Shakespeare’s Folktale?
Needle Felted figure asking for praise and then becoming angry.
“Upstaged” was my solo exhibition in 2021 of needle felted figures based on folktales which had similar plots to parts of Shakespeare’s plays. One of the English folktale’s I researched was called, “Cap o’ Rushes”, ( published in “English Fairy Tales” by Joseph Jacobs.) The beginning is similar to “King Lear”. The focus in the folktale is on the heroine and her adventures rather than the male “King Lear” equivalent.
Once a wealthy man, who had three daughters wanted to know how much each of them loved him. The ldest daughter thrilled him when she told him that she loved him the most in all the world. His heart was glad when his second said, he was loved more than gold and silver. Expecting much from his last daughter, he was stunned when she replied, “Father, I love you like meat loves salt”.
“You ungrateful child, how dare you blatantly tell me that you love me so little!” His deep, deep hurt soured into deep, deep hate and in the blink of an eye, he threw his own child out of her home and slammed the door in her face.
Needle Felted Female Figure putting on a large, hooded robe.
Finding herself homeless, she roamed until she came upon a fen. She gathered loads of rushes and fashioned a garment with a hood. It covered her fine clothes. But looking so unusual, no one would employ her. One day her travels led her to a grand house. Knocking on the servants’ door, she asked for work. She pleaded, “I don’t need money just somewhere to sleep and something to eat”. They gave her all the dirty jobs to do but she was grateful. Considered an oddity, especially because she refused to give them her name, they called her “Cap o’ Rushes”, because of her appearance.
There was great excitement in the kitchen as everyone was preparing for a ball to be held that night. Cap o’ Rushes told them she was too tired to watch the proceedings but as soon as everyone was absent, she washed, removed her cloak of rushes, revealing her fine clothes and attended the ball. From the moment she arrived the master of the house refused to dance with any one else. In the morning, they told her of the lady that had impressed everyone so much. The next night another ball was planned and the mysterious lady captured the heart of the master again. At the third and final ball, the master gave her a ring to show he would die without her in his life but, before he had received her answer, she quietly left.
The master searched in all the wrong places for her. Refusing his meals, the cook made a broth to encourage his master to eat. Cap o’ Rushes was allowed to make this. She placed the ring into the broth. On finding it, the master questioned the cook, who finally confessed that Cap o’ Rushes had made it. The master demanded to know who had given her the ring so she told him he had and removed her woven garment.
Needle Felted Male Figure crying.
There was a wedding. What might surprise you is that Cap o’ Rushes father attended. He knew the groom but didn’t recognise the bride after so many years. Cap o’ Rushes insisted that the wedding breakfast be prepared without any salt. Among the unimpressed guests, the father began to sob. Finally, he had understood his daughter’s words. He told the guests how he had thrown his daughter out and only now, had he understood how much she loved him. Tenderly, Cap o’ Rushes embraced him and confirmed that she still loved him; as salt loves meat.
Thank you for reading my December blog. May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.