LENNART HELLSINGS SJÖRÖVARBOK

För några år sedan, under eller innan pandemin, lyssnade jag på ett avsnitt av podden Snedtänkt som handlade om censur i svensk barnlitteratur och om vissa barnböcker som antingen förändrades på vissa känsliga ställen - eller rycktes bort helt och hållet från skol- och folkbiblioteken över hela Sverige, ifall det känsliga innehållet inte kunde förändras:

• Hattstugan - såväl eldsvåda som barnaga förekommer i denna Elsa Beskow-klassiker - rycktes bort
• Tintin i Kongo (och andra Tintin-serier där han besöker exotiska platser) p g a nidbilder av mörkhyade, asiater, judar, m fl - rycktes bort
• Gammaldags julböcker där Tomten röker pipa - antingen pipan suddades bort eller böckerna rycktes bort. I de flesta fallen suddades bort både pipan och dessa verser: the stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
  and the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
• Kapten Efraim Långstrump (Pippis pappa) - kunde inte ryckas bort, eftersom Astrid och Pippi är Nationella Skatter och dyker t o m upp på tjugolappen - men det blev en hel del förändringar:

1. Kapten Långstrumps pipa suddades bort, precis som jultomtens
2. Kapten Långstrump kallas nu för "söderhavskung" eller helt enkelt bara "kung"
3. Hans undersåtar, kurrekurreduttarna, kallas nu för "infödingar" och har suddats bort, eftersom illustrationerna föreställde nidbilder 

Men -

Det finns en barnbok av Lennart Hellsing (en annan Nationell Skatt, dock inte till samma grad som Astrid Lindgren), som verkar vara självaste NECRONOMICON i jämförelse med allt det här, och som har tagits bort från alla bibliotek i Sverige, fastän den handlar om ett så oskyldigt och spännande ämne som pirater.

Om du har tur kanske du kan hitta den på second hand.

Mina herrar och damer och icke-binära, jag hälsar eder välkomna till Sjörövarbok.

Här är omslaget:

Oskyldigt, eller hur? Ett piratskepp till havs med Jolly Roger i topp? Alla barn på jorden tycker att pirater är spännande.

Men skenet bedrar i det här fallet...

Lollipop, lollipop
Jolly Roger i topp!
Hur det slår! Hur det går!
Hela världen är vår!

Som ni ser är boken på vers, allting rimmar (som i flera aldra barnböcker, t ex Hattstugan och de flesta av Dr Seuss, samt de flesta av Lennart Hellsing, författaren till Sjörövarbok!). Här, som i de flesta av hans verk, har Hellsing utnyttjat versen för att få fram väldigt kreativa rim, med alla kaptenernas efternamn (och alla piraterna här är kaptener!) - fast just här är rimmen om teman som anses inte vara PK alls för nutida barn.

Om det nu är så (och det är det) att förläggare och föräldrar får dåndimpen av otäckheter som alkohol, tobak, naket och okristligt språk i våra ungas kultur så är det inte konstigt att "Sjörövarbok" i omgångar varit flitigt debatterad. Piraterna lever onekligen ett sabla liv. Under det stora sjöslaget i början på boken stupar flera kaptener (och alla pirater i den här boken är kaptener!):

"Kapten Smolk drog sin dolk 

och tog livet av folk.

Kapten Spritar gick i bitar

Kapten Klas han gick i kras

Kapten Trogen gick åt skogen

Kapten Höök gick upp i rök"

Detta illustreras med en väldig explosion där skeppet går i tusen bitar och flera tusen pirater flyger all världens väg. Det var en del av våldet då. Hur är det då med spriten? Vi följer piraterna in på en bar. Efter sjöslaget måste man läska strupen, eller hur?

"Till en bar drog envar 

varje karl som fanns kvar

Kapten Viit han kom dit 

tog en nit på kredit

Kapten Bäver drack genever 

Kapten Franz drack pommerans

Kapten Koppar Bäska Droppar 

Kapten Lans drack vad som fanns! 

Kapten Fura, Angostura 

Kapten Bayer drack tokajer  

Kapten Linn, han drack gin (är gin och genever samma sak?) 

Kapten Öd, han drack mjöd 

Kapten Boom, han drack rom 

Kapten Frälst drack vad som helst!"

 

En av kaptenerna dricker juice och en annan dricker vatten, men bara därför att det rimmar på deras respektive efternamn. Märk också att några av dryckerna (Angostura, Bäska Droppar, pomerans, tokajer) är numera väldigt okända och lika svåra att få tag på (t o m på Systembolaget!) Vem dricker t ex Angostura nuförtiden?

Och när en pirat jobbat hårt med att döda och plundra och sedan stärkt sig med ett glas har han såklart gjort sig förtjänt av lite kvinnligt sällskap:

"Kapten Skam, han tog sig fram 

till en mager madam

Kapten Sju tog itu 

med en ungdomlig fru

Kapten Hyska tog en ryska, 

Kapten Ess tog en negress

Kapten Benka tog en änka, 

Kapten Gris en servitris

Lägga an! Lägga till! Lägga upp! Lägga bi!

