The Knocker, Problematic Beliefs

[Nymree]

Sorry if this seems a bit rambly. These are just some responses, I'll add more later if I remember anything.

I just remembered something, which came up when I was discussing this issue previously with my brother. I've been writing poetry and prose revisions, reinterpretations and revivals of the Cornish myths and legends. In this process, I do a lot of creative work to make those legends relevant to people today, and to everyone today - i.e. acknowledging the gendered politics in some myths, pointing out 'othering' in some folk tales, etc. We were throwing an idea back and forth about an anthology of Cornish myths that picked out the best ones, revised them to be most relevant to everyone, and essentially did the work to make them non-offensive. At the end, I would reference the original myths so as not to totally erase them - the concern being that erasure could look like an attempt to hide wrongdoing and avoid accountability on a cultural level. (The references would also have a note stating the motivation behind the anthology, and the issues raised in the works referenced, to avoid accidental triggering).
This would be a possible practical response, as it would take on the responsibility of mending an important part of Cornish culture while still working to remove racism, sexism and anti-semitism by the root, owning up to the issue at hand.

I don't know, I feel like there isn't one answer to the problem, but I do agree that just cutting out knockers from the literature entirely would be like bringing a chainsaw to a situation that might require delicate surgery, so to speak. It might be that the best way, as someone actively involved in the living culture, for me to own up to the issue and take account would be to produce new versions, revisions and iterations of knocker myths that more accurately represent what they mean to people today, and what they likely originally meant, as well as what they could mean with a bit of imagination. This could potentially work towards making Cornish folklore a welcoming space for everyone, not just the majority.

I'm currently trying to get a poetry collection published that does something along those lines, so I guess I'll have to see what success I get there.

[PerditaPickle]

I'm currently trying to get a poetry collection published that does something along those lines, so I guess I'll have to see what success I get there.

Good luck with it, let us know how it goes!