As we get closer to the end of the year and enter the darker half of it, folklore and myths fill the air all around. I always go back to my roots, many of them, and not only roots by blood/heritage, and this time I did it towards my childhood, remembering lands of charm where I could escape for hours, learning at the hands of (maybe not so) fictional characters how to be a better person. Naturally, this meant escaping by means of reading.
I knew it would be an adventure when I got my copy of Once Upon a Place: Forests, Caverns & Other Places of Transformation in Myths, Fairy Tales & Film, by Holly Bellebuono and foreword by Jack Zipes. What I didn’t expect was for it to be fascinating, but how could folklore not be so? With such uncertain times around us, so much fear and hurt, the wisdom of yore is a safe space.
Cover to Once Upon a Place by Holly Bellebuono [Llewellyn]
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications.
Publication date: March 8, 2025
Print length: 208 pages
Tags: History, folklore, mythology, spirituality, witchcraft, traditions, nonfiction
Once Upon a Place explores narratives from modern film, famous fairy tales, and ancient mythology to define the five core locations that shape every story: the Cavern, the Deep, the Vessel, the Forest, and the Labyrinth.
Popularized by Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey features narrative stages along which a person matures and transforms. But where heroes transform is just as important as what they do to get there. Holly Bellebuono shows you how the location of each hero’s journey step is intimately tied to the challenges faced, setting the tone for the entire adventure.
To illustrate each location, Bellebuono shares fifteen original adaptations―such as the tales of Persephone, Gilgamesh, Cerridwen, and Alice―to explore how the “sense of place” drives the adventure and outcome. From Innana’s descent into the Cavern to Snow White entering the Forest, this book offers powerful wisdom about personal growth, life’s purpose, and the origins of creativity.
First of all, kudos to the author for the concept. We all see analysis and interpretations of the stories, the characters, and the elements included in their tales. However, it is the first time that I see a long exploration based on the setting where these take place (pun not-so-intended.) While the ideas are simple, the level of detail is such that you rediscover these locations like never before.
Illustration from Sneewittchen, Scholz’ Künstler-Bilderbücher, Mainz, c. 1905 [public domain]
As portals to the primordial abyss, each of the chapters dwells on one particular scenario where the unthinkable can happen. It doesn’t sound so far from our current reality, where anything and everything seems to be possible. However, Bellebuono ensures the inclusion of morals and teachings with each chapter, how family can extend beyond blood, and how wisdom can be found in the most unexpected places.
The last chapter, which is about labyrinths, was the most engaging. With the same precise, evocative style she showcased throughout the book, the author explained the magic in a place I have been fascinated by since my childhood. Now that I think about it, that is exactly how life might feel right now at some points: so many paths without any certainty about where they will take us.
Hansel and Gretel by Arthur Rackham [public domain]
Bellebuono doesn’t shy away from the darkest aspects of fairytales, however. She goes deep into the dark, mostly in the fifth chapter, The Deep, explaining how darkness is the originary element where everything and everyone comes. She goes into detail about why darkness can be and should be frightening and unsettling, while always offering hope at the end of the arduous journey.
Folklore and fairytales have a constant source of inspiration for many, me included, and I find hope in them every day. Discovering the meaning behind the places where they happen adds a new layer of significance to them I wasn’t familiar with before. Whether they work as portals for resurrection or sacred places beyond time and space, they make you see these stories as new products; make sure to read each and every of the stories included to rediscover their magic.
Thanks to Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. for the review copy.