Reading Diary Week 7: West African Folktales

West African Folktales

Unit Homepage

How We Got the Name “Spider Tales”

This story is similar to other stories I’ve read in the fact that the main character deceives others for personal gain. I feel that when Spider gets back, all of these items will be there and be upset, and it will not end well for Spider. I’m surprised this didn’t actually happen.

How We Get the Name "Spider Tales"

How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race

Father Anansi is arrogant. I don’t like him much. I like that his son was wiser than he was. It reminds me of the time in every boy’s life when they surpass their father at something and this usually does not sit well with the father.

How Wisdom Became the Property of the Human Race

Anansi and Nothing

Are all of these Anansi characters the same person? I am curious as to why Anansi and Nothing were friends when they had different social classes. I imagine that in the time this story is set in, that would not be common. I like that this story reminds you not to judge a book by its cover. I had no idea this story would tell me about the reasoning behind children crying over nothing, but that makes so much sense in context! I was pleasantly surprised.

Anansi and Nothing

Thunder and Anansi

I wonder if he was successful on the 7^th attempt because 7 is a holy number. Thunder was so generous to give unlimited food to Anansi. I don’t like that this man was so greedy that he let his children and wife starve in front of his eyes. Although his wife gave everyone food and the pot melted, she did good for all of the people in her village. Thunder showed sympathy once again, but was not really sympathetic and gave Anansi a stick that beat him.

Thunder and Anansi

Why the Lizard Moves His Head Up and Down

I am always astonished at the creative ways the characters in these stories solve their problem, and make it seem so easy! I feel that the lizard will use the information Anansi gave him (the names), and take them as wives. Pouring boiling water into Lizard’s mouth was a little harsh! The end of this story is so sad!

Why the Lizard Moves his Head Up and Down

Tit for Tat

The family was starving again, because of Anansi in the previous story! I can’t blame his son for not telling him where he was getting the food. I really don’t like Anansi. He is much too greedy. I like the his son is smart and able to trick him. I was excited about when Anansi promised to refrain from his evil tricks, but the last sentence ruined that.

Tit for Tat

Why White Ants Always Harm Man’s Property

This spider is very strong. This story is so sad! I was shocked to read the ending.

Why White Ants Always Harm Man's Property

The Squirrel and the Spider

Poor squirrel. L All of the animals in this story are selfish except the squirrel, who got no justice.

The Squirrel and the Spider

Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles as Big as Themselves

I hope after this story no other animals believe Anansi or help him. The poor ant had to carry Anansi’s burden for the rest of his life.

Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles as Big as Themselves

Why Spiders are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings

Anansi is once again going to let his family starve?! Why would they still claim him as family? I enjoyed that he was caught by his son.

Why Spiderd are Always Found in Corners of Ceilings

The Grinding-Stone that Ground Flour by Itself

I liked that this story ended in the “death” of Anansi in a way which he deserved.

The Grinding Stone that Ground Flour by Itself

The Moon and Stars

A dragon is in this story, and that surprised me. I like that Kweku Tsin is so wise and clever as opposed to his father. Why did the dragon need to climb the ladder? I thought dragons could fly. Wow, the reasoning behind him becoming the sun is interesting. I like that his father is now dull and powerless without him.

The Moon and Stars

How the Tortoise Got its Shell

I was not sure what to expect with this story. The details seemed to be unrelated until reaching the end. I like that he was restored to life because he was so faithful to his master. I really liked the ending.

How the Tortoise Got its Shell

The Hunter and the Tortoise

I like that the hunter was so enveloped by the music. I love harps. I don’t understand why the characters in these stories are so unhappy with their lives and don’t honor their promises. The hunter met his end when he refused to keep his promise to the tortoise, who used that as a lesson to the people gathered to see her.

The Hunter and the Tortoise

The Leopard and the Ram

I find it funny that neither ever suspected anything except fairies in the building of his house. I think it is weird that the leopard wouldn’t just ask the ram about how he obtained the meat, especially after agreeing to live with one another and getting along so well. I also thought it sad that the leopard ran when the ram slipped, and wouldn’t listen to his friend.

