Reading Diary B: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki)

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the second section of the Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki) unit. Story source: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908).

•  This just begins like a beautiful and classic fairy tale.  I love it already.  
• Uh oh.  The mysterious old woman is giving him so very specific instructions.  
• I mean at least the Goblin of Adachigahara was hospitable.  
• Is it bad that anytime a text says Ogre I just picture Shrek? 
• I laugh picturing a guy on a horse carrying a giant ogre's arm while riding into town.  
• This old nurse is very manipulative!  
• I like that in the end Watanabe never killed the ogre but he saved the town because it's now too afraid to ever come back. 
• Hase-Hime sounds like Cinderella!  
• Wow karma is a b!  Try and poison you'll step-child and you'll accidentally poison your own.  
• In the last section of the story, "quite" should be "quiet". 
• Yay!  See everything worked out for Katoda because he was a nice person.  

(Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki from The Story of Princess Hase.)

 

Reading Diary A: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki)

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the first section of the Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki) unit. Story source: Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (1908).

•  I love that this has an audio recording.  It's such a different experience to have the text read aloud.  
• This story just has so much mystery.  
• A dragon's mortal enemy is a centipede ????
• This has the most beautiful descriptions.  I wish I could visit this palace!
• Very clever to put his saliva on the arrow!
• Hidesato thinks he has to go home but he had no idea that he had to kill the centipede initially.  
• Are these the best presents the dragon king has...
• Wait inexhaustible rice is actually pretty cool.
• Oh clever.  He's the Lord Bag of Rice. 
• The beginning of Kintoki's story is similar to the Count of Monte Cristo.
• Wow wrestling games with forest creatures, I am so jealous.  
• Of course the woodcutter happens to be one of the greatest generals of Japan. 
• This is truly a rags to riches story.  
• I love love love the image of Mount Fuji.  
• Oh mortality is sought after in every culture.  

(Mount Fuji from the Untextbook.)

Famous Last Words for Week 5

It's a cozy Sunday morning as I sit in my room writing this post casually sipping coffee and eating a bagel.  It's a been a great week and Fall has officially arrived!  Not to sound super stereotypical white girl, but Fall really is the coziest season.  

The school year is picking up and there have just been so many more assignments than usual while my friends are super busy with their own tests and essays.  This is one thing I won't miss about college, but I'll probably miss everything else.  

On Friday my roommate's boyfriend drove up from Fort Worth, Texas for a visit.  He's one of the funniest people I know, so it's always a good time to see him.  We went to a jungle themed party where my roommate and I were jungle cats.  I was a tiger and she a cheetah.  It was a lot of fun and then we went to Campus Corner and got a lot of interesting looks.  

(Personal photo of me and a friend dressed for a jungle themed party in September 2015.) 

After being exhausted from Friday night's events, on Saturday we slept in, ate cinnamon rolls, watched cartoons and played GameCube games.  And I'm supposed to be an actual adult when I graduate in a few months?  

Overall, it was a pretty chill week.  In my opinion there were too many homework assignments for my classes but there wasn't an unbearable amount.  Next week I don't know what I'm going to do with myself because it seems like all of my friends will be going to the Austin City Lights music festival.  I decided not to go because I figured next year I'll have more money to spend on a fun festival like that and hopefully a full-time job I might want to take a break from.  But now I am totally kicking myself for not going...  

Lesson of the week: Don't choose to not attend a really really cool music festival.

Thoughts about Comments

Here are a few of things that I find helpful about comments.  

• I like when other people point out or quote lines that I used in my dialogue and tell me why they liked it.  As the writer, this really helps me see what sticks with the reader!!
• I also like when other people suggest revisions like how to avoid awkward wording.  I find this truly helpful because sometimes I over explain things!
• Talking about what they interpreted from the story is also super helpful because that helps you realize what impression some of the elements of your story might give off. 
• I think the most helpful comments are what or how the story makes the reader feel.  These are normally complete strangers, they should have a completely unbiased opinion.  

