SOUR CITRUS

@SPIKEDORB SPIKEDORB.COM

European folktales are a lifelong inspiration to me, filling my mind with ideals and imagery that have expanded my understanding of the world while providing an escape from real-world concerns and helping me to process extreme experiences and fears. Full of wonder and magic, they describe times of upheaval, characters facing their most dire moments and universal themes such as honor, bravery, deceit and greed. They focus on the personal transformation of a protagonist, who overcomes great adversity to complete a quest.

Set in specific geographic locations or landforms—with heroes crossing paths with a magical creature either defending or bedeviling the land and its people— these stories communicate stewardship of the environment and provide valuable survival lessons specific to the region. Using powerful moral narratives, folktales demonstrate how to be receptive and responsible toward others and the consequences of cruelty and avarice. They help us understand that all parts of an ecosystem are interconnected, demonstrating that humans, animals, plants and even entire landforms depend upon each other for survival.

The threat of world-devouring creatures is very real: not a folktale creature but mankind’s insatiable greed for wealth, technical advancement and consumption of natural resources at the expense of caring for the planet despite the obvious, inevitable consequences. The oceans are choked with plastic, the atmosphere is filled with record-high carbon dioxide levels and many scientists believe that we are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.

What hero could defeat this many-headed beast? I worry that stopping man’s assault on the natural world is an impossible quest. Folktales offer a warning about the potential consequences of such myopic entitlement. Now, more than ever, we need stories that demonstrate how to fight exploitative monsters and reestablish our connection to and stewardship of the natural world.