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- "If you had the chance to change your fate, would you?"
- ―Merida
Princess Merida is the protagonist of Disney/Pixar's 2012 film Brave. She is voiced by Kelly Macdonald, her off-screen singing voice is provided by Julie Fowlis and is the first Scottish princess in the Disney Princess franchise. Merida is the 11th official Disney Princess.
Princess Merida is the headstrong and free-spirited 16-year old tomboyish, willful daughter of Queen Elinor who rules the kingdom alongside her husband, King Fergus. Queen Elinor's expectations of her daughter cause Merida to see Elinor as being distant while also causing friction between the two. Despite Elinor's desire to see Merida as a proper royal lady, Merida is an impetuous girl who wants to take control of her own destiny. Merida has honed her skill in archery, and is one of the most skilled archers ever seen. She is also skilled in sword-fighting and racing across the countryside on her horse, Angus. Despite her outgoing, forceful, headstrong and willful personality, Merida does have a playful softness of heart; particularly when it comes to her younger triplet brothers.
Merida is a very brave, bold, daring, courageous, stubborn, rebellious and headstrong girl who does not fit the stereotypical princess role. Rather than being a damsel in distress who is subservient to the customs, traditions, and social restrictions her society places on her and expects her to follow, Merida openly rebels and defies her heritage as a princess and would like for nothing more than to be a normal girl. She is very athletic and enjoys nothing more than riding her horse Angus and practicing her archery, of which she is the best in the kingdom. She also seems to be skilled in sword fighting, as shown in the Brave featurette "Cutting the Class". She tends to be ungraceful and has bad manners, and is extremely tomboyish.
In terms of personality, she greatly parallels and resembles her father, as the two both tend to be unruly, impulsive and loud. However, she also does resemble her mother in terms of stubbornness and inability to listen to others.
When Merida was younger, she was a very small, cute little child and had a close relationship with both her mother and her father. She showed a curious side as she followed the wisps, despite needing to go back to the trail and seemed to believe in the legends and myths of her kingdom, highlighting her innocence and naivety. She also tended to be playful, as shown by her playing hide and seek with her mother and being very hyperactive. She is also shown to have developed an interest in archery early on her childhood, possibly by influence from her father.
As she has grown up, Merida is still very energetic and free spirited, but has a more strained relationship with her mother (though she still holds the same good relationship with her father) and is more rebellious. This is because she views the strict training and social etiquette that her mother teaches her as tedious and bothersome. She also thinks her mother places too much expectation on her to become the same type of person she is without listening to what she wants to be, which is true since her mother continually and strictly instructed her in how to be a "proper" princess, and arranged for the three clans to present the three clans' next heirs as potential fiances for Merida without her consent while neglecting Merida's feelings. However, Merida also hardly ever understands her mother's feelings about wanting to do what she believed would be best for Merida or properly conveying her feelings and understanding how her desire for freedom and rebelliousness could potentially and negatively affect the kingdom. Over the course of the film, however, after Merida rebonds with her mother (in bear form) while they catch fish to eat at a river bank and realizes all the trouble she has caused with her reckless actions, she proceeds to make amends and (with help from her mother) creates a diplomatic solution that allows everyone to be happy and for her to have a better understanding of the importance of her mother's role and wisdom while teaching her mother to learn to listen and understand her better.
She is also shown to be very adventurous and brave, as she enjoys wandering around the forests that surround her kingdom and even climbed the Crone's Tooth and drank from the fire falls, something her father has mentioned that only the bravest kings have done. She was also willing to defend her mother from her father after her father tried to kill her (as she was in her bear form and he mistakenly believed that she in her bear form killed Elinor) and again when she shot arrows at Mor'du to protect him from attacking her father.
Unfortunately, Merida is very short tempered and impulsive, causing her to do things without considering the consequences her actions can lead to. For example, she wanted her parents to call off the gathering for the three clans allied with the DunBroch despite the fact it could possibly lead to war. She also entered the games that would determine who would be her bride so she could "shoot for her own hand". However, she was unaware that this would lead to a disagreement between the three clans and DunBroch clan until after she returns to the castle with her mother after going to the witch's cottage in an attempt to find a way to reverse the curse that turned Elinor into the bear. This was also shown when she bought a spell from a witch to "change her mother" without realizing the potential harm the spell could do to her or what would happen to her. It is through seeing the consequences of her actions that she goes to appreciate the role her mother plays as diplomat, especially when (due to Elinor being a bear) Merida had to act as the diplomat and settle matters herself. This also helps to mend the distance between her and Elinor.
Merida can also be slightly selfish, as shown when after feeding her mother the cake that contained the spell that would "change her mother", she ignored her mother's pain and groaning and consistently bombarded her with questions of whether she had changed her mind about the engagement, and also when she wanted to call off the gathering, despite seemingly knowing it might cause trouble as she mentions "we expect your declarations of war in the morning". However, Merida can understand when she is in the wrong and will do her best to fix what has happened.
Despite her impulsiveness and short tempered nature, Merida can keep a calm head in a dangerous situation, as shown when she managed to calm her mother after her mother nearly attacked and ran frantically after the wisps and when she settled the dispute between the three different clans. She is also very quick witted, as she quickly managed to bargain the witch for a spell by offering to give her her necklace in exchange for all of the wood carvings and one spell and when she realized she could enter herself in the games as she was "the first born of the four clans" and could therefore win her own hand in marriage, along with understanding that Mor'du the bear was actually the prince from the legends who led his kingdom into war between him and his brothers due to his selfish desire and lust for power.
Merida is kind and caring to those she really cares about and who are very close to her, as shown through her interaction with her family, particularly her brothers (whom she dotes on). She is also shown to care for her horse, Angus, greatly, as she personally tends and cares for him and doesn't let anyone else do it for her.
Overall, Merida has grown throughout the course of the film from a stubborn, rebellious, and defiant person to a more understanding, open minded individual but remaining brave, courageous, kind, adventurous, free spirited, compassionate, and loyal to those she loves the most.
Disney.com Description
- Merida is a Princess by birth and an adventurer by spirit. She spends her days practicing archery, riding her horse Angus, and exploring the world around her. She loves her family, but she wants to control her own destiny.