My thoughts on my comments.  

• I think I've done a pretty good job in my comments in other classes.  I always try and compliment others' writing because this is something people can be very sensitive about!
• I should try and quote lines from stories that I especially like.  That is one of my favorite things to see in the comments, so I should do that for others.  
• I will also try and give suggestions on how to edit some things in other stories.    

Storytelling for Week 5: The Golden Deer

A few months into Rama's exile his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshmana, stayed isolated with him in their forest cottage.  The days were long and the three of them were getting tense.  They thought they were the only ones in the entire forest.   They were wrong... 

"Look outside!  What is that in the wood?"  Sita called to her husband and his brother.  
"What do you speak of my love?"  Rama said as he approached his wife at the window.  
"It's a beautiful creature.  Look over in the grove!  It has gold skin.  How wonderful it would be to have such an exotic and beautiful companion."  

She pointed to a beautiful golden deer with sapphire eyes that seemed to bloom like blue lotus flowers.  Once the deer made eye contact with Sita it had her completely enchanted.  After the beautiful princess from the extravagant palace lived in exile woods for months, she was easily entranced by the prized animal.  

"Please loving husband, fetch the esteemed stag for me.  I want nothing more than to stroke the fur of that exotic animal," said Sita as she pleaded to her husband.  She looked up at him with the very same puppy dog eyes that she used to use on her father when he would tell her she wasn't allowed outside the palace walls. 

"Brother, this may not be the best idea.  You never know what kinds of shapes demons can take and what would this creature is doing this far in the woods?  We have not seen any other deer the entire time that we have been here.  Does this not seem a little too perfect?"  Lakshmana told his brother, hoping he would stay.  

"Look all that Sita has given up just for me.  Why would I deny her the one thing she has asked for the entire time we have been married?  As long as it is well within my ability to do it, I will stop at nothing to give my Sita what she wants."  Rama told his brother while grabbing for his bow and arrow.  

 Lakshmana knew there was nothing he could do to stop his brother, so he kept objecting to Rama leaving.  "Lakshmana if you are so worried, how about you stay here with Sita while I go and fetch the deer?"  

This seemed like a fair compromise, so Lakshmana no longer objected.  Soon Rama ran out the door of their cottage and chased after the deer.  This is when the malevolent demon Ravana saw his opportunity...

 

(The Golden Deer)

 Author's Note:  I wanted to build up some suspense during the time Sita spots the deer and just before she gets kidnapped by Ravana.  If you're unfamiliar with the story click on this to learn more of the context.  It just really intrigues me when something so small like chasing a deer can lead to horrible consequences.  

Bibliography: This story is part of the Ramayana unit. Story source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

 

Reading Diary B: The Ramayana

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the second section of the Ramayana unit. Story source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

•  There are so many things I remembering when rereading this version.  
• I completely forgot all about Khara...
• The golden deer is like pandora's box.
• NOOOOO SITA DON'T ASK RAMA TO GET THE DEER!
• Yes the monkey army is so awesome.  
• I adore Sita.  Her courage is actually inspiring.  
• I can't believe rain kept Rama from Sita.  
• Hanuman might be my absolute favorite. 
• Ravana's ego is his ultimate downfall.  
• I'm surprised this scaled-down version included Sita's sons.  This part of the tale broke my heart!  And it did the second time around.  

 

(The Monkeys and Bears Build a Bridge to Lanka from Wikipedia.)

Reading Diary A: The Ramayana

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the first section of the Ramayana unit. Story source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

• I love all of the divine intervention with Rama's birth.  I mean this is the birth of a god. 
• Oh Rama is always saving people.  Can't get enough of that.  It's so weird rereading this and knowing the ending!!
• Rama and Sita :(  These sweet kids break my heart.  
• Little do they know how much damage Kaikeyi is going to cause...
• I'm surprised in this summarized version they touch on Manthara.  That was one of the most fascinating parts for me when I read the novel so I'm glad it's in here. 
• I honestly find Rama's graciousness when accepting the exile so inspiring. 
• Rama, Sita and Lakshmana the three best friends. 
• I love Bharata.  He really does just get thrown into this.  

