Childhood stories are very powerful.
Much of who we are today, including our confidence and self esteem are shaped by the stories that we listened to during childhood. These childhood stories teach us what values we should aspire to, and who we can be when we grow up.
What do childhood stories tell us about women? Let us see.
Childhood Story 1 – Legend of King Arthur
There is much to love about this compelling childhood story of a brave and young king; who together with his group of loyal knights, restore hope and goodness to his kingdom.
There is adventure, there is magic, there is romance, there are wars, and there are betrayals. One cannot help but fall in love with the many colorful characters in this childhood tale including Merlin the wise and magical advisor, Lancelot the shining knight and loyal servant to the king, and his son Galahad who is both chivalrous and pure.
But what of the women characters in this childhood story?
There is beautiful Guinevere, Arthur’s queen. She betrays Arthur by having an affair with his chief knight Lancelot. Their adultery ultimately brings about Arthur’s fall. There is Elaine, Galahad’s mother, who tricks and seduces Lancelot into bedding her by pretending to be Guinevere.
Then there is Mogana le Fay, Arthur’s half-sister and a powerful enchantress. She is often portrayed as a key architect to Arthur’s downfall. In some stories, she is even cast as Mordred’s mother. She uses magic to seduce Arthur, then uses the son (Mordred) from their incestuous union, as a pawn to bring about Arthur’s end.
So there is Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, and Merlin; all good, able, and special in their own way; helping to build a strong, just, and peaceful kingdom. Then there is Guinevere, weak at best, treacherous at worst; and of course the villainous, over-ambitious, Morgana. They both bring about Arthur’s fall, and the fall of Camelot.
Interesting what this childhood story conveys about the morality and motives of women.
Childhood Story 2 – Troy and Her Wooden Horse
This childhood story starts with a goddess called Eris. Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, was bored. So she came up with a plan to have some fun and create some strife and discord.
She presents a golden apple to three goddesses, Athena, Hera and Aphrodite. The fairest one of them would claim this golden prize. Their subsequent bickering over the golden apple put into motion a series of events which led to the Trojan War.
In essence, Aphrodite, the goddess of love made this extremely attractive woman, Helen, fall in love with a visiting prince of Troy, Paris.
Helen seduces the prince, betrays her husband Menelaus, and runs away with her new lover. The husband, Menelaus, is outraged, and together with his brother Agamemnon, goes to war with this foreign prince to reclaim his bride and regain his pride and dignity.
Menelaus and Agamemnon wage a war that lasts for 10 years against Troy that resulted in the deaths of many heroes. Troy finally falls as a result of a ruse that smuggled troops into the city with a Trojan horse. In the end, there is sadness, there is destruction, and everybody dies.
Just like Guinevere, Helen betrays her husband and brings about the fall of a nation.
What does this childhood story say about women and how do you think it could affect their self esteem?
Childhood Story 3 – Fairy Tale Princess
Finally, no childhood for a girl is complete, without reading the fairy tales of princesses in faraway lands.
There is Snow White, who is both beautiful and virtuous. In fact she is so beautiful, that her stepmother, the Queen, becomes jealous of her beauty, and hires a huntsman to kill her in the forest.
The huntsman, however, is unable to perform that evil deed, and Snow White ends up hiding in the forest with the seven dwarfs. The Queen discovers this, and manages to trick Snow White, and render her unconscious a total of three times.
Snow White, for all her beauty, was not the sharpest girl on the block.
She keeps falling for her stepmother’s traps. Finally, she is saved by a handsome prince, who sweeps her away, marries her, imprisons the evil stepmother, and they live happily ever after.
There is Sleeping Beauty, who is cursed at birth by a jealous, evil, fairy. She is carefully protected by her father, the King, for most of her life. Unfortunately, before she celebrates her sixteenth birthday, she gets tricked by the wicked fairy, and falls into a deep sleep, as does the entire kingdom.
Many years later, a prince comes to the castle, and breaks the evil curse with a kiss. After saving Sleeping Beauty, they get married, and live happily ever after. In addition to Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty, there is also Cinderella, and many other princesses in distress.
Based on these stories, a proper princess spends her days being properly obedient, sitting around waiting, and sometimes hiding. This is because her evil stepmother is wicked, jealous, and up to no good.
Princesses are pretty, but unfortunately not very clever, so they easily get tricked by their stepmothers. Once tricked, they fall into a deep, helpless, swoon. Everything looks grim until the Prince arrives, saves the princess, and gives her a happy life.
What We Learn From Childhood Stories
- Men are usually trying their best to do the right thing (e.g. Paris, Menelaus, Lancelot, Arthur, and even Mordred).
- Men may sometimes lose their way, and inadvertently rape, pillage, and war, but that is because they are driven to it by seducing, treacherous, weak women (Guinevere, Helen) who betray them; or seducing, treacherous, strong women (Morgana) who betray them.
- Women are either too weak, or too strong. The ones that are too weak give in to their baser instincts and cause the fall of man; the ones that are too strong, give in to their vanity and lust for power. Ultimately, both types of women are sinful, destroying everyone and everything.
- Proper women (Princesses) are very pretty but not very clever. Therefore, they should stay home, hide, and wait to be saved. This happens when the man, i.e. “Prince” arrives, marries them, and gives them their happily every after.
