If you are looking to comment on a storytelling post, I am done for the semester...I have an A!!!! I have a couple of papers to write soon, so, if you need to comment on a blog post just to get your points, you could pick any of the individual stories on my Project Page.
Thanks!
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Portfolio Index Page
Based on Ovid's story Deucalion and Pyrrha, this is a story about one of the rocks that didn't quite make the transition into a human.
(Deucalion & Pyrrha Repopulate the Earth. Source: Wikipedia Commons)
This story was inspired by one line in the story of Famine in Ovid's Metamorphosis III. “Famine” is a myth about how Ceres decides to torment men with hunger for cutting down her oak tree. In the second paragraph of this story, it is said that "fate does not allow Famine and Ceres to meet." In the myth, Ceres contacts a mountain spirit to contact Famine for her since they are not allowed to be near each other.
(The Three Fates. Source: Wikipedia)
This story was inspired by a proverb from the Plantation Proverbs story that is in the Br'er Rabbit I unit. I had a lot of fun writing this story.
(A Slave Cabin in Barbour County Near Eufaula. Source: Library of Congress)
This story was inspired by the story of Patussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle from the Eskimo Folk Tales unit. This story is a little "I boiled your bunny" but I had a blast writing it.
Saint Benedict Curing an Obsessed Etching after L. Carracci. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
This story was inspired by the story The First War from the Apache Tales Unit. This story turned into a voodoo journey before I knew it but, I believe, turned out pretty good.
Affaire de Bizoton 1864. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
This is my Portfolio Index for Mythology-Folklore, Spring 2015.
Week 13, Reading Diary B: Grimm (Librivox)
Grimm (Librivox)
Jorinda and Jorindel
This story is about an old fairy that lived in a castle in the middle of the woods. When a man came near her castle, he would freeze until she came and set him lose. If a woman came near her castle, she would turn them into a nightingale and keep them in a birdcage in her house. One time a couple had gotten lost in the woods and of course, they got too close to the castle. So the man was let go and the girl was captured. After awhile he had a dream about a flower that would disenchant what the witch had done. After hunting for it for days, he finally found it and marched right into the fairy's door. He wasn't sure how he was going to find his love then he saw the fairy running away with a bird. He caught her and turned the bird back into his love. After they ran the fairy off, they changed all of the other birds.
The Fox and The Horse
This story is about a horse that was getting old. His owner told him to leave until he was stronger than a lion. The horse wandered around and finally met a fox. The horse told the fox what had happened and so the fox had a plan to help him. He told the horse to lie down and pretend he was dead. The fox left and found the lion that lived nearby. The fox told him about the dead horse and so the lion followed him. He told the lion that he needed to drag him back to his cave to eat him there and the lion agreed. The fox "tied the lion up" to the horse so the lion could drag him back to the cave, but he actually tied the lions feet up and tied him to the horse for the horse to drag back to his owner. After dragging the lion back to his owner, the owner let him back in and kept him fed for the rest of his life.
Jorinda and Jorindel
This story is about an old fairy that lived in a castle in the middle of the woods. When a man came near her castle, he would freeze until she came and set him lose. If a woman came near her castle, she would turn them into a nightingale and keep them in a birdcage in her house. One time a couple had gotten lost in the woods and of course, they got too close to the castle. So the man was let go and the girl was captured. After awhile he had a dream about a flower that would disenchant what the witch had done. After hunting for it for days, he finally found it and marched right into the fairy's door. He wasn't sure how he was going to find his love then he saw the fairy running away with a bird. He caught her and turned the bird back into his love. After they ran the fairy off, they changed all of the other birds.
The Fox and The Horse
This story is about a horse that was getting old. His owner told him to leave until he was stronger than a lion. The horse wandered around and finally met a fox. The horse told the fox what had happened and so the fox had a plan to help him. He told the horse to lie down and pretend he was dead. The fox left and found the lion that lived nearby. The fox told him about the dead horse and so the lion followed him. He told the lion that he needed to drag him back to his cave to eat him there and the lion agreed. The fox "tied the lion up" to the horse so the lion could drag him back to the cave, but he actually tied the lions feet up and tied him to the horse for the horse to drag back to his owner. After dragging the lion back to his owner, the owner let him back in and kept him fed for the rest of his life.