  (Bharata and Rama from Wikipedia.)

Famous Last Words for Week 4

I can't believe we are already 1/4th of the way through this semester.  Since I'm a senior and will be graduating in May, so many things keep getting me emotional.  

For example, I got so sad at the football game this weekend.  The second I stepped into the stands and looked out over the field I became overcome with the urge to cry.  I didn't though in case you're wondering.  I just felt sad because this is the last football season ever that I'll get to cheer on my school's team.  I know I'll still support them when I'm an alumni but it's just not the same okay!!!!!!

Anyways, I really did have a great time at the game.  I went home the weekend of the first game so this was the start of the season for me.  The rest of the day I spent hanging out with old friends and making new ones!  My roommate and I were so exhausted after the game that we took a nap pretty much for the rest of the day.  But hey, I'm not complaining.  

Speaking of getting oddly emotional today was my last big little ever.  If you don't know what that is it's when the little sisters are revealed or matched up with their big sisters, and honestly it's a lot of fun.  I'm senior so I just mainly got to hang out with and get to know some of the freshman members of our sorority.  We went rollerskating afterwards, so this made for a much more eventful Sunday night than ususal. 

 

(Personal photo taken in September 2015.)

This week was plenty eventful and a lot of it was so much fun.  I hope the rest of the semester goes like this and I can say goodbye to college the right way.   But you never know what the future might hold.  

Essay: Common Themes of Turkish Fairy Tales

This week I read a collection of fairy tales all from Turkey.  They were very entertaining and I feel like influenced a lot of other fairy tales that I'm familiar with.  One thing I noticed is that a lot of the tales had some common themes or motifs within them.  

Happily ever after was a major theme in most of the stories, which is something that I like to see when I read fairy tales.  I found this interesting because when you compare fairy tale Disney movies to their origins they are often made much happier and kid-friendly.  

For example, Sleeping Beauty is raped in the original and "The Little Mermaid" ends up committing suicide after the Prince chooses to marry someone else.  Not in Turkish fairy tales though, these original fairy tales seemed to have plenty of happy endings.  Which as a reader, I greatly appreciated because no one wants to find out the depressing origins of their favorite fairy tale characters after thinking they lead beautiful lives.  

Another interesting theme I discovered is that in many of the different tales it had characters turning into animals, mostly birds.  I LOVE this.  It just makes me think that back in the day people thought the world was so magical and that people turning into animals was something that actually happened.  Could you imagine looking at a beautiful bird and legitimately wondering if it was a bird or maybe a fairy in disguise?  That might be a strange thought, but I really wonder what it would be like to grow up in a time when wizards, fairies and magic were all considered very real.  

(Pinterest)

I thoroughly enjoyed this week's section and if I ever see some Turkish fairy tales at a book store I will be sure to check them out.  I seriously think these have been my favorite readings thus far. 

Reading Diary B: Turkish Fairy Tales

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the second section of Turkish Fairy Tales from the Turkish Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales by Ignacz Kunos, with illustrations by Willy Pogany (1913).

•  This first tale reminds me Cinderella.  I had no idea how many influences Cinderella may have had!
• I feel immature but all I can think of when I read "The Bey" is Bae.  
• This relationship between the woodcutter and his wife seems abusive.
• I love that the wife terrifies the imp, like she is the monster instead of him.  
• WOW so the woodcutter ends up with two wives after ditching his first.  Happily Ever After. 
• How did a poor goose wind up in this mess with the ring...
• **Ring was found at the expense of the goose.
• The story with the Wizard had me a little confused.
• With the story about the liver all I can think is "you gotta spend money to make money right?"  
• I just love this line, "WE were three brothers; two of us were silly, and neither of us had a bit of sense."
• It's such a cop out for it to end in a dream.   