Kapten Punkt tog det lugnt 

och tog hand om något ungt!"

Föga förvånande har det funnit dom som velat sudda bort vissa delar. Meningen som retat upp moralens väktare är framförallt:

"Kapten Böös slog sig lös 

med en nakendansös!"

Både kapten Böos och kapten Punkt, den pedofilen!

Samt bilden där kapten Böös skålar bredvid den barbröstade nakendansösen (och negressen, en nidbild, finns med på samma illustration!) I USA, och i senare svenska upplagor, tog man sig helt sonika den konstnärliga friheten att krita dit en bikini (fast då är hon inte längre naken!). Likväl på den tjockrövade tjejen på sleeven (omslaget) på Queens Fat-Bottomed Girls.

Bikinin var INTE alltid där!

Om det är några som har ett avslappnat och icke-sexualiserat förhållande till kvinnobröst så är det väl för håken barn. (Bedöm gärna själva men varning för den hiskeliga dunka-dunka musiken!)

Historien, som är följande: två sjörövarskepp möts, slagsmål, kanonskott och till slut en stor explosion uppstår. De som överlever, efter sjöslaget, tar sig till en bar där de super loss och hittar sig en varsin fru/käresta. Efter en kväll av dans går de hem genom natten, och bestämmer sig för att ge upp sjöröveriet och istället slå sig ner som fredliga män. Men den dag som sjörövarskeppet kommer tillbaka, så kan de inte motstå att gå till sjöss igen –

----

PS. Om Roald Dahls nya PK-utgåvor:

Roald Dahl, också en Nationell Skatt i Storbritannien och vars främsta verk har alla filmats (Kalle och Chokladfabriken 2 gånger, Matilda även 2 gånger, likaså Häxorna och SVJ [den senaste först som tecknat och senare som live-action], James och Jättepersikan bara en gång, likaså Den fantastiske Räven, sagoparodierna Revolting Rhymes [som crossover i 2 delar], Naddap-Dlöks och allra senast Herr och Fru Slusk [premiär på Netflix i oktober 2025!]), har på sistone återgivits av Puffin Books (Penguins barndivision, som äger rättigheterna) med hjälp av s k "känslighetsläsare" (sensitivity readers). Allt som kunde vara negativt laddat förändrades i de nya utgåvorna:

Oompa-Loomparna kommer nu officielt från Loompalandet, inte från Afrika, och de har dessutom ljusare hy. Också: i stället för att använda Oompa-Loomparna som försökskaniner prövar Wille Wonka det magiska godiset (t ex hårkola) på sig själv.

"Mammor och pappor" byttes ut mot "föräldrar", "bröder och systrar" mot "syskon" och "män och kvinnor" mot "personer/människor".

Alla figurer som har en annorlunda kropp (utom jättarna i SVJ, som inte är människor) och/eller som inte är västerländska - deras beskrivningar suddas ut. Däribland feta figurer som August Glupsk, Bruno från Häxorna, Nikolai Thoresson (han som åt upp chokladtårtan) från Matilda och Mostrarna Sylt (den tjocka) och Snylt (den smala) från James och Jättepersikan.

Jämför bara vad småkrypen inuti persikan (tusenfotingen närmare bestämt) säger när Moster Sylt blir krossad av persikan i originalet och i den nya utgåvan!

ORIGINAL:

Aunt Sponge was terrifically fat,

and tremendously flabby at that!

NY PK-UTGÅVA:

Aunt Sponge was a nasty old brute

and deserved to be squashed by the fruit!

Moster Snylt har lika mycket otur:

ORIGINAL:

Aunt Spiker was thin as a wire

and dry as a bone, only drier!

NY PK-UTGÅVA:

Aunt Spiker was much of the same

and deserves half of the blame!

Även ord som "ugly" och "misshapen" (och motsatserna "pretty" och "beautiful") har försvunnit helt och hållet från de nya brittiska Roald-Dahl-böckerna. Rektorn i Matilda, Fröken Pitbull (tidigare känd som Domderassonskan), en stor och stark, väldigt muskulös och "maskulin" kvinna (Emma Thompson tolkar henne väldigt nära boken), man har förändrat hennes beskrivning otroligt mycket.

Andra ord som "crazy", "lunatic", och allt annat som kan syfta på psykisk ohälsa, likaså "gay" (t o m om det betyder "glad") och "queer" (t o m om det betyder "konstig"/"sällsam") har också försvunnit härifrån.

När det gäller figurer som inte är västerländska ser vi detsamma - For example, a character "hopping about like a dervish" in Fantastic Mr Fox became "hopping about like a frog".

Alla referenser till könsroller har också tagits bort, och häftiga förolämpningar har tonats ner, t ex om Fru Slusk: some insults directed at women were often softened (such as "ugly old cow" becoming "ghastly old shrew" in The Twits). 

The word fat was regularly removed, being replaced with terms such as enormous or large, as were references to short height and similar descriptions. References to characters being old was sometimes altered or removed.

The words crazy, lunatic, and mad, along with similar words, were regularly removed, as were some descriptions of low intelligence and mental disorders, such as removing a line from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory about a character being "shut up in some disgusting sanatorium". References to physical deformity or disability, including blindness, muteness, deafness, etc. were also commonly removed or altered.