Old Horses with a Dog in a Stable by George Morland. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Week 13, Reading Diary A: Grimm (Libravox)
Grimm (Librivox)
The Frog Prince
This story was awesome. I have heard the stories of princesses kissing frogs to find a prince, so maybe this story is where it originally came from. The princess was tossing her gold ball by a spring and it fell in. The frog told her he could get it for her, but she would have to let him live with her and he would be her love. After the frog pulled the ball out, she got so excited that she left without saying anything else to the frog. The frog later showed up at the door and the princess was so grossed out that she shut the door in his face. Her father told her that she was not going to break her word, so they let the frog in. After three days he turned into a handsome prince.
The Mouse, The Bird, and The Sausage
This story is just weird. It's about a mouse, a bird, and a sausage that worked together to keep their household going and food on the table. They each had a job and one day the bird met some other birds that made fun of him and told him that he was a fool. The bird talked the others into switching jobs. The sausage ended up being eaten by a dog. The mouse ended up being boiled. And, the bird ended up drowned in the well.
The Traveling Musicians
This story is very cute. It is about a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster that run away from home separately and ended up all together on their way to the city to create a band. They come up on a house that had a bunch of robbers in it. The animals tried to scare them and succeeded in running them out of the house. They liked it so they stayed. One of the robbers returned when it was dark and on accident, they scared him away. They swore the house was haunted and never returned. The animals ended up staying there together. I think I might write something similar to this for my story. I still have the second half to check out first though.
The Frog Prince
This story was awesome. I have heard the stories of princesses kissing frogs to find a prince, so maybe this story is where it originally came from. The princess was tossing her gold ball by a spring and it fell in. The frog told her he could get it for her, but she would have to let him live with her and he would be her love. After the frog pulled the ball out, she got so excited that she left without saying anything else to the frog. The frog later showed up at the door and the princess was so grossed out that she shut the door in his face. Her father told her that she was not going to break her word, so they let the frog in. After three days he turned into a handsome prince.
The Mouse, The Bird, and The Sausage
This story is just weird. It's about a mouse, a bird, and a sausage that worked together to keep their household going and food on the table. They each had a job and one day the bird met some other birds that made fun of him and told him that he was a fool. The bird talked the others into switching jobs. The sausage ended up being eaten by a dog. The mouse ended up being boiled. And, the bird ended up drowned in the well.
The Traveling Musicians
This story is very cute. It is about a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster that run away from home separately and ended up all together on their way to the city to create a band. They come up on a house that had a bunch of robbers in it. The animals tried to scare them and succeeded in running them out of the house. They liked it so they stayed. One of the robbers returned when it was dark and on accident, they scared him away. They swore the house was haunted and never returned. The animals ended up staying there together. I think I might write something similar to this for my story. I still have the second half to check out first though.
Statue in Breman, Germany. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Week 12, Storytelling:
My name is Oifa and I am an air-demon. My home is a cave where I live in total darkness. I have no shape nor do I make a sound; I cannot communicate with anyone and I have been alone for the last nine hundred years. I have lost everything and the spider is my only friend. I used to be a human with a husband, stepchildren, a family, and a home but I ruined that for myself through jealousy.
My sister, Ove, and King Lir had a good marriage and four beautiful children together. Ove died after having the last one. My father felt sad for Lir and so he offered me to him as a sort of “replacement” wife. At first I loved my stepchildren and was very proud to be raising them for my sister. But, after so long of Lir waking and laying with the kids, who slept at our feet, every morning, I could not stand it anymore. We needed some privacy, but Lir would not hear any of it, so as the days wore on, the more jealous I became. I tried to have them killed. I am not proud of it, but I did. When I was refused this favor, I did the only thing I knew to do. I put a spell on them to turn them into white swans. I left them their voices and that was my undoing. Their father found them and told him what I had done. Lir told my father and he punished me to this form forever.