 

(Madjun from the UnTextbook.)

Reading Diary A: Turkish Fairy Tales

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the first section of Turkish Fairy Tales from the Turkish Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales by Ignacz Kunos, with illustrations by Willy Pogany (1913).

• I love that in the story about the boy and fear it shows how in the end fear is just a concept.  You don't actually have to be afraid of anything. 
• This seems like an Achilles story.  Whereas Achilles is the greatest warrior until your hit his ankle this boy is the bravest person until you shock him with a little bird.  
• "They lived happily ever after."  Is this just the line that makes stories a fairy tale?
•  Turkish fairy tales have a lot of birds turning into women...
• Randomly turning them into a garden must be a thing too..
• That was the most extravagant "how I met my husband story" ever.  
• I totally caught that the woman was a fish because every animals in Turkish Fairy Tales turns into beautiful women. 
• He wants him to make a mule come out of an egg...
• This Arab is the MVP of the story.
• I love that this newborn infant was the one who talked some sense into the Ruler.
• In all of these stories Rulers always ask impossible task of their people.
• Of course the helpful crow was a beautiful maiden the entire time.  

(The Crow-Peri from the Untextbook.)

Tech Tip: Embedded YouTube

Here's one YouTube video that always brings me to tears.  It's when the Nebraska Football team invites Jack Hoffman, a six year old boy with brain cancer, to their annual spring game.  Jack gets to line up with the team and even scores a touchdown.  The kindness and compassion of the players just warms my heart. 
 

Famous Last Words for Week 3

It was a pretty average week with an ABOVE AND BEYOND average ending on Saturday.  Yes I'm talking about the OU football game against Tennessee.  If you've read my Introduction post you know I'm a huge football fan and last night's game was a prime example on why.  Being an OU fan is a wonderfully horrible roller coaster ride, but you just can't get off. 

Before Saturday I spent most of the week doing busywork for my classes.  In the long run it's better to get grades doing relatively easy assignments but sometimes it's just SO FREAKIN HARD to not procrastinate and actually do the assignments.  I struggled with that a lot this week and binge watching "Sons of Anarchy" was just way more appealing.  (So appealing I canceled Thursday night plans just to stay in and watch it...)

I also had to turn in my first big essay written entirely in Spanish.  I haven't gotten the grade yet but writing an essay in another language always makes me nervous.  Writing an essay is difficult for me in English how could I possibly write a descriptive analysis paper in Spanish without major mistakes??  And this time I'm not studying abroad so I don't have my Spanish mother to help check my papers.  

Yesterday my day was completely uneventful up until the game.  It was such a ride.  I can't even imagine what our team had to deal with due to the deafening noise of Tennessee's fans in their stadium.  Immediately after the game I went to Campus Corner to celebrate the victory with friends.  It really seemed like everyone was in a good mood.  I wonder why? ;)  The entire game was absolute insanity, but to just sum up my feelings about it here's a picture: 

 

(Sterling Shepard leaping over Tennessee player from OU Football Twitter.)

The King and Queen of the Underworld Storybook Styles

Topic: My storybook will feature the different visitors Hades and Persephone see in the Underworld and all of the different interactions they have.  This includes Orpheus, Psyche and Pirithous.  I think my introduction section will be about the King and Queen themselves and each story following that will feature a visitor coming to the Land of the Dead.  This would also include the servants in the Underworld because what is the Underworld without them.  This will give me plenty of material for a storybook!! 

Bibliography:
 Cupid and Psyche unit from Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).  
 Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000).
Pirithous "The Chair of Forgetfulness". 
"A Complete List Of Greek Underworld Gods & Goddesses" from Theoi Greek Mythology.

Possible Styles: 

Persephone in the Underworld.  This is most appealing.  She is an outsider in the Underworld so she could accurately relay her experience as a reliable narrator.  She has a unique perspective and is present during all of the interactions with the visitors.  It would be interesting to write her thoughts during Orpheus and Psyche's appearances.  This would just be a storybook about being Queen of the Underworld and what kind of people find their way into her kingdom.  

