Story: West African Folktales

A Great Big Pot

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(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! 

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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

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("Along came a Spider" by Tekelili)

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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. 

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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 

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(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).

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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

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

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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. 

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

Reading Notes: Egyptian Myth and Legend Part A

Reading Notes

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(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. 

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

        

Feedback Focus

Feedback Focus

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(Open Books in a Library)

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Q: How would you rank the three strategies in terms of their usefulness to you?

A: For me, I think the best technique was the third, Use a Timer. I often have so many things going on that I do not realize that I am not 100% focused on the task at hand. The other two techniques are not really my style as I do not like stopping in the middle of the story unless I am absolutely compelled to (I'd rather highlight as I go) and reading aloud kind of takes me out of the story. 

Q:Were you surprised by the way these different strategies affected your reading?
A: The one that was most surprising was the reading aloud technique. I thought because of my background in theatre/public speaking I would immediately get really into it. But instead the opposite happened, I lagged and had to reread more than usual. 

Q: For each strategy, what would you say is its biggest advantage? And its biggest disadvantage?
A: The biggest advantage/disadvantage for Reading Aloud is the higher attention to detail but that's offset by the longer it takes to get through the story.

     The biggest advantage/disadvantage for Copy and Delete is having focused feedback already set but one might lose the flow of story when consistently stopping.  

     The biggest advantage/disadvantage for Use a Timer is the keen attention one pays when only focused on reading but a downfall might be the inevitability of not adhering to the timer thus losing its advantage.  

Q: Would you try any of these strategies in the future?
A: I will definitely have to play around with the Use a Timer technique not just in reading but in all areas of my studies. 

Story: Twenty-Two Goblins

Fourth Time's a Charm

. . .

(Suitors Vying for a Woman)

. . .

A King, so mighty and high

Fell indebted to a Monk just trying to get by

The Monk, you see, had been giving the king hidden jewels

For this grace, the King granted him a pack of mules

"No, dear King, what I desire is not cattle,"

"But rather, for someone to dissolve this problem I tackle!"

"A problem?" said the King quite clearly

"Yes! A problem with a goblin who robs me so dearly!"

And so the King grateful for the Monk's help

Went off to fulfill the Monk's request with a great yelp

"Off I go into the night,"

"To fetch a goblin from a great tree's height!"

Once he fetched the goblin down from the tree

The goblin awoke with a bright glee

"Oh King let me once tell you a riddle,"

"It tells of a boy stuck in the middle..."

. . .

In a charming kingdom, far far away

Lived a beauty as undeniable as the day

This beauty was a boy named Charm

He was the son of the King and Queen to which none would do any harm

Charm was born out of Shiva's grace

Promising that his charm would put Aphrodite out of place

Once asked "what would be deemed as a suitable match?"

"A woman who knows a science front to back, that I would deem quite a catch!"

Soon word travelled all throughout 

And then came four scientific suitors from the south route

Prepared, was each woman with a science none could doubt

"Let me hear of these sciences, and hope a new love will sprout."

The first woman arrived with a beautifully sewn suit

"None could better fill out this piece than a beauty of such absolute."

The first suitor was indeed a seamstress of such refine

Her stitches almost seemed as if they were made from fine wine

The second woman then piped up to say 

"But I know all the calls of any beasts or prey!"

You see, the second woman knew of all and any animal

The father of Charm then responded, "Ah yes, a skill quite valuable!"

"Valuable? Ha! Yet what will you do when a beast attacks?"

Said the third woman waiting, "You could do nothing but see their tracks!"

"Unlike her, I am quite skilled with a sword!"

The third woman indeed could protect the Prince from any hoard

The fourth suitor, quiet up until that point, said "well what of my skill?"

"I can bring any man back from the dead, my hands, they have the magic to heal!"

Elated but puzzled by the fourth man's becoming power

The father cried,"I will make my decision within the hour!"

. . .

Hunched on the shoulder of King

The goblin asked, "So what of part of the story did you cling?"

"Can you answer the riddle of which suitor the father did choose?"

"Remember answer truthfully or your death shall be the end of this ruse!"

The shadowed King, confidently did he speak 

"Oh goblin, this riddle was indeed quite weak!"

The answer can easily be found in the crafts

To not see the answer, was to be quite daft

"The answer is neither the zoologist or seamstress,"

"For no father has a need for lessons or neatness."

"Neither is the answer the witch who can bring back lives,"

"For messing with such a fate can induced deadly hives."

"Alas, I believe the answer is the woman as fierce a man,"

"To be a swordsman of great caliber, is to be higher than those cavemen."

Rejoiced, the goblin did leap off the King

"Do catch up as I go back to my tree, for the Monk still needs you to bring!"

Off the goblin went to hang from the tree once again

And the King does follow as fast as he can

Thus the cycle does continue on

The King being played as tiny pawn

. . .

This story is based off of "The Four Scientific Suitors. To which should the girl be given?", an excerpt of Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).

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Author's Note

The tale of "The Four Scientific Suitors. To which should the girl be given?" is one of the many riddles a goblin gives to a king. This king, who is indebted to a monk, is forced to give an answer to each of the goblin's riddles. For if he does not know the answer, he is allowed to keep on his journey to deliver the goblin to the monk. Yet if he knows the answer but does not say, his head will explode. But even worse, if he correctly guesses the answer the goblin leaps out of his reach and returns to the tree, forcing the king to trek all the back to get the goblin again. The reason I chose this riddle in particular is the fun challenge I might have retelling this one more than the others. 

For this story I challenged myself to retell the tale using two different techniques, a poem and gender-swapping.  While already familiar with the poem writing style, I wanted to try my hand at it again to see if I could do better at getting the point across with a shorter story. Yet I also wanted to try out an element I am thinking of using for my project: gender-swapping. Only changing the genders of the main girl and her four suitors, I tried to focus in on what were the consequences of doing such. For instance, if the first suitor is a tailor, does that make the female mirror a seamstress? Working out the kinks of what each gender change meant for the characters was an fun task to take on. Hopefully you enjoyed the piece!