The Leopard and the Ram

King Chameleon and the Animals

I like the democratic-type society in the story between the animals. Hahahaha. I love that the chameleon just grabbed onto the hare in order to win the race. This made me giggle. I can understand why none of the animals wished the chameleon to be king.

King Chameleon and the Animals

Elephant and Wren

To my understanding, Spider is Anansi. You can see he has not changed in his mischief. He once again was going to let his family stay hungry. I wish his family would have received dinner and NOT Spider. Unfortunately, they all had no dinner that day. Once again, the family is punished by his selfish ways.

Elephant and Wren

The Ungrateful Man

I feel like the man will be the traitor that the hunter will mix with the snake poison antidote. I was right. I think this was a good end for the traitor. I don’t understand human nature sometimes. But, I am happy that the kind hunter was spared in the end and rewarded.

The Ungrateful Man

Why Tigers Never Attack Men Unless They Are Provoked

This is a beautiful story of friendship. They are unlikely friends, but remain that even when disaster befalls both of them. I loved this story so much.

Why Tigers Never Attack Men Unless They are Provoked

How Mushrooms First Grew

I like that the men knew that being a highway robber was wrong and it brought them troubled thoughts, so they chose other methods to repay their debts. I don’t like that the bird decided to sell its babies to pay off the debt. I like that in all of the stories the ants are wise creatures. This isn’t a characteristic I would have given to ants, so it really caught me off guard.

How Mushrooms First Grew

Farmer Mybrow and the Fairies

This story was just odd. Why would the fairies do all of the work for him? I do think it is sad that the wife simply answered a question and ruined everything. She had no way of knowing that would happen.

Farmer Mybrow and the Fairies

Week 6 Essay: Japanese Fairy Tale Unit Assessment

This week, I read the Japanese Fairy Tales Unit. I really enjoyed the stories in this unit because they were much more positive than the units that I had previously read. In my previous units, there were stories involving rape, murder, betrayal, and other really negative aspects. However, in this unit, although there were hints of negative characteristics, the stories had an overall positive tone. I would say my only regret is that the stories in this unit did not help my goals for the class, specifically my storybook. My story book is about creatures in mythology, and there were not many stories I could have used from this unit and certainly not any I could have written a post on my storybook site for. My favorite story was The EnviousNeighbor. I did my storytelling post over this story because I liked it so much. This story is about a dog who helps his owners by giving them riches and punishes their envious neighbor when he tries to take advantage of his owners. There are many sad things that occur in this story, but it ends with a happy ending and has positive undertones. I was not sure what to expect from this unit, but I was pleasantly surprised after reading. I noticed that a majority of the stories taught a moral of sorts. For example, The Envious Neighbor taught me not to be envious, The Maiden with the Wooden Helmet taught me not to covet beauty, and The Stonecutter taught me to be thankful for what I have. If anyone is debating on reading this unit, I would definitely recommend it, depending on the focus for your storybook. Even if your storybook is not related, it would be a good unit to read and definitely has good stories that will give you a smile.

Photo: Japanese Flag

Storytelling week 6: The Envious Neighbor

The Envious Neighbor

one point in my life, I had everything. I lived with an old couple in a nice village in a small cottage. Our cottage had a very large garden, and I was happy. And then, everything changed…

I sit and watch as my master tends to his garden. I love him and his wife more than life itself. I can’t forget when they brought me in from the cold in the dead of winter and made me a warm bed by the fire in their room. Ever since that day, I do everything I can to make them happy. Last night, I saw a man bury a box of coins under our tree. So, I alert my owner. I begin to scratch and sniff at the spot where the coins are buried. I go back over to my owner and get his attention. I pace back and forth until he finally gets up to investigate.