Events in the Underworld.  This would be very similar to the style above except it would be told in third person.  If told in third person this could give not just Persephone's perspective but everyone's perspective.  It would be interesting to see not only Persephone's opinion on Orpheus but also Orpheus's opinion on her as well.  It would also show Pirithous's true intentions very clearly.  

Visitors as the storytellers.  Since each visitor varies so drastically from one another this could show all of the different impressions.  Especially since the Underworld itself is such a widely interpreted myth this could really show all of the character's perspective of not just the Underworld but also Persephone and Hades.   

Servants of the Underworld.  This would include all of the Underworld's workers like Kharon, the ferryman of the dead.  This could be like the Downton Abbey of the Underworld where you have the perspectives and story lines of the rich and the poor.   Kharon is obviously a central character for all of the visitors because he is the one who brings all of them in and only some of them out.  

 

(Deep in the Underworld from Deviant Art.)

Storytelling for Week 3: An Otherworldly Compromise

Everything is different now.    

Gone were the days that I was lectured on ends about wandering off too far or talking to someone my mother didn't know.  Gone were the times where I'd fantasize about what other people were like besides my mother and the forest nymphs.  I remember looking up at the clouds daydreaming about a new world where we had neighbors and friends. 

"Dear Persephone why do you always think such silly things.  This is the most beautiful place in the world to live.  There is nothing more perfect out there, only disappointments await you outside our valley."  Mother and I had many conversations like this and it only increased my longing for the world that was forbidden to me.  

But those days are in the past.  Today I awake in a porcelain palace in the majestic lands of Elysium.  It wasn't exactly my choice to come here but now I never want to leave.  For the first time in my life I actually have friends, and even a husband.  My new life terrified me at first.  However, now I could never imagine going back.  

"This can be your home now.  The first time I saw you it was like a fire lit inside me.  If I could do it all over again I wouldn't have acted so rash.  I'm sorry if I caused you any despair but all I ask is that you give me a chance," Hades told me after he brought me to this enchanted place.  I was sobbing in the corner of his chariot.  His words calmed me as I arose from the corner and surveyed this beautiful but foreign land. 

That was six months ago and it's hard to believe how much I've grown to love this land and its King.  This is far better than anything I imagined whilst daydreaming under a sky full of clouds.  

I look out my window at the blueish gray sky and my eyes spot a flash of gold in the distance.  Hermes?  The only god who can pass freely through all worlds.  I stare perplexed when Hades burst into my bedroom.  

"He's come to take you.  Demeter has practically destroyed earth to get you back.  I'm sorry my love, but Zeus decrees it," Hades told me as tears started to form in his eyes.  

"There must be something we can do."  I wanted to see my mother again but I couldn't imagine leaving this place to never return.  

Suddenly, Hades eyes sparked and he returned to my room with a ripe pomegranate.  "Eat this.  It will bind you to this world, eat the entire thing and you can stay forever."  

In that moment I heard the palace gates open, Hermes had arrived.  With the thought of never seeing my mother again barred into my mind I compromised.  I ate half.  

(Persephone Contemplates from Deviant Art.)

Author's Note:   If you are unfamiliar with the tale of Persephone and Hades click on this to read about it in depth.  But basically, she is kidnapped and taken to be Hades’ wife but after her mother pleads with Zeus to have her stay it’s decided she’ll divide her time between the two worlds.  And that’s is the myth behind the different seasons.  I wanted to give a different perspective on this old myth.  In the original Persephone is kidnapped and unhappily goes between the two worlds to her mother and husband.  There was so much I wanted to cover in this short story so I felt like I had to jump around a little bit.  This is just a "what if" idea I've had since I first heard the story in middle school.  Because "what if" Persephone and Hades were actually in love!  I wrote a storybook that centered on this idea last semester in Indian Epics.  I chose an image that I felt was a little ambiguous.  Is she contemplating whether she should stay or go while about to eat the fruit that will link her to the underworld forever?  My overall goal was for people to think of this story in a new light. 

