Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Week 11 Reading Notes Part B

For the second part of the Inuit unit, there were many stories about the interactions between certain animals and humans. One in particular stuck out to me, as it was about a spider (Unktomi) who was attempting to be a trickster.

Notes:

  • Unktomi, the spider, had found some bright red plums, and decided to trick the widows down the street with them.
  • The widows asked where the plums were from, and he pointed to a great red cloud far away.
  • The widows proclaimed how they wished someone could take care of their babies while they got some plums.
  • Unktomi said that he would, and as soon as they left, he cut the babies heads off.
  • He then replaced their bodies with old blankets, and put the heads back
  • He took the baby bodies and made a soup with them
  • When the widows came back, he told them that he made soup and that the babies were sleeping, so they shouldn't awake them.
  • When they had finished the soup, they realized their babies were dead, and that Unktomi was the culprit.
  • By then, Unktomi was already gone down a hole.
  • He painted his face in disguise, and pretended to be a stranger worried about what had happened.
  • When the widows told him, he vowed to fight "Unktomi", and returned with scratches proclaiming victory.
  • The widows believed him, and Unktomi was able to bait them into the hole and kill them as well.

Story source: Myths and Legends of the Sioux by Marie McLaughlin (1916).

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Week 11: Reading Notes Part A

This week I decided to read stories about the Inuit mythology. I thought these stories were interesting because they place in the times of the Inuit people, while using magic and animate animals to convey stories. My favorite story from the first half of the unit was about the Rabbit and Bear with the Flint Body.

Notes:

  • Rabbit and his grandmother had an issue, because they did not have any more arrows for the hunt
  • Rabbit could make arrow sticks fine, but did not have anything for the arrow heads
  • The only place he could get flint was the great bear chief, who had all of the flint in the world in his body
  • The Bear told rabbit to strike off flint, and Rabbit kept taking very small pieces, to which the Bear grew impatient.
  • Rabbit then struck hard, and the Bear split in two, leaving only the flint part.
  • The bears got mad, and rabbit was forced to kill them, which is why there are not very many bears left.
I always enjoy stories that reveal the reason for a natural phenomenon, although this one turned out to be quite dark.


Story source: Myths and Legends of the Sioux by Marie McLaughlin (1916).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Week 10 Story Lab

In the Osiris myth, the most important Egyptian myth, Set is portrayed as the usurper who killed and mutilated his own brother Osiris. He was mad that Osiris was king, and chopped Osiris up into many pieces. Osiris's wife Isis reassembled his corpse and resurrected her dead husband long enough to conceive his son and heir Horus. However, Osiris could never fully be whole again, and was forced to be the God of the Underworld. Horus sought revenge upon Set, and there are many myths describing the battles between Horus and Set. It is interesting, however, that all of these Gods are in such contention, as they are technically related. I think that is something that is very interesting, and I can potentially use to tie into my storybook. The familial interaction is something that I have always been interested in, and think it would work well with the story.


Week 10 Alaskan Stories Part B

For the second part of the unit, I chose to take notes over the story about the boy in the moon.

Notes:

  • There lived 4 brothers and a sister, and a boy who was friends with the sister
  • The boy was lazy and did not like to hunt
  • The little boy eventually falls in love with the girl.
  • One day, the girl saw a ladder leading to the sky.
  • As she began to climb, her brothers got worried, and yelled after her
  • The little boy climbed after her, but she was too far ahead.
  • The girl became the sun, and the boy became the moon
  • The moon always chases the sun, but will never catch her.


Story source: Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Week 10: Alaskan Stories Reading Notes A

This week, I will focus on Native American stories and myths from the region of Alaska. A big portion of these myths are revolved around the legend of the raven. This is what I took notes on.

Notes

  • There was the first man who was born out of a pea pod.
  • He began to explore the world, and drank some of the pond water
  • A raven then realized that he was there, and transformed into a man to talk to the new man.
  • The man described the water he was in as "soft", and the raven brought him to "harder" lands
  • The Raven then went to get food (berries) for the man, and the man felt better
  • The Raven created some animals, explaining to the man how they were precious and should be placed in very specific locations.
  • Finally, the Raven created a companion for the man, in the form of a woman.
Illustration from Judson's book

Story source: Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Week 9 Story: Don't Lie to Me

After another long day at work, Jack and Ken decided to go out for drinks. They asked around the office, and Julie, who Ken was interested in, wanted to go as well. This was fine, but Ken did not know that Jack was also interested.

