Mythology by Courtney

That's the Life I trudged into my room after an unbelievably long day at work. It was late and I was exhausted from spending the day talking with clients and using my customer service voice. I knew people were just trying to find Christmas gifts for their families, but did they all have to show up on the same day every year? I sighed, kicked off my shoes, and switched on the light.  "Hey there, little one. What did you do today?" I asked. "Meow," my cat replied from the same spot on the bed where I had left her early that morning.  A Different Perspective I woke up to the lights flashing on overhead. Why does she always want to talk when I'm clearly sleeping? ----- Author's Note: I work a lot and come home every day to find my cat sleeping exactly where I left her, yet she always seems annoyed with me for disturbing her peace. So, I thought it would be fun to write a quick story from my perspective and then from hers. Originally, I had written the first ...

Merlin the wizard spent his afternoons walking through the woods, looking for inspiration. One day, he met a beautiful woman named Vivien. She was tall and had long, flowing hair. Merlin was immediately taken with her, and hoped to spend more time with her.  Vivien, intrigued by Merlin, began to inquire about his purpose for being in the woods where she lived.  Merlin answered, "I come here to find inspiration. You see, I am a magician, and I try to find magic everywhere I go." Vivien responded, "How fascinating. Would you be willing to teach me something?"  Taken by her beauty, Merlin said, "Sure! Let me teach you the smallest trick, that anyone can do." They spent the rest of the day working on Merlin's trick, and Vivien caught on quickly. Many weeks passed, and Vivien and Merlin began to spend much time together. Vivien would ask to learn something new, and Merlin would find new things to teach her. All this time spent together created a bond betwee...

The story I found the most interesting in this section was  The Adventure of Sir Percivale because the ending confused me quite a bit. It feels as though the story just changes right when it should have wrapped up. So, if I were to rewrite this story, I would change the ending and finish the original storyline.  Ideas:  When the woman gives him the horse to find the knight, he is able to get revenge on the knight who stole the horse from the poor man. Sir Percivale can go through a fight with the knight at the end of the story to bring justice back to the man. He can also retrieve the horse and bring it back to its original owner. In return for his good deeds, the woman may gift him her horse, or maybe offer her hand in marriage. There should be some reward for his returning the man's horse and putting someone else above himself.  ----- Bibliography: The Adventure of Sir Percivale by Andrew Lang Image Information: Sir Percivale by N. C. Wyeth

The story that I found the most interesting in this section was of Merlin's passing. I thought it had the most elements of plot than the other stories, and I felt that I could do more with a retelling. I would keep the plot relatively the same, but I would not allude to her betrayal as the original story does. I would keep it as a plot twist at the end of the story. Ideas: Make the lovers seem completely compatible. Don't give any idea that Vivien has anything up her sleeve. When she tricks him, it should be a surprise that no one saw coming.  Add to the story after he is buried. Have King Arthur mourn his loss and declare revenge on Vivien.  But, she has learned all of Merlin's power, so she can successfully evade the king's attempts for vengeance. End the story with her never being caught, and causing mischief for everyone in the area.  ----- Bibliography:  The Passing of Merlin by Andrew Lang Image Information: Merlin and Vivien by Speed Lancelot ...

The story I enjoyed the most from this section was King O'Toole and His Goose . I enjoyed the light-hearted nature of this story, and I am always happy to see a human/animal friendship. For the story, I wouldn't change much of the plot, but I would add more detail to the relationship between the king and his goose and take out some of the dialogue between Saint Kavin and the king. This part of the story, though necessary, felt longer than it needed to be, so I would add to the beginning and shave off some of the middle for better flow.  Ideas:  The king and goose go on hunting adventures. They share a friendship and maybe even bond over a traumatic experience on one of the hunts. Instead of Saint Kavin being in disguise, he can be up front with the king, and offer him his goose's safety in return for all of the other geese. They can work out a deal quicker than in the original story, but still come to the same conclusions.  Instead of the king dying soon after the goose i...

Tuesday Night Wikipedia Trail I started at the general Louvre Wikipedia page . I started my trail when I saw a retweet on the Twitter stream from the Musée du Louvre. This jumped out at me because I have been to the Louvre and I am itching to travel again! It has also been a while since I visited, and of course, there is a ton to see, so I thought I could re-learn some things! Next, I went to the Louvre Pyramid page because I've always liked how distinct this feature is. People far and wide know that pyramid belongs to the Louvre. I found it interesting that there was once a theory that the sides of the pyramid contained exactly 666 panes, which led people to believe it had ties to Satanism. I had not heard this! Although, it was later shown to have more like 673 panes in total.  This led me to a page on The Da Vinci Code , the novel by Dan Brown, because it once again brought up this theory of the panes in its mystery genre. Having never read this book, I kind of knew what it was...