He digs and digs until, finally, I see him pull the box from the ground. The box was too heavy for him alone, so his wife helps him carry it inside! He is so grateful that he gives me all of the food they have in the house for dinner! I fall asleep with a full stomach in my bed by the fire.

I wake up the next day to find that the neighbor is over and he seems to be wanting to take me from my home. I growl in contest. He leaves, but he continues to come back and demand my companionship for several more days until finally, my owner hands him my leash and he leads me out the door.

I smell something by a tree next to his house, so I lead him to it. He isn't happy that it is just bones, but I do not know where any more treasure is buried. Suddenly, I turn to see him swinging a pickax at my head and everything goes dark.

Now, I watch over my owner’s home as a spirit. The neighbor lies and tells my owners that I just fell over dead. For the next three days, I am tortured to watch my beloved owners mourn my loss by weeping uncontrollably without stopping, and I know I must somehow help them.

That night, I was able to appear in my owner’s dream. I was told by spirits in the area that if he made a mortar out of the wood of the tree by his garden, good things would happen. So, I tell my master this news and encourage him to follow his heart and know that I am always with him. I also tell him I am happy so that he does not fret too much over my departure.

I watched for months as the crops were prepared. Finally, the crops are ready and my master uses the mortar to grind the rice. To my astonishment, the rice turns into gold pieces before our very eyes and they were once again happy.

The neighbor, however, soon comes when he hears the news of the magical mortar. He takes it from my master, who does not object because he is a kind man. He carries the mortar back to his house and attempts to use the mortar. However, I blessed the mortar, I was told by the other spirits, and so I also cursed it to those who had done me wrong in life. So, as he tries to make gold coins with the mortar, poisonous rotten smelling berries take place instead and the smell is so terrible that he has to run from the house. He, of course, breaks the mortar in a blind rage and goes to tell my owner that this, too, 

was an accident.

This time, I appear in my master’s dream and tell him to get the ashes of the mortar broken by our crooked neighbor, and scatter them over a procession that would soon pass close by.  I watched as he did this two days later, and the Daimio rejoiced when flowers began lining the trees in the most glamorous bloom yet. As a reward, the Daimio gave many gifts to my owner and his wife. They remained happy for the rest of their lives.

As for our neighbor, he attempted to do as my master had done and spread the ashes. However, the ashes blew into the faces of the Daimio and he was ordered to become a prisoner, where he remained for months. When he returned to the village, everyone knew him for the man he truly was and he remained miserable for the rest of his life, as he well deserved. 

Author's note: You can find the original story here: The Envious Neighbor. I didn't change many of the original details. However, I did tell the story from the point of view of the dog. I love animals, and thought this would expand my writing skills a bit because it is different than anything I have ever done. 

The picture was taken by me and is a picture of my puppy Milo. 

Reading Diary Week 6

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-japanese-fairy-tales.html

Two Frogs

I liked how chance brought the two frogs together. They seemed like they would be good friends just based on their interactions. It made me sad that they never truly got to travel to their destinations. In their minds, they saw what they believed.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/japanese-fairy-tales-two-frogs.html

The Stonecutter

It is refreshing that the stonecutter was content with his position in life for a time. It is sad that he was granted a wish and then was not happy, so he kept wishing for more and more. I thought it was humorous that he demanded more and more and was finally returned to his original state as a man with the same occupation- a stonecutter.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/japanese-fairy-tales-stonecutter.html

The Maiden with the Wooden Helmet

It is depressing that someone could become so upset over the loss of material goods that they just lay down in their bed and die. Why would the mother be so desperate to conceal the daughter’s beauty? How did rumors of her beauty spread if no one had ever realized how beautiful she was? I liked that the wooden helmet shattered into jewels, but even those didn’t even compare to the bride’s beauty.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/japanese-fairy-tales-maiden-with-wooden.html

The Envious Neighbor

It is sad that the neighbor killed this couple’s dog simply out of envy. Although, the good that comes from that act is slightly rewarding, but not compared to the loss of companionship. I thought it was touching that the dog came to the man in a dream. I loved that the dog still blessed the owners after death and condemned the neighbor after, as well.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/japanese-fairy-tales-envious-neighbour.html

Tech Tip: Blogger Templates

I chose the template I did because I liked the layout and the color scheme. I really loved the nature theme and thought I could do many different color combinations with the text color, as well. I have never blogged before, so I found this very interesting and it was definitely a learning experience for me. I am also hoping to continue blogging just about my life in general, and about subjects that interest me, and this assignment gave me the ability to play with this option.

