week 3 reading notes: saints and animals - part a

"Saint Kentigern and the Robin"

  • The story begins with a classic fairy tale introduction (“Once upon a time…”) and immediately introduces the protagonist (Kentigern).

  • Tells of the experiences Kentigern had while at school in Glasgow; the other boys were jealous because he was smarter and more clever than the rest.

  • The story made me think of the Harry Potter series. Kentigern would be Harry, Saint Servan is Dumbledore, and the cruel schoolboys remind me of Malfoy and his friends. Maybe retell the story using Harry Potter characters? I could also bring in Hermoine and Ron into the story somehow. Hogwarts would be the setting.

  • It could be different to retell the story from Kentigern’s perspective. 


    Art portrayal of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Hedwig for the cover of the first novel by French publisher Gallimard. (Web Source)


"Saint Blaise and His Beasts"


  • I thought the story started off as a light-hearted tale of a man and his compassion for animals, but it took a somewhat dark turn in the second part--the killings of Christians, using the animals in arena games to kill Christians, the beheading of Saint Blaise. 

  • Saint Blaise is a genuinely kind man who puts himself last. He stays true to his beliefs and values and doesn’t conform to the “heathen” lifestyle even though he will be killed for not complying.

  • It was sad that Saint Blaise died. 

  • Not sure if this goes outside the guidelines, but it would be interesting to tell a sequel or follow-up story where the animals rally to get revenge for Saint Blaise. Or the second half of the story could be retold so that the animals do team up to prevent the soldiers from killing Saint Blaise.


"Saint Comgall and the Mice"


  • The first section of the story didn’t really interest me as much (like the introduction paragraph claimed…), but I liked the plot twist in the end where actual mice ate the grains. The first part of the story didn't have much to do with the mice, but it kind of provided character information on Saint Comgall.

  • Teaches a lesson -- don’t be so selfish and unkind; bad karma will come back to get you.



Bibliography:
These stories are a part of the Saints and Animals unit and all come from The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell. 
"Saint Kentigern and the Robin" 

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