Merida is first seen as a child playing hide-and-seek with her mother Queen Elinor on her sixth birthday. Then she sees her father's bow on the table and asks him if she can shoot an arrow with it. Fergus, her father, presents her with her own bow as a birthday present. She accidentally shoots her 6th arrow into the forest and goes to retrieve it, but is distracted by a trail of Will O' the Wisps that appear before her. The Wisps lead her out of the forest and back to her parents. Elinor tells her that the wisps lead you to your fate, but Fergus doesn't believe it. Suddenly, Mor'du attacks, and Elinor and Merida flee while Fergus stays behind to fight the demonic bear.
Years later, Merida is a teenager that Queen Elinor is trying to make her into a proper princess of royalty despite Merida's objection. One day when there are no lessons, she goes riding on her horse Angus. She shoots arrows at targets she sets up in the forest, and just explores. She even climbs the Crone's Tooth and drinks from the Fire Falls in joy. Merida returns home to join her family for dinner. As she enters, Merida listens to Fergus telling her triplet brothers the story of his battle with Mor'du until she interrupts and tells them that their father lost his left leg in the battle, and Mor'du is waiting his chance of revenge. Moments later, Elinor tells Merida that the three Lords are coming to present their suitors to compete for her hand in marriage. Not wanting any of this, Merida angrily storms out of the Great Hall to her bedroom.
As she is takes out her anger and frustration on her bedposts by striking with her sword, Elinor enters telling her the story of a beloved king who had divided his kingdom for each of his four sons to rule, but the eldest wanted to rule the entire land and so brought chaos and war, and his desire to follow his own path led to the downfall of the kingdom. Merida still refuses to listen, but Elinor is adamant and tells Merida to go through with it even if she doesn't want it for the good of the kingdom. Moments later, Merida is seen in Angus's stall talking to Angus of what she would say to her mother about her wishes if she would listen. Merida is determined she will not marry whoever wins the games.
Days later, the Lords arrive in DunBroch. Elinor prepares Merida in a tight formal dress and they all gather in the Great Hall for the presentation of the suitors. Each of the Lords present their sons. Merida is not pleased with any of them. A brawl breaks out, at which Elinor is disgusted and Merida is displeased. Elinor proclaims that only the firstborn of the great leaders may compete in the games which gives Merida an idea of how to get out of the marriage: she declares that she chooses archery for the Highland Games.
When the competition begins, Merida sneaks her bow and arrows behind her throne. As the suitors shoot at the targets, she chats with Fergus about each of them until Wee Dingwall wins by accident, striking a bulls-eye. She sneaks off and appears on the field, declaring she will shoot for her own hand. Ignoring Elinor's protests, she strikes the bulls-eye of the first two suitors' targets. When she shoots an arrow through the full length of Wee Dingwall's arrow and through the target, she smiles... until she sees her furious mother. Elinor drags and throws Merida into the tapestry room as they have a heated argument with each other about Merida's actions, with Elinor calling her a child and Merida calling her a beast for trying to ruin her life. Merida then throws a huge tantrum and slices the family tapestry between the pictures of herself and Elinor in a fit of rage, and Elinor throws Merida's bow into the fire out of anger. Merida tearfully runs away from the castle as Elinor quickly fishes the bow from the fire, feeling horribly guilty and she too begins to cry.
Merida is weeping as she rides Angus heedlessly through the forest until they come across the Ring of Stones and a trail of will o' the wisps leading them to a woodcarver's cottage. Noticing a broom that sweeps by itself and a talking crow, Merida discovers that this old woodcarver is actually a witch, and asks for a spell. The witch tells her to get out, threatening her with floating knives, until Merida offers to buy all her carvings with her pendant in exchange for a spell that will change her fate. The witch begrudgingly gives in and conjures up a cursed cake, which she says that she did for a prince who had wanted the strength of ten men and got what he wanted. Merida takes the cake and heads back to DunBroch.
She sneaks back into the kitchen to making the cake presentable, as Elinor enters the room, relieved to find her daughter home. Merida gives her the cake on a false peace offering and Elinor eats a piece, then suddenly starts feeling sick. Merida escorts Elinor to her chambers and puts her in bed. Suddenly Elinor starts transforming into a bear. Merida is horrified at the spell's effect and with her brothers' help gets Elinor out of the castle. They journey back to the Witch's cottage but they find her gone. Then they find the witch's cauldron with a ghostly image of the Witch in the potion-controlled automated voice message telling Merida that she has until the second sunrise to break the spell or her mother will remain a bear forever. The Witch tells Merida the way to do it was to remember the riddle "Fate be changed, look inside, mend the bond torn by pride." Baffled, Merida accidentally sabotages the cottage, so Merida and Elinor take shelter in the remains of the cottage for the night. Merida has a dream about a memory of her as a child with Elinor as they are both are singing "Noble Maiden Fair (A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal)" together.
The next morning, Elinor brings some berries and water for breakfast. Merida explains that the berries are poisonous nightshade berries and the water has worms in it. They go to a creek, where Merida teaches her mother to catch fish, and they both start bonding.
Then Elinor heads into the forest and Merida follows her; but Elinor is not herself, and starts attacking her daughter until she returns to herself. Merida is confused until they see a trail of will o' the wisps and follow them to the ruins of a castle. Merida falls through the floor into a throne room and realizes it was the kingdom from the story Elinor was telling her about. Merida sees a stone with three figures and a split stone with the fourth figure and realizes that the curse has happened before, when the prince sought to change his fate, resulting in his kingdom's downfall and his transformation to Mor'du. Then she sees Mor'du and he attacks her until she barely escapes with Elinor's help and they flee back to the Ring of Stones. Merida realizes that Elinor will become like Mor'du forever unless she sews the tapestry back together to "mend the bond torn by pride" in hopes it will break the transformation spell.
