Week 14 Reading Notes: Hans Christian Andersen, Part B

For this assignment, I chose to read the story of the Little Mermaid since that is the story I am adapting for my storybook. In my notes, I recorded things that stood out to me -- anything I might try to incorporate into my storybook entry.

The first character introduce is not the Little Mermaid, but instead the Sea King. Obviously, he must be included in my story. I also might want to include the marble statue the Little Mermaid adored. The story mentions she is 15. I think my story would have her at an older age, but I might start it at 15, progressing through her years to show how long she did not reach to the handsome prince (as I plan to do in my story). She also has a noticeable disconnect from all of her sisters. I would probably use this for conflict in my story.

The Little Mermaid has a notably beautiful voice -- which she later loses -- so I might use this as a feature of her. Since all the other stories I have written for my storybook maintain the original nature of characters (i.e. the wolf remained a wolf in my telling of Little Red Riding Hood), I have to figure out how to keep a mermaid a mermaid. I might need to expand on the side of the prince. He may have been in search of a mermaid to be his bride. I think the best bet is to give him motivation. I might even do one of those cheesy "find local singles in your area" type apps for a touch of humor.

A major piece of the original story is the loss of voice. I originally considered just having her too afraid to send a message to the prince. My intro mentions that this story was a blunder of Social Media's so I will need to find a way for him to screw up. I also might have his character act like she died to cover up his screw up.

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Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories, by Hans Christian Andersen

Image:  Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen

Week 11 Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part B

Since so many of the nursery rhymes have no meaning, it has been hard to find areas to be creative. However, I did find one in the Natural History (Part 1) section about a little bird. In it, a person wishes to know how a bird was doing. But as the person neared the window, the bird flew away. This makes me think of a very young child enamored by a bird, curious at how it flies. So if I were to write a story, I would focus on a small child who has a love for birds.

Then there is a story about a little boy going to take hay to a barn, only to be scared by the owl that resides there. If I were to write a story, I could see the boy having a fear of the barn because of the owl. Eventually, he would try to conquer his fear of the owl and see that it is harmless. But in the end, the owl would become scared by the human, fly away, and scare the child. 

Those are really the only two stories I see room for being creative. I figured doing the nursery rhyme section would be difficult anyways. 

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Bibliography: The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang

Image: Humpty Dumpy statue, photo via Pixabay

Week 11 Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part A

I chose to read Nursery Rhymes this week because they are often very short. I feel like that gives me a plethora of opportunities to expand on them.

One story that stick out from the section "Tales", is Robin the Bobbin. Robin eats many things, but he is never full. In a retelling, I could make each thing a metaphor for something rather than a straightforward, hyperbole that it is in the nursery rhyme.

Reading from the "Proverbs" section, I could see myself taking "For Want of a Nail" and making it a longer story. It provides key details, but how those details come about would be completely up to me.

I really don't know how to take notes over nursery rhymes, to be honest. They are often childish, nonsensical rhymes. Sometimes they may have a moral behind them, but that is not always the case. A huge part is just making the stories flow well. I think between the two nursery rhymes I took notes of, I will have a good basis for my story come Wednesday.

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Bibliography: The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang

Image: The Nursery Rhyme Book, cover illustrated by L Leslie Brooke, source

Week 10 Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths, Part A

The first story in this section is a creation story. This one is really different from most creation stories I've ever read. It is really neat to see the differences between cultures.

The next story is about fire. In it, many creatures attempt to retrieve fire from an island, and most of them fail to do so. I might be able to take the essence of this story -- many animals, or people, not being well equipped to accomplish a task -- and make a new story.

The next story is about finding the sunrise. One thing that really caught my attention is that they came across a tribe with odd death-related rituals. If a husband dies before his wife, then she is buried alive with his corpse. I could maybe expand upon this part. Even though it is not about the Cherokee people, it still is an interesting place I could explore as a writer.

The next story is about the formation of a constellation. 6 boys use a Feather-dance and begin to ascend to the sky. Eventually, they become a constellation. I figure that their mothers would be in great mourning so I might want to write a story about some rituals that may have developed as a result. I would want to probably include the pine tree since it was of great significance in the story as well.

