Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Dante's Inferno: Reading Diary B
The second half of Dante's Inferno was just as gloomy as the first. Surprise surprise! My favorite story was Descending on Geryon's Back. Even though the writing suggested the worst environment imaginable, I couldn't help but see the beauty and freedom in the short flight down. Dante and Vigil boarded Geryon, a giant, flying beast, and looked out over the dreadful land below them. This scene reminded me of The Neverending Story with the giant dog. I obviously didn't care too much about Dante's descriptions of Malebolge during his flight. I just imagined the trio enjoying the wind around them. I also enjoyed the bits that directly related to the Bible. When I was in high school, I studied the Old Testament a lot. Dante mentions the statue made of several different media that represented the rise and fall of different empires. It was humorous that Nimrod, constructor of the Tower of Babel, spoke a language that no one could understand.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Dante's Inferno: Reading Diary A
This story has been on my list of things to read for years, so I'm very excited that I have the opportunity to read it now. My favorite levels of the inferno are the first two: limbo and lust, respectively. I put myself in the story when reading it and judged myself based on my life thus far. If I were to assign myself to one of these levels, it would be to the lust category. This story is very convicting, not only for the religious or people of faith, but for those who don't claim a belief system. I am currently in a hospital waiting room with my boyfriend and his dad. The person I am today is because of these men. We just spent the past hour discussing Dante's Inferno and other aspects of faith and the lack thereof. I hope to retell the story of Paolo and Francesca because I sympathize with their love story and have a lot to think about from our recent conversations. Thanks Craig and Cody Taylor.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Essay: Russian Death
The Russian Folktales unit dealt a lot with death. The later stories focused on ghosts and how exactly the living interact with the dead. It was interesting that none of the ghosts were nice. One of the dead characters even went out and killed people for fun. The stories described how to get rid of ghosts and how to handle them if a situation got out of hand. When I was reading through these stories, I got the impression that these tales were meant to be a guidebook. They described what situations to not get yourself into, but if you do end up in a predicament, here's what you're supposed to do.
I really enjoyed this unit because the stories are all unique. Most stories I've read lately from other units have been about trickery and how to deceive your foe. This unit had a variety of different supernatural characters, and each had an interesting reason to be included in the story. One of favorites was The Treasure. The bad guy definitely got what he deserved by having the goat's skin permanently attached to his body. This was intriguing because how he ended up like this was a mystery. The story never described exactly why the skin could never be removed. It was just the universe making sure karma was in play.
Emilian the Fool was also a good one. It reminded me of Aladin. Emilian got to make wishes by the power of a fish, while Aladin was granted his wishes by the genie. This story was unique within this unit because of how much it lacked negativity. The other stories focused on death mainly. Emilian the Fool was all about the easy way out in the end. He got everything he wished for just by being lazy and wishing for things. It doesn't seem very Russian to me, but I guess they had to have happy-go-lucky stories too.
I really enjoyed this unit because the stories are all unique. Most stories I've read lately from other units have been about trickery and how to deceive your foe. This unit had a variety of different supernatural characters, and each had an interesting reason to be included in the story. One of favorites was The Treasure. The bad guy definitely got what he deserved by having the goat's skin permanently attached to his body. This was intriguing because how he ended up like this was a mystery. The story never described exactly why the skin could never be removed. It was just the universe making sure karma was in play.
Emilian the Fool was also a good one. It reminded me of Aladin. Emilian got to make wishes by the power of a fish, while Aladin was granted his wishes by the genie. This story was unique within this unit because of how much it lacked negativity. The other stories focused on death mainly. Emilian the Fool was all about the easy way out in the end. He got everything he wished for just by being lazy and wishing for things. It doesn't seem very Russian to me, but I guess they had to have happy-go-lucky stories too.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Storytelling Week 13: In Love with a Ghost
It had been another double shift in the ER, and Jack was on his way home. Everyone had warned him of the life of an emergency room doctor, but he didn't care about the long hours. Jack loved the drama and intensity of each situation. Each patient depended on him, and he did everything in his power to get them out of there healthy. There was a park he drove by just before his neighborhood. There were usually only a couple of people out. An older man walking his dog or a young mother pushing her child on a swing... Today, however, a crowd had gathered around the running path. Jack thought this was strange and decided to check it out.