That night they sneak into the castle. Peeking into the Great Hall, they see Fergus and the lords behind barricades, hurling weapons at each other, on the brink of war. That is when Merida realizes that the kingdom will be torn apart if she doesn't set it right, and she tries to tell Elinor to stop them. But Elinor, in bear form, can't do any such thing, and it is up to Merida to stop this madness. Elinor, fearful of being seen and attacked, freezes into a stationary position while Merida walks into the room and tells them she was in conference with Elinor. The Lords demand to see the queen until Merida silences them all. She tells them of the story of the selfish prince who brought chaos to the land, and reminds them that legends are lessons and they ring with truths. The clans had been enemies until they were threatened by the Northern Invaders and joined forces to defend their lands. When they won the war, the clans made Fergus their king for bringing them together and made an alliance. Merida then admits that what she had done was selfish and must amend her mistake. She tells them that they should be free to follow their hearts and find their own love. The Lords' sons agree with this and confess to their fathers that they didn't want to fight over a girl who doesn't want any of it. So they all agree; but Merida notices a guard staring at Elinor's frozen pose and distracts everyone by telling them to got to the cellar to celebrate. When everyone is gone, Elinor is proud of her and they both head to the tapestry room.
As Merida is looking for thread and needles to mend the tapestry, Elinor turns wild again and attacks Merida. When Fergus enters the room she attacks him, and cuts Merida's arm. When Elinor snaps out of it, Merida tries to calm her, but her mother flees in horror as Merida tries to tell Fergus that the bear is Elinor, but Fergus refuses to listen. He locks her in the tapestry room for protection and gives the key to the servant Maudie while he and the Lords go after Elinor. Merida starts crying again and calls out until her brothers show up... but they, too, have been turned into bears for eating of the cursed cake. She tells them to get the key. They release Merida, and all four ride on Angus while Merida frantically sews up the tapestry. They follow a trail of will o' the wisps to where Elinor was captured. Merida fights Fergus to keep him from killing Elinor, until he is convinced when the three bear cubs help stop him, and he realizes they are his sons.
Suddenly Mor'du appears and attacks the soldiers and Fergus. Then he attempts to eat Merida until Elinor breaks free from the ropes. She saves Merida just in time and starts fighting Mor'du. After slamming Elinor into one of the stones, he turns to kill Merida, who is holding up a spear against him, until Elinor pulls him back and smashes him against a cracked menhir, which then crushes him to death. A wisp of something rising from his body reveals the image of the prince, who nods to them as if in acknowledgement and gratitude and then disappears. As the sun starts to come up, Merida realizes it is the second sunrise; she grabs the tapestry and throws it around Elinor, but realizes that nothing is happening, much to her shock and sadness. Thinking she has failed, she tearfully hugs her mother. Merida sincerely apologizes for everything, admitting it is her fault, and tells her she loves her. Then the tapestry seals itself around her clumsy stitches. She feels a human hand touching her hair and realizes Elinor is human again. Fergus comes and hugs his wife and daughter and kisses Elinor.
Merida reminds her she is naked under the tapestry and Fergus tells the lords not to look as the triplets, now human once again, come running naked and hugging their parents and elder sister.
Later, Merida and Elinor are sewing a new tapestry together of Merida and Elinor as a bear until they are called to the docks to say goodbye to the Lords. Then they both ride on their horses and journey around Scotland, their mother-daughter relationship and bond even stronger and closer now.
Other Media
Disney INFINITY 2.0
Merida appears as a playable character in the game Disney INFINITY 2.0.
It's a Small World: The Animated Series
Merida has a non-speaking cameo in episode 2, "Bricht and Braw".
Disney Parks
Currently, Merida is a very common character to meet and greet at the various Disney parks. In the Magic Kingdom, she can be found at Fairytale Garden in Fantasyland. At Disneyland Park, she meets guests near the It's a Small World attraction near a gate used as a parade terminus. She is also seen sometimes at the World Showcase in Epcot.
Merida received a few changes for the "deluxe princess" redesign. Her dress is brighter in color, is now off-the-shoulders, and was given glittery designs of celtic patterns and on her arms with a belt with a piece of a kilt with the pattern representing Clan DunBroch. Merida's thick curly reddish-orange hair is much smoother, for it was quite thick in her film.
There has, however, been controversy on her redesign from her creator, citing among other things, sexism.
Update to this controversy: In response to the petition on Change.org, with over 200,000 signatures, Disney says that this controversy had been "blown out of proportion" and that this redesign will be used for a "limited line of products" and as a "one-time stylized version" for Merida's coronation.[1] Even though many are convinced that Disney has pulled Merida's redesign (because she appears like she does in her movie on the Disney Princess website), this is not true. The Disney Princess website was never updated with Merida's redesign, so, like Disney insisted, you can't push back to something that was never changed to begin with."[2]
Between May and October of 2013, Disney used Merida's Pixar appearance in marketing. In October, a new redesign of Merida, that was more in line with the public's wishes was released.
As of 2014, new redesign of Merida is used only in her 'personal' marketing, when she is alone in merchandise. In products where she is seen along with other Princesses (also in all press releases, books and magazines) her old 'coronation'-redesign is used, to make her look more match to other Princesses.
- She joined the Disney Princess line-up on May 11, 2013, making her the 11th Disney Princess in the franchise, and so far the only Disney Princess to not come from the Disney Animated Canon.
- In fact, she is the first whose film is not a musical, though two of the songs were sung by characters.
- She is the second Disney Princess with red hair (the first being Ariel from The Little Mermaid) and the third Disney Princess with blue eyes (the first two being Cinderella and Ariel, and followed by Anna and Elsa).
- She is the 2nd computer-animated Disney Princess and the 2nd one with freckles, the first being Rapunzel, followed by Anna and Elsa.
- She is the second Disney Princess to have her film rated PG after Rapunzel from Tangled, and followed by Anna and Elsa from Frozen.
- She is the second Princess to have biological siblings (Ariel being the first and Anna and Elsa being the third and fourth).
- Merida is the first (and currently the only) Disney Princess to have siblings of the opposite gender (three triplet brothers to be exact), since the other Disney Princesses have sisters, stepsisters, or are an only child.
- Merida is also the first Disney Princess to be the first-born sibling, followed by Elsa being Anna's older sister.
- She is the third Princess to use a weapon (shortbow and arrows) in her feature film. Mulan being the first in using swords and fans, and Rapunzel being the second in using a frying pan (though a frying pan isn't a real weapon; she just uses it for one, making Merida the second to use an actual weapon).
- She is the second Princess to be trained with a bow and arrow, Mulan being the first.
- She is the second Princess to be raised by both of her biological parents for her entire current life, Mulan being the first.
- She is the only Princess who isn't a Spell Card character in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.
