Group 9 Anarchy Podcast Show Notes

Introductions

• Reid Dolyniuk
• Zach Schrage
• Spencer Green

Overview of Retellings

• Reid- Brother Bear by Walt Disney Pictures (2003)
• Zach- “The Human Animal”^[1] by Wayne Keisler (“Tekwolf;” 1998)
• Spencer- Brave by Disney-Pixar (2012)

Overview of the Source Story

• Source Story: “Bearskin” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, tale type 361

• Summary: "Bearskin" follows a handsome former soldier who has returned from war. He is unsure of what to do with his life, since fighting is what he does best. After his brothers turn him away, he is left to wander the German wilderness. The devil -a hooved man- approaches him one day and makes a deal with him. The soldier must wear the skin of a bear for seven years while refraining from cleaning and grooming himself. In return for his sacrifice, he is given a jacket that produces limitless sums of money. If he survives he will remain immeasurably rich, but if he dies, the devil will claim his soul. He travels the country and helps the poor with the money he has. One farmer is so grateful of his aid that he promises one of his daughters to be Bearskin’s bride. The two eldest and most beautiful daughters are disgusted and turn him away, but the youngest and kindest one agrees to marry Bearskin because of the aid he brought to her family. Once the seven years end, the soldier is freed and makes the devil clean and groom him to the point that he is more handsome than ever before. When he approaches the farm, the sisters see him and are amazed by the handsome visitor. They hurry to make themselves pretty, putting on their best dresses and doing their hair. Meanwhile, Bearskin reveals himself to the youngest daughter to whom he is engaged by showing the half of the ring that matches hers (that he gave to her before he left). When the sisters come back and realize who the handsome stranger really is and that their sister is his bride, they are enraged. Both commit suicide in anger; one by drowning herself in a well and the other by hanging herself on a tree. The couple lives well, but the devil returns to Bearskin declaring that he was the true winner in the end, because he received two souls (the sisters’s) for the price of one (Bearskin’s).
• Cultural and Historical Context

• Origin: As is the case with many fairy tales of the time period, “Bearskin” was originally a spoken story. It was known by storytellers and conveyed primarily to children in order to entertain, teach, or frighten them. “Bearskin” was collected in the compendium of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, and published in 1812. The Grimms sourced this tale from Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen’s (ca. 1622-1676) story entitled “Vom Ursprung des Namens Bärnhäuter,” which was first published in 1670. The story was translated into English and edited by the Grimm brothers.
• The protagonist of the story is a soldier who has recently finished his time serving in a war. Due to the time period and location the original story was written in, we are led to believe that the war that is referenced in the story is the Thirty Years War that took place in Central Europe (including Germany) from 1618 to 1648. The original tale was published in 1670 about the time when soldiers looking for work and means for financial stability was a reality.
• At the time of the publishing of “Bearskin,” life in Germany and really all of Central Europe was centered around Christianity, whether it be Catholicism or Protestantism. The religious prominence of the time is conveyed in this story through an overlying moral, the devil figure, and the consequence of sin. One of the major morals of the story is not to be deceived by the devil, because it is a sin to deal with the devil, and it always results in misfortune. Interestingly though the misfortune is not experienced by Bearskin who made the deal with the devil, instead it is felt through the two eldest daughters of the farmer who both commit sins through suicide, casting their souls to hell.

• Archetypes

• Charity

• Charity is seen in fairytales whether it be the protagonist giving to the poor or vice versa.
• Bearskin is the hero of the story; he gives money to the poor and helps settle debts of those he meets that are in need.

• Trickster

• Unlike the hero that Bearskin plays in this story, the devil plays the role as the trickster. The trickster is a common archetype in fairy tales. They often try to manipulate the protagonist of the story into going on an impossible quest or making a bad deal. The trickster is almost always successful in getting their way.
• The devil plays the trickster of the story when he tempts Bearskin into making a deal with him, gaining two souls.

• Animal Transformation

• The protagonist may transform into an animal through magic, either doing so with their own ability or as punishment by another’s power. Transformations typically help the protagonist learn a lesson or moral of some sort.
• The soldier “transforms” into the bear when he makes a deal with the devil, requiring him to wear a bear’s skin and live unkempt.

• Father offering his daughters as a prize

• As a reward or as a way of repaying a debt, fathers tend to give one of their daughters to the protagonist as a wife. (The girl is usually very attractive and young).
• The farmer offers his daughters as potential wives to Bearskin in return for a favor.