References to lack of privilege were sometimes altered, such as removing a description of Sophie as "a little orphan of no real importance in the world" from The BFG.

References to poor personal hygiene were often removed, while some references to drinking alcohol and smoking were also changed. In Fantastic Mr Fox, Small Fox sniffs a bottle of cider rather than taking a sip, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Oompa-Loompas are no longer described as "drunk as lords" on butterscotch and soda.

Other changes focused on violence. Comic references to violence were sometimes removed, and references to corporal punishment were changed. Mentions of deadly weapons such as guns and knives were often removed.

References to slaves and prisoners were removed, and certain references to death were removed.

Other changes focused on words that in British English usage have taken on more vulgar associations, such as horny and fanny.

Language related to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race has been cut and rewritten. Remember the Cloud-Men in James and the Giant Peach? They are now the Cloud-People. The Small Foxes in Fantastic Mr Fox are now female. In Matilda, a mention of Rudyard Kipling has been cut and Jane Austen added. It’s Roald Dahl, but different.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/17/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-offensive-matilda-witches-twits/

INTERESTING ORIGINAL POKÉMON NAMES

• Umbreon is Blacky in Japanese. That's it, Blacky, as obvious as the Pope is Catholic.
• Aerodactyl is Ptera, which is perfect for a pterosaur... if the Japanese language could not use two consonants together (unless one of them is an N) without a vowel in between. Thus, they pronounce "Ptera" as "Putera", which means "bitchy" in Spanish.
• Oddish, that adorable Prussian blue mandrake I hatched from an egg while borrowing Malin Nilsson's smartphone, is Nazonokusa, literally "Strange Grass/Weed": almost the same as "Strange Fruit."
• Oddish's eldest evolution, Vileplume, is called Rafflesia in Japanese. Just like the reeking tropical flower that inspired the Pokémon. Obvious enough?
• Tentacruel: Dokukurage, i.e. "Poison Jellyfish," another name as obvious as Blacky for Umbreon. Its pre-evolution Tentacool is Menokurage, i.e. "Jellyfish with Eyes." Duh.
• The same can be said of Spearow, AKA Onisuzume, i.e. "Ogre-sparrow." And its evolution Fearow, whose original name is Onidoriru, i.e. "Ogre Avian Drill."
• Mandibuzz is called Vulgina. The "gina" part is for "regina", canonically, but the shape of the feather collar of this avian Pokémon suggests a more sexual meaning...
• The Hitmons are an interesting case: Hitmonlee (for Bruce or Jet Lee in the West) is originally called Sawamular, as in world's first kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura; Hitmonchan (for Jackie Chan) is Ebiwalar, as in flyweight champion Hiroyuki Ebihara; and Hitmontop (for spinning top) is Capoeilar, as in... well, capoeira, that Brazilian dance/martial art.
• Likewise the Abra family, named for several famous mystics: Abra's Japanese name is Caycey for Edgar Cayce; Kadabra's is Ungeller for Uri Geller (which caused a lawsuit from the Israeli esper, not amused that his name was used for a Baphomet-like creature with SS-like wave markings); and Alakazam's is Houdin for both Robert Houdin and Harry Houdini.
• The corresponding Macho family of fighting pokémon become the Ricky family, punning on the nickname of Richard and a Japanese word for strength: Machop is Wanricky (a pun on "One Ricky," "Arm Ricky," and "wanriki" meaning literally the same as "Armstrong"), Machoke is Goricky (a pun on "Go Ricky!" and "góriki", i.e. "Herculean strength"), and Machamp is Kairicky (pun on "Kai Ricky" and "kairiki", i.e. "superhuman strength").
• Farfetch'd is called Kamonegi, literally "Duckscallion." Now this is more than meets the eye. Obviously, we've got a duck carrying a scallion. But, on a side note, this must be quite a twat of a duck to carry its own seasoning all the time. The kill would ensure both roast duck and garnison at one fell swoop. Hence the Japanese expression "kamo negi", "a duck carrying a scallion," which refers to a patsy, the victim of a deception.
• Dunsparce's original name is Nokocchi, an anagram of "tsuchinoko", the cryptid (a thick snake with a pair of tiny wings) that inspired this Pokémon.
• Magmar is Boober. Head looks like a pair of flaming tits, nuff said. Its infant form Magby is called Booby (head full of flameless red spherical protrusions), and its evolution Magmortar is called Booburn (flaming spherical tit shapes for epaulets). Long story short, he whole Mag family is the Boob family in Japanese. Somewhere, Lieutenant Grüber is choking as he laughs. So. Many. Boobs.
• Articuno (Artic1) is Freezer. Not the Freezer in DBZ, but still it surprised a lot of fans, including me. Furthermore, Zapdos (Zap2) is called Thunder and Moltres (Mol3) is called Fire.
• The Clefa line: Cleffa is Pi (as in 3,14); Clefairy is called Pippi (as in Lângstrump); and Clefable is Pixie (as in either the sprite or the haircut).
• And the Jigglypuff line: Igglybuff in Japanese is Pupudding (a stuttering pudding?), Jigglypuff is Pudding (round and soft, so sweet, no bones...), and Wigglytuff is Pukudding ("Pukupuku" means puffed up, so literally "puffy pudding").
• To close the trilogy with the third kawaii pink family: Happiny is called Pinpuku (from "pink" and "pukupuku", ut supra); Chansey is Lucky in Japanese, and Blissey is called Happiness. Audino, the new nurse Pokémon, is originally called Tabunne, from "tabun ne", "maybe."
• To close with more Eeveelutions, since we began this list with Umbreon/Blacky, we finish it with Vaporeon, AKA Showers; Flareon, AKA Booster; Jolteon, AKA Thunders; Leafeon, AKA Leafia; and Glaceon, AKA Glacia. The way all of these names sound.