- She is the fourth Princess to wear a cape in her feature film. Snow White being the first, Aurora being the second, Mulan (in her soldier uniform) third, and Anna and Elsa being the fifth and sixth. Belle wears one in her direct-to-DVD midquel Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas and Jasmine wears a cape in the Aladdin episode "The Wind Jackal of Mozenrath".
- She is the fourth Princess to have a horse companion. The others being Cinderella, Belle and Mulan.
- Merida is the fifth to be shown physically as a child in her feature film. Cinderella being the first, Aurora the second, Tiana the third, Rapunzel the fourth, Anna the sixth, and Elsa the seventh.
- She is the second Princess to have a parent physically transformed, Ariel being the first.
- She is the second Princess to be visibly wounded (gets cut on her right arm by Elinor as a bear). The first being Mulan (she was cut on her chest by Shan Yu).
- She is the first Princess in a film in which the villain is defeated by a parent.
- She is the fifth Disney Princess in which she has to deal with an unwanted marriage as a major or minor source of conflict. Aurora is the first (in which she did not know the boy she met was Prince Phillip), Belle is the second (as she has to deal with Gaston's intent to marry her solely out of vanity and to fulfill societal norms), Jasmine is the third (in that her father is trying to marry her off before her next birthday), and Pocahontas is the fourth (in that her father is trying to marry her off to Kocoum). Hers is because, like with Jasmine and Pocahontas, one of her parents wants to marry her off.
- She is the second to not have an American accent as she has a Scottish accent, the first being Aurora as she has an English accent, though Tiana's Southern accent makes her the third Princess without a standard American accent.
- Merida is the third Princess with the least redesign update, the first being Tiana, second being Rapunzel.
- Merida is the first Princess to not have a love interest, followed by Elsa.
- Merida is the second Princess to stop her father from killing a loved one (her mother), the first being Pocahontas stopping her father from killing her love (John Smith), although Fergus did not know that the bear he was trying to kill was Elinor and thought that Elinor was already dead because of the bear..
- She is the first and so far only Disney Princess to originate neither from a fairy tale/literature work (Snow White; Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty"; Cinderella; Ariel from "The Little Mermaid"; Belle from "Beauty and the Beast"; Rapunzel; Anna and Elsa from "The Snow Queen"; Tiana from "The Frog Prince"; and Jasmine from the "Aladdin" story of "1001 Arabian Nights") or based on a historical figure (Pocahontas and Mulan).
- She is one of many Princesses to throw a hissy-fit when she gets mad.
- Tia Kratter, responsible for Merida's initial character design, has admitted that Merida was based on British model and actress Lily Cole[3] and Brenda Chapman came up with the concept of Merida's character as a combination of one of her daughters and a friend.
- One of the most notable things is that she is the first female protagonist in all of Pixar history. The second, will be Joy from upcoming film Inside Out.
- Merida is the third heroine/main protagonist to have a talent in a sport. Pocahontas being the first, since she is able to canoe down rapids, and Mulan being the second with martial arts.
- Reese Witherspoon was originally casted to voice Merida, but due to scheduling conflicts, she was replaced by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald.
- The setting location for Merida's story is the 5th specified after Belle (France), Pocahontas (Virginia, USA), Mulan (China) and Tiana (Louisiana, USA). Jasmine is the exception, since though the setting is of Middle Eastern influence and architecture, there is no country name ever mentioned for the location of the Agrabah Kingdom.
- Merida is the third Pixar Princess after Atta and Dot in 1998 from A Bug's Life. However, she is the first human Pixar Princess.
- Merida is the only Pixar Princess in the main Disney Princess franchise, and as such is technically the only Disney Princess to originate from a film not actually made by Disney.
- Merida is the second main character to have a talent for archery and compete in archery tournaments, the first being Robin Hood, but the third character to be a skilled archer, the second being Mulan.
- Merida has more than 1500 individually sculpted, red strands that generate about 111,700 total hairs.
- If Merida's curls were straightened, her hair would be four feet long and reach the middle of her calf.
- With five dresses, plus a cloak, quiver, hand wrap and necklace, as well as torn dresses, Merida has a total of 22 different costumes. She also has five different hairstyles.
- Merida is the second Disney character to say to someone turned into a bear "I don't speak bear". The 1st being Tanana who says that to Kenai when he is a bear.
- Merida is one of the few human heroines to not be seen barefoot in any of her media yet. She shares the likes of this with Snow White, Alice, Eilonwy, Belle, Anna and Elsa.
- Apparently, Merida and Young MacGuffin were going to be the "canon" couple, but then the filmmakers decided it would be better to leave her single.
- DunBroch is thought to be set near Glencoe, Scotland.
- Merida is the third main character of a Pixar film not to have a love interest, the first being Sulley, and the second being Remy.
- After her coronation into the Disney Princess line in May 11, 2013, she is the first Princess to be devoid of a love interest, followed by Elsa.
- Merida is the fourth Disney Princess to choose to run away from home, the first being Snow White, second being Jasmine, third being Mulan, and fifth being Elsa. Ariel and Rapunzel didn't actually run away. They were taking an offer to leave home to fulfill their destinies (Flotsam and Jetsam to Ariel, and Flynn Rider to Rapunzel).
- Merida is the third Disney Princess to be locked in her bedroom by a parental figure, the first being Cinderella and the second being Rapunzel. However, in Merida's case Fergus did this to protect her, while Lady Tremaine did it to Cinderella to stop her from marrying the prince. Some suggest that Elsa could be the third, but her parents did not lock her in her bedroom, they made her stay in there for the majority of her childhood. Ariel also doesn't count as she and her sisters were only grounded/beached (in the 3rd film and in some episodes of the TV series) by King Triton, not locked up. Some suggest that Aurora could be the third after King Stefan locked her in a bedroom in Maleficent. However, in Aurora's case Stefan also did this to protect her and this occurrence might not count since the film is live-action.
- Merida shares her interest in apples with Snow White.
- Merida's hair is softened in her 2D appearance.
- Merida will be the first Disney Princess to wield a weapon in merchandise.
- Merida is the first Disney Princess, since Pocahontas, to be raised as royalty. The others include Snow White, Ariel, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Anna and Elsa.
- Merida is the first flesh-and-blood Pixar meet-in-greet character in any of the Disney Parks.
