend.

The basic premise of the show is that Merlin (played by Colin Morgan) is sent to Camelot to work with the court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson). Through a series of events that take place in the pilot episode King Uther (Anthony Head) assigns Merlin to be the personal manservant of Prince Arthur (Bradley James) which proves to be rather difficult as he must keep his magical abilities a secret since Uther has had all magic outlawed on penalty of death. The show follows the many trials Merlin and Arthur face on their separate yet intertwined journies to become the men they are destined to be. It is a simple concept that has certainly been done before, yet this show executes it brilliantly.

It has become a growing trend for television shows to blend of the serious and the comedic and Merlin is no exception. There is actually a surprising amount of comedy in the show and – what may be even more surprising – it works. Colin Morgan is an incredibly gifted actor who has excellent comedic timing which is essential for the witty and sarcastic Merlin. Between the bickering Arthur and Merlin constantly engage in and the ridiculous situations Merlin always seems to land himself in, every episode has at least one scene that elicits laughter from me, but every once in a while the show will devote an entire episode to a comedic plot. The episode that first comes to mind for me is Season 3′s “Goblin’s Gold”. In this episode Merlin unthinkingly releases a goblin who proceeds to possess Gaius and reek havoc upon the court. When the episode began I felt a pang of disappointment for what I felt sure would be a silly filler episode, but it did not take long for me to realize how wrong I was. From goblin!Gaius slapping the bald head of Uther to the flatulence of Guinevere and Morgana to a braying Arthur complete with donkey ears I could not stop laughing. Even thinking about that episode as I type this causes me to chuckle.

Even more than these moments of comedic excellence, however, Merlin excels with its dramatic and often epic plotlines. Again, Colin Morgan is a gifted actor who manages to portray a Merlin who is humble yet strong, compassionate yet just, naive yet wise. In this way as Merlin stumbles along his own road of growth he is still able to be a believable guide for Arthur who is frequently ignorant of the ways in which Merlin is shaping him. While there are many episodes that stand out to me (Season 1′s “The Poisoned Chalice”, Season 2′s “The Lady of the Lake”, Season 3′s “The Tears of Uther Pendragon Parts 1&2) none are greater than each season’s finale. Merlin excels at delivering suspenseful and emotionally moving season finales. Each season the finale ends up being my favorite episode of the season with each successive finale turning out more powerful than the last. Season 1 brings Merlin face to face with Nimueh as he battles to save the life of Arthur, Season 2 sends Merlin and Arthur on a hunt for the last living dragonlord who is the only person that can save Camelot from a dragon bent on revenge, and Season 3 sees Uther imprisoned while Arthur and Merlin are forced into hiding as they seek out a way to destroy the immortal army created by a witch to overthrow Camelot. Each of these episodes serve to punctuate the lessons that Merlin and Arthur have been learning throughout the season and each time I find myself cheering.

There is one other aspect of the show I feel I must mention before I bring this extensive exposition to a close, and that is the shows penchant for slipping in bits of the cannon in a sort of salute. I can’t begin to describe how giddy the fangirl in me gets every time this happens. The show has had cameos by Lancelot, Gawain, Percival, Taliesin, the Fisher King, and Nimueh (as previously mentioned) in addition to iconic images such as the hand of the Lady of the Lake emerging from the lake of Avalon with the sword of Excalibur. Whenever these moments happen I must admit they are usually accompanied by some squeeing and the occasional fist pump.

It is for all these reasons and that which is too intangible to put into words that I feel Merlin is a remarkable addition to the adaptations of the legendary King Arthur.

*In the US Merlin airs on SyFy.

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Like I mentioned at the beginning, the new season has just premiered here in the US and it was one hell of an episode! I am sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation of this week’s follow up.

Have you ever watched Merlin? What do you think of it? Is there another adaptation of the story of King Arthur that you have enjoyed? Let me know in the comments.