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Archive Number 2469

Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 15:06:17 EST
From: Cristy West
Subject: Re: Valentine Stories for people who have lost a partner/spouse






In a message dated 1/9/03 1:04:25 PM, clukoff@ATTBI.COM writes:

<< I also want to acknowledge the
experience of those whose partner/spouse has died and how to
internalize our loved ones. There are so many stories about the power
and importance of memories (Nadia, the Willfull...Just enough...Cow
tail Switch...) but none of these seem to focus on partner loss. Does
anyone have any ideas? >>

Dear Christel--

For ideas, I suggest you check out Alida Gersie's book, Storymaking and
Bereavement, especially the story, "The Image which Spoke through Dreams."


On the more general topic of partner loss, I recently ran across a haunting
tale in Yolen's Favorite Folktales from Around the World. This is "Deer
Hunter and White Corn maiden. This same collection offers the tale of
"Orpheus and Eurydice," "The Spirit Wife" and "How a man Found His Wife in
the Land of the Dead"--all tales being about husbands who try to retrieve
their wives from the dead. Another relevant tale (not in Yolen) is the story
of Savitri who (unlike the bereaved men) actually succeeded in bringing her
husband back to life. I recommend the Yolen collection for a variety of
tales about death--and not just in the section on death.

Cristy