- Non-proper women (i.e. independent, assertive women), are jealous, ambitious, and wicked. These stepmothers and stepsisters hatch evil plans, which bring down calamity upon us all.
Until we change some of these powerful childhood stories and legends, it will be difficult to attain true equality for women. We often wonder why girls have self esteem issues, and why many women do not believe they can achieve as much as a man.
These childhood stories, that men tell, are a big part of the problem.
I loved tales of romance as a child, but also true story adventures, and ghost tales and all kinds of different literature. For me, it was my father, who influenced me most. With raising three daughters, he said we could do whatever we set our minds out to do. And so in the tales of romance I write, my heroines are very likely to save the hero of their dreams as being rescued by their heroes. 🙂
I totally agree with you… this is a great hub.
How about the story of Ariel who rescues her prince in little mermaid? And Mulan who takes over the place of her ailing father in a war? There are still some children stories that presents good moral examples for girls, but I must admid they are outnumbered. Human values may be affected by children stories, but they learn more from actual interactions from parents and other people.
You know, I never imagined these messages were there for women to pick up on. I always thought of myself as the hero, no matter if he was male. In fact even today I feel I am more masculine in my approach than feminine.
And *that*, I think, is precisely the heart of the matter.
I await the day when many men will say “today I feel I am more feminine in my approach than masculine” 🙂
You’ve hit on what a study of western mythology has documented in great detail regarding the meticulous and very studiously devised undermining of the old cthonic system patriachy has accomplished. The pendulum swings back and forth I think. You read my fat chick conspiracy hub, which played with that idea. We, as a culture, are no longer in awe of birth and life… the weapon and straight logic are having their turn. The pagan faiths, matriarchy and life respect stuff will return when this latest multi-millenial phase plays out. The system (the history repeating itself) resets in measurments of time far beyond our tiny-brained capacity to keep track as a perduring race of beings. But it’s okay. Neither system is wrong, it’s just aggravating to whomever’s turn it isn’t at that particular millenium or three.
So I have to wait another epoch to get a fair go Shades? Until then Lillith will claw her way out of hell and curse Walt Disney till his teeth bleed.
Great hub Aya
Nah, Jewels, you’re actually in the age of overturn. Sufferage was the big victory bought by the genius of Jane Austen and etc…. it all unravels now for the outdated “masculine” strategy. Civility is the social fulcrum that brings balance that any thinking being recognizes as the higher way.
Which undermines the weapon and male strength. Without those, men have only reason and logic. The biological realities of evolution are not gone, and so, our civility unwinds our influence because we are still beholden to mating instincts that place desire for female anatomy paramount. When brute force and shows of strength are no longer valued in that regard, we are no longer needed, and culture reverts to one of life givers and “morality.” Until that falls to greed and resource issues brought on by blindness or acts of nature and the cycle begins again. Etc.
I gather you’re in the reason and logic phase whilst being conscious of being overturned? Which by the way I find quite attractive in a strange way Shades. Does that make you a modern day prince charming?
I am certain that it does! Maybe.
Hey Shades – a very interesting view. I never thought of it in exactly those terms before.
However, I think that ‘greed and resource issues’ will be around for a long while until we make some great technological leap that significantly increases our resource pool versus population growth.
Until then – you and your ilk will still reign supreme 😉
lol Jewels – great imagery.
I think Shades is just trying to lull us into a false sense of security 🙂
Nah, men already lost unless the momentum fails. If modern religions can reclaim their grasp somehow, men might be able to climb back on top. But, it’s not looking good. Reason and thought are winning out, slowly, and they’re going to make the chick argument sound far stronger than it actually is (irony at its best). I think whatever resembles an actual truth lies between the arcs of the pendulum. Contentment is a matter of locality and temporal luck of birth.
Hey Shades – I love the way you talk!
So well put. I totally agree with this.
Can’t say I totally buy that the ‘time of the chicks’ is here, but I would love it if you were right on this.
Many of the old tales are quite twisted. Have you read the mists of avalon, by marion zimmer bradley?
and don’t forget Barbie the Beanstalk, she causes quite the eating disorder. LOL
Hi Paper Moon,
Yes I have read Mists of Avalon – which I really enjoyed. I also read some of the other books that Zimmer Bradley wrote in the series, but MoA is the one I liked most. Definitely a good retelling of the Arthurian story that is more balanced and not so black and white.
lol Barbie the Beanstalk. I must admit I had a Barbie phase when I was growing up 😀
I think the childhood stories have a greater effect though. They just get in your head and you may not even know that they are there. All the while the decisions that you make and your self-esteem are being affected sub-consciously.
I agree. I try to make up my own stories for my kids, or talk about the ones that we read.
Interesting thoughts, cute pictures.
Yup, men weave tales of their heroics and protecting women…
I think a good modern day comparison would be Super Mario Bros. lol..”We’re sorry Mario, but the Princess is in another castle.”
G|M
lol – that is a very good point. Even computer games perpetuate this myth. In RPGs the women characters tend to have lower stats, and are usually the healer class. That will be interesting to write about.
Thanks for the new hub ideas! I like the virtual church one too – lol