Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Flights Of Fancy And The Imagination

 From the time of early humanity, the idea of flight fascinated people. And so it is that we see flight in stories of folktales, religion, myth, and the imagination.


This includes in Hindu belief, with the being Garuda.


Baba Yaga is a figure out of Slavic folklore.


Daedalus and Icarus is a story out of Greek mythology about an inventor and his son. Daedalus invented wings to enable escape for he and his son, but Icarus flew too high into the sky, and paid with his life. The illustration here is a reproduction of The Fall Of Icarus, a 1636 Rubens painting. The original is in a museum in Belgium.


Flight figures into the beliefs of Indigenous peoples, with the Raven being an important figure in many tribes.


French Canadian legend tells of a group of voyageurs whose canoe flies through the air thanks to a deal with the devil.


Flight became a subject in literature too.


A screen displays footage from A Trip To The Moon, an early silent film. A reference to an H.G. Wells story is below.


This is a model of a cavorite sphere, as drawn from the Wells story.


Jules Verne imagined flight too.


As did Cyrano de Bergerac.


Flights of the imagination were one thing. Others wanted to make it real.

26 comments:

  1. "Imagination brought beyond its proper bound" was the motto of Romantic poet John Keats.

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  2. Thanks for the cool introduction to the image and the legend that I know will live with me. I did a little reading:


    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasse-galerie

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  3. This explains the pirate ship that flies around here. Thought, what a dumb idea...!

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  4. It is an interesting exhibit. Watch out for the flying canoes. Take care, enjoy your day!

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  5. That cavorite sphere looks like the COVID spike protein.

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  6. ...few things are more important that imagination.

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  7. @Italiafinlandia: well put.

    @Cloudia: you're welcome.

    @Iris: there's a flying ship in the movie Stardust.

    @Francisco: thank you.

    @Eileen: thanks.

    @David: it does.

    @Tom: that's true.

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  8. Wonderful drawings and paintings with all stories and histories.

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  9. I do admire artists and creative people!

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  10. Flying has been a dream of man for a very long time.

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  11. There are fascinating stories about the Raven!

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  12. So many myths about flying.
    The air show at the CNE attracted thousands on the holiday weekend so the fascination sure continues.

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  13. Ah ~ mythology and folklore to delight the mind ~ lovely post and photos ~

    Wishing you good health, laughter, and love in your days,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  14. What a fascinating exhibit! The ability to fly has always fascinated humans. throughout history.

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  15. La imaginación, hace crear fascinantes historias, que hace las delicias del lector.

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  16. @Jan: indeed.

    @Jennifer: me too.

    @Sharon: it has.

    @Marie: definitely.

    @RedPat: I have a painting coming up down the line featuring an air show at the CNE.

    @Carol: it's a good way to introduce the museum.

    @Denise: I certainly think so.

    @Pat: very much so.

    @Ventana: thanks.

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  17. And now we fly, and it is mostly a miserable experience crammed into tiny spaces. This is not what was imagined.

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  18. I have to google out a few folklore stories to read after browsing your posts. Thanks for being educational!

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  19. Interesting post on flight before thee was flight. My favorite is Icarus.

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