Tag Archives: Folklore

The White Stag by Kate Seredy

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The White Stag is a short novel written and illustrated by Kate Seredy. This book is a mythical retelling of the journeys of the Huns and Magyars as they migrated across Asia and into Europe. The story begins after the fall of the Tower of Babel. The great hunter Nimrod is waiting for his sons, Hunor and Magyar, to return from chasing after a mysterious white stag. Nimrod had been leading his people to a bountiful land promised to them by their god, Hadur. Now stricken with old age, Nimrod is unsure about who will lead his people. He believes that he must sacrifice his war horse, Taltos, to gain further direction from Hadur. After the performance of this sacrifice, Hadur communicates to Nimrod through symbols. These symbols are interpreted to mean that Nimrod will soon die, and that his sons will become the new leaders of his people. Hadur’s message concludes with a prophecy that a strong and mighty man named Attila would ultimately take Nimrod’s people to their promised land.

I found this book to be very compelling because I had expected it to be totally fictional, but as I read it I realized that it includes actual historical and religious elements. Nimrod and the Tower of Babel are ancient biblical references, and Attila the Hun is a major historical figure. The story of Attila was my favorite part of this book, because I enjoyed reading about his incredible strength and rise to power. I also enjoyed reading about the adventures of these people as they followed the white stag toward the promised land. Even though this is a relatively short book, it feels like an epic legend. This book is like an origin story of the modern-day nation of Hungary. The author is Hungarian, so I can understand why she would choose to write this. I appreciated the religious themes throughout the book, and I enjoyed imagining that this was the story of Nimrod from the Bible. This book deservedly won the Newbery Medal in 1938, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The White Stag by Kate Seredy is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Album Review- Folklore by Taylor Swift

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In 2020, Taylor Swift released her eighth studio album Folklore, an anthology album where every song tells a different story. These stories cover topics from love, to escapism, to nostalgia. I especially love this album because of its indie-pop feel. Here are some of my favorite tracks on the album and why.

Cardigan: One of my favorite songs on the album is Cardigan because of its nostalgic feel about looking back on what it was like to be carefree and young, like when the song says, “when you are young they assume you know nothing.”

The Last Great American Dynasty: Another one of my favorite songs on the album is The Last Great American Story, which is based off of the previous owner of Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island house, Rebekah Harkness. One of my favorite parts of this song is the storytelling within the song about her house’s history.

Exile (Feat. Bon Iver): Exile is one of the sadder songs on the Folklore album, but I still like it very much. One of my favorite parts of this song is how Bon Iver and Taylor Swift’s voices both contribute to the song’s sound and story so much through the duet.

The Lakes: One of my favorite songs on Folklore is the bonus track The Lakes. The Lakes is about escapism and the need to escape from your daily life, which is something that everyone can relate to. Another theme I like in this song is letting your old self go so you can venture and find your new self.

Overall, Folklore is a creative album with many great songs on it, and these were just a few. I would rate this 10/10 and I would recommend for everyone to take a shot at it!