Bibliography: This story is part of the Ovid's Metamorphoses unit. Story source: Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

Reading Diary B: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 5-7)

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the second section of  from "Ovid's Metamorphoses" in books 5-7 translated by Tony Kline (2000).

• Marriage isn't off to a good start if furies use torches snatched from a funeral for a wedding...
• I love that use of fire as a metaphor for Tereus's desire.  It's very effective. 
• This is one of the most tragic things I have ever read. 
• She kills her son in cold blood..... WHAT
• "You might think the Athenian women have taken wing: they have taken wings."  I love this pun.  
• Wait that's the end ??? They didn't kill Tereus they all just turned into birds....
• "I will not be leaving greatness behind, but pursuing greatness."  LOVE THIS.
• A chariot with dragons? I cannot picture anything more cool. 
• I can't believe saving someone from death with magic actually worked out. 
• JASON IS SUCH A JERK.  AFTER ALL MEDEA DID FOR YOU.  

 

(Medea by Evelyn De Morgan from Wikipedia.)

 

Reading Diary A: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 5-7)

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the second section of  from "Ovid's Metamorphoses" in books 5-7 translated by Tony Kline (2000). 

• I never thought of this legend in the way it's presented here.  Since Venus is the goddess of love she thinks having the god of the underworld fall in love will help her spread her dominion.  That's actually very sneaky. 
• I know that Persephone's kidnapping is supposed to have a huge affect on Ceres.  But I love how this text describes how this grief is having a physical affect on her as well.  That makes perfect sense because eventually she'll grossly affect the entire world's harvest.  
• Who is Aurora in Roman mythology? 
• I never really thought that Dis would be Jupiter's son-in-law even though they are brothers... weird. 
• Interesting that in this version the Dis doesn't give the virgin the pomegranate.  She finds it on her own.
• Awww too bad there's no Hermes.  
• I never thought of Persephone being the Queen of two worlds before this.  
• Minerva is always shape shifting... 
• Poor Niobe this is just too much
• I love that the goddess embraced living in the swamp forever. 
• And I guess not everyone loves music...

 (Hades and Persephone from Daily Mythologies.)

Famous Last Words for Week 2

Today is Labor Day.  I can't believe it's only week 2 and I'm so relieved that labor day is here.  I really need to get back into the swing of things soon or else I'll have a really difficult semester.  It turns out Senior Year is going to be much more difficult than what I initially expected. 

I spent the weekend with my family and drove home on Friday.  I have just been hanging out, shopping, chilling by the pool and vicariously living through people's Snapchats on game day.  It was a tough decision for me to miss OU football's season opener but I ultimately decided to hang out with my parents.  (I must actually be growing up because I definitely would not have made this decision a few years ago.)

One almost catastrophic moment did occur on Saturday though.  For some reason we forgot that the OU game was pay-per-view and realized as it was starting that we wouldn't be able to watch it.  My dad even searched through all of our pay-per-view channels trying to buy it last minute but for some reason it just wasn't there!  So we ended up going to a packed sports bar to watch it there.  Although that seemed to make the experience even better because we were watching the game in an excited atmosphere.  Even if I was by far the youngest person in the room. 

The rest of the weekend was filled with homework however.  Sometimes I feel like homework is the Hydra of Lerna.  This is the mythological creature that grows two more heads every time one is cut off.  Two more assignments sprout up just when you think you're done working on homework for the weekend.  Can Hercules just come help me get some assignments done? 

(Artwork by John Singer Sargent in 1921 from Wikipedia.)

Brainstorming Storybooks Topics

After being encouraged to continue writing about Persephone I've been thinking about different myths she could be involved in and since this class is Mythology and Folklore it gives me A LOT of options and I'm not exactly sure which way to go yet.  