Tech Tip: Collage

I used the PicMonkey.com collage creator as suggested by Laura Gibbs.
You can see the result here on my webpage:
Linzee's Storybook

Tech Tip: Twitter Lists

I had never used Twitter lists before. I also don't use Twitter much. However, I really liked this feature for Twitter. Especially learning that you don't have to follow someone to include them on a list, so I can follow only my close friends and get updates from them but not every single Twitter I am interested in!

Comment Wall

Leave comments here. Feel free to ask questions or anything here, as well. :)

Week 5 Reading Diary: Persian Tales

Persian Tales Unit

The Wolf and the Goat

The wolf in this story is very intelligent and I liked that he dyed his hand in henna. The wolf reminds me of the wolf from “Three Little Pigs” when he blows into the present instead of actually giving a present. I didn’t like that the wolf was killed so easily. I don’t know what sparrow is being talked about when the final line is said.

The Wolf and the Goat

The City of Nothing-in-the-World

I don’t like when the story starts out with “Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God”, and then proceeds to talk about the people or animals in the world. What is a minaret? Okay, a tower type building. Built out of a needle? Her eggs hatched and turned into a full grown bird? That is kind of interesting. She skinned a flea? A tree grew from her rubbing a walnut on the rooster’s back? This story is so bizarre. She talks about the tree and breaking the ground, but what became of the rooster? Again with the sparrow…

The City of Nothing-in-the-World

Susku and Mushu

Why does the mouse want to marry the beetle? “What will you beat me with”? Poor beetle. The mouse made a ladder out of carrots (which someone turned into gold), and this was super cute. I like the empathy expressed by the elements of nature. Why did the farmer kill himself, though? I also don’t understand the mother cutting her thumbs off?

Susku and Mushu

The Boy Who Became a Bulbul

At this point, I desperately want to know why all of the stories begin with “Once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but God” and ends with, “And now my story has come to an end, but the sparrow never got home”. Why would a father and son agree to a wager like cutting off each other’s heads?! And then the stepmother cooks his head?! This is a very dark story. I do like that her brother “returns”, and the rhyme of the bird’s song. The bird jammed needles down the throat of the stepmother, and rewarded his sister with candy. Why did nothing happen to the father?

The Boy Who Became a Bulbul

The Wolf-Aunt

Why did he just believe this woman when she said she was his sister? It was decided that the family would live with the father’s sister, but the wife discusses cooking something and sending it to the sister? This story reminds me of “Hansel and Gretel” with the witch fattening them up to eat them. I thought it was funny that the moral of the story was listen to your wife.

The Wolf-Aunt

Nim Tanak, or Half-Boy

All of the wives ate the full apple, except one who ate half. The Div hung the two oldest sons by their hair and eyelashes.  How did the daughter know about her brother Nim Tanak if he wasn’t allowed anywhere near his father? I want to know exactly what is meant by “half a son”. I can’t picture it in my mind. I did like that the father ended up loving Nim Tanak.

Nim Tanak, or Half-Boy

Muhammad Tirandez, The Archer

I think it is a little rash of Muhammad to quit his job and claim to be a good shot when he has only made one shot. He didn’t know how to ride a horse, so he had his feet tied under the horse. Muhammad is very lucky, for he has no real skill and has been hired on a stroke of luck.