- Merida is the first Princess to debut in a redesigned costume rather than a plain design (in her case, because her former 2D controversial redesign).
- Merida is the third Princess with a controversial redesign, the first two being Pocahontas and Mulan.
- Merida is the first Princess to come from an original story which is considered a fairy tale.
- Merida is currently the third Disney Princess without a sequel, with the first two being Snow White and Tiana. She is followed by Anna and Elsa.
- Merida is the first and only Princess to not sing at all in her current age. However, she did sing a song as a child with her mother, "Noble Maiden Faire", which is considered the film's main theme song.
- Her name means "honorable" in Gaelic.
- All six members of the royal DunBroch family have been seen without their clothes at one point, but Merida is the only one that actually wears undergarments (a long, white shift resembling a white version of her dark blue-green dress, it also doubles as her nightgown). She is also the fourth Disney female to be seen in her undergarments, after Esmeralda, Mulan, and Rapunzel (behind-the-scenes only). Unlike their underdresses, which have shoulder straps, hers has long sleeves.
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Welcome to our earthship
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1. What is 30# and 60# roofing felt?
Thank you everyone who answered this for us: It's basically bitumen sheets which come in different thicknesses. We'll try and work out what 30 and 60# equate to here and let you know.
2. How can we achieve the right R-value?
Between the ceiling and final roofing there needs to be a layer of insulation. It's recommended that this is to specific an R-value. We can't find rigid polyurethane insulation here, all we've found so far is expanded polystyrene which has a very differenet R-value. We've seen sprayed on polyurethane. To get the recommended R-value using polystyrene we need 30cm of it. This increases the depth of the roof by 10cm, but we can't see that being a problem....yet.
4. How do we join the roof beams?
Because we've increased the width of the U we have to give extra support for the roof beams. We're doing this by adding in two centre columns that hold a main beam stretching from front to back. This beam will then take the weight of the cross beams which will join on top of it. Because all the beams are round there is a very small area of contact. We didn't want to flatten them off too much because we didn't want to take the strength out of them.
Dave has been talking to Joseph who is building an earthship in Northern Spain. He's a carpenter and has given us some great advice. I'll put up diagrams soon of what we are doing based on his advice. Thanks Joseph.
3. What is roof under-layment?
Building the tyre walls for an earthship is a very straightforward process. The Earthship books detail how to do it properly and after learning that it's just a matter of muscle and stamina. The books also show all the other stages in great detail, for instance the roof and greenhouse construction. Because of local conditions, regulations, new knowledge and materials these areas sometimes need input from local specialists. We're at the roofing stage at present and have tried to find out from local roofers what materials are easily available. It seems that roof construction here in Almeria, Spain is very different from British or American construction. The language change is also something we have to take into account. Luckily Dave is fluent in Spanish but we're still finding it hard to get the recommended materials and knowledge locally.
So, we thought we'd set up this area to list all the questions we have ourselves and that others have asked. If anyone has answers we'll be forever grateful and will put them up here for everyone to have access to. After all, the more people who build Earthships the better for the planet.

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Below is a small assortment of just some of the great candles, bath collections, and accessories you can find here. But in order to see it all, we invite you to come in, browse the store and our selection, and enjoy everything that makes Abode so special.
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At a certain point—say, four films into the Ed Burns oeuvre—being disappointed is no one's fault but your own. There is a somewhat pleasant sameness to the writer/director's films, like shuffling off to the old neighborhood pub every weekend. Everyone looks the same, sounds the same and concerns themselves with the same issues: weddings, funerals, procreation, childhood memories, the troubling matter of ambition…what beers are available on tap.
Burns' eleventh film, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, about a tribe of adult siblings debating whether or not to include their dying dad who abandoned them all some 20 years ago in their holiday celebration, is promised in press materials as a return to "the Irish-Catholic/working class milieu" of The Brothers McMullen and She's the One. This supposes one believes Burns ever left that milieu; I would argue he has merely taken his same point of view on a jaunt, traversing the sorts of locations and situations that a byproduct of an Irish Catholic/working class milieu who made it good might encounter. In other words, following a similar path to the one Burns has been on since The Brothers McMullen's out-of-nowhere Sundance win in 1995. For instance, Burns' 2006 film The Groomsmen, shot in and around City Island, New York, and featuring Burns as a successful writer reluctantly marrying his pregnant girlfriend and Donal Logue as his resentful brother trying get his own wife pregnant, looked a lot like The Brothers McMullen Having Babies to me.
(LIST: TIME's Best Movies of 2012, and The Worst)
With The Fitzgerald Family Christmas Burns amps up the number of siblings to seven, thereby ensuring that the viewer will stay alert desperately trying to sort out who are brothers, sisters or possibly just attractive bystanders. The movie features an all-star cast of Burns' faithful regulars, including Nashville's Connie Britton, who played his sister-in-law in McMullen and here plays Burns' love interest. His character, Gerry, is the stay-at-home sibling who runs the family restaurant, cares for their mother Rosie (Anita Gillette), plays intermediary for the wayward dad (Ed Lauter) and tries to corral his siblings into doing right on holidays and special occasions. Burns' characters in Burns films tend to be either churlish wise guys (Nice Guy Johnny) or sweetie pies just trying to figure it out; Gerry is distinguished from the crowd of sweetie pies mainly by being older, greasier (talk about dressing down) and nearly saintly.
Gerry's six siblings include a reasonably successful financier brother (Michael McGlone, one of the original McMullens) who is—what else?—debating getting married, a fresh from rehab brother (Thomas Guiry) and four sisters. One is the family slut (Marsha Dietlein), who hasn't let age slow her down, one is primarily notable for being mean (Heather Burns), another (Caitlin Fitzgerald) for being abused by her lousy husband, and the sassy youngest (Kerry Bishé) for trying to catch up with the family slut. This crowd of stereotypes creates such a cacophony of conversation, resentments and rivalries that it is a challenge to sort out who, if anyone other than Gerry, to care about.