Topic: Origin Story 
Comments: This would maybe be a good start since not everyone is familiar with the story of Persephone.  That was the biggest comment about my Storybook in Indian Epics and this could be kind of be a prequel.  
Possible Stories: Since I would put my spin on it that Persephone and Hades would eventually find love kind of like Khal Drogo and Daenerys.  The different chapters would probably focus on Persephone living with her mom, Persephone being abducted, Persephone living with Hades and then the last one would be her finding peace before returning to her mother. 
Sample Story Comments: In the past I read a YA novel about the retelling of Persephone and Hades.  It features her mother as very domineering and not letting her experience anything in life.  So this is where I got my idea in my other storybook that after her abduction she is finding life in the world of the dead.  
Bibliography Information: Persephone by Sally Pomme Clayton (2009).

(Persephone cover page from Amazon.)

Topic: Orpheus and Proserpina
Comments:  This would feature Proserpina and the tale of Orpheus going to the Underworld.  I would research some more about Roman myths versus Greek.  Since Persephone and Proserpina are basically the same goddess but there would be some differences!! 
Possible Stories:  Everything would take place from Orpheus's point of view and it would be his journey to the Underworld.  I previously established what parts of the Underworld were like through Persephone's dialogue to Sita in my other storybook, so this would tie into it by Orpheus actually seeing and interacting with it.  He's one of the only people who can because very few can make it out of the Underworld alive.  Proserpina is not a prominent part of Orpheus's story, but I would try to make her a much more fleshed out character.  
Sample Story Comments: In the legend, it's Proserpina who is charmed by Orpheus's music!  So she is the one who ends up saving his life by letting him get back to the land of the living.  However, we know he doesn't follow the one rule she gives him... It would be awesome to expand on such a pivotal moment in a storybook.  
Bibliography Information: Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

Topic: Pirithous in the Underworld
Comments: This is the story that made me like Hades and think that he wasn't a terrible person.  He is the only god that stays loyal to his wife and is very angry when Pirithous tries to take her away from him.  
Possible Stories:  It would be interesting to see this tale from Persephone's point of view and what it would be like to have two visitors like Pirithous and Theseus in the underworld.  Ultimately this would not end well for Pirithous, but maybe this could be a story to make Hades more likable.  
Sample Story Comments: I love that in some legends the two friends are received with welcome arms to the Underworld and invited to sit at the dinner table.  This could be so suspenseful and I feel like even though there's little material there's a lot to work with.  
Bibliography Information:  Pirithous "The Chair of Forgetfulness". 

Topic: Psyche coming to Persephone 
Comments: This could also relate to my past storybook of women in mythology having conversations except these two actually talked!!  
Possible Stories:  I would want to greatly expand on this interaction and maybe have Persephone withhold the box of beauty and make Psyche explain to her what is going on.  Persephone would understand that people do crazy things for love and ultimately wish her luck and send her on her way.  
Sample Story Comments:  I couldn't really find any sample stories expanding on the two of them.  But that means there is plenty of room for interpretation!! 
Bibliography Information:  Cupid and Psyche unit from Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).
   

Essay: How Classic Tales Became Fairy Tales

I've been thinking a lot this week about how classic tales from ancient times influenced or became modern day fairy tales.  After reading the story of "Cupid and Psyche", one of history's first fairy tales, I noticed many similarities that could've been tied to modern day fairy tales like Grimm's or influenced aspects of pop culture.

For example, Venus was the original wicked mother-in-law.  I see so much of Cinderella's step-mother in her but she is far worse!  I mean she made Psyche go all the way to the underworld to get her a box of beauty.  Sending someone to the land of the dead on a beauty errand is pretty much a a pure sign of hatred. 