REELING AND WRITHING XX: IN STORMS THE FREE SPIRIT

REELING AND WRITHING
or,
Miss Dermark's 2015 Advent Calendar

DAY TWENTY

IN STORMS THE FREE SPIRIT
or
YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO WOULD CLIMB UP THE REICHSTAG AND SIT ON ITS DOME, LIVING ON RAINWATER, DEW, OR FROST, FOR A FORTNIGHT AS PROTEST?

Luna Lovegood would do it, and Ty Lee, and Pippi Lângstrump, and Anne/Benio "Haikara-san" Hanamura, Ada Goth, and even the mistress of this blog. Climb up the Reichstag and make a home there. Put a cat in the tumble-dryer. Make a huge kite, with a reel of rope for a string, and crucify herself on it to take to the sky. Quaff a whole bottle of Russian vodka, or at least attempt it before passing out or needing to throw up.

My female leads are always Free Spirits. Asuka Akizuki (though non-binary), Reena Fitzwilliam (leaning on the Lunatic, in a grey area), most of the Ringstetten female leads (and even Queen Christina herself), and now Catherine Saunier. A lot of the plot in Pleasure Past and Anguish Past gets its satisfaction from Cath fitting the unlikely mold. Her spear counterpart/foil and best friend Étienne, the dandy in distress to save, is a vulnerable, stray, brooding Lost Soul, and she gets a pair of Sancho figures (Jon Tellagorri and Irina Alekseievna Larina, an older and equally eccentric yet down-to-earth mentor, then, after his death, a no-nonsense and iron-hard military girl) to show her the way. And a lot of the plot centers on her dealing with backstabbing, white lies, and other harsh sides of reality... will she turn away from the light and lose her innocence or not? The whole story is a deconstruction and an experiment with Cath as a Free Spirit in a hostile world, based on my own self-discovery. It's a Free Spirit's "Book of Job", (think The Snow Queen rewritten in the key of Don Quixote) to see if she can remain sunny in the harshest of storms.
Luna has also got a Sancho "anchor to earth/voice of reason" in Neville. Anne/Benio Hanamura has got Shinobu, her Lieutenant Charming, and her friends Tamaki and Ranmaru. Pippi has the Zettergren siblings (Tommy and Annika), the literal kids next door. Ty Lee's got Mai, Azula, and (post-coat-turn) Suki. Reena and Asuka have István for a voice of reason... and every Ringstetten heroine has her spear counterpart, Christina Vasa her advisors, and my parents and friends fill the same slot in my life.

A male example would be pre-war Aerys Targaryen as he appears in my canonical fiction and AUs (Game of Wands developing this character prominently). The trauma of being made a POW, and tortured and experimented with, changes Aerys from Free Spirit to Lunatic and sets the whole chain of events in motion. Furthermore, it shapes the life of many others, foremost his Sancho Tywin Lannister, a fallout with whom caused Aerys's imprisonment...
A female example of Free Spirit in Game of Wands would be Lyanna Stark, one of the point-of-view characters of the same series.

In my Ada Goth stories, like Ada Goth and the Golden Bridegroom, the titular heroine, now a marriageable adolescent, is also a Free Spirit. Ada attends the Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted and studies subjects such as Paper Folding, Advanced Musing, Seeming, Being, and Whistling Choir. The blue and white uniform, with epaulettes and a straw hat, fits her like a glove.