Reading the Moon and the Thunders, I was first surprised that the Sun was female. Usually, the sun is a male figure. The Moon courts a man while the Sun is away. Maybe this would be a good spot to write a story about their time together.

The Deluge immediately reminded my of the common "Great Flood" story present in many cultures. However, this one is interesting to me because many of the cultures with a Great Flood were once located in the Fertile Crescent. Maybe I could do a journal entry story about the process of building a big raft. This would also give me the chance to employ a new writing technique that I've yet to do.

I read the remaining stories, but I really like the idea of retelling the Deluge in a journal storytelling frame. So this is what I plan to write tomorrow.


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Bibliography: Myths of the Cherokee, by James Mooney

Image: photo by Mike Baird

Week 13 Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Ashliman), Part A

For Part A, I mainly focused on Little Red Cap since it would be featured in my storybook. With it in mind that I would be retelling this story to be a date between the wolf and Little Red, I wanted to find elements that could be worked into my rendition.

It is obvious that I have to keep the titular red cap; it is essentially Little Red's identity. It came from her grandma, so I don't think that will have to change in my story.

On a side note: I wish my mom sent me cake and wine when I'm sick! I'm really not sure where I'll work in the mother since the story really doesn't involve her much, but I might be able to keep her as someone who helps catalyze Little Red's usage of Tinder.

When Little Red first meets the wolf, she is unfamiliar with what creature the wolf is. That kinda reminds me of social media, Tinder specifically. You meet someone new, and you really know nothing besides the superficial, surface details. 

The story also spends quite a bit of time talking about the flowers, so I probably should include the flowers. Since Little Red collects them before going to see her grandmother, maybe I can find a way to swap it where it is actually the wolf collecting them. Maybe he will get them before a date with Little Red.

Another classic part of the story is Little Red describing the wolf's features. So since Little Red is going on a date, maybe she describes what the wolf looks like to a friend -- maybe her mother. Since my story is about the two dating, I do not think it would make sense if the wolf was a threat. So I definitely plan to take out that aspect of the story. I'm not sure what to do with the huntsman in that case, but maybe I can make another character te huntsman too. Maybe the wolf is the huntsman. Or maybe her grandfather (which is a character I could always add since he is not in the original story).
Since I've already established that the "original" version is a lie spread by the wolf's ex, this one will need to probably end on a happy note. So no murder will be needed.

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Bibliography: The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales as translated by D. L. Ashliman

Image: Little Red Riding Hood 1881, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

(Twin Dragons, Luck)

Reading the first story The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck, I first found it weird that it described the beggar as having dragons crawling through his ears and nostrils. Maybe this is another way of saying something like "a fly"? Or maybe the dragons were a sign of his good fortune. Interesting description nonetheless. I also wonder how the merciless father reacted to the fact that his daughter was now an empress and that the beggar was now an emperor. For him to have such strong feelings towards his daughter's actions, it seems odd that it doesn't touch on him later. This would be a good place to expand the story.

For Cave of the Beasts, I found it odd that the father suffered no consequences of his action. The whole time I expected the daughters to get revenge on him for abandoning them. When he was reunited with them, I also expected for him to have been divorced. Throwing in a divorce to the fold would be a good way to expand on the story.

The Panther reminded me of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. It does make me wonder how a Little Red Riding Hood story would play out if it were the grandma visiting the granddaughter, like the mother visiting the daughters in The Panther.

Reading The Lady of the Moon, I wonder who built the castle on the moon. It seems weird for it to already exist, unless it was the man on the moon who built it. But then I wonder what the purpose of the project was. This could be a good way to expand the story.

I also noticed that many of the stories began with the common "Once upon a time." In addition, many stories seem to be about luck and fortune. These Chinese fairy tales have really strange ways of "explaining" nature, like in The Girl with the Horse’s Head or the Silkworm Goddess. Overall, I find the Chinese fairy tales to be very imaginative and exactly something I would expect to hear as a child.

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The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921) 

Reading Notes: The Monkey King, Part A

I've never spent much time reading Eastern literature before. I'm not sure why, but I've not. Something that jumps out at me as I read the Monkey King (couple with what little else I've read from the East) is that it seems like Eastern tales and folklore often feature animals in deity-like roles. In this particular story, the writing is very direct, lacking much exploration in each setting.