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas was shot in the locations Burns has always favored; recognizably New York outskirts but very everyman (places like Queens Village and Valley Stream on Long Island). The Fitzgerald homestead and the old, rundown neighborhood feels plenty authentic, but in Fitzgerald, as with every Burns' film I've seen, so little action takes place that really, the setting could just be adjoining couches, with characters shouting affectionate quips and insults at each other. Other than the debate over letting Daddy come for roast beef and Yorkshire pudding at the homestead on Christmas day (the matriarch Rosie says over her dead body), the primary action lies with Gerry improving his life. Having spent many years in mourning for a fiancée killed on September 11, Gerry is, as they say, ready to love again, as in, about three minutes after he first lays eyes on Britton's character Nora, a nurse doing homecare for Gerry's woulda-been-mother-in-law (Joyce Van Patten). They're gentle and relaxed together, and I applaud the casting of Britton, who looks and acts the right age for Gerry, but even a modicum of dramatic tension over whether these two are going to hook up would have added some zip to the story.
(READ: James Poniewozik on Connie Britton in Nashville)
Suspense isn't Burns' thing though, and it may be foolish to even ask for it this far into his career. Burns has made it crystal clear what his style is: lots of chatty, mostly amiable folks, working out their not so troubling differences in the greater New York metropolitan area. In the beginning, with those McMullen brothers, Burns was pegged as an Irish-American Woody Allen, and he built himself a small but loyal fan base as a result. But even Woody travels these days and occasionally casts his net in unexpected directions. (Were we delighted by Midnight in Paris because it was so good, or because it was so goofily different from Woody's norm? The latter, I believe.) Burns is too content in his own past to ever become a revolutionary filmmaker. But he could get off the proverbial couch, travel, meet some new people and show some of the spark he brings to his actor-for-hire work. He gave more energetic performances in two lame movies this year, the awful Alex Cross and the forgettable Man on a Ledge, than he does in his own labor of love. See how I keep rooting for him? I like a neighborhood bar too.


text: Courses » Please see the Schedule of Classes for the current semester's offerings. For descriptions of current courses, click here. POLITICAL SCIENCE (POLI) Courses in political science are divided into subfields. Those numbered x1xx are courses in American politics; x2xx are in comparative politics; x3xx are in international relations; x4xx are in political theory; and x5xx are general or cross-field courses. Courses numbered 1xxx are introductory level courses; courses numbered 2xxx are electives, for which the introductory course is generally recommended or required; courses numbered 3xxx are advanced seminars that will usually have particular prerequisites; and 4xxx level courses are independent reading or research projects. POLI 1101 Introduction to American Politics (3 credits) Overview of the formal institutions and functions of the national government (Congress, presidency, courts); their interactions with state and local governments, and with informal institutions of political power (political parties, interest groups, social movements, public opinion, media). POLI 1105 Issues in American Public Policy (3 credits) An examination of how, where, and why policy is created, with particular attention to domestic policy making. Substantive focus varies; areas may include Social Security, welfare, health care, economic policy and budgeting, and environmental policy. POLI 1201 Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 credits) Why are some countries rich and others poor? What is the relationship between human rights and economic development? How can we explain differences and similarities in the domestic politics of countries throughout the world? These and other questions are explored through an examination of countries representative of different regions, political systems, and levels of development. POLI 1301 Introduction to International Relations (3 credits) Nation-state system since World War I (national power, national interest, foreign policy formulation); development of international relations from the League of Nations to the United Nations and present regional systems; impact of modern weaponry; war and peace; globalization and the post-cold war world order. POLI 1305 American Foreign Policy (3 credits) How American foreign policy is made and implemented; the interrelationship of foreign and domestic policies; the military-industrial complex; the media and the foreign policy making process; objectives of American foreign policy; the United States as an international actor in the post-cold war order; the United Nations and the United States. POLI 1501 Fundamentals of Political Science (3 credits) Meaning, principles, and major fields of political science; development of the state; civil and political rights; law and the judicial process; theories of the state such as democracy, socialism, communism, fascism; international relations. Recommended for those students who might be considering a major in the department, or for non-majors who would like an overview of the discipline. POLI 2100 The American Presidency (3 credits) Presidential power in domestic and international affairs, and in relation to the rest of the political system, in historical perspective. POLI 2105 Congress and the Legislative Process (3 credits) What the U.S. Congress does and why, and what tools are available to examine and understand congressional elections and legislative behavior. POLI 2110 Public Administration and Bureaucratic Politics (3 credits) Theories of organizational behavior and management; relationships between administrators and politicians and between administrators and interest groups; political implications of the bureaucratic state. POLI 2115 State and Urban Politics (3 credits) Roles and functions of state and local governments in the American federal system; impact of political parties, interest groups, race, and class on the development and operations of the American city. POLI 2120 National Institutions (3 credits) In-depth examination of the executive, legislature, and judiciary; their development over time; their interactions with each other. POLI 2125 Political Parties and Interest Groups (3 credits) History, evolution, and function of political parties; role of interest groups in national politics and policy making; relationship between parties and pressure groups, and their separate and joint influence. POLI 2130 Public Opinion and Political Behavior (3 credits) Methods for measuring and evaluating public opinion across a range of issues, and the role opinion plays in politics and policy making. POLI 2135 Voting and Elections (3 credits) Methods by which American elections are conducted; means of voter mobilization; explaining levels of voter participation. POLI 2140 Law and Politics (3 credits) The role of the courts in state and national politics; judicial decision making. POLI 2145 American Constitutional Law (3 credits) Changing interpretations of the meaning of the U.S. Constitution, with particular attention to decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. POLI 2150 Civil Liberties (3 credits) Limits on government power and the rights of individuals, especially as enshrined in the Bill of Rights. POLI 2155 Politics of Criminal Justice (3 credits) History and current functions of the criminal justice system, with particular attention to matters of race and class. POLI 2156 Women and the Law (3 credits) What does the law say about a woman's right to live free from violence and discrimination, control her own reproductive destiny, and create a family? How did the law get to where it is now, and where should it go from here? These are some of the questions addressed in this highly interactive course, with a particular emphasis on issues of employment discrimination (including sexual harassment), violence against women, family law, and reproductive rights. POLI 