Testing the Bonds of Folklore through the Medium of Chocolate
by Katie Thorn

Runestone, volume 11

Testing the Bonds of Folklore through the Medium of Chocolate
by Katie Thorn

Runestone, volume 11

Testing the bonds of folklore through the medium of chocolate

Vesa Finndisson
Folklore and Mythological Studies
Heimaey, Iceland

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper was to disprove Pedricksson’s argument (1928) that time diminishes the physical bonds of folklore. Instead of focusing on obscure readings, specifically the outdated claims of Geirdottir (1957, 1968) and Hagen (1992), this author embraced modern technology, specifically the internet, to gain a better understanding and communicate with a wider range of points of view.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Apple of Discord

Jakes and Dahlman (2002) failed to find the Apple of Discord in museums and historical societies. After scouring every corner of the internet, the Apple was found through the discussion page of a long-abandoned knitting blog. It arrived by expedited shipping and was cooked with brown sugar and a vanilla bean to make a smooth apple butter that was piped into a thin milk chocolate shell and topped with milk chocolate ganache. 

Jnana Palam

Legend insists that the last Jnana Palam tree was destroyed in a fire (Kumar 1843). Nonetheless, through the right connections, a piece of the dried fruit was acquired. Though the potency after the drying process was questionable, the Jnana Palam rehydrated and blended to create a cordial-style chocolate center

Pomegranate

The pomegranate seeds were purchased in a market in Greece during an extended holiday. They were then juiced and frozen before being boiled into a thick caramel.

Honey

The Fairytale Preservation Corps provided a piece of fairy-bound honeycomb from a beehive located within a fairy ring in Bavaria. The honey was mixed with unsweetened chocolate and fresh cream for truffles.

Love Potion

Though dabbling in love potions is a dangerous enterprise, it was a relatively simple concoction. A dried rose petal from a wedding bouquet, ground strawberry seeds, roasted cacao nibs, honey from a local beekeeper, and three whole cloves were simmered over low heat for three days until thickened.

Poison Apple

The poisoned apple was found in a refrigerator at an estate sale, past its prime and leaking blood red juices, a sign which Asenova (1870) listed as a certain sign that an apple has been poisoned. The apple was too old to cook with, so its juice was distilled into a light liqueur. 

RESULTS

The completed chocolates, being found in the refrigerator, were eaten by the new test subjects while the author was otherwise occupied. The effects of the chocolates began almost immediately.

The Poison Apple Chocolate Batons caused the most obvious reaction, as the test subject (hereafter referred to as Sverre) became unconscious. Once moved to a safe position, Sverre was deemed the least urgent.

While the author was ensuring the safety of the test subject who had eaten the Poison Apple, the effects of the Apple of Discord were taking shape. Before the author had the chance to create and apply the antidote, the test subject (Ilmarinen) had broken up with his girlfriend, dropped out of two classes, and quit his job. Ilmarinen’s vociferous quarreling, when compared with his usual good cheer, can be taken as a clear sign of the ongoing strength of the physical bond of the Apple of Discord.

Though Kijek (1921) and Cho’s (2008) various experiments with love potions bred immediate chaos, this author’s blend was a slow-acting potion. Over the course of an hour, the test subject (Meja) went through several distinct stages of falling in love, including attraction, attachment, and commitment. Because the object of Meja’s desire was suffering from amnesia after sampling fairy-bound honey truffles, the author faced no difficulties from the subjects while they awaited the antidote. This paper does not contain the scope to discuss the details of the love potion, its effects, and the application of the antidote, but the author found Joshi’s methods (1647) influential.

The effects of fairy-bound honey were undetermined until the test subject (Sóley) ate the truffles. Amnesia being the chief of her symptoms, the author was able to find steps for reversal in Dudova’s acclaimed text, “Vázání víly a jak čelit efektům,” (Fairy Binding and How to Counter Effects, 1911). Side effects of the fairy-binding and the reversal, including dizziness and a temporary loss of taste and smell, were still felt at the time of this writing.

Unfortunately, the test subject (Benjamin) who ate the Pomegranate Caramels left shortly after eating them and has not returned as of the writing of this paper. The author cannot prove if Benjamin feels the effects of the pomegranate, and is thus searching for an entrance to the Underworld, or if he is avoiding the author.

Because the subject who ate the Jnana Palam cordials (Martin) is a naturally reticent person, the author was forced to implement tests to determine the strength of the fruit and its effects. Though this paper does not have the scope to detail the testing, the author used Koppel and Kroon’s “Discussions for a Better Future” (2021) and Qurbonov’s riddles (circa 1320) and determined that, despite being dehydrated, Jnana Palam is fully potent.

Martin and I got him onto the couch when he collapsed. I know how to reverse the curse of a poison apple – everyone knows how to reverse it. 

