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June 2020 - Red Riding Hood: Stay on the Path
Design notes from Chris:
The story of Little Red Riding hood is both older and far more complex than most people realize. While the best known version was made popular by the Brothers Grimm in the 1800s, the origins actually date back far, far before to at least the 10th century and to oral tradition even longer before finally being recorded. In Italy, it was known as La Finta Nonna or "The False Grandmother". In northern Africa it was known as Kabylia. In ancient China it was told as The Grandmother Tiger. It wasn't until about 700 years ago in France that it became a popular oral tale and was finally published in 1697 by Charles Perrault as "Le Petit Chaperon Rouge".
Despite the very diverse points of origin, the central tale remains a morality tale of striking depth and a cautionary tale for children who are coming of age and facing the dangers of the world. The young woman in each version is given a task of responsibility and strikes out on her own into the world armed only with the lessons she's learned from childhood. In each version of the tale she is tempted by the distractions of the world by an opportunistic fiend. Her adversary has been portrayed as a witch, ogre, tiger, werewolf or the now anthropomorphic stylized wolf. Most interestingly though is that the "wolf" is not always an actual animal, but rather the animal within all humans as stated by Perrault "for all wolves are not of the same sort".
The maiden of the tale must hold to just a few moral lessons to persevere. First, she must Obey her Elders and follow their words strictly. Second, she must remember that in the world (or woods) that Danger Abounds for the unwary and so she must be watchful. Third, she should never be enticed by strangers she doesn't know and Don't Divulge too much information about herself or her loved ones. Finally, she must Stay on the Path she has been prepared for. The wolf, or dangerous enticer will try to draw her away from the path to spend time talking and picking flowers which seems a harmless thing. He'll distract her and confuse her and use what she says to further his own selfish aims.
These rather basic lessons, while intended for children, are still valuable for all ages and cachers in particular. Obey your Elders, or rather heed the advice of cachers with experience who can help you achieve your mission safely and successfully. Remember to be wary of the Dangers out there in the world whether deep in the woods or crossing traffic downtown while checking your coords. Don't Divulge too much information in your logs or you may ruin the experience for others. Stay on the Path and remember that we enjoy a game by being responsible and courteous players who only pass freely on the lands we've received permission to pass over. By remembering these lessons, we can continue to play and pass on these lessons and cautionary tales to the next generation of cachers.
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