Later, at the bar, Ken and Jack both were chatting with Julie when Jack asked Ken about his new sports car, knowing he drove a Prius. Ken was very confused, but thought Jack was simply being a wingman. Ken went on and on about how expensive it was and how much he loved driving it. Julie was very interested in cars, and kept asking Ken questions about his new car, until he didn't even know the answers. Jack, on the other hand, kept telling the truth about his car, and Julie didn't seem to mind. It was at this point that Ken became flustered and decided to make up another lie, this time about the work he did for charity. The more he talked, the more suspicious Julie got, as Jack continued to seem like a normal guy and Ken seemed to have it all, even though they worked the same job. This continued for a few hours, until some more of Ken's friends walked in.

Ken's friends from college, who did not know what was going on, started poking fun at Ken for his car as they usually did. Ken tried to play it off.

"Oh yeah, the Prius is what I use for longer distances, because it's better for the environment," Ken said.

However, his friends saw right through him, and asked him to show them his sports car. Julie agreed, and wanted Ken to show her his charity as well. At this point, Ken did not know what to do, as he had led himself down a rabbit-hole of lies, and was completely stuck. The next day, Ken showed up to work, and Julie and her friends just laughed.

Author's Note: This story was based on the famous Tar-Baby story from the Brer Rabbit unit. Although it is not exactly the same, the idea that the Brer Rabbit gets stuck in the Tar-Baby. However, in my version, it is not a physical Tar-Baby, but rather a trap of lies. Ken begins to lie more and more and eventually gets stuck. I decided to change the representation of the Tar-Baby so that it could fit in a more modern sense.



Story source: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Week 9 Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit Part B

For this unit, my favorite story was Mr. Fox and the Deceitful Frogs. This story was relatively simple, but I was pretty surprised that Brer Fox was the one getting deceived in this story, as that kind of goes against the precedent set before.

Notes:

  • The frogs were yelling at Brer Fox, and mocking him and taunting him
  • They told him to wade into the pond
  • Brer Fox was looking for his brother, and he did see a fox on the other side of the pond
  • Brer Fox reached out for his brother, and fell into the water
  • He didn't drown, he barely escaped before the Mud Turtle got him, as the frogs had tricked him indeed.



Story source: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Week 9 Reading: Brer Rabbit Part A

My favorite story from this unit is definitely a classic, and one that many people have heard of before. It is the story of the Tar Baby, and has been reproduced many times, but originates from African stories.

Notes:

  • Brer Fox made a tar-baby out of tar and turpentine
  • He placed the Tar-Baby on the side of the road, and waited for someone to come along
  • Brer Rabbit came, and saw the Tar-Baby
  • Brer Rabbit attempts to engage in conversation with Tar-Baby, but the Tar-Baby does not respond
  • Brer Rabbit gets mad at Tar-Baby for not responding, and eventually threatened to hit him
  • He finally punched the Tar-Baby, and got stuck
  • He gets mad again, and decides to hit the baby with his other hand, both his feet, and even his head
  • This is when Brer Fox comes out, proclaimes that Brer Rabbit looks "stuck" and starts laughing until he cannot anymore


Story source: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Week 8 Progress

I am very happy with the progress I've made in this class. There have been a few times where I have almost missed an assignment, but I don't think I've missed the grace period deadline yet. I should be on track for an A, fingers crossed. The only thing I'd like to do for the rest of the semester is to focus on getting ahead. I have a few big projects in other classes towards the end of the semester, so I'd like to finish this course early if possible.

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

I think that the comments I have received on my blog posts and stories have been very beneficial. I am able to see things from a point of view other than that of myself and the professor, which is often very helpful. When we write, we have a very extreme bias that is difficult to shake, because we read over things in the same mindset with which we wrote them. I hope that I am also leaving constructive feedback on other people's blogs. Simple praise is not going to actually help anyone improve their writing, so I try to leave at least one suggestion for improvement every time. Looking forward, I want to continue to comment as I am, but also try to comment on the same stories I have already commented on to see what kind of changes they have made. I think that peer feedback is critical to success in a class designed like this one.


I chose this image because 1) the cat was cute and 2) The lesson it teaches is so important when trying new things, or doing anything in general. You cannot succeed without making mistakes, as I think mistakes make the most valuable lessons.