It's odd to think about a monkey living in the world of man, so I think a story about a man learning to live among monkeys could be interesting. Or it could be exactly like Tarzan. Maybe that's where the idea came from, ha ha.

Sun Wu Kung learns how to perform other abilities throughout the story. In a different story, maybe man learns different abilities that end up helping him defeat something. I would just have to figure out what he would defeat.

One note that I found interesting is the fact that the dragon-devil's name is Triton -- a name from Greek mythology. I find it fascinating how words and names can flow through different cultures.

Sun Wu Kung also becomes a bit of a menace to those he visits, so having a man become the menace would probably translate well into a modern world.

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Bibliography: The Monkey King, edited by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921)

Image: Sun Wukong at Beijing Opera, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part A

 

I really like this nested storytelling style. In regards to the story itself, I think it's a clever way of delaying time. I also like how each story would jump back a layer to give context to the current layer of the nested story. I also like how they aren't necessarily just stories. They could be real-life accounts. This makes me think of more of a circular story-telling technique. So while it's still nested stories, the last one flow into the first one. I think this is cool because then the reader could start at any story and still get all of it the same way from someone who started elsewhere. There's really not much more to write about Part A, since it's really only showcasing the nested storytelling technique. This is definitely something I'd like to try.

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Bibliography: Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang

Image: Russian Nesting Dolls, via Flikr

Reading Notes: Ancient Egypt, Part B

Something I like about the stories of part B is that it contains longer stories broken up into parts. As a writing strategy, I might want to tell one story separated into different parts. This kind of storytelling is very common in tales of great heroes who have to complete tasks so I might choose a hero and chronicle his journey of tasks.

Another story writing technique that is used, and is used in other stories, is essentially pitting two people (frequently, siblings in more ancient stories) against each other. There's something gripping about seeing a family working against each other. Obviously, the conflict must be strong and warranted. And just because the story is told from the perspective of one particular person doesn't mean the other is without justification. Ultimately, the conflict is resolved, and the family is at peace again.

In the Book of Thoth, it seems like Nefer-ka-ptah became possessed by the Book. These are usually fun stories because the character doesn't really have ultimate control over his being, though it is as a result of his own will. In addition, the knowledge imparted was ultimately regretted by the maker of said knowledge. Maybe a story I write could include the downfall of Thoth due to the book he wrote getting in the hands of Nefer-ka-ptah.

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Bibliography: Egyptian Myth and Legend, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: Thoth, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Ancient Egypt, Part A

Like most creation stories I've read, this reading begins by going explaining how every being comes into existence. I also note the similarities between various religious stories. The story "The Secret Name of Ra" speaks of a great flood. The Egyptian mythology, as well as the Bible both, were created in the roughly the same region. This makes me wonder if both accounts were inspired by the same event, just with different explanations.

A storytelling technique I noticed in "The Secret Name of Ra" is that the focus of the story is never revealed. Isis persues Ra's secret name, and she does find out what it is. However, it is never stated. This exact scenario actually reminds me of the show Doctor Who. Only the Doctor knows his true name, and like Ra's, his name is thought to hold great power in and of itself.

Overall, these stories follow the same formula as most other religions. I do, however, like to look at the contrast between polytheistic religions, such as this one, and monotheistic religions. It seems monotheistic religions focus heavily on the inhabitants of the creation, most likely because there aren't other deities from which stories may arise.

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Bibliography: Egyptian Myth and Legend, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: Sun God Ra, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part B

My first thing I noticed in reading Part B of this selection is how vengeful Venus is portrayed. It reminds me of many classic fairy tales; they all share one thing in common -- a mean-spirited mother. I wonder where and why this tradition started. Even men today are known for hating their stepmother, though maybe for different reasons. As I continue to read, I keep getting classic fairy tale vibes from the story. However, the one big difference from many of the more modern fairy tales is that in Cupid and Psyche, it's the man in trouble. 

Overall, the story feels very formulaic, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. Psyche has hardships to overcome. There are some tasks in her way. Obviously, this storytelling technique has survived ages, so maybe formulaic is good.