I look over at Meja, but she’s still ticked that I took a picture of her trying to seduce Sóley and sent it to her boyfriend. It’s not going to go over well if I tell her to kiss Sverre. She’s not his true love anyway. Benjamin is gone and Martin went out looking for him, so they’re out of the question. Ilmarinen is crying, texting his girlfriend, begging her to call him. Not in the right state of mind to find out if Sverre is his actual true love. Sóley is in my bedroom with the curtains drawn, sleeping off the effects of the honey. 

That leaves-

Oh.

The author was able to break the effects of the poison apple in the traditional manner. No lasting symptoms followed. 

DISCUSSION

Considering the effect the chocolates had upon the test subjects, it is clear that Pedricksson’s argument (1928) is based upon incomplete data and insufficient testing. The bonds of folklore can be argued to be as strong in the twenty-first century as they were at the date of their initial discovery. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank his sources, especially the Fairytale Preservation Corps German Division, and his test subjects: Martin Carlsen, Sverre Halle, Ilmarinen Järvi, Benjamin Reenburg, Sóley Thorsteinsson, and Meja Tomasson. 

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pedricksson, Rut. Time on Folklore. Holgerson Publishing, 1928. 

Pedricksson’s lengthy study, consisting of practical tests and theoretical arguments, is a highly regarded resource in the folklore community. Though certain chapters go into detail, his findings lack substance and continue to prove inconsistent with more recent studies. This book was selected as the main focus of this paper, as no significant attempts had been made to disprove it.

Geirdottir, Sofie. Will My Curse Last Forever? Þjóðsögur í dag, 1957, and Has My Blessing Faded? Þjóðsögur í dag, 1968. 

Despite being written for the magical novice, Geirdottir’s collected works have been accepted into the canon of great magical texts. Her claims, though useful for the casual witchcraft dabbler, are not backed up with legitimate groundwork, thus reducing their veracity.

Hagen, Olga. Fortgeschrittene magische Tests in der Neuzeit. Der Folklife-Verlag, 1992.

Hagen set out to break down the arguments of Pedricksson and instead wrote a five volume compendium on magical testing. At the time groundbreaking, her work is now widely considered a relic. Hagen herself has admitted thusly in several interviews, advocating for updated methods of magical testing; however, select important members of the magical testing community remain staunchly devoted to her text.

Jakes, Roxy, and Reto Dahlman. The Apple of Discord: Fact or Fiction? Oxford University Press, 2002.

This text compiles the articles and interviews of Jakes and Dahlman on their quest to find the Apple of Discord. Throughout the text, Jakes remains staunchly negative about the usage of the internet as a tool to find the mythical Apple, going so far as to call it “the cheap, lazy fodder of the masses.” Dahlman, on the other hand, showed flexibility regarding method. Perhaps best that the Apple proved elusive. 

Kumar, Jaswinder. Myths and Legends. United Presses, 1843. 

Kumar’s collection of myths and legends from the Eastern world is often dismissed as children’s fairy stories, but a dedicated researcher would be mistaken to miss it. His straightforward tales share some of the most detailed histories of magical items and can be used as a jumping-off point for scholarship. 

Asenova, Leontina. Poisons. Anglo Russian Publishing, 1870.

Asenova’s pamphlet on poisons is simple, comprehensive, and applicable to the modern user. She breaks down each poison in order, including uses, sources, effects, and cures. While other scholars avoid putting ‘frivolous’ methods into writing, Asenova embraces pixie dust and true love’s kiss. 

Kijek, Heydar. Məni Sev, Məni Sevmə. Qara Kitablar, 1921. 

Kijek’s work proves more a warning than an instruction manual. The publishers censored both the ingredients and steps for all of his potions, but enough is left unaltered for the trained eye to see both the dangers and purposes of creating love potions. 

Cho, Guo. Methods to Attract. Red Light Books, 2008.

Cho takes a practical, step-by-step method in her book. Though the chapter on love potions takes up a total of ten pages in her hefty tome, it leaves a lasting influence on its readers. In combination with another text, such as Kijek’s Məni Sev, Məni Sevmə, love potions can be created successfully without unnecessary risk. 

Joshi, Nila. Countering Witchcraft. Garden House, 1647.

From the opening paragraph to the glossary in the end, Joshi’s text illuminates simple methods for countering witchcraft, magic, and the occult using everyday ingredients and objects that can still be found in the average university student’s apartment. 

Dudova, Nastya. Vázání víly a jak čelit efektům. Oxford University Press, 1911.

Dudova has reigned supreme in the realm of fairy binding since the publishing of her manual in 1911. Though her book is brief, she outlines adaptable methods for both the binding, and reversal, of fairy magic. The epilogue includes instructions for safe disposal of fairy bound objects. Unfortunately, these instructions do not translate to the twenty-first century and leave much to guesswork.