Week 8 Reading and Writing

Looking back

Overall, I think that the readings I've done have been very interesting. When selecting the readings I wanted to do, I made sure to read a quick summary before committing fully, as a reading that is not captivating is not going to be enjoyable to read, and subsequently write about. I think my favorite so far has been the Monkey King, because it was one that I had no prior knowledge about, which made it much more exciting. I am satisfied with my blog posts, although sometimes I struggle with writing creatively. I am great at writing analysis and taking notes, but when it comes time to actually construct something from scratch, it definitely takes some effort. I think this class is helping a lot with that, and I'm glad I'm forced to practice those skills weekly. I think I am reading and taking notes very effectively, and will continue using the same strategies. Looking forward, I want to be more ahead of the deadlines, instead of waiting until the last moment to do things. This takes off a lot of stress for my other classes.


I included this image because I think it reflects the journey I have taken in this class and others very well. The first step to success is always to try, and it is not always an easy journey. I like to reflect on learning strategies like this one occasionally.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Week 7 Story - The Chosen One

He had been put down, disregarded, and looked past for years. It became harder each day to keep moving forward with confidence, although confidence had never been an issue for him. This man was Baker Mayfield, and people had been doubting him since the day he stepped foot on a football field.

One day, Lincoln Riley calls Baker, and asks him to take his talents to Oklahoma. OU had always looked for hidden talent, and Baker seemed like the perfect fit. Baker had played at Texas Tech, but when he came to OU, he felt like a completely new player.

Things were going smoothly for Baker, until the Sooners played the feared Tennessee Volunteers. It was a rough game for him, but he found a way to mount a 17 point comeback. Sooner fans everywhere were in awe, as this was not something a quarterback has been able to do in the near past. They declared him a Heisman contender, and praised him like a king. Of course, Baker had mentors himself, including Lincoln Riley, and although he sometimes made brash decisions, he was good-natured and hard-working. Great things would come for Baker and the Sooners, and they lived this way until meeting the Auburn Tigers later that year. Once named King of the Football Team, he decided on his most trusted counselors and advisors, including Dede Westbrook, Mark Andrews, and Joe Mixon. This supporting cast made his career much smoother, as they were so talented he didn't have to be as perfect to get wins.

Like any great hero, Baker had his trials and tribulations. Losses to Auburn, Houston, and Georgia each stung uniquely throughout his career. However, under the mentorship of the great Lincoln Riley, he was able to overcome these and prosper in his next phase of life: The NFL

Author's Note: This story was based on the first chapter of the Monkey King story. This story tells the tale of a stone monkey who was born with powers, and proved himself to the rest of the monkeys that he was worthy of being king. Obviously, as my story was based on a real person and real events, some of the elements of the original Monkey King story were changed. However, I found that the story of Baker Mayfield fit the origin story of the Monkey King pretty well.

Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Reading Notes B: The Monkey King

My favorite story from the second part was Laotzse.

Notes:


  • The Great Saint was about to strike fairies that woke him from his nap, but the fairies said they were sent by the Queen-Mother
  • The Queen Mother did not invite The Great Saint to her peach banquet
  • He decided to go anyways, and transformed into the Bare-Foot God to get in.
  • The Great Saint saw a lot of wine, and turned some of his hairs into sleep-worms so he could drink the wine.
  • Drunk, he thought it was weird that no one else was there. He stumbled upon the house of Laotzse.
  • Laotzse was preparing pills of life, and The Great Saint decided to eat them. He felt bad about what he had done, and wanted to return to Earth.
  • When he returned, his apes asked him to get more wine for them
  • He stole two barrels and they enjoyed them.
Laotzse

Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Reading Notes A: The Monkey King

This week, I will be taking notes on my favorite stories from the unit.

The first is the origin story of the Handsome King of the Apes


  • There is a monkey born of a stone egg from a magic rock
  • One day, his eyes shoot two beams to the heavens, and God is scared, but realizes there is no threat
  • The stone monkey continues to grow, and finds that there is a waterfall that no monkey dares get through, for they shall perish.
  • The stone monkey gets through with ease, and discovers a tablet with an inscription, and many clay pots and things
  • The monkeys name the stone monkey king, and he chooses his counselors and servants
  • They live this way for 300 years

The second is the Devil-King

  • This was Sun Wu Kung's first real battle
  • There was a devil monkey who entered the cave and took some children and apes
  • Sun Wu Kung told the devil-king's servants to tell him he was coming
  • The Devil-King was not worried, however, because of how small Sun Wu Kung was.
  • Sun Wu Kung was much faster than the Devil-King, and was able to transform each of his hairs into little monkeys to attack him and finally killed him.
  • He then saved the hostages


Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).