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 Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline, source
Image: Psyche in the Underworld, by Hillemacher

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part A

I've always been a fan of mythologies, so I do like that there are fairy tales rooted in those mythologies. I chose Cupid and Psyche because I am somewhat familiar with Cupid (and his Greek counterpart "Eros"), and wanted to expose myself to more about him. I like how Roman (and Greek) fairytales have pretty simple and direct storytelling while still being a strong story. Like Laura notes in the overview, the story is "very similar to the story of 'Beauty and the Beast,'" and she is complete right. There's something clean to stories like these that I appreciate. 

Many stories in mythological folklore are told by following one particular character. However, something I think I would like to try is telling the story through the perspective of everyone else. How would the story follow if it were told by the people Psyche interacted with or onlookers? With such a straightforward tale, it should be easy to do so. There's not much auxiliary action occurring meanwhile.

Would the gods and people she interact with her be rooting for her? Would they be annoyed? What kind of information would they know? I think it would be a neat way of looking at the story. In addition, with the noted similarity between Cupid and Psyche and Beauty and the Beast, I wonder if I could throw a Disney-spin on the story. I might take inspiration from Disney's Hercules to do so.

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Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius and translated by Tony Kline, source

Image: Cupid and Psyche by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part B

Part B of the Adam and Eve unit tells a story of Adam and Eve after being sent out from the Garden. This eviction was caused after Satan came to Eve in the form of a serpent and convinced her to eat the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil. I wonder how this narrative would play out if it were instead Satan who was the one banished from the Garden to live in the Cave of Treasures. Would God show pity and mercy to Satan as he does to Adam and Eve?

Another thing I note about these stories is how depressed Adam and Eve become after being ostracized from God's presence. Thrice Adam ends his own life, only to be revived by God. An odd parallel that comes to mind is that of a drug addict. People will cut out drug addicts from their life while still showing pity. The drug addicts will make mistake after mistake, desperate for the mercy of those he or she once had in their own life. And just as God promises Adam that he will bring him back into the Garden after 5,500 days, people will, too, promise to rekindle relationships with drug addicts if they are to overcome their habits.

One thing I note as Adam exits the Cave of Treasures is that he believes the sun to be God. This interests me because the sun is often believed to be a god in many cultures and religions. Shortly thereafter, Adam and Eve encounter the serpent Satan. After attempting to kill Adam and Eve, Satan was noted as being thrown to India. I wonder if anything comes about of his arrival there. I also wonder if this passage refers to the land we currently know as India.

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Bibliography: The Forgotten Book of Eden, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. (1926)

Image: God the Father with His Right Hand Raised in Blessing, by Girolamo dai Libri, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part A

Something that has always interested me about the Bible is how its stories are usually told. Among believers, it is commonly held that the Bible is the word of God, yet it is (mostly) written from the 3rd-person perspective of an omniscient author that isn't God himself since God is referred to as a separate being from the narrator. A couple of ideas stem from this observation. What if the Bible were written with God as the narrator? Would this influence anything significantly? The current narrator states how God feels about various actions and events. How much, if any, of these details would be lost if God were the narrator? It also makes me wonder if I could find a way to formulate an experimental telling of the same story from the perspective of multiple, objectively omniscient narrators. Could I get each story to leave the reader with different thoughts or feelings without using any subjective narration?

Another widely-held belief is that the Bible, more specifically the Old Testament, is a series of symbolism and metaphors. Rather than the literal interpretation, they are merely stories created to explain the numerous facets of life, nature, culture. The stories describe what is not fully known. Where did we come from? Perhaps it is much easier to tell a story about two people named Adam and Eve than it is to try to comprehend the concept of people being willed into existence. Maybe I should find creative ways to explain more abstract ideas through relatable stories.

Regardless of one's interpretation of the Bible, literal or not, Adam and Eve are integral to the beginnings of Biblical history. Rereading the accounts of Creation, and that which shortly follows, reminds me of a high school assignment I once had. We were tasked to write our own "Creation" story, modifying any existing story or creating something entirely new. World building has always been something I've enjoyed seeing whether in a book, movie, video game, or TV show. Maybe my stories would benefit from strong world building. But could/would that make them needlessly long?

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Bibliography:
The Bible (KJV)
The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg

Image:

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, via Wikimedia Commons