So, that is how I came to be who I am. A demon with no purpose but ruin. I hide out in this cave for years at a time. I have magic, but I cannot even help myself, only hurt others. What I would give to be able to talk to someone, or to be able to touch anything, to feel the grass under my feet, to smell the flowers blooming in the Spring, to feel a lover’s touch. Over the years no one has come near my cave. I used to go wander the towns that were near by, but every time I caused some sort of unintentional doom. I have noticed a young man that is herding his sheep come by every now and then. I have just now worked up the nerve to try to contact him. Sometimes when he is taking a break near the entrance of my cave, I walk up behind him, but all he notices is the brief wind I make as I try to speak to him. I hope one day soon he hears me.
Waitomo Cave Entrance by James Shook. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Author’s Note: My story is based off of the short story The Fate of the Children of Lir from the Celtic Fairy Tales II Unit. Oifa, who was the second wife of King Lir, was said to be made into an air-demon as punishment for turning his children into swans. I wondered what happened to her after her part in the story was done. The word/associations of feathers, east, spider, divination, darkness, and Thoth all come from the pagan attributes of the Air element. I figured since air was specifically said, that it probably refers to the four elements from witchcraft, which is Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
Bibliography: More Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, 1895
Monday, April 6, 2015
Week 12, Extra Reading Diary: Jewish Fairy Tales - First Half
Jewish Fairy Tales
The Water Babe
This is the biblical story of Moses. The Princess of Egypt found Moses as a baby in a basket in the Nile river. She brought him home and he grew up in the palace with the Pharaoh, the Queen, and the Princess. The magicians said he was dangerous and not to be trusted and everyone laughed at them. When Moses was three, they had a birthday party for him. He pulled the Pharaoh's crown off and was playing with it. One of the magicians said he was evil again, so they put Moses to a "trial". The put fire and jewels in front of him. If he grabbed the jewels he was evil and would be put to death. If he grabbed the fire, he was just a foolish child. The magician that said he was NOT evil gave the princess a staff that would grant her wishes, so she wished for Moses to grab the coal. She wanted the staff to protect him, but he would not give it to her because he said Moses would have it later. When Moses left Egypt, he married that magician's daughter and the staff became his.
The Giant of the Flood
There was a Giant that wanted on Noah's ark before the flood. He said he would bring Noah a Unicorn if he would save him too. Noah said he was a devil and didn't want to save him, but told him if he brought a Unicorn he would save him if he would be his servant. The Unicorn was so big that he had to be tied to the boat and was allowed to swim. As the Unicorn floated past the Giant, he jumped on the Unicorn and told Noah that he would eat all the food that was meant for the Unicorn. The Phoenix was a good bird on the boat, so Noah told him he would never die. The Lion got a fever. The Giant was boasting that no mortals would be able to be the master of him, but Noah told him that the mortals would outlive him. Noah and the Giant went around the world planting food. They planted a grape vine and the Giant gave four offerings: a lamb, a lion, a pig, and a monkey so that when man drank the wine of grapes, there were four levels of acting for his drinking...like a lamb, a lion, a pig, or a monkey.
The Water Babe
This is the biblical story of Moses. The Princess of Egypt found Moses as a baby in a basket in the Nile river. She brought him home and he grew up in the palace with the Pharaoh, the Queen, and the Princess. The magicians said he was dangerous and not to be trusted and everyone laughed at them. When Moses was three, they had a birthday party for him. He pulled the Pharaoh's crown off and was playing with it. One of the magicians said he was evil again, so they put Moses to a "trial". The put fire and jewels in front of him. If he grabbed the jewels he was evil and would be put to death. If he grabbed the fire, he was just a foolish child. The magician that said he was NOT evil gave the princess a staff that would grant her wishes, so she wished for Moses to grab the coal. She wanted the staff to protect him, but he would not give it to her because he said Moses would have it later. When Moses left Egypt, he married that magician's daughter and the staff became his.
