Storytelling in North East London

Me and Dan were asked of we'd be interested in doing some storytelling as part of the Friends of Highams Park for their Viking themed day in May. We had to say 'yes'.

It was great opportunity to do some research in to the Viking myths, an area, I must admit, I am a bit vague on. And I have to say the Vikings are pretty grim and graphic in their myths, it was tricky taming them down and doing so without losing the eternal themes of the pieces.

We chose Sigurd and the Dragon and Edun and Her Apples.  Sigurd is the basis of Wagner's ring cycle (again something I don't know, I have got to find the time for that) but something I vaguely knew but I had never heard of the apples story. For children they are great as they all you want for a journeying  story, particularly the Sigurd myth. A Prince with a prophecy attached to him, gathering the tools a hero needs, finding the mission, travelling to the mission, a dragon, gold, eating of dragon hear, deceit and retribution and finally a moral decision, and not a traditional fairy-tale decision either. 

I was a real joy seeing children become engrossed in these stories and I'm looking forward to our next one.
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