Muhammad Tirandez, The Archer

The Praying Baker

Why would the king dress as a beggar, as if he didn’t already have plenty? This king is an unforgiving man. To purposefully betray someone is evil. I liked that good prevails in this story and the baker is given back the ring and given a robe of honour.

The Praying Baker

The Sad Tale of the Mouse’s Tail

Poor mouse never gets his tail sewn back on. This reminds me of the story from earlier that builds upon itself.

The Sad Tale of the Mouse's Tail

Fayiz and the Peri Wife
What is a Peri? What does it mean that the boys were of Peri stock?
Fayiz and the Peri Wife

The Hemp-Smoker's Dream
This story was rather short and uninteresting.
The Hemp-Smoker's Dream

The Story of the Wolf-Bride
It seems a bit overwhelming that the father placed his son in a concrete tomb of sorts because of a horoscope. Some of the elements in these stories don't make sense. For example, the woman in this story doesn't know how her new husband died, but she remembers turning into a wolf and tearing him to pieces?
The Story of the Wolf-Bride

The Man who Went to Wake his Luck
This was an interesting take on luck. That luck is a person. I would not have been concerned about the other people contacting me, but about getting my own luck first so that I may use it to help others. He didn't ask his own luck about anything, and yet luck seemed to provide him with one opportunity after another,
The Man who Went to Wake his Luck

Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox
At first, I thought the fox was being nice when he said God give you strength, but he wanted something in return. I did like that this was a twist on the "Tortoise and the Hare" story from when I was a child.
Tortoise Bowl-on-the-Back and the Fox

The Shepherd Who Found a Treasure
One of the shepherds was distracted by a fly and let a whole flock of sheep slip by him. I did like that he had a dream where something came true and did some good for the shepherd.
The Shepherd Who Found Treasure

The Merchant and the Saffron
Malik Ahmad lost everything, and I don't know if I should feel bad for him or not yet. By the end of the story, I do feel bad for him. It seems his luck is asleep, yet he has been lucky in the fact that he has found a friend in the saffron dealer. I don't like that the merchant never repaid the saffron dealer.
The Merchant and the Saffron

Shah Abbas and the Poor Mother
I liked that this was a story of justice. I thought it was a good end to the story, especially since the mother and children ended up better than before.
Shah Abbas and the Poor Mother

The Apparition of the Prophet Khizr
This is another positive story, with the king ending up taking advice from the wazir that counselled mercy and generosity rather than slow and painful ways of death.
The Apparition of the Prophet Khizr

The Story of the Baker and the Grateful Fish
This had a negative aspect in the beginning with the betrayal, but the ending was positive. They fish saved him when he jumped into the river because he fed them, and he was able to get revenge against the betrayer.
The Story of the Baker and the Grateful Fish


Overall, I want to know the reason for the beginning stories phrases, because they were never explained and were contained in every story in the first half of the unit.

Reading Diary, Week 4: Twenty-Two Goblins

Goblin

The Three Lovers

It is disturbing to me that the men slept on her ashes and took her bones to be cleansed when she died and they cremated her body. These stories are very dark. A mother threw her son in a fire to burn because he wouldn’t quit crying? The monk brought his boy back to life with water and a spell? I thought monks were religious, and magic was forbidden? The monk/lover steals the book to bring Coral back to life, and this is also disturbing and dark. The king decided this man was a father, not a husband. The man who took the bones to the river was a son, not a husband. So, the husband is the man who slept with her ashes. Why would the king answer the goblin if he always got sent back to the tree?

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-three-lovers.html

Brave, Wise, Clever

Wise means he can discuss the past and future? It says “though the giant was a terrible fighter” but tells about how the brave man killed him easily. Why was this part necessary? I think the brave one should marry her. The king agrees with me. I liked that he said the other two were sent to help the brave man.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-brave-wise-clever.html

The Girl, Her Husband, and Her Brother

I thought it was funny that the father’s names were Spotless and Clean-cloth. He went through all of that trouble to get married, and he goes and cuts his head off? Then, his brother-in-law is so sad that he cuts off his own head? What is wrong with these people?