"What's going on?" he shouted as he ran up to the scene.
"Someone hit this woman and ran off! I think he stole her wallet!" squeaked an elderly woman. Tears ran down her cheeks as she started to pray out loud for a miracle. As Jack approached the woman, he noticed she had a gash in her head just above her left ear. She was loosing a lot of blood but could still make it. A man was standing nearby on the phone with emergency personnel. Jack pulled off his scrubs shirt and held it against the woman's head to try to slow the bleeding. The ambulance arrived soon after he did, and he rode back to the hospital with this mystery woman. As he assisted the EMSA team with maintaining her vitals, he could not help but notice how beautiful she was. As she lay there completely helpless, Jack decided that he would stick with her through her recovery. He could not continue living without knowing who this woman was.
After hours in surgery, the woman was stable in ICU. Jack was sitting by her side when a cop walked in. "Any news as to who she isn't?" Jack asked.
"Nope. We haven't found any ID, and she doesn't match any of the missing persons reports."
"Thanks officer. Please let me know if anything comes up."
Nothing came up. A few days later when the woman woke up and was able to speak, she could not remember who she was or what had happened to her. No one came forward claiming her identity. Throughout the next weeks of recovery, the woman had to learn how to walk and write again. Everything was new to her, and Jack was there every step of the way. "What should I call you?" Jack asked her one day.
"What's your favorite name?" she replied.
"My grandmother's name was Genevieve. I've always thought it was a pretty name."
"Then call me Genevieve," the woman decided.
As Genevieve began to heal, she and Jack become close. They laughed together and ordered pizza every Friday night. She would light up whenever Jack came to visit after his ER shift. She was to be released from the rehab center the next week, and Jack offered for her to stay at his place. She gratefully accepted and promised to find out who she was and what life she was supposed to be living. Weeks went by but Genevieve couldn't find anything about herself. No missing persons reports or found wallets...
One day the couple was out for ice cream when a middle-aged woman ran up and hugged Genevieve. "I'm so sorry! I know you're upset with us, but please don't shut us out! We love you and miss you so much!" the woman exclaimed as she held back sobs.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't know who you are," Genevieve said quietly. The woman looked confused for a moment, so Genevieve explained what happened to her. It turned out that Genevieve's real name was Nancy. Her parents had just told her that they would be moving to Spain the following year. Nancy was apparently very upset with this news, so when she went silent for a couple of months, her parents only thought that she was giving them the silent treatment, not that she had gone missing!
Nancy had to relearn everything about herself. She read her old diaries from when she was in high school and listened to all of her old mix CDs. Jack was still by her side, discovering the girl that Genevieve used to be, loving every new thing he found out. Jack proposed to Nancy one year after they met that tragic and miraculous day. She, of course, said yes, and they lived happily ever after.
Author's Note:
This story is based on The Léshy in the Russian Folktales unit. A young woman went for a walk in the woods but never came home. Three years later, a hunter went into the same woods and found a Léshy (Russian forest demon). Once his identity was known, the hunter shot him! The Léshy stumbled back to his cabin before he died from the wound. The hunter followed him and found a young woman who didn't know who she was or where she came from. They returned to the village together, and the priest correctly identified her as his daughter. After realizing that the hunter had saved her, the priest gave his daughter to the hunter as a wife. My rendition of this tale is quite different. It was difficult to follow the plot exactly and modernize it in the way I had it planned in my head. I really loved this story though and wanted to retell it. There was no mention of the Léshy harming the woman in the original story like Nancy was harmed. It was a good way to make her loose her memory though. The hunter and Jack both loved the mystery women and took care of them on their way home. The Léshy, although named after a demon, is a perfect love story of a damsel in distress and her heroic knight.
