On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 10:44 PM, Giancarlo Livraghi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This isn't really a silly question. I am working on a book and there is a > page where I am quoting examples of myth, legend, folklore, fairy tales, > fiction or whatever where a picture or a statue or an "idol" or an "icon" > turns into a "living" person or some sort of "real thing". > > Obviously Pygmalion. Also the picture of Dorian Gray, the Golem, Don Juan's > "stone guest", the legend of Slappy Hooper ... > > (Also movies, such as Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo" or Federico > Fellini's episode in "Boccaccio 70". Maybe I could also add the Marshmallow > Man in "Ghostbusters", but I'm not sure).
Pinocchio. The Velveteen Rabbit > Any other examples? Also from different cultures? There are various famous stories from Japanese culture. One of the best known is the six stone Jizos (statues of a bodhisattva) a poor straw-hat maker on his way home from market uses his leftover hats to protect the statues from the snow, but he is short one so he uses his own head scarf for the last one. He gets home and tells his wife that he didn't sell enough hats to buy food when there is a sound at the door. He finds the six stone jizos have come and given the peddler the food offerings given to the jizos. (There are lots of others as well...) -- Charles