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-girl-her-husband-and-her-brother.html

Food, Women, Cotton

The brothers argues over who would carry the turtle because they are all connoisseurs in completely irrelevant subjects? How do the brothers smell smells that aren’t present? They forgot about their father and stayed with the king? So much for family.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-food-women-cotton.html

The Four Scientific Suitors

All the daughter wants it to be married to a good looking young man who knows every aspect of one science. Is that all? I like Linguist the best. But that’s just because I like animals. The king thinks she should marry the Swordsman.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-four-scientific-suitors.html

The Three Delicate Wives

I really like the names of the princesses - Crescent, Star, and Moon. A flower petal fell onto Crescent’s lap and injured her? Some parts of these stories just don’t make any sense at all. Star was burned by the moonbeams? The king thinks the third wife is the most delicate because she wasn’t touched by anything, but I think all of them are entirely too delicate.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-three-delicate-wives.html

The Snake’s Poison

I am confused as to what took his wife. After wandering for a long time, a woman decided to feed him because he looked hungry. I liked this because it is similar to southern hospitality. Why would she be responsible for his death and be thought of as a murderer? They turned her out and sent her away.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-snakes-poison.html

The Girl and the Thief

You would think a thief in a city would know what the king looked like. I can’t believe the thief believed the king when he claimed to be a thief himself. The thief killed an entire army? The king is a scientific swordsman, from the previous story? The daughter decides to die with a thief she has never met? Similar to Romeo and Juliet, in a way. The God gave her two favors because she is faithful. She had not shown any faith in the entire story. I liked the king’s explanation that the thief both wept and cried.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-girl-and-thief.html

The General’s Wife

This story is full of manipulation. The king had such an intense feeling of love at first sight, that he fainted. The name Passion suits her well. There is something to be said about a man who will not act on another’s wife, even if he is so in love with her. Why did the general kill himself? The king’s explanation for the king in the story being better was interesting. However, I still disagree with him. I don’t think that any answer the king says to the goblin will be considered wrong.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-generals-wife.html

The Four Brothers

The sciences they learn in this story are odd. I think the most useful is the breath of life, I guess. Why would fate want them dead after refusing to let the one brother commit suicide?

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-four-brothers.html

The Old Hermit

This story was interesting. He entered the body of the young man through magic. Interesting.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-old-hermit.html

Father and Son, Daughter and Mother

The king was killed very quickly in this story. I don’t understand why men in these stories just assume they are going to marry any female they find. I have long thought that the monk was up to no good. Well, the goblin told the king that the monk is going to sacrifice him, confirming my suspicions. Apparently the monk is trying to gain power over fairies.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-father-and-son-daughter-and.html

Conclusion

What the goblin said was true. The monk tried to sacrifice him. So, the king killed him. In return for obeying, the goblin and the God Shiva gave him power over the whole world and he became king of the fairies, as well.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/goblins-conclusion.html





Twenty-Two Goblins Reading Unit Homepage

Week 3 Storytelling: Famine

Famine Memorial in Dublin

As I sat at the top of the mountains looking for what little food I could find, I finally found some grass. I pulled the grass out with my teeth and hands, desperately trying to get what nutrients I could find. Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me and turned around to see an unfamiliar nymph. She stared at me for some time, seeming uncomfortable, so I knew I looked fierce and inhuman. I turned away to look at my reflection in the creek and saw that my eyes were sunken, my hair looked like a rat’s nest, and my bones were sticking out. Needless to say, I understand the blank stares and timidness around me. I always forget just how terrible I look, but never feeling fulfilled is tiresome when there is never anything to eat. I went back to the nymph to hear her request, as people never come up here unless they need my services. She refused to be near me, and backed away when we got close. She believed I would hurt her, which just increases the crushing loneliness that befalls me atop this mountain.