Bibliography:
The Léshy. Russian Fairy Tales. W. R. S. Ralston. 1887.
"What's going on?" he shouted as he ran up to the scene.
"Someone hit this woman and ran off! I think he stole her wallet!" squeaked an elderly woman. Tears ran down her cheeks as she started to pray out loud for a miracle. As Jack approached the woman, he noticed she had a gash in her head just above her left ear. She was loosing a lot of blood but could still make it. A man was standing nearby on the phone with emergency personnel. Jack pulled off his scrubs shirt and held it against the woman's head to try to slow the bleeding. The ambulance arrived soon after he did, and he rode back to the hospital with this mystery woman. As he assisted the EMSA team with maintaining her vitals, he could not help but notice how beautiful she was. As she lay there completely helpless, Jack decided that he would stick with her through her recovery. He could not continue living without knowing who this woman was.
After hours in surgery, the woman was stable in ICU. Jack was sitting by her side when a cop walked in. "Any news as to who she isn't?" Jack asked.
"Nope. We haven't found any ID, and she doesn't match any of the missing persons reports."
"Thanks officer. Please let me know if anything comes up."
Nothing came up. A few days later when the woman woke up and was able to speak, she could not remember who she was or what had happened to her. No one came forward claiming her identity. Throughout the next weeks of recovery, the woman had to learn how to walk and write again. Everything was new to her, and Jack was there every step of the way. "What should I call you?" Jack asked her one day.
"What's your favorite name?" she replied.
"My grandmother's name was Genevieve. I've always thought it was a pretty name."
"Then call me Genevieve," the woman decided.
As Genevieve began to heal, she and Jack become close. They laughed together and ordered pizza every Friday night. She would light up whenever Jack came to visit after his ER shift. She was to be released from the rehab center the next week, and Jack offered for her to stay at his place. She gratefully accepted and promised to find out who she was and what life she was supposed to be living. Weeks went by but Genevieve couldn't find anything about herself. No missing persons reports or found wallets...
One day the couple was out for ice cream when a middle-aged woman ran up and hugged Genevieve. "I'm so sorry! I know you're upset with us, but please don't shut us out! We love you and miss you so much!" the woman exclaimed as she held back sobs.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't know who you are," Genevieve said quietly. The woman looked confused for a moment, so Genevieve explained what happened to her. It turned out that Genevieve's real name was Nancy. Her parents had just told her that they would be moving to Spain the following year. Nancy was apparently very upset with this news, so when she went silent for a couple of months, her parents only thought that she was giving them the silent treatment, not that she had gone missing!
Nancy had to relearn everything about herself. She read her old diaries from when she was in high school and listened to all of her old mix CDs. Jack was still by her side, discovering the girl that Genevieve used to be, loving every new thing he found out. Jack proposed to Nancy one year after they met that tragic and miraculous day. She, of course, said yes, and they lived happily ever after.
Author's Note:
This story is based on The Léshy in the Russian Folktales unit. A young woman went for a walk in the woods but never came home. Three years later, a hunter went into the same woods and found a Léshy (Russian forest demon). Once his identity was known, the hunter shot him! The Léshy stumbled back to his cabin before he died from the wound. The hunter followed him and found a young woman who didn't know who she was or where she came from. They returned to the village together, and the priest correctly identified her as his daughter. After realizing that the hunter had saved her, the priest gave his daughter to the hunter as a wife. My rendition of this tale is quite different. It was difficult to follow the plot exactly and modernize it in the way I had it planned in my head. I really loved this story though and wanted to retell it. There was no mention of the Léshy harming the woman in the original story like Nancy was harmed. It was a good way to make her loose her memory though. The hunter and Jack both loved the mystery women and took care of them on their way home. The Léshy, although named after a demon, is a perfect love story of a damsel in distress and her heroic knight.
