Back up and Review

Back up and Review
Week 15
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(Quote from Author Louisa May Alcott)

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     This motivational quote was my favorite part of this week's class announcements because I have been going through more health problems lately and I am not particularly religious so I can only really look to proverbs or sayings to give me more motivation. Part of having medical problems is being happy you found something wrong because you have a way to treat such a thing but when you are in the limbo of not understanding what is wrong with you, it is really easy to lose hope.
    That is why this quote means a lot to me. Right now I am afraid because I do not have the word storms to put to my problems they are nameless things that have no cure because of their vague symptoms. But to at least have this quote is to say that at least I will know how to treat myself by the end of this scary time for me. That might be too much self-disclosure for a simple blog post but I also was not expecting there to be a perfectly fitting quote to be in the class announcements. Either way, I am grateful for the boost of energy I gained from what was probably just supposed to be a simple quote. 

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Famous Last Words: Dead Week

Famous Last Words
Dead Week
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(Dead Week Cartoon by Rosalie M.)

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     This week has been the worst dead week I have ever had in my undergraduate classes. I could list all the unexpected life problems I have had that have stopped my academic courses this semester alone but honestly I am just ready to move past this week and have time to get my life together without immediately stressing about classes. What I really need for this break is to reevaluate what is important to me and how to get to those goals.
    I think earlier in the semester I took my life going well for granted so I did not put in as much work as I should have thinking I could wrap it in a nice bow near the end of the semester. But of course life stops for no one and I really did not want to take an I in any class or take medical leave with one and half semesters left. By figuring out what I really want and having a plan from the beginning I think will be able to at least have a list of all I need to get done so that way if life gets in the way I can just reprioritize the list instead of having to make one in the first place.
    I know this post was supposed to be about just this week but what I have learned is this week means nothing without the happenings of the weeks before. It is partly due to life problems but it is also the mannerisms and habits I established earlier in the semester that messed me up this fall. Ultimately, I cannot just forget about this week when it is done but I definitely will take a mental break then refocus myself for a better semester next time!  

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Wikipedia Trails

Wikipedia Trails

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(Enneagram Drawing)

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Enneagram (Wikipedia)

The enneagram is a typing system I have been learning in my personalities course this semester and I have recently become obsessed with knowing anything and everything I can concerning the enneagram. But I realized I had never read the wikipedia page so I thought it could lead me on a fun trail! This page is actually pretty accurate to what I know about the enneagram is quite detailed on its history and the complexity of the system; it was a real treat to read what other contributors had posted about the enneagram.

The Law of Seven (Website)

This is a really interesting piece on a concept I had never heard of before: The law of seven concerning the enneagram. The law of seven is a really hard concept to grasp after reading through it about 5 times over, I still could not not pinpoint where this concept was coming from nor its actual relation to the enneagram. It is at this point that I saw a link that was set there to better explain such concepts. 

The Six Processes (Website)

As a person who loves learning new things and rarely gives up when a concept is not fully understood, I found myself dumbfounded at the material that was in this new link's piece. I think I have learned to skim rather than completely understand each link so that way I can find myself on a better pathway in the Wikipedia Trails. I think this is where I will stop for this wikipedia trails but I do have to say I am disappointed I did not look deeper into this option every week because it probably would have been my favorite project of the course.

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Learning by H.E.A.R.T: Empathy

Learning By H.E.A.R.T: 

Empathy Collage

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This is collage is a representation of what I think of when it comes to empathy. 

Growth Mindset: Multiple Intelligences

Growth Mindset: Multiple Intelligences 

(Multiple Intelligences cartoon by Marek Bennet)

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     This was a familiar idea concerning growth mindset for me because I am in a personalities course this semester and have found a new passion for personality psychology as a possible career path. I have taken the test for multiple intelligences a number of times and know where my strengths and weaknesses lie within this typing system. It is a system I feel like really helps me face a number of problems as well explains some of my natural tendencies. 

    My highest intelligences are musical, linguistics and kinesthetics, which is expected if you knew me well. What is exciting and helpful about knowing my strengths in these types of intelligences is that I can better go about my problems with a good plan. Like in studying, I know that I learn best in short time periods (because I cannot be stagnant for long) or at least in an environments where I can move around. I also know that rhymes or free associations help me memorize things better as well as group discussions where I can deep dive into subjects. 

    All of these strengths help me focus my work in the semester not just for academics but in how to spend my time and what will recharge me the most. Like listening to music and painting or reading or watching tv shows from other countries to get a sense of the language are all great ways from me to let go of mass amounts of stress. This was a great way to explore way to grow and better utilize my knowledge on multiple intelligences. 

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Extra Reading Notes: The Ballads of Robin Hood

Reading Notes

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(Robin Hood Character by Karem Beyit)

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The Golden Arrow

I find that I really enjoyed the ballad formatting of the Robin Hood tales. As noted by my frequent postings of them poems are becoming my favorite type of creative writing and I always am fascinated on how many ways there are to tell a story especially while creating a melody to the ballad itself. With poems I have just started to write in more intricate rhyme patterns and this ballad showed how rhyme patterns can be twisted to be melodies instead.

Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight

This ballad was interesting because of the writing itself rather than the framework. For me, rhymes create a sense of anticipation as the reader goes onto the next line but even so, the story itself wasted no time creating itself own sense of urgency with the climatic battle. This ballad felt like it had everything a great story should have: mystery, action, dialogue, charm all wrapped up into a plot with a natural flow. 

