Famous Last Words - My Final Blog Post

I have really enjoyed this class. I have read stories I've never even heard of, learned about cultures all across time and space. I've improved in my writing, learned humility and when to accept that I've done well. I've read other people's stories and I've learned how to bestow constructive criticism and praise. This class has also taught me how to critically-assess stores, and think about how they represent people and places, and how their lessons can be incorporated into my own life. I've learned things here that have helped me elsewhere, and some of the things that I've learned elsewhere have helped me here. 

Going into this course, I was expecting a traditional online class, where we would read myths and write papers explaining them or get assigned historical research or something--which in some cases would probably provide interesting context. But I got so much more. The creative writing aspect of this class was not one that I anticipated but I was pleasantly surprised. I once described it to my mom as "reading myths then writing fan-fictions of those myths," but that's not really what's going on here. I mean it is, but it kind of isn't. Writing an adaptation of these old, old stories gives me an opportunity to participate in the oldest form of human entertainment--storytelling. I get to be a part of the oldest tradition of humankind--reading someone's version of the world, and retelling it with my experience mixed in, so that stories evolve over time and stay relevant. 

I know that I tend to slip into abstraction and philosophy, but I just want to make one thing very clear: I am very proud to have this experience, this exposure, and this opportunity to appreciate and create my world and the people in it. 

"Me" by Me

StoryLab - Crash Course Mythology (Creation Stories)

For the Story Lab assignment I chose to watch another Crash Course Mythology Unit on Creation Stories. And I know a bunch of different creation stories, some from this class and some from other classes or independent research, but I always like them. They're either poignantly symbolic or they're hilariously random. Either way, what fun.

So the first video is about creation ex nilium, creation from nothing. Obviously, everyone is familiar with the story of Genesis wherein God either created everything from nothing by hand or by simply speaking it into existence. There were other stories, including a Kono story where in Death creates  his home and ultimately the world out of a sea of mud and a few taunting words from a fellow god. The Mayan creation story also begins with a vast ocean, as does the Egyptian myth. The Mayan gods--Maker and Feathered Serpent--speak the world into existence (though they have to try four times to get it right). What I find most interesting is the idea of The Big Bang as a creation myth, and the fact that the Theory of Evolution also supposes that life all began from a vast body of water. I think this just kind of goes to show that all roads lead to Rome, whether you get there by folklore or science.

In the second video, "Water, Seed, Egg" he talks about how in many myths, there is not only the idea of "seed"--like, in the Biblical sense--creating the world, but also other fluids from gods, like blood and vomit. He also mentions how there is a widespread idea of the earth coming from an "egg" of some sort. In another myth, he talks about how a world-parent is sometimes present. For example, in one Chinese myth, the earth is within an egg and so are all the dualities of existence--Yin and Yang. And balance, the earth and the god are all one--and when the god died, the void of his power was filled by sin and pain. I think that's a cool concept, that the physical and the metaphorical all exist as one and that good and bad are neither rewards nor punishments, just things that are. 

The third video is about "Earth Mothers"--which is a very common trope: Mother Earth. Mother Earth makes sense, because the earth nourishes us like mothers do, and creates life--like mothers. In some cases, father's conceive gods and the earth alone, but more often Father and Mother must be present. Like in Hesiod's Theogony. There was chaos, and then there was Gaia. And she was the mother of everything--gods, titans, cyclopes, and Uranus--the Sky Father. What is so interesting to me is the "Succession Myth"--that fear in the Greek pantheon where the sons kill and overthrow their fathers. I think that says more about men than it does about mothers. I loved the Norse creation myth, it's god everything: succession myth, "Adam and Eve," dwarves. Honestly, the Norse pantheon is so underrated. 

In the final video, "Social Orders" describes how myths explain (or try to explain) our relationships. It's as annoying as it is well-known that the Bible positions women lower on the totem pole than men--which sucks, but isn't exclusive to Judeo-Christian myths. For example, God creating Eve from Adam's rib and allows him to name Even "woman" as if she is closer to a beast than a human. Then she is later cursed with pain in childbirth and told to be subservient to her husband--basically justification for sexism. Men's punishment is basically just working and dying, and it is because a man listened to a women. More misogyny in Hesiod's theogony via Pandora and her box. But the Greeks were famously misogynist, and so were tons of other societies, like Japan. I think it's cool that a lot of myths talk about how humans or one event messes up the good life for humanity, but it always puts the blame on women. We just can't catch a break.

