I Am Rapunzel, Huntress

My son took one of those silly “who are you?” tests, and posted the results on Facebook. On the question of “What is Your Medieval Profession?” (http://www.playbuzz.com/gregs/what-is-your-medieval-profession), my son placed as a Hunter. This seemed strange, because he’s not the sort who goes around with bows and arrows trying to kill Bambi’s mother.

But he does have the alleged attributes of a Hunter.
• He’s precise
• He speaks his mind
• He’s independent

In the European Middle Ages, hunters put food on the table. Today we call that occupation “Breadwinner.” [Sidebar: Breadwinner is an interesting word, since there aren’t many contests offering bread as first prize. Never-mind.]

I had a few minutes to waste, err spare, so I took the quiz. Turns out I too am a Hunter. Maybe my definition of Hunter was too narrow. I Googled the definition. Up came, “a person or animal that hunts.” Gosh that helps. There were some interesting synonyms, including stalker. The definition on Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hunter) was longer. Three definitions related to (1.) folks hunting animals with their (4.) hunting dogs and (3.) horses trained for hunting.

The second definition intrigued me “a person who searches for or seeks something.” I can get behind that. A true search requires precision and independence. The searcher must be willing to discount the usual way of doing things to discover new ways of thinking. Clarity of thinking, singleness of purpose, and generosity – all are qualities of this quest.

So amazed was I by the cosmic results of this quiz regarding my medieval profession, I took a second quiz – Which fairy tale best describes your life? (http://www.playbuzz.com/jennifers/which-fairy-tale-best-describes-your-life). After answering the series of in-depth questions that included my favorite children’s book (Alice in Wonderland), whether I would date an elf (The Handsome Bloke would not approve.), and my feelings about witches (leave them alone), I learned that the fairy tale that best describes my life is RAPUNZEL. Remember her? She was the one whose hair was so long and scalp so invincible, her lover could use it to climb to her tower window.

Acknowledgements:

Quiz on Medieval Professions created by Greg Summers in March 2014
Quiz on Fairy Tales created by Jennifer Simmons in March 2014

Featured Image: Monk in Scriptorium, US Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

How about you – got some time to delve into your innermost self? Discover your medieval profession and the fairy tale of your life. Share your result.

Sandra Wagner-Wright holds the doctoral degree in history and taught women’s and global history at the University of Hawai`i. Sandra travels for her research, most recently to Salem, Massachusetts, the setting of her new Salem Stories series. She also enjoys traveling for new experiences. Recent trips include Antarctica and a river cruise on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel.

 Sandra particularly likes writing about strong women who make a difference. She lives in Hilo, Hawai`i with her family and writes a blog relating to history, travel, and the idiosyncrasies of life.