The Korean Bar Girl Turned into a Giant Snake; Stories At War
Is the Easter Bunny a Christian deity? How about Father Christmas? Of course they are both in the cannon of Christian symbolism, but do we believe in them? Well, yes and no, many children of Christian families do, regardless of whether their parents believe or not. Father Christmas is loosely based on St Nicholas, but he’s more like a transformation of pagan Winter-gift-giving spirits from European Folklore. And the Bunny, with its colourful eggs, judging the behaviour hopeful children? Well this character also hails from pagan Springtime beliefs, and seems to have slipped into the Christian tradition via stone carvings of rabbits in churches. The reason I’m brining these examples, is because I’ve always been fascinated with the blurred boundaries between cultural stories we respect, and those we don’t respect.
THE TRUTH ABOUT MY PIGEON: A STORY OF CRUELTY & RESILIENCE
The first time I encountered death was at the age of 5. I remember walking back from the park with my family and tripping on the torn and twisted corpse of a pigeon, burst open with its red and purple strewn across the tarmac. It had a snapped beak and crushed head, but its tortured eyes were wide open.