Cere has requested I take my place in the stomach of a blasphemous man named Erysichthon as punishment for cutting down her beloved tree and harming her. I only agreed because when I get to perform my services, I not only get to eat, but I also get to spend time with other people. So, I travelled to this man’s house and entered his stomach while he was sleeping. All I have to do is breath onto him and my curse is spread to his body, as well. Now, I just sit and wait. After he awakens, he tries to fill his stomach and intense hunger. If his hunger is anything like mine, nothing will fill it, and eating makes you want more. I watch him stuff his face with anything and everything he can find. As he finished eating the last thing he owned, all that remained was his daughter.

To my disbelief, he goes out to sell his daughter to get more food. Out of curiosity, I follow them, hoping he will back out of the transaction. I watched as they spoke of selling a human being, and his daughter just stares at the ground solemnly. To my distress, he went through with the transaction and walked away with money for food while a stranger walked away with his daughter. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to help her, so I sent a prayer up for her and followed her father back to his home. Before I left, I breathed my curse into him one more time so that the hunger would never cease, and I made my way back to the mountaintop.

Author’s Note:

I chose this story because I thought it was really interesting. As with my other storytelling posts, I try to stay close to the original story. The main thing I changed was the viewpoint. This story is from the viewpoint of Famine. I finished my story before the original story ended, however. In the original story, Neptune took Mestra’s (Erysichthon’s daughter) virginity, and Mestra begs for his help when she is sold. Jupiter gives her the ability to change genders from a woman to a man, and she uses this to get out of being sold. When her father finds out, he sells her repeatedly for food and money so that she may turn into a man and get out of the sale.

Bibliography:

The Famine

Reading Diary, Week 3: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 8-10)

Daedalus and Icarus:

The creator of the maze was unable to recover the entrance? That is a great maze. It makes me think of the maze from Once Upon a Time for the episode in Wonderland. Origin of Corona Borealis. Deadalus told Icarus to travel a specific path- not too high, not too low. This sounds like another story from Ovid. I liked that the story names an island and sea after Icarus.

Philemon and Baucis:

I thought it was really inspiring that the couple worked as equals in the home despite being in extreme poverty. They even have such a regard for other people that they tell the Gods to sit and rest their limbs while pulling out a bench and placing a blanket on it for comfort. These people have values that everyone should aspire to have.

The Transformation of Philemon and Baucis

The Gods refilled the mixing bowl and wine. Philemon and Baucis said a prayer, in the presence of Gods, which is funny. The Gods invited them to escape punishment and walk with them. Of all the things they could wish for, they asked to watch over the Gods temple and to die at the same time so they didn’t have to live without one another. I loved the final quote, “Let those who love the Gods become Gods: let those who have honoured them, be honoured.”

Ceres and Erysichthon

Why would he want to kill a Goddess so bad? Blood poured from the tree when he made a gash, like another story in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. He decapitated someone just for trying to stop him? He is a little crazy.

The Famine

Erysichthon was punished by Ceres by being starved by famine. I didn’t think famine would have looked as described. I thought Famine was going to stay with him until he was starved or even passed. Instead, she put him to sleep? The more he eats, the hungrier he feels, that is miserable. He tries to sell his daughter?! She lost her virginity to Neptune? Instead of helping her in a rational, normal way, Neptune changes her into a fisherman? Her father sold her, knowing she could change her shape? That’s very dishonest. Finally, Erysichthon began eating his own limbs.

Achelous

Achelous lost a fight to Hercules, where Hercules tore off his horn. Is this the origin story of the cornucopia?

The Shirt of Nessus

I never realized there was so much rape in mythology, geez.

The Death of Hercules

The imagery in this story is gory. The poison makes his blood boil? I think it is sad that he tells his mother, Juno, to take happiness in his destruction. All of the Gods, upon Hercules’s death, agreed to grant him entrance to being a God, including Juno.   

Daedalus and Icarus

Philemon and Baucis

Transformation of Philemon and Baucis

Ceres and Erysichthon

The Famine

Achelous

The Shirt of Nessus

The Death of Hercules