"Pandora's Box" by Unknown Artist via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes - Crash Course Mythology (Mythical Places)

For this week, I chose to watch the Crash Course Mythology video unit on Mythical Places and I have found my favorite creation story. 

In the first video, "Gardens and Caves," we compare the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man to the Zuni story of the Emergence from the Caves. Garden of Eden is symbolic of humanity beginning as perfect beings, being forced to live in the world as a punishment for disobedience, and functions an impetus for moral behavior so that we may one day return to that state of perfection. But the Zuni creation story is better to me because it symbolizes humanity emerging from chaos, ignorance, and immaturity. Humans are, at first, living in filth and confusion beneath the earth before a god takes pity on them and sends his sons to free them. Once they do, they try to teach humanity how to live and keep tweaking them in their sleep until they get it just right. Very cool, because it still has the supernatural element-and that's always a crowd-pleaser, but it isn't so much about an indictment or a punishment--it's about a gift. 

In the second video, "Mountains," I learned about ow mountains are used to symbolize lots of different things in different stories. In the Chinese tale about the 10,000 Treasure Mountain, a poor but pure boy helps an old stranger, is rewarded with magic keys to the 10,000 Treasure mountain--one to enter and one to exit. Each time he goes into the mountain, he chooses a practical treasure: grinders and hoes that actually produce food. A wicked king tries to steal the treasures, and eventually takes a key--but only the one to enter. So the king dies surrounded by useless treasure and the boy can no longer enter the mountain, but is rewarded for his humility and work ethic with a bride. And I guess her family is already rich since they had the keys to a treasure mountain and never used them. In a Japanese story, we learn how mountains and other elements of nature are anthropomorphized and treated as their own spirits, such as in Shintoism. This really helps characterize nature as the complex entity that it is--something that can help us or harm us at any time. 

I liked the "Trees" episode. I knew the myth of Apollo and Daphne already, but I'd never heard the Vietnamese myth of Tun, Lun, and Tao (and I'm sure I didn't spell them correctly. It was tragic but it had the kind of symmetry that I like to see in myths. It was like "Romeo and Juliet" but with a love triangle instead of two immature kids who thought they were in love but really just sort of died to be dramatic. 

In the "Cities" video, he discusses the varied history of Jerusalem, a city that is a prominent feature in all of the Abrahamic faiths. Depending on time, place, and narrator, Jerusalem is either a beautiful, holy place, or a dirty, sinful den. He also talks about the history of Rome, which I love because I read several of the Roman foundation myths. I liked that the Romans went back and wrote a seamless creation story for themselves, and I think it's even more interesting to look a the stories in historical context, because you really can see what the ideas of a time and place were. I really do love these little videos. 

"Fires of Troy" by Kerstiaen de Keunick
via Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes - Grimm Fairytales (Ashliman, Reading A)

I read the Grimm Fairytales (Ashliman) and, while they were obviously familiar there were definitely some differences in tone that I noticed. For example, they either don't end happily ever after or they do, but either way there's a certain about of gore. In two separate stories a wolf's stomach was cut open with scissors, and living characters escape his belly then fill his stomach with rocks and sew him back up just in time for the wolf to meet his demise. 2 different stories with that exact same trope! That's wild.

There were also stories that I'd never heard of, like The 7 Ravens. I'd never read that story before but it was very trippy. A brief synopsis: 
Seven sons, accidentally cursed to turn into ravens by their father, are eventually rescued by their once-sickly sister, who was indirectly responsible for their curse. She frees them from the glass mountain with the help of their dwarf-butler, despite the fact that she lost the magic chicken bone given to her by the stars--the only non-carnivorous heavenly bodies.
Like what? But also, I would totally watch this if it was like a Tim Burton movie. 