• The Quest

• The protagonist might be given a quest revolving around the plot of the story. The quest is a search for something or a means to complete a task. It usually teaches the protagonist a lesson and changes them for the good.
• “Bearskin” must wander the world unkempt for 7 years. His reward being limitless gold and a beautiful wife. 

• Guileless Fool

• The fool is a common character in fairy tales who ignorantly risks his life, possessions, or others, although his risk rarely ends in tragedy.
• The soldier recklessly risks his soul (with good intentions), yet everything works out for him in the end.

• Themes

• Do not judge someone by their physical appearance.

• “The two older daughters dismissed the filthy Bearskin. When they discovered that he was a handsome man of boundless wealth, they became so distraught that they killed themselves.”^[2]
• The two deaths are extreme consequences of judging someone by their appearance. By not giving Bearskin a chance in the beginning, the sisters give up the opportunity to be with a nice, generous, and eventually handsome man.

• “Transformation is an essential part of life.”^[3]

• “Bearskin was lost in his initial role as a soldier. When he took a risk and changed his destiny, he went down a strange path that eventually made his life a lot better.”^[4]
• The changes that the soldier goes through are drastic from the person he was during his quest. Resulting in him securing a beautiful bride and winning his prize of limitless gold. 

• A deal with the devil never ends well.

• The last line of the story is the devil telling Bearskin that their deal resulted in the devil obtaining two souls rather than one (the sisters’s souls rather than Bearskin’s). As we have mentioned previously while discussing religion, this illustrates the point that people must avoid the temptations of the devil and as well as the temptations of greed for they lead to misfortune.

• There are consequences for being ungrateful.

• Like many fairy tales accumulated by the Brothers Grimm, “Bearskin” is meant to convey a darker reality of life in a fantastical manner. One interpretation of the fairy tale is that it was meant to teach people to be thankful for what they receive. The two eldest sisters exemplify this theme when they refuse to marry Bearskin. Both sisters do not appreciate the kind gestures of Bearskin and their father, despite the support Bearskin provides their family and the opportunity of marriage their father presents. For their ungratefulness, they suffered the severe consequence of death.

• Symbols/Motifs

• Ring: marriage, bond, commitment/loyalty

• used as an identifier between bearskin and the youngest daughter^[5]

• Coins: “duel meaning between the good and bad of wealth; bad because the devil uses it to tempt Bearskin; good because Bearskin uses it for charitable, selfless purposes”^[6]
• Bearskin: security vs burden

• cloak the veteran wore

• Green Color: renewal, growth, money, greed

• green jacket that emits money

• War: death

• suicides of the two sisters

Individual Analyses

• Zach: “The Human Animal” by Wayne Kiesler (“Tekwolf”), published in 1998

• Summary: It’s a story about a wolf that transforms into a human. The “man” named Rolf immediately had to adapt to his new environment and the new body he just gained. With the loss of his honed senses and his fur, he felt blind and was freezing as his pack mates ran away from him in fear. When Rolf was lying down by the road, other humans picked him up and took him home. There, Rolf was nurtured, fed, and slowly taught the human language. The humans tried desperately to figure out where Rolf came from, but he couldn't remember anything. There were no records of Rolf existing, so it was decided that he would just live with the humans until they had an answer. Rolf learned to read and then went to school with a hunger to learn as much as possible. The family adopting him didn't have a son, so they took Rolf in. Rolf began to have dreams about his previous life as an animal; all the things he would do and how he missed it. This is where Rolf first experienced emotion due to the recognized loss of his previous life. While reading White Fang, Rolf got to “relive” his moments as a wolf for the first time. Rolf completed high school, then went to college. Rolfs roommate was not serious about his studies and related him to a fox who'd rather play than work. It was not until later that Rolf told his roommate that he was a wolf. He even changed in front of his roommate which wasn't pleasant for either of them. His roommate made a dash to the door, but Rolf stopped him to explain. Rolf explained how humans were the real killers and how wolves had more honor in their life; humans kill wolves all the time while wolves never attempt to kill humans. His roommate was soon convinced and felt shame for his race. His roommate wanted to be a wolf too, after finding out that Rolf was going to return to his original family. When he took Rolf to his wolf family, he said goodbye but also let the wild thing that transformed Rolf go into him, thus turning him into a wolf as well. They both went out together, Rolf being happy that he had a brother.
• Archetypes