 The story I found the most amusing in this section was The Sprightly Tailor . I thought it was funny that the tailor was completely unphased by the monster as it came out of the ground. If I were to retell this story, I wouldn't change much in the plot, but I would add more detail to add to the characterization. Ideas: Give the monster a personality - He is known as the scariest monster in the village, and he acts like a hot shot. When he pulls out more limbs from the ground, add dialogue to lean into this character.  When the tailor remains focused on his work, have the monster be genuinely concerned and shocked at how little the tailor notices him. Have the tailor shrug him off because he is focused on the work and his reward. As they go down the hill, add new elements that keep the tailor oblivious to the monster, like a rock in his path that he has to get around or an old friend that he stops to talk with. Let the monster feel confused at why this little man has no intere...

I was most interested in the story of the Girl with the Turkeys because of how closely it resembled the classic tale of Cinderella. If I were to rewrite this story, I would probably try to mix the two stories together. I found the turkeys amusing because they are typically bumbling birds, so I would like to keep that aspect of the story, but change some of the other details. Story Ideas: -Keep the turkeys, but instead of having the turkeys leave her at the end of the night, have them come back together. -Add in the Cinderella element of having a timer on the evening. Maybe the feathers will only stay on the dress until midnight, or even add an element of magic like in the Disney story.  -This story seems harsh, because to me, it doesn't seem like she really forgets her friends. She just stays out a little too late. So, I would like to change that moment in the story so that the moral still stands that relying on friends and remembering those who help you is important.  -In gen...

 After checking in on my blog, I felt pretty good about its layout and design. When we started the class, I spent a longer time than expected playing with the design, and I think I still enjoy it. However, after reviewing my website, I did play with the design aspect a little. One feedback comment I received suggested that I add some green elements to the design to tie into the green Costa Rican setting, so I changed my layout and added some green focus points.  mage: The Demon with the Matted Hair - John D Batten, Source: Wikimedia CommonsAs far as reading and writing, I like the stories I've created so far, but I have gotten behind quite a bit in this class, so I need to be better with my time management. I really enjoyed the reading on classical mythology and that shows through my stories there. Each week, I worry that I'm not writing enough in my reading notes, but once I go to write my story, I have everything I need, so it is good to know that my system is working well. ...

Orochi, the eight-headed serpent, cleaned up his nest after devouring the elder man's ninth daughter. He was filled with overwhelming remorse. He cried out, "When will this end?!" But he knew.  Since the day the old witch woman had put him under her spell, he was left with the unsettling task of killing and eating ten humans in exchange for his life. Only after the tenth would he regain his freedom and become human again. At first, he struggled with his sentence. He did not want to harm anyone, but he soon realized that he could not stand to be the monster that everyone feared. He decided that he must pay the price to return to his old self, even though it went against everything he believed.  The elder man and his wife sat at the edge of the river bank and cried. All but one of their daughters had been killed by the creature, and they couldn't bear to lose their only remaining daughter. They were worried that it was only a matter of time before the serpent got to her...

The story I'd like to recreate the most in this section was The Faery Robe . I enjoyed this story because of its style and poetic language. If I were to retell this story, I could play with this style and even recreate it as I wrote. My biggest concern is whether I could make it long enough because I would be shorter on words than normal. Plan/Ideas: I could keep the plot relatively the same, but change up the language. Tell the same story, but use different metaphors, imagery, etc. The man still takes the robe from the fairy and asks a dance of her for his own amusement, but perhaps the fairy has a different reaction.  I could make the fairy darker. Maybe she wants to get revenge on the man for stealing her robe, and she uses some form of magic to get it back. Although, I like the lightness of this story. Keeps with the tone of the fairy story.  Instead, make the fairy use some kind of magic to get her robe back from the man, but keep the tone lighter. Maybe she can put him t...

The story I found most interesting in this reading section was The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi. I like the idea of this creature, but I want to give him a backstory. Tell the story from his perspective, rather than from the humans' perspective.  Examples: Why did he eat the other daughters? Why so many? Perhaps he has a spell put on him and he needs to eat ten people to have it broken. Is that worth it? Is there more motivation behind doing something so bad? Maybe his family is involved somehow. How did the spell come about? Can he be painted in a good light, or at least a sympathetic one?  Tell the existing plot points but from his perspective. Does he overhear their conversations? Does he know what is going to happen when Susa-no-wo shows up? Does he have a plan to avoid getting killed? Is there another ending that the story can have? Can he get away in time to keep his life and return to his original form? Or, does he die as in the story, and not continue on to change his...

The story that stood out to me in this section was the story of the demon with the long hair. I thought this was an interesting character since I had never heard a story with a creature quite like this one. I think a lot of plot details can be played with when your character is a big, hairy monster! Plan: Take out some of the story leading up to meeting the demon. Instead, focus on the demon as the center of the story, and have the man walk through without much backstory.  Keep the man's demeanor: arrogant, confident, witty. man gets stuck and talks himself out of being eaten Demon is worried about the lightning in his belly and lets him go, but the man gets accidentally killed as he is released, and the demon is afraid of what will happen to him now He worries and waits for his fate, but realizes after time that the man was lying all along, and that nothing will happen to him after all.  In general, crop out some of the outlying details so create a more concise plot, and chan...