Then there are the morals that are in the stories, both overt and subtle. In Little Red Cap (Little Red Riding Hood), the moral is "Listen to your mother or you and your grandmother will be eaten by a wolf." In "Old Sultan," the moral is basically "Don't count out the underdog." I thought "Old Sultan" was weird though, because the wolf helps a dog avoid being killed by his master for being old but then the dog refuses to help the wolf steal just one sheep in return because he's loyal to his master. The same master that wanted him dead just for being old. It's such a turn around from Native American stories, because obviously one would expect reciprocity in friendship, and I don't think that loyalty to a cruel master would be the focus just because one is a dog and one is a human. But whatever. 

The Grimm Fairytales are very well-known, and for good reason. You could make them much darker with hardly any work, or you can make them much cleaner and lighter--like the story of The Elves (and the Shoe-maker) or Red Riding Hood or Rumplestiltskin. 

"Rumplestiltskin" by Helena via Flickr

Robin Hood's Gang and Allen A. Dale

It was a perfect day, but Allen found himself sitting glumly in diner in the seedy part of Sherwood Park. He was wearing his best shirt, which happened to be bright red, but it turned out that wearing such a color was a mistake. Especially since the gangster Robin Hood had taken over the neighborhood, and everyone knew that a jaunty, forest green were the colors of his crew. 

But Allen hadn't thought about any of this, until an giant with dyed green hair and a wiry man with dark shades came in, both wearing leather jackets and green sneakers. Everyone in the bar had moved aside for them, but Allen was so caught up in his own misery that he hadn't even noticed the newcomers--that is, until they sat directly across from him in the booth. 

"What are you doin' here, wearing a shirt like that?" the tall man said.
"This is Robin Hood's turf, which makes this Robin Hood's diner, which means you're wearing the wrong colors, kid," said the wiry man. 
"Come along, short stuff," the giant said. "You've gotta pay the color tax to the boss himself."
Allen wished to just be left alone, but he knew better than to go against the giant, who had to be Lieutenant "Little John" Little or the wiry man, who's name was Nick and who (in spite of his appearance) was just a teenager. 

When they got to Robin Hood's hideout, which was one specific warehouse in an entire neighborhood of abandoned warehouses, Allen learned that the elusive Robin Hood was not at all what he thought he would be. He was walking the floor of the warehouse, supervising while forty-or-so men and teenager boxed each other. 

He had medium-length chestnut brown hair, that probably would have curled a bit had he not put so much product in it. He had bright green eyes that somehow signaled mischief and intelligence, a spray of freckles across his nose, and charmingly crooked teeth clamped around a wooden toothpick. He too wore a leather jacket, but his was a dark, forest green rather than black. He wove through the sparring pairs of men and approached his lieutenant. 

"Well, well Johnny boy. What have we here?" he said with a smile, startling Allen with his British accent. 
"He's wearin' red," Little John said, as if that explained it all. But Robin Hood just shrugged. 
"What's your name?"
"Allen A. Dale," the man stammered nervously.
"Well, have you got any money for my men and me? I'd be obliged to let you go," the gangster said as he took a seat on an overturned wooden crate. 
"No money," Allen said quickly. Perhaps too quickly, as Robin Hood just raised a dark brow and nodded at Nick. The teen grabbed Allen and searched his pockets. He pulled out a gold ring triumphantly and tossed it to Robin Hood.
"Allen, why have you hidden such a treasure from me?" said the gangster, and his tone was charming and airy, but there was an edge of danger laced beneath it that made Allen swallow thickly. All the men had stopped sparring and were now listening to the conversation. 

Allen decided it was best to simply tell the truth. "It's a wedding ring, and it was for my girlfriend. I was planning to ask her to marry me but her father told her that we had to break up. I just got back from trying to propose anyway, but her dad answered the door and said that he'd arranged for her to marry his business partner today." 

At some point he'd begun to fidget with a butterfly knife, as if he just needed to have something in his hands. As he looked at Robin's impassive expression, Allen found it easier and easier to just open up to the man. He continued, "And he's a rich guy with three houses and a retirement fund, and I'm just in med school, with three roommates and thousands of dollars worth of debt. She probably would have said 'no' anyway."
Robin Hood regarded him for a moment. Then he stood up and whispered something to Little John before turning back to Allen.