• Hero: Rolf is considered a hero in this story, because he has to face adversity. There is no evil but there are challenges that Rolf must face.
• Animal Transformation: The main character, Rolf, transforms between wolf and man. His college roommate also goes through a transformation from man to wolf.
• Quest: The quest of this story is Rolf trying to fit in and understand the human race. Once he becomes one with them, he returns home to use that knowledge he has gained.
• Thrown into the unfamiliar: The protagonist has to go through things that are foreign to him. Rolf somewhat abandons his home and has to handle an unfamiliar one.
• The return home: The protagonist, Rolf, heads back to his real family after doing everything he needs to in the human world.
• Tragedy: Tragedy is depicted through the separation of the protagonist from his family. Rolf is emotionally overwhelmed throughout the story, because he misses everything he once was. He sees his family in dreams and feels his first negative emotion.
• Charity: The family that finds Rolf takes care of him and even adopts him due to the loss of their son. This act of charity is important, because Rolf would either be homeless or dead without them.

• How the retelling differs from “Bearskin:”

• Deal with the devil: The main character does not make any deals with the devil; the animalistic transformation is just a fact of the story.
• Evil: There is no true evil in the story. It’s more about a character who learns and adapts. The protagonist has to handle challenges rather than evil.
• Father offering daughters: This theme is not present in this story. This story doesn't fit the normal fairy tale template where this archetype is involved.
• Guileless fool: This theme is not present in the story because the Protagonist never engages in anything that's risky. He just goes with whatever is put in front of him.

• This story has no real morals to it; it’s more of a fun story to read. If anything, it does a really good job of making the reader think about humans actions and morals. This story also doesn’t have any historical or cultural background, so there are no motives for any of the themes in the story.

• Reid: Brother Bear by Walt Disney Pictures, produced in 2003

• Summary: The story revolves around Kenai, a young teenager who is cocky and overconfident. He receives a bear charm as a spirit animal when he comes of age, and because it represents love and is not a warrior spirit, he doesn’t like it. Later Kenai begins to resent bears after a fight with one kills his older brother. He is turned into a bear, so he can see life from a different perspective. He is visited by the spirit of his older brother, and is told that, if he wishes to be changed back into a human, he must travel to the place where the lights touch the Earth, in other words, the Northern Lights. Fueled by hope, Kenai sets off on his long journey and, along the way, encounters a younger bear, Koda, who is a chatterbox and a fun-loving spirit. Koda is trying to find his way back to his home, the Salmon Run, which, coincidentally, is right next to where the lights touch the Earth. Koda and Kenai team up but are hunted by Kenai's other brother, Denahi, who fears that the bear has killed Kenai as well. Along the way, the two bears meet other friends, including two moose, some rams, and some mammoths, with whom they hitch a ride, however Kenai discovers that he likes being a bear and realizes that humans aren't only afraid of bears; through Koda's eyes, the humans are the monsters with their long spears. With a whole new view on life, Kenai makes a decision that will change his world forever.
• Archetypes

• Hero: The hero in this story is Kenai though he was a reluctant one in the begging. He ends up taking care of a young bear named Koda that teaches him love and forgiveness and compassion.
• Animal Transformation: He is turned into a bear to teach him a lesson by the great spirits and his ancestors as he had much to learn about how to be a good person and treat people.
• Quest: the quest in kenias head was to become human again. He had to go where the light touches the earth. But the true quest for him was learning how to be a good being.
• Thrown into the unfamiliar: Kenai had a lot of adjusting too when he became a bear. There were new experiences and the fact that he could talk to animals threw him for a major loop.
• The return home: Throughout the course of the story Kenai and his bear cub companion Koda are traveling to where the lights touch the earth in order for him to be changed back into a man. They make it to the spot and kenai is changed back, but realizes that Koda still needs him and he can’t leave him. So the spirits turn him back into a bear and he lives his life feeling fulfilled.
• Tragedy: the tragedy that takes place in the story revolves around his older brothers death. He is incredibly sad and angry and tries to hunt the bears as a result.
• Charity: He looks after a young bear cub named Koda and protects him.

