Mythology by Courtney

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...