Delighting in Dragons

Last week I flippantly linked January, season of coughs and colds, and my children, in the same paragraph right here on this blog. That very same night my younger daughter went down with a cold, missed 3 days of school and is still fighting an annoying cough. As a work-from-home Mum, I’m fortunate to be able to be with my children when they’re ill. I know I should banish them to bed and make staying home as boring as I can for them, and I do ban TV at least until after lunch, but I enjoy these serendipitous, rare one-to-one times when we read together and sometimes manage an art project.

As we did while she was off school last week. My daughter, who’s chosen the blog name Beka, is a voracious reader, but we often have a book that we read together – mostly me, out loud, doing all the voices.

Our current out-loud book is Carole Wilkinson’s Dragonkeeper. The first in a series set in ancient China, it’s the story of a young slave girl and a world-weary dragon. As we’re only on Chapter 9 I can’t tell you much more than that, but such is the power of an imaginative story, well-told and backed up by solid research, that the spin-offs are a joy to behold.

Excited by this book, my daughter has so far:

travelled to The Great Wall of China via Google Earth.

looked up the Han Dynasty in the encyclopaedia

compared different ways of depicting dragons

made and decorated a Chinese style fan –with a picture of a dragon of course.

OK so she’s a paragon. Of course not. I just want to share her enthusiasm, my delight in the online technology I would have loved as a kid, and lead in to the next stage, because by now she’s definitely earned some TV. Still on the Chinese theme, she re-ran Mulan and soon we started wondering about the ‘real’ Mulan, which was, of course, a prompt for a quick Googling session.

Disney tells the story of Mulan as a daughter who serves in the emperor’s army in her aged father’s stead. Accompanied by the obligatory comic companions, Mulan disguises herself as a youth, has many misadventures, but can usually turn disaster to triumph against the invading Hun. She single-handedly saves the Emperor and to top it all, snares a good prospect for a husband, as a good Chinese daughter should.

Google brought us to the anonymous Ode Of Mulan, dating from 500CE and told in a Ming dynasty anthology, The Legend of the Very Sad Ape, according to which Disney hasn’t taken too many liberties with the basic story. The real Mulan served for a decade in the emperor’s army, successfully hiding her identity all the while, and did indeed come to the attention of the emperor. We both enjoyed the contrast of 1,500 year old poem with the sugar and anachronistic comedy of the cartoon version. It’s long for a blog, but here it is, courtesy of http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/2805.html---------

Jie Jie, and more Jie Jie
Weaving, Mulan facing the front door.
Heard not the sound of shuttles,
Heard only her own sighs.
"Who you are missing?
Who you are recalling?"
"No one in my heart.
No one in my mind.
Last night I saw the army enlistment bulletin.
The emperor called for an army for a coming war.
Twelve scrolls of bulletins,
My father's name listed on every scroll.
Father has no grown up son;
Mulan has no elder brother.
I want to buy a saddle and horse,
And Join the army in the place of my father."

Bought a spirited horse from a market in the east,
Bought a saddle from a market in the west;
Bought a bridle from a market in the south;
Bought a long whip from a market in the north.
Said good-bye to Father and Mother at dawn,
Arrived on the shore of the Yellow River in the evening.
Heard not the calls from Father and Mother;
Heard only the crushing sound of water in the Yellow River.
Left the Yellow River at dawn for the north,
Camped atop the Black Mountain in the evening.
Heard not the calls from Father and Mother,
Heard only the crying sound of the nomad horses on Yan Mountain.

Travelled ten thousand li for the war.
Crossed the passes and mountains as swiftly as flying.
Sound of army watchman's knocker brought with cold winds.
Chilly moonlight reflected on iron armor.
Generals died in a hundred battles,
Great fighters returned in triumph after ten years.

Summoned to see the emperor,
The emperor sat in a splendid Hall.
Promotions granted in twelve ranks,
Gifts bestowed a thousand and more.
Emperor asked what else was desired,
Mulan not interested in a minister's post.
"Would like to have a swift horse
To take me to my hometown".

Father and Mother heard of the return of the Daughter,
Came all the way out of city to greet the Daughter, leaning on each other.
Elder sister heard of arrival of young Sister,
Took care of her make-up and dress, facing the door.
Young Brother heard of coming of elder Sister,
Whet the knife and went for a pig and a sheep—a feast for Sister.
Opened the door to the east chamber,
Sat on the bed in the west chamber.
Took off the army gown,
Put on the old dress.
Combed cloud-like hair, facing the window,
Rubbed cosmetic powder on forehead, facing the mirror.
Went out to visit her army comrades,
Comrades all surprised and perplexed.
For twelve years together in the army and fought
knew not Mulan was a girl.

He-hare walks with hops and skips
She-hare sees with muddled and fuddled eyes
If two hares run side by side
How can you tell which is the she and which is the he?

Thanks to 47th Carnival of History, hosted by Progressive Historians, this February, for thei comment on this post.

I do NOT believe in dragons.

Sen. BIDEN: Well, maybe you should! Kaye at Zing Things has a delightful post up called Delighting in Dragons, discussing both dragons in folklore and the historical narrative that Disney's Mulan was based on. It's an excellent and informative read.