• How the story differs from and relates to “Bearskin:”

• Deal with the devil: It wasn't a deal with the devil, but spirits who are trying to teach him a hard lesson about being a man.
• Evil: no evil but difficulties in the journey
• Father offering daughters: there is none in this story
• Guileless fool: They had some lovable dumb moose sidekicks over the course of the journey named Tuke and Rutt, they served as comedic relief and offered outside perspectives.

• The story as a whole has a lot of good morals in it. Some of them being that to be a real man and not a child you have to care about something other than yourself. In the beginning kenai was impulsive, childish, irresponsible and selfish. He would do things because he thought they were funny and not because he cared about the consequences. Being a bear taught him how to care for others and that you can't just think of yourself.

• Spencer: Brave by Disney-Pixar, produced in 2012

• Summary: Brave begins in a rural, Scottish kingdom when the main protagonist, princess Merida, is a child. Merida is given her first bow and arrow by her father, Lord Fergus, and as she shoots at targets, she immediately falls in love with archery. After a quick scene of Lord Fergus’s encounter with a bear (foreshadowing the animal transformation), the story fast forwards to Merida as a young teenager, now accompanied by triplet brothers. Merida remains an independent princess who wants nothing more than the freedom to practice archery and explore, however, since she is a maturing princess, she must fulfill her duty of marriage. As tradition has it, the king’s first-born sons of the neighboring kingdoms must come together to battle each other for Merida’s hand in marriage. Discontent with her fate to get married and her mother, Elinor’s, pressure to do so, Merida bends the rules and battles the three sons for her own hand in marriage. She, unsurprisingly, chooses archery as the event of the battle and defeats her suitors, leaving her mother terribly angry with her. Later, Merida and her mother argue about the marriage situation, causing Merida to run away to the forest. In the forest she finds a cottage inhabited by an old witch who she makes a deal with in order to change her mother and alter her fate. The means to do this is made into a cake which Merida eagerly feeds to her mother, transforming Elinor into a bear. The two of them then go back to the woods to find the witch to reverse the spell. Unfortunately, the witch is gone and Elinor only has a couple days until her bear form is permanent. Despite this, Merida discovers what she needs to do to change her mom back into a human. This journey is challenging for both Merida and Elinor, however it sparks a bond and understanding between them and, in the end, they live happily as humans.
• Archetypes & How They Compare to “Bearskin”

• Father offering his daughter as a prize: The act of Lord Fergus marrying Merida to the winning suitor connects to the farmer offering one of his daughters to Bearskin.

• Used in Brave as a part of tradition rather than in return for a favor.

• The quest: Merida and Elinor are on a mission to reverse the spell to change Elinor back into her human form. This quest teaches them how to work together, put their differences aside, and strengthen their bond.

• This quest differs slightly with the one in “Bearskin,” because it changes the characters for the better, whereas Bearskin remains good and generous throughout.

• Maturation: Speaking of the quest, it is the reason Merida matures. It provides the means for her to finally understand and appreciate her mother. This element is not seen in “Bearskin,” yet it is a huge archetype in Brave.
• The forest/woods: The forest is a typical fairy tale archetype that plays an important role in this story as the main setting during the quest and as a reflection of wary. The forest in each of the tales is where the protagonist interacts with the “devil.”
• The devil: The witch takes the role of the devil-like character. Although she doesn’t seem too evil; certainly not as devilish as the man in “Bearskin,” she is the one who Merida bargains with and conjures the spell that prompts the quest which draws upon the “deal with the devil” occurence from the original story.
• Animal transformation: Last, but not least, animal transformation ties these two stories together. Each story depicts a character turning from a human to a bear and shows the negative reactions of humans to these animals. Also, in both the written story and the film, the transformed characters return to being human and live better off than they had been previously.

• Themes

• Actually most of the themes from “Bearskin” are prevalent in Brave. Both stories share the themes of transformation being essential to life and there being consequences of dealing with a devil-like figure as well as consequences of being ungrateful.

• Aside from the physical transformation of Elinor, both her and Merida grow to understand and appreciate one another after Elinor’s humanity is at stake.
• As far the themes regarding consequence, Merida learns her lesson not to deal with the witch, because her wish does not play out as she intends which nearly costs her her mother’s life. This is also tied to the consequence of being ungrateful. If Merida considered all that her mother had done for her to influence the independent woman she was, then she would not have wanted to change Elinor which would have prevented the mess she got herself into.