Robin Hood's Death

What I find funny about folklore in general is how many ending one story can cultivate over time. For me, I have never actually read literature concerning robin hood past children's story books. I have only read fairytales and watched movies about him but reading this different ending in ballad form was a treat! Being able to find a new ending in any familiar piece of work is always fascinating, so I can appreciate the values of the ballads by comparing it to the children's books and movies I have seen before.

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All reading notes are based off of excerpts from The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).

Tech Tip: Create a Pinterest Board

Tech Tip: Create a Pinterest Board

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(Screenshot of Simply Organized Pinterest Board)

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       This tip was a interesting one for me, as I already use Pinterest occasionally for crafts or projects. This semester in particular has kicked my organizational/time management skills in the butt. While I have always had good organizational skills, I do not do well with unexpected complications that push back any plans I had. This semester has just been life problem after life problem, which lead to a complete obliteration of any organization or structure I had in my life. That's why as this semester comes to a bitter but much needed close, I wanted to create a board full of tips that I loved and have yet to try out so I can get back on track.
        Setting it up was easy enough, following the instructions laid out by Professor Gibbs as well as my common knowledge of the app. And then I just searched every kind of organization I needed back in my life. Starting with academic and online class organizational tips all the way to financial planners that might be useful to own. At first, just looking at others' organized "put together" lives, I was just discouraged but after a while I got excited by the different ideas I could implement now!
      Ultimately, I would recommend for others to try this out if they have a new goal they would like to reach or simply want to find a mecca for fun and creative ideas on anything. I would just be careful with the recreational pinning because it can easily become a distractor for some people. Overall, I think this is a neat tech tip that will help me get back to where I was and could be immediately great for others!

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Tech Tip: Hashtags and Retweets

Tech Tip: Hashtags and Retweets

(Quoted tweet by @ChachiBobirks)

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       This tip was a interesting one for me, in learning how to do it and testing it out. Usually, I would describe myself as a person who enjoys working under pressure. Not only do I feel like I work best, because I am required to be concise instead of indulging my want to elaborate, but I also just enjoy pressure to a certain extent. The downside of this leads to procrastination more often times than not, which is why I thought the timer might recreate that feeling but allow me to get it done earlier.
        Setting it up was easy enough, following the instructions laid out by Professor Gibbs, but the real test was to see if my idea held up. I tried it out Friday before class and ultimately, I think my strong sense of laziness prevailed. Rather than encourage me to get it done, my anxiety by constantly checking where I was on the timer lead me to want to give up all together than be slightly late on the timer. I definitely will still try this timer idea out until I can break this dangerous habit but as far as first tries go, this one was a failure on my part.
      Nonetheless, I would recommend for others to try this out if they have a knack for working under pressure, the timer does do a good job of recreating that sense of urgency other people like me enjoy. I would just be careful with the expectations you put on yourself with each timer you set. Don't push too far or you might be prone to just giving up instead of prevailing. Overall, I think this is a neat tech tip that may need some more toying with for me but could be immediately great for others!

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Reading Notes: Ashilman Part A

Reading Notes

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(Brothers Grimm's Wanderings by Killian Schönberger)

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Herr Korbes

All I could imagine with this fable is a tim burton short film with this story as the baseline. At first I assumed the story would be a charming and sweet story about helpful creatures but as I read on the story took a darker turn which is just as charming, only more dark than sweet. What would be funny is to maybe show how wicked Herr Korbes was to deserve such a wicked death? Or maybe make him the pillar of misfortune much like the Series of Unfortunate Events

Old Sultan

The story of Count Ugolino is a captivating one to say the least. For all intents and purposes, Ugolino was just a naive noble who paid for his foolishness in famine. Funnily Enough, I heard the story of Count Ugolino in an episode of a podcast called Lore; being slightly familiar with the piece allowed for a renewed pleasure in the reading for me. Instead of hearing a third party, Count Ugolino was able to describe his own demise which provided a fun, delicious (excuse the morbid pun) twist. 

Rumpelstiltskin 

The personification of Satan over time has evolved and twisted itself into a product of media culture. At first it was in the medium of books and novels, such as the bible and Dante's Inferno but with tv shows and movies the Devil has been shaped into a whole new beast of its own right. For me, it was intriguing to see and understand one of the first elaborate depictions of the Christian Satan. While every culture has their from of the Devil, Dante's Inferno's description is a thing of nightmares and maybe that is the key to his writing in general: to being people's sins and nightmares to the forefrront.

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All reading notes are based off of excerpts from The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales translated by D. L. Ashliman (1998-2013).

Reading Notes: Dante's Inferno Part B

Reading Notes

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(Paul Chenavard's Dante's Inferno)

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The Giants

For this particular part, what I really enjoyed was the formatting or rather the continuation of the step by step theme that the journey through the rungs of the inferno ignited. By walking through each of the giants with small excerpts for each the staircase quality of the plot was able to thrive on. Out of the five giants we meet I latched onto Nimod. Whether that is because of the authors note or just the writing I am unsure but I think I am also attracted to the curse laid upon him. To lose the ability to communicate is a fate I would wish upon no one and can be such a source of pain that I was entranced by his cameo in the piece.

