Folkloric trials and tests

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Broadly/narratively speaking, what kinds of tests and trials do folktales typically use, particularly on journey narratives?

At a guess, I'd say characters are tested for courage, wiliness, and compassion (the latter in fairy tales, especially). What other attributes?

― Leee, Thursday, 22 February 2007 22:27 (eighteen years ago)

Bouquet, nose, fruit

― Michael White, Thursday, 22 February 2007 22:34 (eighteen years ago)

Lion-O had to do raw speed/efficiency and brawn too

― tremendoid, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:07 (eighteen years ago)

Gaydar.

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:09 (eighteen years ago)

they're usually tested on whether or not they can do their homework on their own

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:13 (eighteen years ago)

This kind of falls under "compassion," but the "will you help this seemingly insignificant person, who is secretly great and powerful and can reward you richly?" thing often goes way beyond appeals to compassion, and gets into just plain luck.

(Though I suppose you can get a sense of whether people are good or bad: if they ask you to do something for you, they're probably good, and if they offer to do something for you, they're probably not. THIS SYSTEM ONLY WORKS IF YOU ARE THE MAIN CHARACTER.)

― nabisco, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:24 (eighteen years ago)

Then again, maybe you can get the bad ones to do you the service they're offering, but then weasel your way out of the inevitable results, like with (ahem) Rumpled Stilt-Skin.

― nabisco, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:26 (eighteen years ago)

I think the"deity in disguise, asking you to do something for him/her" is more to see if a character has good manners (e.g. all the times that Odysseus's hosts bathed/annointed before they even asked for his name), though ultimately (<i>very</i> ultimately) it falls under compassion.

― Leee, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:38 (eighteen years ago)

you must remain steadfast in your purpose, not swayed by enchantments.

― estela, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:46 (eighteen years ago)

1 book should have all the answers. Check Joseph Campbell's Hero with 1000 Faces. or at least the Power of Myth pbs series w/ Bill Moyers.

― kingfish, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:54 (eighteen years ago)

something more up to date plz.

― tremendoid, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:02 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, because mythic folklore has changed that much in 50 years.

― kingfish, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:05 (eighteen years ago)

score!

― tremendoid, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:08 (eighteen years ago)

Able to climb tall buildings by a single braid.

― Laurel, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:09 (eighteen years ago)

Being the youngest and/or stupidest sibling can help a lot.

― Noodle Vague, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:10 (eighteen years ago)

comedic chemistry with Edward Everett Horton

― tremendoid, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:13 (eighteen years ago)

If mystery dude/dudess invites you to sleep in their castle, expect midnight shenanigans.

― Noodle Vague, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:15 (eighteen years ago)

ability to follow fucking directions

― badg, Friday, 23 February 2007 00:28 (eighteen years ago)

Sometimes they have to write papers

― Hurting 2, Friday, 23 February 2007 04:40 (eighteen years ago)

Patience. Altruism. Selfishness (by way of being duped and such, a la italian folk tales esp).

I have a big fat book that Italo Calvino compiled of Italian folk tales full of this kind of thing. People be tricking each other and farting all over the place.

― Trayce, Friday, 23 February 2007 04:43 (eighteen years ago)

Trials & tests tend to involve temptations and gauntlets. The hero has to go beyond his normal concerns and become something more. All heros are tempted, from Luke Skywalker to Jesus to Sir Gawain. The hero tends to go thru situations that demand that he react in better ways than normal humans, e.g. withstand the punishment of a gauntlet, or withstand the temptation of money, power, sex, etc.

― kingfish, Friday, 23 February 2007 05:07 (eighteen years ago)

Can you feel the pea under the mattress?

― Beth Parker, Friday, 23 February 2007 05:11 (eighteen years ago)

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