Annotation:
Ada Goth and the Golden Bridegroom is the one with the Lannisters... eh, Sinisters as the villains (except for Ada's kindred spirit Tycho Sinister). Reinterpreted into the Riddellverse as a straitlaced clan of Tory aristocrats, who love logic and industrialism and despise everything creative. The titular golden bridegroom is heir Geoffrey Sinister, Ada's prefect, promised to her since infancy, because the Sinisters sponsored/patronized Lord Goth when he was a ragged bohemian university student (Jephthah's daughter was called Ada: notice the parallel!). Add Lieutenant Letchworth-Crisp and Lara Fulda, add Minty Woodwine (who is Tycho's "Shae"), Wemmick the Elder (whom William Cabbage tends to), Lord Tybalt Sinister with his favourite children Saoirse (it's pronounced SEAR-sha) and Jamie, Geoff's younger siblings Estella and Thomas, Headmistress Alice B. Smith (the Olenna du jour), lots of steampunk, a feud between the Alice B. Smith and the school ship Betty-Jeanne, familiar faces of Betty-Jeanne classmates galore (Horace Tucker, Tessa "Mouse" Maas, Sylvie Smith [related to Alice B.!], and Jimmy "Spike" Thompson)...  references to The Princess Bride (a vicar gives the blessing talking about "mawwage," for instance), a wedding crashed, a bridegroom unwittingly drinking a strychnine-laced draught, the Chamomiles, husband and wife...
A sequel, Ada Goth and the Dashing Lieutenant, is in the making. With the Chamomiles adopting Sylvie Smith, Jon-Jolyon closing in on Ada, Lord Goth falling terminally ill during a war of liberation on the Dalcretian coast, William seeking a way to get to Ada, Lara feeling scorned and up to something, Tycho and Minty sure to appear, as well as Countess Pippi Shortstocking, new characters, new surprises, an unlikely spin on the kiss of Judas Iscariot, references to The Princess Bride and to the Fourth Story of the Snow Queen, time travel, new students at Alice B. Smith, the death of more than one relevant character, Ada getting her first steps in art, invention, and science while fleeing the harsh rebukes she will endure as an orphan maid at the School for the Differently Gifted, a decision whether to choose her humble kindred spirit/childhood friend or the wealthy, dashing officer who promises her everything she wishes...


The Free Spirit

• A possible Cloudcuckoolander prone to flights of fancy and acts of whim.
• The FREE SPIRIT: eternal optimist, she dances to unheard tunes. Playful and fun-loving, she travels through life with a hop, skip and a jump, always stopping to smell the flowers and admire the pretty colors. She acts on a whim and follows her heart, not her head. 
• The Free Spirit’s driving force is self-direction. She wants to dance to her own tune and doesn’t want the world to judge her for that. She is very sincere, upbeat and imaginative. She is impulsive and can meddle in other’s lives and problems. Other people would describe her as all-over the place and undisciplined. She doesn’t fit into a mold. For natural conflict you can pair her with straight men who would frown at her outside-the-box behavior. She is very comfortable with being herself and all she wants is for others to let her be. These characters are more likely to show up in romantic comedy.
  Ex. Luna Lovegood
• Free Spirit is artistic, uninhibited, and spontaneous. 
• Free Spirit = ECCENTRIC. Jo March, Little Women. Confident, artistic, unique, chatterbox, whimsical, authentic. feisty, entertaining, sassy, wild for the 1800s (jumping fences & yelling hello).
• The Free Spirit This woman dances to the beat of her own drum. She is very playful and fun loving. She stops to smell the flowers whenever she can and admires the colors of the world. Ruled by pure emotion, she follows her heart rather than her head.
  Now, let's really get to know the Free Spirit!
  
  The Good Side
  
  >Full of charm
  >Extremely helpful to others
  >Full of seemingly endless energy
  >She has great instincts, her gut leads her right
  >Sees everything and everyone just as they are
  
  The Bad Side
  
  >Very often late for things
  >Whimsical, head in the clouds
  >Doesn't make good or solid decisions
  >Can hurt those that love her as she lives moment to moment without thinking first
  >Doesn't conform without a fight (a loud one)
  
  Remember, some of the good traits can be bad ones and vice versa depending on how you want to use them. Take them to extremes and see what happens!
• The Free Spirit
  Next up, the Free Spirit. Playful and fun loving, this heroine travels through life with a hop, skip and a jump, always stopping to smell the flowers and admire the pretty colors. She acts on a whim and follows her heart, not her head. An "original," she sets trends, not follows them, and is looking for new experiences. She might be a bit on the ditzy side, or perhaps she the well-intentioned busybody who leaves a trail of victims of her good deeds. A Free Spirit in the midst of a bar fight? Chances are, some inadvertent act or statement of hers set off the whole dispute, but she be oblivious to that fact. Instead, she'll choose a side to root for, and stand in the middle of the room, throwing mock punches in moral support of the one she favors. She'll resist others' efforts to pull her safety, thriving on the excitement offered by such a wild event. When it's all over, she'll be high as a kite on the adrenaline rush. Danger? Pshaw.
• Skipping through life, the Free Spirit is genuine, fun-loving and energetic. She may be a handful for anyone who has to deal with her, but she makes the experience worthwhile in her zany, highspirited way. Impossible to be mad at for any length of time, she charms the socks off everybody who gets sucked into her orbit. Because she is impulsive, she often finds herself in jams and needs help getting out of them. Luckily for her, there is usually someone around to pick up the pieces. Or else, her crazy logic will save the day. Either way, she lands on her feet, ready for the next adventure.
• VIRTUES: Sincere The Free Spirit always lets people know right where she stands. She is not conniving because it is so much easier to be honest and truthful. Being a genuine person is her natural instinct, and this is a woman who always follows her instincts. Upbeat Life inevitably seems to work out for this woman. Her sunny disposition makes it easy for her to see the bright side of every situation. The Free Spirit has nine lives, and she believes in the possibilities of tomorrow. She knows there is a solution to every problem, she merely has to figure out who to call. Imaginative The Free Spirit is amazingly resourceful and ingenious when she needs to be. She might stumble along the way, but she accomplishes the task set before her.  
• FLAWS: Impulsive Oh, if only this woman would think just a little before she goes out the door in the morning. The Free Spirit sometimes (unintentionally, of course) hurts people because she speaks before she thinks and acts before she plans. Meddling A long rocky road, paved with good intentions, stretches behind this woman. The Free Spirit has a finger in everybody's pie and loves to stir her friends' pots. She is uncontrollably drawn to interfere, regardless of the wishes of her victims. Undisciplined Jill of all trades but master of none, the Free Spirit rarely sticks with anything for long. Erratic, she never writes things down and constantly forgets her commitments. She flies by the seat of her pants, which makes fulfilling promises impossible. 