Also, where does the pop culture image of Cupid even come from?  In this story he his far from the arrow-slinging baby in a diaper that is depicted in so many images today.  He's a strong young adult and romantic lead in the story.  It's funny to me how different these characters can become!  It's similar to how Frankenstein's monster is a green zombie-like creature that doesn't have any common sense.  Whereas in the source material, Frankenstein's monster is a smart and eloquent beast that is far more intelligent than his creator. 

When Psyche entered the enchanted castle and their were invisible servants, all I could picture was the scene from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" where Belle enters the Beast's castle.  That scene is so ingrained in my memory that is was difficult to picture anything else other than a clock and candlestick escorting a young woman on a tour of the castle.  

It's amazing how over time stories can inspire or shift dramatically with each retelling.  Every culture has their own "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cinderella" story, told in a variety of different ways.  "The Story of Cupid and Psyche" just so happened to be a little bit of both. 

(Psyche & Eros from Barnes and Noble)

Storytelling for Week 2: The Captive Woman

It all happened so fast.  I woke up this morning thinking that today would be the best day of my life, but this is far worse than any nightmare that I've ever had.  

Suddenly, the carriage I was being carried in came to screeching halt and the bandits leapt from it.  One bandit reached and pulled the cloth from my mouth and all my frantic thoughts came to fruition.  "Please take me back.  I swear I'll never tell a soul if you let me go. You don't have to do this.  Please please please let me go.  I promise I really promise I won't tell,"  I frantically told the troupe of bandits.  

(Image of Jolanda de Almaviva from Comic book Religion.)

The leader looked at me annoyed and one of them stuck the cloth back in my mouth.  I began to scream.  It felt like I was screaming so loud, but it might've just been in my head.  Before long everything started to spin and the wagon got dark.  

When I woke I wasn't in the carriage anymore, but a horse stable with only a donkey to keep me company.  My hands were bound to a pole but I didn't have my mouth clothed anymore.  I started to cry, although wail might be a more accurate word.  It was after dark and I couldn't help but think if today had gone how it was supposed to I would be married right now.  My moans were obviously disturbing the bandits who were camped by a fire outside the stable and they started to argue.  

"Why can't we just slice her throat?  I can't listen to those cries any longer!"  Shouted one bandit.  
"We don't have the money from her family yet.  We may have to prove she's alive before we get it and we're not taking any chances!  Where's the old-geezer?  Send her in to calm her down."  

Then an old woman who I hadn't seen before came into the stables.  She sat next to me and stroked my hair.  "Poor child.  I saw the wedding decorations around the house.  It was your wedding day wasn't it?"  I nodded my head and began to cry more.   

"Sweet girl, calm down.  Here I'll tell you a story about love overcoming all obstacles imaginable and don't worry, it has a happy ending," the old woman whispered to me as she started the epic tale of Psyche and Cupid.  I was enchanted by the way her eyes light up and it made me wonder how she heard the tale.  Out of the corner of my eye I could've sworn that I saw the donkey's ear perk up during every climatic scene of the tale.  After hearing about all the trials and tribulations Psyche faced for her husband, it made this day's events seem like child's play.  

Author's Note:
During the story of Psyche and Cupid, the story is told to a woman who is kidnapped on her wedding day and held for ransom.  The reason she hears the story is to keep her quiet while the bandits can get some sleep, so an old woman tells her the tale.  I decided to write about the woman who gets taken captive in the story of Psyche and Cupid instead of the protagonists themselves because I felt like these events get overshadowed.  This poor girl is kidnapped and held for ransom on her wedding day!!  I just wanted to portray what it would've been like to experience that and unfortunately didn't have enough time to feature her throughout the entire story.  But I also decided to end it with the girl taking solace in Psyche because what she went through was no piece of cake either!!  My overall girl was to draw more attention to a part of the story that isn’t the main part of the plot.  I chose this picture because it was surprisingly hard to find a picture of a captive woman who was not completely depressing.  Also, this girl in the photo is dressed nicely so it’s believable that she would be kidnapped from her wedding day festivities.   

Bibliography: This story is part of the Cupid and Psyche unit. Story source: Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).