Ugolino

The story of Count Ugolino is a captivating one to say the least. For all intents and purposes, Ugolino was just a naive noble who paid for his foolishness in famine. Funnily Enough, I heard the story of Count Ugolino in an episode of a podcast called Lore; being slightly familiar with the piece allowed for a renewed pleasure in the reading for me. Instead of hearing a third party, Count Ugolino was able to describe his own demise which provided a fun, delicious (excuse the morbid pun) twist. 

Satan

The personification of Satan over time has evolved and twisted itself into a product of media culture. At first it was in the medium of books and novels, such as the bible and Dante's Inferno but with tv shows and movies the Devil has been shaped into a whole new beast of its own right. For me, it was intriguing to see and understand one of the first elaborate depictions of the Christian Satan. While every culture has their from of the Devil, Dante's Inferno's description is a thing of nightmares and maybe that is the key to his writing in general: to being people's sins and nightmares to the forefrront.

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All reading notes are based off of excerpts from Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002).

Reading Notes: Dante's Inferno Part A

Reading Notes

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(Paul Chenavard's Dante's Inferno)

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Dante and Virgil

World building is such a timed honored craft and that can be seen in Dante's Inferno. Because the entire story is written from Dante's perspective, an effective replacement for the audience, the detail needs to be extremely descriptive for the reader to be swept up in the world. Simply the entrance into the dark woods alone sets up the entire eerie tone that the classic keeps in tact throughout the piece. I am not sure how I would work this into a story but it did teach me a lesson about how detail lets the piece survive on its own.

The Gate of Hell and Charon

This was an interesting part to read for me because when I think of Dante's Inferno I immediately skip to Dante exploring the rungs of hell. To actually read and understand the actual journey into hell provides a lot more insight into the character of Dante as well. For instance, Dante seems to act impulsively but has shame and guilt once the act is done. That is a very anxiety driven quality called being counter-phobic. This provides a good foundation for the behaviors and reactions Dante has throughout the piece. 

Limbo

Originally, I thought that limbo was a place for people who are still being judged (on whether to go to heaven or hell) were kept. But to account for the people who around before christianity is not only a smart move but a much needed one. As soon as I started reading I questioned what constituted a person being kept in hell and once that question was thought, a number of other questions followed in their footsteps. One of the marks of a great reading for me is when I have a question and it is promptly answered (unless there is mystery shrouded in such a question to provide aid to the plot). So accounting for those who were born before Christianity answers my question but also ties up any loopholes in the world.

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All reading notes are based off of excerpts from Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002).

Tech Tip: Google Timer

Tech Tip: Google Timer

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(Screen Capture of a Google Timer)

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       This tip was a interesting one for me, in learning how to do it and testing it out. Usually, I would describe myself as a person who enjoys working under pressure. Not only do I feel like I work best, because I am required to be concise instead of indulging my want to elaborate, but I also just enjoy pressure to a certain extent. The downside of this leads to procrastination more often times than not, which is why I thought the timer might recreate that feeling but allow me to get it done earlier.
        Setting it up was easy enough, following the instructions laid out by Professor Gibbs, but the real test was to see if my idea held up. I tried it out Friday before class and ultimately, I think my strong sense of laziness prevailed. Rather than encourage me to get it done, my anxiety by constantly checking where I was on the timer lead me to want to give up all together than be slightly late on the timer. I definitely will still try this timer idea out until I can break this dangerous habit but as far as first tries go, this one was a failure on my part.
      Nonetheless, I would recommend for others to try this out if they have a knack for working under pressure, the timer does do a good job of recreating that sense of urgency other people like me enjoy. I would just be careful with the expectations you put on yourself with each timer you set. Don't push too far or you might be prone to just giving up instead of prevailing. Overall, I think this is a neat tech tip that may need some more toying with for me but could be immediately great for others!

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Extra Reading Notes: Alice in Wonderland Part B

Reading Notes

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(Alice in Wonderland with Cards by Jackie Bassett)
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The Mad Tea Party

This first part of one of my favorite portions of Alice in Wonderland marks the charm of two iconic characters: the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. Probably more so than Alice herself, the Mad Hatter is a cultural icon and his charming nonsensical sense has a level of escapism that I think, no matter the age, all people tend to seek out. Adversely, you have the March Hare overly concerned with time keeping the groundedness of reality well and alive.  

The Mad Tea Party (Part II)

This portion of the Mad Tea Party is truly a lesson in what fun dialogue can bring to a story. More often than not, it is easier to just write out a story not concerning one's self with any dialogue just making the character come alive based solely on description. But the charm of dialogue is that by writing in the character's voice the cadence of the character's words can do more for character building than a two paragraph long description. This rings true for the Dormouse in this scene, no real character description but the dialogue is enough to hold it up. 

The Mad Tea Party (Part III)

This ending always struck me as a lovely unfinished piece. There is no real conclusion with the Dormouse and his additions to Alice's adventures but it does nothing to dull the charm of the stories. As a reader I am not sure what Carroll did to pull this off. Was it his diligent world-building that let me accept this as a proper ending? Was it the character already being introduced fleetingly? Just goes to showcase Lewis Carroll's genius in writing.

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All reading notes are based off of excerpts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).

Reading Notes: Alice in Wonderland Part A

Reading Notes

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(Alice in Wonderland with Cards by Jackie Bassett)
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Down the Rabbit Hole

As a child my father used to read me Through the Looking Glass to calm me after nightmares so I have collected multiple versions of that version of Alice's story but I have yet to read this book fully. The first chapter reminded me of why I love Lewis Carroll's writing so much. The prose and almost flirty cadence he creates that the reader just falls into is impeccable. 

