Once Upon a Tale
Fairytales are oftendismissed as stories created to entertain children, but project ‘Once upon aTale’ explores the concealed meaning within a popular old Lithuanian tale‘Queen of the Serpents’. It recounts the story of a maiden, Egle, tricked into marryinga serpent, who is really a handsome man Zilvinas, living under the sea. Laterin their marriage Egle leaves with their four children to go ashore, butunfortunately, Egle’s brothers slaughter Zilvinas. Stricken with grief Egle turnsherself and the children into trees. Under careful analysis the fairytale isdiscovered to date back to the pagan times and exhibits connections withancient mythologies. Inspired by editorial photographer Dina Goldstein’s series‘Fallen Princesses’, the project focuses on Egle, who embodies the female mythologicalentities and divinities such as the Goddess of the Forest, the Witch and theNymph. She not only introduces females to the Lithuanian Pantheon but alsochallenges the relationship of women and landscape in present day.