2160 American Social Movements (3 credits) Theoretical perspectives appropriate to the analysis of political, religious, and cultural movements; case studies of civil rights movement, women's movement, and others. POLI 2165 Women and Politics (3 credits) Analysis of how gender shapes the social, economic, and political possibilities for women. Various topics addressed such as education, employment discrimination, violence against women, welfare, reproduction and other current political debates. POLI 2170 Media and Politics (3 credits) Role of the fourth estate in American politics and policy making, with special focus on television and new media; the history and use of political propaganda. POLI 2175 Race and Religion in American Politics (3 credits) How race and religion have shaped American institutions and fueled partisan strife; how these divisions continue to affect political discourse and social policy. Analysis of the political mobilization of African Americans and conservative evangelicals. POLI 2180 The American Welfare State (3 credits) History of American efforts to provide economic and social security to its citizens; evaluation of their effects; debates about legitimate role of government in social welfare provision. POLI 2190 through 2199 Topics in American Politics (3 credits) Selected issues in American politics. POLI 2200 Politics of Advanced Democracies (3 credits) Contemporary issues in advanced industrial countries. Topics include political parties, party systems, political culture, ideologies, bureaucracy, interest groups, political economy, policy process, regional integration, and globalization. POLI 2201 European Political Development (3 credits) The European Union as a political, economic experiment in transnational regional integration, supranational policy making, the democracy deficit, enlargement issues, neoliberalism, immigration, and Europe as regional imperium. POLI 2205 African Politics (3 credits) Major political developments in contemporary Africa, including the impact of colonial administration on contemporary politics, ethnic conflict, the prominence of the military in Africa's politics, neo-patrimonial modes of governance, and the prospects for reform and political change. POLI 2210 East Asian Politics (3 credits) Pacific Ocean states as the power hub of the 21st century, with emphasis on Japan and China. Globalization dynamics in East Asia and the Asian Tigers; impact of the rise of East Asia on the United States, Canada, and Latin America. POLI 2215 Latin American Politics (3 credits) Contemporary politics in Central and South America, focusing on the role of elites, the military, political parties, and civil society; attention to issues including neo-liberalism, the politics of identity, and inter-American politics. POLI 2220 Middle East Politics (3 credits) Major issues confronting the Middle East; religion and politics; challenges to economic development and democratization. POLI 2225 Politics of Countries in Transition from Communism (3 credits) Rise and fall of the Soviet empire; emergence of the Commonwealth of Independent States; problems of democratization and privatization; U.S.-Russian relations after the cold war; Russia as an international actor. POLI 2235 Israeli Politics (3 credits) Nature of and challenges to Israel's democracy; how security concerns translate into domestic politics; the role of Zionism in Israel's heritage and future; and the social and economic tests that the society has faced. POLI 2240 Escaping Poverty, Oppression, and Violence: Problems of Development (3 credits) Sources and possible solutions to problems that limit the development of poor countries. Importance of colonialism, nationalism, alternative models of political and economic development; problems of instability, military rule, population, famine, debt. POLI 2245 Race, Nation, and Ethnicity in a Global World (3 credits) Politics of identity, xenophobia, and ethnic conflict in developing and advanced societies. POLI 2250 Social Movements: Mobilizing for Change (3 credits) The complexities of collective political behavior: how, why, and when do people come together, organize, and mobilize to bring about or to resist social or political change? Why are some groups more successful than others? POLI 2255 Regime and Opposition (3 credits) How do opposition groups rise up to oppose those in power? When does opposition become violent? What role does the structure of political regimes play in determining the dynamic of regime-opposition relations? POLI 2260 Democratization (3 credits) Comparative study of the wave of democratization that has swept much of Latin America, Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union; the political, economic, and social causes of this trend. POLI 2265 Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective (3 credits) Causes and impact of the rising importance of religion in the politics of selected countries. POLI 2290 through 2299 Topics in Comparative Politics (3 credits) Selected issues in comparative politics. POLI 2310 European Foreign Policy: Trends and Issues (3 credits) The European Union as an emerging international actor; globalization; EU as military power and as peacekeeper; NATO, the EU and U.S. hegemony; foreign policy objectives in the Maghreb states of North Africa; Russia; the Middle East, China, Latin America. POLI 2315 International Law and Organizations (3 credits) Development of principles of public law governing the relations of states and analysis of these principles; problem of individual responsibility; role of diplomacy, international organizations, and international tribunals; review of selected international law cases. POLI 2320 Money and Power in International Politics (3 credits) Political foundations of economic policy making, the struggle among states for control of the international economy, and the potentially violent after-effects of economic change. POLI 2325 Intelligence and National Security (3 credits) Relationship between intelligence and national security policy making, with particular focus on the United States. POLI 2330 Terrorism and Low-Intensity Conflict (3 credits) Investigates the two distinct but related phenomena of terrorism and guerilla warfare. POLI 2335 Civil Wars and Intra-State Conflict (3 credits) Since 1945, the vast majority of wars have taken place within states rather than between them. Examine the causes of these wars as well as their international implications. POLI 2340 International Relations of the Middle East (3 credits) Factors that help us better understand and analyze the Intra-state relations of the Middle East and North Africa, including impact of colonialism, nationalism, regional crises and wars, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Special attention to historical and contemporary interaction between the Middle East and the United States. POLI 2345 Ethnic Conflict and Genocide (3 credits) Since 1945, the majority of conflicts have taken place within states rather than between them. We will examine the causes of these conflicts, including the role of ethnicity and power and their international implications and try to understand the mobilization of process leading to mass killings. POLI 2390 through 2399 Topics in International Relations (3 credits) Selected issues in international relations. POLI 2405 Classical Political Theory (3 credits) Philosophical analyses of and propositions about political power that have shaped the Western political tradition in its anti-democratic and democratic variants; emphasis on Plato and Aristotle; development of the classical Greek (and Roman) tradition(s) in medieval thinkers; Machiavelli (Renaissance) and Rousseau (modern). POLI 2410 Modern Political Theory (3 credits) Political thought in the 17th to 19th centuries. Theories of rights and property; moral agency; theories of state, justice, and civil society. English, French, and German liberalism (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant). Hegel's social theory. Marx's critique. POLI 2415 Contemporary Political Theory (3 credits) Trends in Anglo-American and in Continental political philosophy with emphasis on the development of democratic thought (Rawls, Nozick) and the critique of democratic theory as practicable within the