Down the Rabbit Hole (Part II)

This portion has one of my favorite scenes in Alice in Wonderland: Alice and the 'Drink Me' Bottle. It stands out, not just for its icon status but because of its incredible sense of detail. Like the detail of what the drink tasted of, most authors probably would have left it at "a sickeningly sweet taste," but Carroll gave an entire mixture of familiar foods that let you experience each one as he listed them. One thing I can really take away from Carroll is his attention to detail. 

Down the Rabbit Hole (Part III)

To end Alice's trip down the rabbit hole, this part had the most action within the three parts. Although Alice fell down in the previous parts in this one she grows twice her size and must figure a way out and into wonderland. This part also has the fastest pace, which was a lesson in the flow a story must keep up. As I have been having a difficult time with active verbs, I particularly searched them out in this portion and was greeted with a highly active voice throughout. The use of active verbs created the urgency that the portion needed to keep interest.

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All reading notes are based off of excerpts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).

Tech Tip: Canvas Notifications

Tech Tip: Canvas Notifications

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(OU Canvas graphic for OU Insight website)

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       This tip was really helpful for me in particular because admittedly, I think about this class last in my to do list that is ever growing as a senior. This course is also the only course I have that utilizes Canvas so there is a strong element of forgetfulness since I normally just check D2L. By learning how to set up notifications other than the reminders sent out by the instructor, I have added in an extra wall in defense of forgetfulness. 

       Another helpful aspect of setting up one's Canvas notifications is that it keeps me accountable. If I make the bad decision of relaxing with Netflix instead of doing the work that is due that night I get an extra reminder at 7 am through email to wake up and do all work within the grace period. Although, notifications do not combat against some of my bad habits or crazy class/work schedule the extra help does not hurt! 

      Even though we are nearing the end of the semester and most students are already on the right track assignment wise, I know that because of its online aspect this class will, unfortunately, be left not prioritized. By setting up notifications, it keeps this course in one's mind and high on the priority list or at the very least gives the student a nagging sensation until the assignment is completed. I really recommend students use this feature for this course and any upcoming classes they may have. You never know, one notification might just save your grade! 

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Extra Reading Notes: British Fairy Tales (Emerson) Part A

Extra Reading Notes

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(The first of the five photographs shows Frances Griffiths with the alleged fairies By Elsie Wright)

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The Fairies of Caragonan
What I really found interesting and appriecated the most from this short story is the format and flow. Rather than the story itself, I was more intrigued by the three act, almost play like format. In addition, the actual flow of the story was very different from American fairy tales because instead of starting at the beginning (when/why the hunter got sick in the first place) it started with his cure by the fairies then went back to tell his tale.

The Fairies of Caragonan (Part II)
The continuation of the previous story provided a nice, bow-wrapped ending to a fairly peculiar fairytale. From other mythologies that involve fairies, I have known fairies to be more trickster, selfish characters yet in this telling they willing helped a hunter save his ill-fated life. Admittedly, I was kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop as read on. If I were to rewrite this story I would definitely add the trickster element.

Three Short Stories of Fairies 
I loved how with this Emerson story was a collection of three seemingly connected stories. Oddly enough, after each story I found myself wanting more and got that answered with the next story even though they are not originally connected. As for the first story when the blacksmith ended up with the money, I immediately wanted there to be a fable about the importance of cherishing money and in the next story a farmer gained a lesson in just that.

The Old Man and the Fairies
This second collection of short stories was more of what I am used to when I think of fairies. I think of the fairies having conditions for any riches they give out and holding true to them. The theme of conditional riches is deeply seeded in many different folklores but I feel as though the most impactful are usually those of the trickster variety, like Anansi, Loki and the fairies of this story.

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All reading notes are based off of stories from Welsh Fairy-Tales and Other Stories by Peter H. Emerson (1894).

Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales Part A

Reading Notes

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(Native American Totem Poles by Getty Images)

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Splinter-Foot Girl (Part I)
      With this story, rather than focusing on the flow/plot of the story I tried to focus on the characters themselves. This required me to read the story twice but it lead to some really interesting thoughts and ideas about animal characters. Maybe I could anthropomorphize more of those animal characters to create a more dynamic story.

Splinter-Foot Girl (Part II)
     This was an interesting development to the Splinter-Foot Girl story because instead of losing the stepmother won this round. By building a contraption to fake a strange birthing, the stepmother was able to have the young wife killed. More and more her villainous tendencies are reminding me that of the salem witch trials; it could be an interesting mix or take on this "fairytale."

Splinter-Foot Girl (Final Part)
     I loved how with this part it focused on a different member of the family, the loved dog and his undying love for the young wife's abandoned children. I liked how this one reflect the first story and was set up more like a journey than a tale of one instance. Very fable like in its framework but also fairytale like in its verse.

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All reading notes are based off of stories from Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson (1929).

Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales Part B

Reading Notes

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(A Wishram woman in festive bridal raiment, 1911)

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The True Bride
      With this story, I found myself attaching some western fairytales to certain characters. For the stepmother, I immediately thought of Cinderella's stepmother; simultaneously the daughter's first venture out to pick berries initially reminded me of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." I could rewrite this story as a western fairytale? 