Bibliography:
The Léshy. Russian Fairy Tales. W. R. S. Ralston. 1887.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Russian Folktales: Reading Diary B
The second half of the Russian Folktales unit was all about death. The most interesting part about how the Russians viewed death was the difference in the passage of time. My favorite story in this reading, The Two Friends, described a meeting that took place in a grave. One friend was dead while the other was still alive. A short time passed, enough for three rounds of drinks, before the living friend decided to leave. When he exited the grave, he found nothing the same as he left it. The houses and people were all different. While three hours passed by in the grave, three hundred years passed by in reality. This was such an intriguing addition to the plot of the story. The Two Friends would make a fun retelling. Some of the other stories involved passing by graveyards late at night and all of the unfortunate things that occurred as a result.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Russian Folktales: Reading a Diary A
Russian Folktales are the best folktales! They are all so different from the other units and much more funny. The funniest story was The Bad Wife. Even the demons couldn't handle her! There were tales of happily ever after and some that could provoke tears. The story that would most likely be easiest and best to retell is The Leshy. In it, a young woman disappears for three years. A hunter ends up finding her at the hut of an evil magical character and returns her to her parents. They get married, and a happy ending is made. Love stories are always easy to write because they are fun to come up with. I don't much enjoy writing a sad ending. It's not satisfying. The most unique story by far is The Treasure! In this one, the bad guy dresses up as a goat to fool his victim, but when he tries to take off his costume, he realizes that it has annealed to his own skin! He was forever stuck in a goat's skin.
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Sunday, April 12, 2015
Portfolio Introduction
Below are my favorite stories that I have written so far in Mythology and Folklore. I picked the portfolio project because I need practice taking criticism and to face my fear of a blank piece of paper. Or a blank screen on my iPad in this case... I have never been much of a creative individual, and I would like that to change. I hope that storytelling will be my big creativity break! Please leave comments about anything. It won't hurt my feelings. I need help!
Week 4: The Holy Plant
This is my favorite story that I've written for this class. It's about a curious girl and her parents who meet an interesting character in the woods. The end is very open, which may be frustrating, but I love to imagine my own endings. I hope you enjoy this story!
Week 2: The Grey Part of Life
This story is about curiosity and love. A couple go on an adventure that turns out to be deadly. The author's note relates the story back to Adam and Eve. It may be the most interesting part.
Week 9: The Motel in Happy Camp
If you're a Bigfoot fan, you'll enjoy this story. It focuses on characterization and living out your dreams.
Week 11: There's Something about Australia
This story is lacking slightly in logic... It's full of magic, whimsy, and escape. The main character heads off on an adventure that is fueled by a dream. Those are the best adventures in my opinion. It's my second favorite story this semester.
Week 12: The Content Accountant
Poor Tom's life is less that ideal, and he decides to take an opportunity to escape. This is my least favorite story, but I still enjoy the thought of an adventure.
This is my favorite story that I've written for this class. It's about a curious girl and her parents who meet an interesting character in the woods. The end is very open, which may be frustrating, but I love to imagine my own endings. I hope you enjoy this story!
Week 2: The Grey Part of Life
This story is about curiosity and love. A couple go on an adventure that turns out to be deadly. The author's note relates the story back to Adam and Eve. It may be the most interesting part.
Week 9: The Motel in Happy Camp
If you're a Bigfoot fan, you'll enjoy this story. It focuses on characterization and living out your dreams.
Week 11: There's Something about Australia
This story is lacking slightly in logic... It's full of magic, whimsy, and escape. The main character heads off on an adventure that is fueled by a dream. Those are the best adventures in my opinion. It's my second favorite story this semester.
Week 12: The Content Accountant
Poor Tom's life is less that ideal, and he decides to take an opportunity to escape. This is my least favorite story, but I still enjoy the thought of an adventure.
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