contemporary state (Foucault, Habermas); postmodern thought (Levinas, Derrida). POLI 2430 American Political Thought (3 credits) Readings in classical and contemporary commentaries on the American political experience; analysis of historical and geographical factors shaping the American political mind and tradition; impact of religion, slavery, ethnicity, and racism; antidemocratic thought in America. POLI 2435 Contemporary Political Ideologies (3 credits) Rise of ideology with mass politics and its political function; mass revolutionary movements like communism and fascism; democratic New Politics; religion as political ideology; Left and Right in contemporary America and other democracies. POLI 2440 Israeli Political Thought (3 credits) Can Israel be both a Jewish State and a democratic state? This course focuses on historical and contemporary debates within Israel on the meaning of a Jewish democratic state. It also includes relevant Israeli and Palestinian Arab literature and commentary. POLI 2490 through 2499 Topics in Political Theory (3 credits) Selected issues in political theory. POLI 2505 Topics in Political Science (3 credits) Selected issues in the discipline of political science. POLI 3110 Seminar: American Political Development (3 credits) Examination of durable patterns of institutional development and reallocations of institutional power discernible over the long sweep of American history. POLI 3115 Seminar: Dynamics of American Politics (3 credits) Intensive survey of current research on American politics and political behavior including voting, elections, media effects, legislative politics, democratic theory, and political manipulation. POLI 3175 Seminar: American Politics (3 credits) Seminar on issues in American politics. POLI 3205 Seminar: Welfare States in Comparative Perspective (3 credits) Rise (and decline?) of the provision of social welfare benefits by states across the globe. POLI 3210 Seminar: Resilience of Authoritarianism in the Middle East (3 credits) Contending approaches to explaining the democratic deficit in the Middle East. POLI 3225 Seminar: Nation and State Building in the Post-Cold War Era (3 credits) American foreign policy, the democratic peace proposition and nation state building; problems associated with democratizing transitional states emerging from collapsed authoritarian regimes; historical precedents for nation-state building; the military as state builder. POLI 3230 Seminar: European Politics (3 credits) Seminar on current issues in European politics. POLI 3275 Seminar: Comparative Politics (3 credits) Seminar on issues in comparative politics. POLI 3300 Seminar: International Security (3 credits) Major theories, concepts, and research programs associated with the study of international security. Addresses such topics as grand strategy, military strategy and statecraft, war termination, alliance politics, civil military relations. POLI 3305 Seminar: Statecraft Analysis (3 credits) When and why policy makers use different techniques of statecraft. Topics include military force, coercive diplomacy, economic sanctions, covert action. POLI 3310 Seminar: Globalization (3 credits) Examines the extent to which claims that the international economy is more integrated than ever before are true and the implications globalization has for economic development. POLI 3315 Seminar Humanitarian Intervention (3 credits) Examines when, how, and why it is justified to militarily intervene in the domestic affairs of countries to protect lives and rights, and the political costs of doing so. POLI 3375 Seminar: International Relations (3 credits) Seminar on issues in international relations. POLI 3475 Seminar: Political Theory (3 credits) Seminar on issues in political theory. POLI 3575 Research Methods (3 credits) Introduction to quantitative and/or qualitative research methods used in the social sciences generally and within political science more particularly. School Navigation Menu Home Courses Requirements Faculty Resources Apply Now Related Links Housing Office of Admissions Office of Student Finance Visiting


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There has always been a question whether God's obedient people should observe Halloween or not. Now that my children are grown, I don't observe it. I'm not a big fan of evil scary stuff or scary movies; but when my kids were growing up, it seemed cruel to make them stay home doing nothing when everyone else was getting candy, so I set some rules. No evil or scary costumes or decorations or movies, and we go with them from door to door, and when they were too big to go door to door, they could have a small party if the friends also didn't have evil costumes and there were no evil decorations, only cute Halloween/fall stuff. We had quite a bit of fun doing it that way.
I hoped so much that my husband would be here tonight, able to see the adorable children in their costumes at the door, asking for candy. I get angry at the government for every occasion and special day that I miss without him. It's almost a mourning feeling as if he has been taken away from me. I was promised by the government in the Spring of this year that he would be home before our wedding anniversary which comes in 2 weeks. 4 years. I am now not even sure if he will be here for Christmas. I am drained, always being on the edge of my seat waiting for notification of when my life with him will begin.
I called my lawyer and every government agency I could think of this week, trying to find out where to begin to find someone in the Canadian Embassy, who will search for his paperwork to see if it's lost or what the delay was, since we have passed three dates that we were promised he would be here.
I know that for years I have been being taught that all delays have a purpose, but still I am impatient.
I had 3 boxes of files that I brought home to sort through, and yesterday was like a living nightmare while I was still awake. I was reliving every crisis I had ever gone through while living in the USA. Loss of my husband, home, kids, papers from car accidents, letters insulting me from doctors, medical records, bankruptcy, refusal letter from disability, notes from my daughter's various traumas, disagreement with my bishop, daughter's suicide attempt, her divorce, all the important documents I had to keep for future reference. Well I have no use for those papers now, thank goodness, so they are trashed and I never have to look at them again. I was so exhausted after that, I think I slept for 4 hours before I could get up and get Mom something to eat.
The wind is 100 kilometers per hour yesterday and today...not great for little children with costumes!! Wind also causes positive ions to mess with people's moods, so in areas where there is a lot of wind, you find a lot of alcoholism. Maybe the wind intensified the emotions I felt from that file.
I still have a whole box of files to go through. Pictures of my ex's family, my ex, papers he might want/need, records from my children's education and life that I need to send to them, and I miss them so much, I have only them once since I left USA 11 years ago, so each file is full of tears for me.
Even though I almost live in bed, my life is never boring!
OK...now some GOOD news...GOD DOES PROVIDE! I got an unexpected check in the mail from the government. They said they owed me some money, it was almost $200, so that helped a lot.
I found out that every time I use my debit card, I was collecting points that I could trade in for things in a gift book that they offer. I have been collecting points for 10 years, so I now have enough points to pay for either the hotel room for a week for the honeymoon, or for part of hubby's flight here! That has replaced the honeymoon savings I lost during the move!!
So I know God is watching out for me/us and providing for us.
Despite the stress, there are many blessings to count. Or as my favorite reading states,
Here is the whole reading.
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
As far as possible, without surrender,
If you compare yourself with others,
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
Therefore be at peace with God,
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,


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