The True Bride (Part II)
     This was an interesting development to the True Bride story because instead of losing the stepmother won this round. By building a contraption to fake a strange birthing, the stepmother was able to have the young wife killed. More and more her villainous tendencies are reminding me that of the salem witch trials; it could be an interesting mix or take on this "fairytale."

The True Bride (Part III)
     I loved how with this part it focused on a different member of the family, the loved dog and his undying love for the young wife's abandoned children. I liked how this one reflect the first story and was set up more like a journey than a tale of one instance. Very fable like in its framework but also fairytale like in its verse.

The True Bride (Final Part)
    This last part had all the makings for a happy ending to this tale. It taught me how to properly wrap up a story because it tied up every question the tale had presented. We found out how the dog is the true hero, all the villains were punished, and the young wife and husband came back together once again with their two boys.

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All reading notes are based off of stories from Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson (1929).

Storybook: Planning First Story Update

First Story Focus: Demeter 

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(Painting of Demeter by Howard David Johnson)

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Possibly start with an introductory paragraph to her characteristics? 

• Do I keep it in her narrative?
• if so, does that pull away from the story itself?
• If not, then I am bringing in a third person point of view, which is the opposite of my purpose in this storybook…? 
• Then go into the story from her perspective, utilizing the general plot but skewing them to her biased thoughts 

Alternative start: author’s note at the top describing Demeter? 

• Would take out any possible overwriting…?
• Might lack flow of just starting the story?
• May seem odd and readers might want the description to be part of the story instead?
• If so, it might be a way to better preserve the narrative as a stand alone piece? 

General plot of the myth:

• Cupid shoots Hades with an arrow thus Persephone catches his eye
• Persephone is collecting flowers when sees Hades
• Hades summons chariot 
• Cyane (Greek name?) rises from the deep lake and cries for Persephone not to be taken but to be asked
• Hades is pissed, stabs the lake and creates a road to the underworld taking Persephone with him 
• Demeter starts searching land and sea and olympus for her daughter
• Stumbles upon Cyane who while she can no longer speak she shows evidence of her daughters rape
• in distress, Demeter is torn thus condemns all the land thinking it unworthy unless she has her daughter
• Arethusa, a nymph, while traveling sees persephone and tells demeter that even though she was sad Persephone is living like a queen. also reminds her that this is not the lands faults so don’t punish it
• Even more distraught, Demeter runs to Zeus proclaiming that he must save Persephone from hades’ clutches
• Zeus clarifies that this is actually love Hades has for persephone, not simply a crime
• Eventually Zeus agrees to bring Persephone back to olympus but only if she has not eaten anything from the underworld as ruled by the Fates (Miorai?)
• Persephone is found to have eaten 7 pomegranate seeds while wandering the garden 
• Jealous, least important nymph, Ascalaphus, who was the only person who saw turns her in 
• Therefore persephone now spends many months with her mother in olympus and many months with her husband in the underworld she is happy. But the seasons still ebb and flow depending on when Demeter is with her mother or husband. 

Conclusion?

• If author’s note is at the beginning then conclude with just the story itself?
• Maybe end with the quote in the introduction being better explained? 
• If no author’s note at beginning, explain choices in authors note to close out the update. 

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This story was based on the Ovid's Metamorphoses II, translated by Tony Kline (2000). 

Other sources include: 

Sources on Demeter/Ceres:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(mythology)

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Demeter.html

Sources on Persephone/Prosperpina:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persephone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpina

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Persephone.html

Sources on Hades/Pluto:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_(mythology)

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html

Story: Stories from the Congo

The Vanishing Subscribers

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(Youtube official Red Play Button Logo)

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Two youtubers made videos everyday. They were called BekahBeauty and SamanthaSwatches.

SamanthaSwatches was a famous youtuber with over 1.2 million subscribers, but BekahBeauty has only 50K subscribers and was not growing. As BekahBeauty had no real interest in her channel, she had to pay for all her makeup and had no sponsors. Regardless, BekahBeauty kept on and looked up to SamanthaSwatches for inspiration and guidance. 

Yet SamanthaSwatches always looked down upon smaller channels, assuming they had no real talent with a lack of drive. Upon realizing SamanthaSwatches had no respect for her or her work, BekahBeauty flew out to California for Youtube's annual convention, Vidcon, determined to gain more followers to prove SamanthaSwatches wrong. Even though, BekahBeauty was not a big enough youtuber to be officially invited, she got a room in a near by hotel and hoped some her subscribers might recognize her on the convention floor. 

Exhausted from the walking all day long with no luck, BekahBeauty had plans to skip the parties going on that night and fall asleep. But right before she made her way out of the convention center, BekahBeauty was stopped by an even more famous beauty youtuber named DreamMUA. After spending nearly all night talking over different strategies to gain more interest, BekahBeauty finally felt as though she had a friend in the industry. Seeing DreamMUA set up a meet and greet with all her subscribers and do giveaways made BekahBeauty get a new spark of love for her work. BekahBeauty and DreamMUA spent the rest of the night imagining a huge crowd following BekahBeauty, while finally getting recognition for her videos. 

 The next morning remembering all the tips and tricks she had learned from DreamMUA, BekahBeauty sent out a tweet, instagram post, and snapchat story announcing her upcoming meet and greet set for that day. Also adding in a 100$ giveaway, per DreamMUA's must-do instructions. 

Finally when the time came to arrive at agreed place for the meet and greet, BekahBeauty found herself, not walking aimlessly around, but being greeted by over thousands of fans that wanted to take a picture with her. Amazed by all the love she was receiving, BekahBeauty reveled in the attention and new found fame.