The Giant of the Flood
There was a Giant that wanted on Noah's ark before the flood. He said he would bring Noah a Unicorn if he would save him too. Noah said he was a devil and didn't want to save him, but told him if he brought a Unicorn he would save him if he would be his servant. The Unicorn was so big that he had to be tied to the boat and was allowed to swim. As the Unicorn floated past the Giant, he jumped on the Unicorn and told Noah that he would eat all the food that was meant for the Unicorn. The Phoenix was a good bird on the boat, so Noah told him he would never die. The Lion got a fever. The Giant was boasting that no mortals would be able to be the master of him, but Noah told him that the mortals would outlive him. Noah and the Giant went around the world planting food. They planted a grape vine and the Giant gave four offerings: a lamb, a lion, a pig, and a monkey so that when man drank the wine of grapes, there were four levels of acting for his drinking...like a lamb, a lion, a pig, or a monkey.
Grapevine in Tuscany. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Week 12, Reading Diary B: Celtic Fairy Tales II
Celtic Fairy Tales II
Elidore
This story is about a boy that was supposed to become a cleric one day. He was a lazy child that didn't want to learn. After remembering the Bible verse "Spare the rod and spoil the child," the rod was used whenever he forgot his letters. The more he was hit, the less he learned. At some point, he couldn't take it anymore and wandered around until he found the mouth of a cave. Pigmies (elves or fairies) show up and take him to their land where he can play forever. The King appoints him to take care of his son. He started missing his mother, so he asked if he could visit her. He went back and forth for some time. His mother thought that the balls they played with in the other world were gold, so the boy brought one to his mother. But, before he could show her, he tripped and the elves grabbed the ball and ran off. When it came time for him to go back with the elves, he could not find the entrance to their world.
The Ridere of Riddles
A king had two sons by two different women. When the current wife realized that her son was not first in line to be king, she decided to poison the king's first son. The queen's own son heard what she was trying to do and warned his half brother. The oldest put some of the poison in a bottle and he and his younger brother left. They wondered about the poison, so they ended up giving it to their two horses. Both fell dead. The ravens were picking from the carcass' and they ended up dying also. They took the ravens to the next town and had them made into pies. Not long after that, robbers stole their pies and then they died also. They stole all the gold from the robbers and went to see the Knight of Riddles. If you could pose a riddle that he could not solve, you were able to wed his daughters. The story takes a weird turn and has giants and people getting married...it was a really good story until that point...
Elidore
This story is about a boy that was supposed to become a cleric one day. He was a lazy child that didn't want to learn. After remembering the Bible verse "Spare the rod and spoil the child," the rod was used whenever he forgot his letters. The more he was hit, the less he learned. At some point, he couldn't take it anymore and wandered around until he found the mouth of a cave. Pigmies (elves or fairies) show up and take him to their land where he can play forever. The King appoints him to take care of his son. He started missing his mother, so he asked if he could visit her. He went back and forth for some time. His mother thought that the balls they played with in the other world were gold, so the boy brought one to his mother. But, before he could show her, he tripped and the elves grabbed the ball and ran off. When it came time for him to go back with the elves, he could not find the entrance to their world.
The Ridere of Riddles
A king had two sons by two different women. When the current wife realized that her son was not first in line to be king, she decided to poison the king's first son. The queen's own son heard what she was trying to do and warned his half brother. The oldest put some of the poison in a bottle and he and his younger brother left. They wondered about the poison, so they ended up giving it to their two horses. Both fell dead. The ravens were picking from the carcass' and they ended up dying also. They took the ravens to the next town and had them made into pies. Not long after that, robbers stole their pies and then they died also. They stole all the gold from the robbers and went to see the Knight of Riddles. If you could pose a riddle that he could not solve, you were able to wed his daughters. The story takes a weird turn and has giants and people getting married...it was a really good story until that point...