I enjoyed the story of the young girl being turned into a fiddle because of her brothers' interference. I think playing with the ending of this story could be interesting, and giving the girl more of a backstory for why she decided not to marry and to stay home could bring the ending together well.  Plan:  The story doesn't say why she is the only unmarried child, maybe she doesn't want to get married Instead, she wants to travel as a musician, but she doesn't not have the means because she needs to take care of her family, since the wives don't cook Same plot can play out, where brothers trick her and drown her...she grows into a tree and is cut down and made into a fiddle Yogi can still play music around brothers and they can feel as though they connect with it on some level Yogi can travel the world playing beautiful music, and she will (in spirit?) travel along with him making the most beautiful music and fulfilling her life dream, while the mean-spirited brothe...

The story I enjoyed the most in this unit was The Tale of King Rhampsinitus. I liked the ending plot twist, where the king declared that the boy was so cunning, he deserved a pardon. I thought this was a funny way of bringing attention to the cunning nature of the boy, and apparently, Egyptians. If I were to rewrite this story, I would double down on the plot twist, and have the king capture the boy in a trap once he returned for his pardon. In a way, this would still exemplify the message of cunningness, but it would add room for another twist, and a different victor.  Plan: Keep the plot mostly the same, changing up a few details, if I feel like it. Focus on reworking the ending. Have the king set an elaborate trap for the boy, so that he is the victor in the end. He gets justice for his stolen property, and the king and boy get mutual admiration for their cunningness.  OR, have the king trap the boy in the end, but because of the king's admiration for the boy's cunningness,...

I liked the story of the wax crocodile the best in this unit, and I think I can improve my storytelling skills with something like this. One suggestion on my story from last week was to tell it in a less formal tone, by using more dialogue and expression. So, I think this story has elements that will allow me to play with that.  Major Plot Points: Wife has affair with boy, wax crocodile is created and told to throw into lake, crocodile comes to life and eats the boy, crocodile is brought back and turned into wax, then turned back into crocodile and takes the boy for good, never to be seen again.  I also like the idea in the notes of telling the story from the crocodile's perspective. What is he thinking? How does he feel about being summoned? Is he grateful for life/a meal? What does he do during his time under water? Why didn't he eat the boy completely in the week that he was under water? Can he take agency at the end of the story and make the decision to eat the boy, or do ...

For my storybook, I will continue with the Costa Rican myths. I see it as more of an anthology, or collection of stories that are tied together through their geography. The stories I've found are interesting because some offer me the chance to take a mythological creature and, using the context of the culture, create a new story surrounding the character. In some cases, there are specific plot points that have continued on in tradition, and to retell those stories using different details would be fun.  Stories of interest: Turrialba Volcano: A story of star-crossed lovers from different tribes who are protected by the giant Turrialba volcano La Llorona: A spooky, but well-known story of a woman who lost her children and haunts rivers looking for children to drown El Cadejos: A wolf-like creature who wanders towns at night and acts as a guardian or policer, depending on who is telling the story For stories that are more local, like the Turrialba volcano, I will use sources that desc...

  Costa Rican tree frog Source: Needpix Costa Rican Myths Storybook Link

Zeus called on all the gods and goddesses to create a spectacular meeting place for the gods, where grand parties and important events could take place. He said that whoever could build a place worthy of his company would be given an enormous prize.  Excited deities rushed about to make plans for Zeus' special project, hoping to win the attention and affection of the king of the gods. Most excited was Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. She was the most gifted architect in the heavens, and she knew she would win the challenge. When others heard of Hestia's entrance into the competition, they dropped out, knowing they would stand no chance against someone of her talent.  Just when it looked that Hestia would be unchallenged, young Beatrice decided to join in and attempt to please Zeus. She had acquired great skill in architecture through an apprenticeship with her father, but she was unknown to Hestia, who quickly accepted the newcomer's challenge.  A few months passed...

The story that I liked the most from this section was of Procne and Philomela's revenge on Tereus. Classical mythology is riddled with stories of rape and violence, but there is rarely any true justice. The gods just get away with it. This story finally served some justice, which was satisfying to read. If I were to recreate this story, I would likely keep a lot of it the same, but I would probably change the child's death, because it didn't seem to have much warranting in the original story. The story only says that the boy was much like his father, and that is why he was the one who had to be used as revenge bait. Although I did like that aspect of the story because of its gross and unsettling ending, it didn't seem to make much sense from a plot standpoint.  Procne and Philomela presenting Itys' severed head Source: Wikimedia Commons In a recreation, I would either add some back story to Itys' character and have him do something terrible or mischievous like h...