Thus everyday of the two week long convention, BekahBeauty woke up early, sent out her posts with a time and place for a meet and greet, and went to find a 100$ gift to giveaway. With such a small youtuber making such a big scene, subscribers of other youtube channels found themselves hoping in line to get a glimpse of the up and comer. Eventually, word travelled and baffled at the attention an irrelevant small youtuber was getting, SamanthaSwatches made her mind up to stop by one of these meet and greets. 

But day in and day out, BekahBeauty's funds started to deplete with all the 100$ gifts she was giving away. Soon enough, BekahBeauty found herself letting the subscribers know there would be no giveaway at each meet and greet. And every time she would find herself feeling guilty as soon as she heard her followers felt as though she had lied to them. So she would run after one of her subscribers at the end of each meeting to hand them the gift after all. 

On the second to last day of Vidcon, BekahBeauty once again found herself at a crossroads, not wanting to give up anymore money but also wanting to keep her subscribers. After much back and forth in her head, BekahBeauty was down to the last subscriber in the queue when she burst under the pressure of having to give away so much. The young subscriber, freaked out by BekahBeauty's tone of voice, all but ran away from BekahBeauty. BekahBeauty, being reminded of the must do attitude DreamMUA had had, ran after the young girl determined to catch up to her. 

Yet after losing the subscriber in the crowd, BekahBeauty ran back to her newly-minted booth expecting to see another subscriber waiting to be handed a gift. Low and behold, the new booth, merch table, and most importantly the subscribers had all disappeared. Whispers of a low-life youtuber being too greedy held at hum around her. Alas BekahBeauty had nothing to look to until she laid her eyes upon SamanthaSwatches standing exactly where the new booth had been, casting a look of "told you so" upon her. 

. . .

Author's Note:

This retelling is based off of a folktale from the Congo that tells of two brothers, ranked in different classes, suddenly become equally well off because of a foretelling dream; only for the younger brother to lose his newly gained wealth due to his stubbornness. Originally, this story proved to be really difficult to retell because I could not find a good framework to retell it in. Nonetheless, this piece continued to stick out to me so I set off on trying to change the structure of the story but retain the dynamics. The changes I made were to switch the brothers to rival youtubers and then once that was chosen the rest was a matter of finding parallels within both the original and my retelling. For example, in the original, the idea to "create a meet and greet and do a giveaway" (in actually, it was to go to a river and catch a fish, only to cut its head off to then eat) was given in a dream but I decided to make the dream into a side character instead. Many of the changes followed quickly once the main change of the framework was decided and I hope it made the folktale of the Congo a little more relatable. Hope you enjoyed my piece! 

. . .

This story is based off of the story of "The Vanishing Wife" from Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort by Richard Edward Dennett (1898).

Reading Notes: Stories from the Congo Part A

Reading Notes

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(women of the Congo, 1885)
. . .

How The Wives Restored Their Husband To Life

      This story was really intriguing because it reminded me of one of the stories I read earlier in the semester, I believe it was one of the Twenty Two Goblins riddles. I also appreciated how each woman's name was foreshadowing in what their role would be in the story. It makes me want to utilize this technique in one of my storybook updates or in a later retelling.  

How Gazelle Got Married

       Funnily enough, the same thematic framework in this story reminded me of "How the Lizard Nods Its Head Up and Down" from the West African (Ghana) stories. This seems to be a well popular lesson in African culture, it is interesting to compare what is emphasized in both pieces. This story also made me laugh because the forgetfulness of both the dog and Nsassi, it could be fun to play with in a retelling. 

The Vanishing Wife

       A charming part of this story was how Buite, although he would hate to cut off the fishes' heads, always ran after the wife's boys to make sure the deed was done before they reached the beautiful house. It was as if he already had sensed that this task was the one thing that kept the oasis alive. It also made me think more in terms of when you have got something to prove, it seems as though when you are trying so hard to impress someone you, like Buite, end up doing worse because of it.

Another Vanishing Wife

        Following the trend of these stories reminding me of other stories, this one, while many parallels were noticed between this and the last reading, it mostly reminded me of Cupid and Psyche. How Mavungu went to see and entertain his wicked family was almost mirrored to when Psyche's sisters came to visit Psyche in her palace in heaven. Trusting your family, only to be betrayed by them is a really interesting idea.

. . .

All reading notes are based off of stories from Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort by Richard Edward Dennett (1898).

Story: West African Folktales

A Great Big Pot

. . .

(Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom Book Cover by Mark Magnaye)

. . .

Anansi was the father's name
For he was a man of great fame
He held all the wisdom in the land
People always asked him for a helping hand

One day country men offended him
And Anansi set out to punish them
Knowing he must teach these men a lesson
He promptly took away all the world's wisdom

Placing it all in one great big pot
Off he went to finish his cunning plot
Searching for a place no human could reach
He looked high and low for a spot no could breech

Alas, dear Anansi had an intelligent son
Who knew his father was always the mischievous one
Mind set on finding out what his father was up to
He followed his father, always keeping him in view

Anansi, with the pot of wisdom tied to his neck
Found a tree to climb, thus began his trek
Up the tree to where no human could go
Yet he found his pot always swinging to and fro

Frustrated with the pot getting in the way
Anansi kept climbing up, with the goal still at bay
Down in the forest, Anansi's son watched on
Looking at his father as he became his own pawn

"Father!", Kweku Tsin screamed aloud
"Tie the pot to your back and the pot will not crowd!"
"Once tied correctly, your ascent will be easy!"
Said Kweku Tsin, "A feat that will make you not quite as wheezy."

