Hay Festival
We’re a cultured bunch here on the LATE committee and we like to share our culture our ideas, culture and new found enthusiasms with you and also our students. Here is my (Myfanwy Marshall @Miff_) round up of the Hay Festival and how I’ve used some of the experiences in the class room this week.
Myths and Legends
Neil Gaiman has been one of my favourite authors since I was about 11 and I read Coraline which I enjoyed and was spooked by in equal measures. When I heard that he was retelling the Norse mythology I was therefore extremely excited. Whilst Stephen Fry may have tried to steal Gaiman’s limelight at the session, I felt Gaiman’s story of Fenrir the giant wolf outstripped Fry’s amusing retelling of a Greek myth. Norse Gods is dark, mysterious and powerful whilst also being hugely entertaining. It’s perfect for younger readers (secondary school age I’d say) but has certainly captured my imagination too.
Also out at Hay was a new translation of the Mabinogi. Lesser known that Thor, Odin, Zeus and the Minotaur, the Celts have a strange, ethereal and Authurian set of myths all of their own. Matthew Francis has, according to my Welsh speaking grandmother, done a marvellous job of capturing the essence of the sometimes strange poetic language in his English translation. As a non-Welsh speaker who sits in London clinging to her Welsh roots I love it too and think it’s beautifully written.
In the classroom: I decided I wanted to mix up the Greek Myths SOW in my department so taught the story of Pwyll and Arawn to year 7s. In the story Pwyll, a hunter, steals the Prince of the Unworld’s trophy stag so as punishment must swap bodies with him for a year. During this time Pwyll has to defeat Arawn’s enemy for him before he can return. Though a seemingly happy ending, several of my female students pointed out that Arawn’s wife is rightly angry when he returns as he’s been ignoring her for the whole year- a woman caught up in the petty feuds of men…interesting starting point for a class discussion. I taught the story of Fenrir from Norse Gods too, leading to a brilliant discussion of hubris, pride, the value of friendship, power and fear. Both will be used as inspiration for the writing of our own myths.
Masculinity- Owen Sheers inspires
It seems apt then after looking at those two myths which raise such interesting questions about masculinity, strength and power that I promote this link to Owen Sheers’ talk a Hay. He gave a truly thought provoking and intelligent talk on masculinity directly addressed to his daughters entitled ‘The men you will meet’. Really worth a listen and something that could be used in pastoral, political, RE, Philosophy and English classrooms. There are aspects of it relevant to all ages but generally speaking you should listen as I think it made me think about the men I know and the young men and women who I teach.
In his Q and A he talked at length about the men he’d worked with from all walks of life.
londonenglishteachers.com 