• Free Spirit Character Archetype

  The free spirit archetype is a quirky, talkative, charming, and unpredictable individual.
• The free spirit character archetype will lighten a serious story, add comedy to a light tale, and just the right amount of unpredictability to any plot. Some well-known free spirits include Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe inFriends, Meg Ryan as Kathleen in You’ve Got Mail, and Emma in Emma by Jane Austen.

  The Free Spirit is Eccentric

  Following normal conventions is boring to a free spirit. Life should be lived with a splash, is her motto. Her eccentricity shows in her quirky habits, her unusual clothing, her hobbies, and her interests.

  She may be an astrologer or an artist. She might be an actor or entertainer. Whatever she chooses as her career, it will be something where her creativity can shine and where the lines of convention and norms are blurry.

  The Free Spirit is Talkative

  The free spirit character archetype loves to talk. She is one of those characters that will chat about anything and everything, charming some people and irritating others, but everyone still thinks she is adorable.

  Her charm lies in the fact that she can tune in to others’ feelings and be empathetic. Her empathy sometimes makes her think she knows more about how people are feeling than they themselves know, and she often sets herself up as a matchmaker.

  At the same time, her ideas sometimes appear so far fetched that others don’t understand her. This comes across humorously. She finds enjoyment in the littlest things, and shares them by telling endless tales.

  The free spirit goes with the flow like a leaf floating on the surface of the water.

  Free Spirit Relationships

  The free spirit is sincere, upbeat, and cheers everyone up. Because she is so much fun to be around, she always receives invitations to parties and events. People don’t take her seriously because of her unusual ideas and habits. Yet she can be highly intelligent, which makes these relationships frustrating for her.

  In romance, the free spirit is most likely to fall for a character that is indulgent and patient. Even though he may not understand her process, he sits back and enjoys the show. The free spirit paired with the warrior will lead to humorous escapades.

  Free Spirit Role in Stories

  The free spirit serves equally well as the antagonist or the protagonist in a novel. As a protagonist, she injects humor, good feelings, fun, and excitement to the plot. As the antagonist, she is the person who makes everything go wrong for the hero/heroine. 
• The free spirit is always lighthearted, no matter what role she plays. She brings a ray of sunshine to even the darkest of stories, but she shines with her brightest light in comedies.

There is also an evil version:

The Lunatic

• Insane version of The Free Spirit who is less eccentric and more "unbalanced madwoman."
• The LUNATIC: the unbalanced madwoman, she draws others into her crazy environment. The drum to which she marches misses many a beat, but to her, it is the rest of the world that is out of step. Don’t even try to understand her logic – she is unfathomable.

Examples:

The Free Spirit: Luna Lovegood.

The Lunatic: "Ophelia! Ophelia! Don't go picking those flowers, dear, you'll hurt yourself!"

ADA GOTH 3: THE WUTHERING FRIGHT

ADA IS BACK IN SPAIN THIS WINTER!!!

Look up to the entourage of Lord Goth.

THE HALL IS VAST AND FULL OF AUTHORS...

It's Christmas in the Regency countryside in which Ghastlygorm Hall is situated. Sleigh bells ring in the crisp winter air, snowflakes twirl around, and Lord Goth hosts a Literary Show which fills his estate with renowned authors of the historical period. Though ominous howls echo throughout the Hall, and thus, Ada and friends, with their newfound club members the Brontë... er... Vicarage siblings, find themselves entangled in another sinister, addictive, and thrilling Regency mystery...

Inventor Charles Cabbage is now finished with his difference engine (a device that will surely make a difference!), but he also has time to invent a new remarkably simple toy he calls hooligan hoop (we now call it hula hoop), as his children William and Em return from their respective boarding schools for winter break having made the acquaintance of the Vicarage siblings: wannabe writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne in their sonnet bonnets, and their awkward, shy brother Bramble (Spoiler alert: Bramble is a werewolf, since he was wounded in a gorse bush and injected with some drool from werewolf typographer the Hound of the Baskervilles.), aside from Rugby School bully/jock Harry Flushman (the scourge of Bramble Vicarage and William Cabbage!), eldest son and heir to water-closet tycoon Josiah Flushman...