Astonished by his son's great thought
Anansi realized at once he had been caught
"I thought I had all the world's wisdom in my hand,"
"Alas it is my son who has slipped through the sand."

"Now I know your wisdom is much greater."
"I spent 20 attempts, not knowing how to do better."
In his fuming anger, Anansi threw the pot down
Pouting and huffing with a great frown

Smashed against a large rock
The pot itself turned into chalk
Thus all the wisdom poured out
Spreading throughout the world's routes

. . .

Author's Note:

This short story out of all the folklores concerning Anansi, the trickster god of Ghana, is the one that I found most interesting. While others might think the others that contained far more clever plots might be best, I thought the simplicity and loss in this one was compelling. Most trickster gods get away with their plots and do not have anyone who can one up them. Anansi, in this story and others, is bested by his son, Kweku Tsin. To me, this brings humanity and groundedness into what can commonly be lofty folklore tales. As for my retelling, I have decided to do every other retelling I write in poem format because it is the one I have most difficulty with. By challenging myself every two weeks I hope to gain a better sense of what creates a good poem and learn how to be more concise with all my writings. I hope you enjoyed this read and if you've read one of my poems before you can see some improvements! 

. . .

This retelling is based off of stories from West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917).

Reading Notes: West African Folk Tales Part A

Reading Notes

. . .

("Along came a Spider" by Tekelili)

. . .

How We Got the Name "Spider Tales"

      This short story provided an understanding of what the basis of Anansi is. He is conceited, clever, willful and admirable. By wanting all stories to be about him, he shows how conceited he can be but simultaneously he showcases his willfulness and cunning to actually pull off the three impossible tasks the King gives to him. Thus making the reader admire the skill it took to complete such tasks. 

How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race 

       Being a fan of the Neil Gaiman book "American Gods", I am familiar, to an extent, with the story of Anansi. Reading this story makes me want to go and pick up the "Anansi Boys" book so I can dive even further into this folklore. This story really iterates the almost competing like quality Anansi and Kweku Tsin have to their relationship. I could see this being translated into a son surpassing his father in the corporate world.

Anansi and Nothing 

       By showcasing the negative side of Anansi's lust for possessions, this story brings out the truth about most trickster gods: they are willful, almost to a fault. This story also has one of my favorite qualities of folktales, the explanation of why we have certain things, phrases, traditions today. Maybe I could switch what the lesson is concerning Nothing?

Thunder and Anansi

        I loved this story because although in the previous story we saw how Anansi could get away with hurtful tricks, in this story Anansi was punished for his selfishness. It also took things the reader learned from each of the previous stories as foundation blocks for the twist at the end to have such an impact. This could be a fun play retelling?

Why the Lizard Moves His Head Up and Down

        All of the stories thus far have left me with a memory of reading stories about Loki of the Norse folklore. Trickster gods have a fun way of utilizing their cleverness to get what they want but then they get so consumed by their desires that humanity and good faith fall out their line of sight. I am still thinking of a way to retell this story but it is my favorite thus far. 

. . .

All reading notes are based off of stories from West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917).

Story: The Journey of Isis

New York's Finest 

. . .

(God of the Ennead: Isis by Desert-Of-Seth) 

. . .

      Rafael was like a god amongst men in most powerful law firm on wall street. He had many names, names which were twisted and turned by the elite of New York's financial district. But their was one name, unknown to the masses that gave him such prowess in and out of court. 

      Unbeknownst to Rafael, there was a woman by the name of Isabelle. A powerhouse in her own right, who worked as a paralegal in the same firm. Isabelle, far too smart to be just a paralegal, yearned to play with the big boys and become a senior partner much like Rafael. She wanted to have the power that Rafael had in the courtroom. Somehow he had a 100% win rate through his years at the firm and everyone knew it had something to do with the secret nickname he had garnered. A nickname that had never once been spoken.

      Everyday Rafael walked through the courthouse with throws of interns, associates and judges alike who believed in his gospel of law that followed his footsteps. In every case, he would stand and argue and win. But Rafael was not getting any smarter and with every case the 100% win statistic was harder to uphold. Yet in his rush to run from case to case, he dropped a slip of paper from his files.

      With Isabelle following his every move, hiding amongst the crowd of "believers", she snatched the piece of paper from the ground. Quickly, scanning the contents of the document, she slowly smirked realizing her chance had come. Slipping inside the Honorable judge Oswald D. Iris' chambers, Isabelle presented the paper knowing she had turned a simple piece of paper into a stinging serpent. 

      On the following Friday in the New York Supreme Courthouse, Rafael walked the same path with the same interns, associates and judges. He walked with purpose and pride up until Judge Iris kindly handed him a booklet of papers, only to walk away right after. Disbarment papers. Those words struck a chord, a great chill to the bones of Rafael, one so hard he fainted upon reading the first page. 

      The interns and associates and judges all gathered around their golden star. Asking for an ambulance to be called and for Rafael to respond to their panicked voices.

       Rafael, shaken with panic and dread, became unable to speak and only started to hyperventilate as a panic attack started to set in. Going through his breathing techniques, he began to calm down realizing what he needed to do. 