Drawing by John Bauer. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Week 12, Reading Diary A: Celtic Fairy Tales II
Celtic Fair Tales II
The Fate of the Children of Lir
This story is about the children of King Lir (duh). King Lir marries Ove, who is the eldest child of Oilell. They have four kids and then Ove dies. King Lir then marries Ove's sister, Oifa. Oifa is awesome at first, but then she started becoming jealous of Lir's children. Oifa took the four children on a journey to kill them. She asks someone else to kill the children, but they refuse. Oifa then tells the children to go into the Lake of Oaks to take a bath. As soon as they were in the lake, Oifa put a spell on them to make them 4 swans. She told them that they would stay that way until Lairgnen and Deoch wed. When she returns, King Lir figures out that she has done something with the kids. He goes to the lake and speaks to the swans and they tell him what has happened. For Oifa's punishment, she is turned into what she thinks is the worst shape on the earth, an air-demon. She flew away. I was wondering what happened to her when she left, so I think I may write a story on that little detail. Long story short, they finally become human again and then die. The end.
Dream of Owen O'Mulready
This is a short story about a man who couldn't dream named Owen. He was working one day and told his master that he had never had a dream before. The master then told him to go home and clean out his fireplace and sleep in there and he was sure to dream. His wife, Margaret, slept with him in the chimney. Not long after, there was a knock at the door. There was a letter from the master that was to go to America. He ran from place to place and everyone he met knew who he was. He finally got to the ocean and could go no more. A crane told him to get on her back and she would take him across. Half way over she got tired and told him to get off. He refused! There was a thrasher above them and so he asked the thrasher to let him hang on his flail so he could give the crane a rest. The crane took off and left him hanging there. Luckily a ship came by soon and was trying to get him into the ship. He dropped his shoe to see if the ship was under him so he could fall down and all of a sudden his wife yelled because she had just been hit in the head with a shoe. When he woke up, he was climbing the chimney and was half-way up. He decided he didn't ever want to have another dream.
The Fate of the Children of Lir
This story is about the children of King Lir (duh). King Lir marries Ove, who is the eldest child of Oilell. They have four kids and then Ove dies. King Lir then marries Ove's sister, Oifa. Oifa is awesome at first, but then she started becoming jealous of Lir's children. Oifa took the four children on a journey to kill them. She asks someone else to kill the children, but they refuse. Oifa then tells the children to go into the Lake of Oaks to take a bath. As soon as they were in the lake, Oifa put a spell on them to make them 4 swans. She told them that they would stay that way until Lairgnen and Deoch wed. When she returns, King Lir figures out that she has done something with the kids. He goes to the lake and speaks to the swans and they tell him what has happened. For Oifa's punishment, she is turned into what she thinks is the worst shape on the earth, an air-demon. She flew away. I was wondering what happened to her when she left, so I think I may write a story on that little detail. Long story short, they finally become human again and then die. The end.
Dream of Owen O'Mulready
This is a short story about a man who couldn't dream named Owen. He was working one day and told his master that he had never had a dream before. The master then told him to go home and clean out his fireplace and sleep in there and he was sure to dream. His wife, Margaret, slept with him in the chimney. Not long after, there was a knock at the door. There was a letter from the master that was to go to America. He ran from place to place and everyone he met knew who he was. He finally got to the ocean and could go no more. A crane told him to get on her back and she would take him across. Half way over she got tired and told him to get off. He refused! There was a thrasher above them and so he asked the thrasher to let him hang on his flail so he could give the crane a rest. The crane took off and left him hanging there. Luckily a ship came by soon and was trying to get him into the ship. He dropped his shoe to see if the ship was under him so he could fall down and all of a sudden his wife yelled because she had just been hit in the head with a shoe. When he woke up, he was climbing the chimney and was half-way up. He decided he didn't ever want to have another dream.
From the UN-Textbook.
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