The authors who visit Ghastlygorm include historical novel writer Sir Walter Scott... er... Splott (not in a kilt, but tartan trousers will do); romance novelist (Ada's handmaid's favourite) Jane... er... Plain Austen; balletic wordsmith (female in men's clothing) George... er... Georgie Eliot; sharply dressed society satirist William Makepeace... er... Timepiece Thackeray... Foreign authors are present as well: representing the former Thirteen Colonies, poetess Emily... er... Homily Dickinson; and, straight from Scandinavia, Danish fairytaler Hans Christian... Hands Christmas Andersen and Swedish Countess (slender though super strong, able to lift two horses, sporting twin braids but blond and freckle-less... an ancestor?) Pippi Shortstocking (it would be Kortstrump in Swedish). 

What's more, renowned British illustrator Sir Christopher Riddle-of-the-Sphinx R.A., founder of the Arts and Crufts Movement, also makes a stellar appearance (yes, the author has placed himself, drawn in his own style and Regency clothes, in his own novel!!). Just like Velázquez in Las Meninas, Sir Christopher crosses the fourth wall to literally live among his characters.

After all, Zacharias Topelius opens his Surgeon's Stories (Fältskärns berättelser) with a preface, adscribed to the titular Surgeon, the third-person narrator of the epic historical saga, from which I stress the following quote:

"Därför - har du förmågan att lida eller jubla med släkten som varit, att hata med dem, att älska med dem, att hänryckas, att beundra, att förakta, att förbanna, såsom de gjort, med ett ord, att leva bland dem med hela ditt hjärta och icke blott med ditt kalla betraktande förstånd, välan så följ mig! Jag leder dig ned i dälderna; min hand är svag och mina tavlor ringa, men ditt hjärta skall leda dig bättre än jag, på det förtröstar jag - och begynner. "

"Therefore, if you have the capacity to suffer or rejoice with the generations that have been—to hate with them—to love with them—to be transported—to admire, to despise, to curse as they have done—in a word, to live among them with your whole heart and not alone with your cold, reflecting judgement, then follow me. I will lead you down into the veil. My hand is weak and my sketch humble, but your heart will guide you better than I. Upon that I rely - and begin."

These words, a real creed for readers of historical fiction and fantasy, make me reflect upon what Riddell has done here in this book. Literally lived among his creations with his whole heart and soul, for who knows Ada and her friends better, or who would take the plunge head first into their Regency estate and take to its ways like a fish takes to water? Which is what makes his appearance far more interesting than any other simple author's cameo, comparable to Velázquez is Riddle's endeavour.

There are more references scattered all over the pages of The Wuthering Fright:

The inventor Cabbage has got three monkey assistants, dressed in Oz-style fezes and waistcoats, but without any wings, called William, Heath, and Robinson.

What's more, Marianne Delacroix (who still covers her tits under a blouse) is revealed to have a little son called Eugène, with a remarkable artistic talent.

And also that she taught Ada needlework (think Mme. Defarge...)

Hebe Poppins, married to her chimney-sweep Bert, has also become a mother, but of a daughter (Eugène's age), called... Mary, of course!

Nanny Darling guards a kindergarten in Kensington Gardens.

Jane Ear once overheard a pupil of hers, one Charlie Dodgson, as he drew a comic strip in his Maths textbook, say: "And what is the use of a book without pictures or conversations?" Jane Ear liked to repeat those words as if they were her own, and she passed the sentence on to Ada Goth.

And the ghosts of Tudor queens Anne Bowl-in and Anne of Peeves, both of them killed during a cricket match, also make a cameo...

Charles Cabbage's hooligan hoop was inspired by two unruly child workers, Noel and Liam (read: Gallagher), who, fortunately, when they came of age, became musicians instead

Lord Goth keeps busts of Trajan, Domitian, Vespasian, Julius Caesar, Hadrian, and Augustus on a shelf. And he's also writing a narrative poem titled The Pilgrimage of Harolde the Kid!

The local roadhouse has got a room full of Pickwicks (all of them bald, beer-quaffing, bespectacled, jolly, and overweight) reading newspapers. The Pickwick Snug.

Andersen, who here wrote a story about a mermaid barmaid called "The Little Barmaid", has got a flying trunk which came all the way from Turkey in a hot-air balloon, decorates the Ghastlygorm Christmas tree topping it with a (rather Elsa-like) Snow Queen figurine, and a snowman is made in his likeness by Ada and friends.

Furthermore, here's an excerpt of the opening of a Plain Austen novel, Miss Ambridge's/Fancyday's (Ambridge is the Spanish translation surname, Fancyday the original one) (Ada's new handmaid's) favourite read: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a talented singer in possession of a good voice must be in want of a musical production." The novel, Prompt and Prejudice, is all about Elizabeth Bonnett, a simple country girl with a song in her heart who meets a dashing dancing master, Mr Darcy-Bussell.

Plus, like every other Ada Goth book, this one has a little tie-in booklet for an Easter egg: here it is an illustrated summary of Bramble Vicarage's stage career, featuring portraits of him in costumes and also portraits of the authors of the plays, operas, and musicals he has starred in: works of Mozart (The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro), Jack London (Call of the Wild), Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest), Lady Baa-Baa (101 Dalmatians, done by a Lady Gaga parody), and the Lieder of my soulmate Franz Schubert.