       "Judges, my loyal associates and interns, please come closer so I do not have to shout so loud. I am afraid I have been served with disbarment papers the symbol of death to any great lawyer's dream. I am not surprised by these papers, for I have kept within my skills a nickname that comes with a reputation that can shake any opponent. A nickname I have held so close to my heart that only I truly know its origins; origins that now betray me as being the cause of my pending disbarment. Please if any of you know of a way to get me out of this, speak now!"

      All of his fans of legal minds started speaking at various volumes, trying to come up with a counterargument to the disbarment of their cherished lawyer. Through the crowd of people, Isabelle weaved her way into the inner circle coming up beside Rafael. 

      "Rafael, take deep breaths and let me know what's wrong? I am sure if you just let that nickname that is haunting you so much out, you'll feel much better," said Isabelle.

      "You don't understand, I am the best at my job because of that name. People cannot beat me because I have that power of a simple name," a worried Rafael spoke. 

      Isabelle, still desperate for power with no actual worry for Rafael's sanity, continued to urge him to tell her the powerful but secret name. Finally after much coaxing, Rafael leaned closer to Isabelle and whispered in her ear. 

     "Ransom. That's the name that holds so much power. I know every secret of every judge, lawyer, clerk and legal aide in New York. Secrets are a currency unlike any other in this town. Once you know a few, you can leverage them as Ransom. That's where the power comes from, its just a nickname but it tells the loser all he needs to know." said Rafael, finally losing the weight of his secret and calming down fully. 

     "Well that was all I needed to know," Isabelle said while smirking, "you see, Rafael, now I can use that information as I please and we both know you won't be the reigning lawyer at our firm anymore."

      With that Isabelle rose from the ground, leaving Rafael to sputter with confusion as he stared at his disbarment papers with no hope for his 100% win rate keeping its claim. 

      

. . .

This retelling is based of off Egyptian Myth and Legend's The Secret Name of Ra by Donald Mackenzie (1907).

. . .

Author's Note:

For this retelling of "The Secret Name of Ra", I decided to mix the story with a show I have been re-watching lately, Suits. The original story of the god and goddess, Ra and Isis respectively, is one of cunning tricks and a strive for power; its a theme that also occurs in the show Suits. With Suits being a show about high pressure cases and war-like grounds concerning lawyers in New York, I thought it would blend well with the goddess Isis' lust for Ra's divine power. The original plot line of "The Secret Name of Ra" is almost fully preserved throughout my rendition, with the some of smaller changes being the setting and the more modern names. But my biggest change was the ending going from a peaceful one with Ra gaining full health again to my version with Rafael still gaining full health but losing to Isabelle (Isis in the original). As I was writing I just felt like a bittersweet ending with my more villain-esque version of Isis winning instead. Hope the story was enjoyable and my author's note explained any differences between the original and my version! 

Reading Notes: Egyptian Myth and Legend Part B

Reading Notes

. . .

(Ancient Egyptian Painting Ägyptischer Maler um 1400 v. Chr.)

. . .

The Two Brothers: Part One

      This first portion of the story of two brothers was interesting because of how helpful writing style can be to express a character. Bata is a loyal, caring, sacrificing brother/"son" to Apnu. The consistent repetition of his daily life only helps express his nature. Maybe I switch his characterization to be more menacing but the keep the repetition to see what twists that would create? 

The Two Brothers: Part Two 

      Animals were a big part of this section of the story. From the cattle that Bata looked after, taking the initiative to protect him from his brother to the crocodiles the brothers came across. A storytelling idea I had earlier in the semester was retelling the story all from the different animals' perspectives, I could possibly use that idea for this story.  

The Two Brothers: Part Three 

     This, more than anything, was just a fascinating look into the beliefs of Egyptian myths and legends. The idea that Bata soul lived on while Apnu mourned him for almost four years and he was able to become a bull rather than a man is something to possibly play off of. 

The Two Brothers: Part Four 

     This portion did a good job of bringing the entire story to close. But what was most interesting about the ending is what became of Apnu's wife after she betrayed and drove a wedge between the two brothers. She just kind of flew out of the palace and nothing became of her but I would like to explore what happened to her. 

. . .

All reading notes based of off Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907).

Reading Notes: Egyptian Myth and Legend Part A

Reading Notes

. . .

(The Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza)
 . . .

Creation

       What I really liked about this portion was how the creation of the gods happened. Because each god rose from the elements to become a god of each element. This also reminds me of the show, Avatar the last air-bender, which had a really unique way of personifying each of the four main elements. 

The Secret Name of Ra 

       This portion utilized the tool of mystery, which kept me engaged throughout the entire piece. I have yet to try and turn any of my retellings into mystery maybe this would be the perfect opportunity to do such. I could even turn it into a horror mystery, a favorite genre of mine. 

Ra and Hathor

       Dialogue was a big proponent of this particular story. It got me thinking about how important characterization is for dialogue to work well. So for a retelling I thought I'd change the structure of the writing into a play which is all dialogue with only stage direction to fill in the gaps. 

The Sun's Journey

        The battle within this short story had a really interesting structure with the division set up. Granted that is simply just a part of the story but the repetition of such made for a really compelling reading. Also the many different animals, both real and mythological, helped further the impact of each battling technique the gods used. I think animals have a great power to intensify any story, especially in this case. 

. . .

All reading notes based of off Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907).