The first Ada delighted me with one historical or literary allusion at every turn. So did the second. The third surpasses both of them exceedingly (the Scandinavian characters [I LUV both Andersen stories and Pippi Lângstrump], the Brontë... er... Vicarage siblings, all of the authors at the literary show, the mystery of the ominous howls that echo round the Hall, Harry Flushman already a jock and a bad boy in his teenage years at Rugby School [foreshadowing his expulsion!], the children of Hebe Poppins and Marianne Delacroix...) Here, Riddell really ups the ante, tripling the allusions and the British humour, and even featuring himself in the third installment of this richly-illustrated and highly intertextual Regency fantasy series. Addictive and intoxicating, even more than its predecessors, this third Ada Goth book is truly the jewel in the Snow Queen's icy crown!

And thus...

LET US POP A CORK OF MOËT CHAMPAGNE AND DRINK IT ON ICE! TO THE HEALTH OF ADA GOTH AND TO THAT OF SIR CHRISTOPHER RIDDLE-OF-THE-SPHINX, R.A.!

COMMENTARY:

Even richer layers of allusion are reached when it comes to the referees of the ‘literary show," Hands Christmas Andersen, and especially Countess Pippi Shortstocking, who appears to be a complex melange between the title character from the beloved children’s series Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren and Princess Anna of Frozen fame. Riddell’s humorous metafictionality is taken even farther in Wuthering Fright by the introduction of the episodic character of ‘Sir Christopher Riddle-of-the-Sphinx R.A., ‘a founder of the Arts and Crufts movement’. This seems like a very ‘meta-meta-‘ gesture, but it actually leads back to a whole tradition of painters more or less subtly inserting self-portraits into their paintings, like Sandro Botticelli in Adoration of the Magi, or Diego Velázquez in Las Meninas, a gesture of auto-mimesis that acts not only as a signature, but also as a meditation upon authorship. This all sounds terribly academic, and whilst it may convince an adult readership that Chris Riddell’s book is full of intellectual goodies, why would a child be willing to read it?

PS. AND THE PIRATE QUEEN?
Ada Goth book 2.5, The Pirate Queen, was only released in the UK because it was a special event book (don't blame me, blame the publisher!)

THIS POST IS CONSECRATED TO TY LEE

THIS POST IS (ALSO) PINK AND FULL OF ELATION

Ty Lee (voiced by Olivia Hack) is an acrobat who fights alongside Azula, notable for her appearance of vivacity, innocence, and youth and for her ability to disable enemies by temporarily obstructing the chi from their limbs. Having abandoned Azula, she joins the Kyoshi Warriors, whom she had earlier impersonated.

Ty Lee (voiced by Olivia Hack) is cheerful, energetic, and somewhat of a valley girl who, along with Mai, accompanies her childhood friend Azula on her quest. She is one of seven sisters and joined the circus at an early age to appear "different from a matching set". She is a peerless acrobat and can paralyze people or temporarily neutralize their bending powers by striking pressure points. In Book Three, she was temporarily imprisoned after she supported Mai against Azula, and released when the Fire Lord was defeated. She later joined the Kyoshi Warriors, whom she had earlier impersonated in Book Two.

Daughter of Fire Nation nobles, Ty Lee made an effort to distinguish herself from her six identical sisters. After joining a circus, Ty Lee was forcefully recruited by her childhood friend Azula. Although she's an expert martial artist able to stop bending by striking pressure points, she's more interested in doing handstands and being girly than doing villain work. Nonetheless, she's easily cowed by Azula, making her a loyal, if very quirky, minion. At least, that's what Azula and Ty Lee herself thought.

Ty Lee is exuberant and cheerful. Azula comes across Ty Lee after she has joined a traveling circus, and, knowing Ty Lee’s particularly formidable skills, invites her to leave the circus and join her on her travels. Ty Lee is a traditional martial artist who has the ability to quickly strike the vital pressure points that temporarily disable Bending. As many of her adversaries do not have non-Bending combat skills, her attacks neutralize her opponents entirely and leave them vulnerable. In terms of her personality, Ty Lee is unlike any other Fire Nation native, especially those in the upper classes. Where the Fire Lord’s family is full of rage, and Mai is sad and withdrawn, she is energetic and almost always has a smile, even in combat. She eventually reveals that her cheerful exterior is a facade she puts on, and that her impulsively joining the circus was a desperate attempt at differentiating herself from her six identical sisters. Ty Lee exhibits a deep-set motivation towards individuality, which in her case is successful since Aang is the only other A:TLA character with a comparably cheerful personality. She also shares the deep moral beliefs that Mai has, and betrays Azula. She is also unusually sexually confident, as she is both comfortable with her body and with the boys that approach her. Ty Lee’s approach to sexuality is notable in that it is a positive depiction of a female character who is popular with the opposite sex (particularly for a teenage character); she is not ridiculed, shamed, or jealously made a rival for it.

 

PIPPI

PINKIE

LUNA

HOSSHIIWA

ANNA

REGINA

AND THE MISTRESS OF THIS BLOG, WHOSE FACE IS NOW REVEALED

are

PALS WITH TY LEE