"This may surprise you, gents," he said loudly to the room. "But Robin Hood..." he said, pausing to point the blade at Allen, who paled slightly. "...is a romantic at heart." His men chuckled as he put the knife away and approached Allen slowly, before suddenly clapping a hand on his shoulder. 

"I'll get your lady back," he said grandly. Then he sat back down on his crate and fixed Allen with a sly glare. "But I don't work for free."
Allen's stare darted back and forth between the faces of Robin Hood's men and Robin Hood himself. Then he thought about his love, and hardened his stare. He thought he saw surprise in the gangster's eyes.
"I'll be your doctor. I know you can't go to the hospital for some of the injuries you and your crew...acquire. I'll work for you," he vowed. "Just please, get her back."
Robin Hood stood and grinned at his crew. He stood and reached into one of the sealed crates behind him, and to Allen's surprise, pulled out an enormous gun.

"Merry Men!" Robin Hood called, leaping on to the crate that he had been sitting on just moments before. "Load up," he said, just as Allen was about to reconsider. The other men began to produce various weapons: hand guns, knives of all sizes, bats with nails. One man even had a garrote. 

Robin Hood grinned and and replaced his soggy toothpick with a fresh one. 
"We're going to a wedding," he declared, and the Merry Men cheered.

"Farewell Performance by Robbin Hood and His Merry Men"
by John S. Pugh via Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note:
I know this story is long (918 words) but I kind of got carried away. I really like giving Robin Hood charm, because it's clear that the guy is charming in the poems, but only if you read several and get a feel for his character. I like the story of Allen A. Dale, because it's one of the stories where Robin Hood doesn't just fight a random guy in the woods, but actually listens and decided to help him. Maybe he's a romantic, maybe he was just bored. But this story was easily my favorite in the unit. It starts out sort of kind and only slightly atypical, but in the last few stanza's of the poem everything goes to hell (in a good way) and I think that the few lines in the poem aren't enough to really get a feel for the silliness/cuteness of this story. 
I will put a part two on my Portfolio project.

Reading Notes - Robin Hood (Reading A)

I read the Robin Hood tales, which are actually songs or I guess poetry. Which makes since, given the prevalence of bards and minstrels and whatever in Old England. I loved the animated Disney Robin Hood as a kid, so I was looking forward to reading the originals. What is so funny about the originals is that Robin Hood actually loses a lot more fights than he wins, which was kind of weird to me considering that he has this reputation as heroic, untouchable figure. I guess time and pop-culture have sort of strayed away from the original tone of the stories. 

But even though Robin Hood kind of gets his butt handed to him a lot, I can still see why he was a culture hero. When he comes to a worthy opponent, he makes sure to give them their props for not being able to defeat him. A lot of the Robin Hood stories follow this formula: Robin Hood comes across someone minding their own business in the forest, he asks them what their selling/carrying/doing, he decides that he's going to rob them/distract them/totally flaunt their authority, and then he challenges them to a fight. After they end up fighting, one of three things will happen: 1) Robin Hood will win (rare) 2) Robin Hood will start to lose, and will call on the horn for his merry men 3) Robin Hood will just lose. 

When he calls for his merry men, usually it's Little John who gets the task of fighting for Robin Hood. But he never succeeds where Robin has failed. So when Robin Hood loses, he either takes the guy out for a drink, or he invites him to join the merry men. This is why Robin Hood is a culture hero: because he's proud, but not so proud that he won't acknowledge someone else's skill. And some people today might think that it's dangerous to surround yourself with people who can beat you, but I think that's why the merry men followed Robin Hood. He only wanted the best of the best, and it's always better to follow a man with strength of character than it is to follow a man with physical strength...even if he is a gangster.

I have decided that I will add another story to my portfolio based on the Robin Hood stories. He really was a gangster--literally. He claims the forest is his because he "runs" it, he takes what he wants from people, he uses force and a gang of men to get his way. I think it would be fun to do the story of Allen a Dale in a modern setting--with Robin Hood and the Merry Men as 20th century gangsters. 

"Robin Hood, Original Gangster" by Silly Shirt Store- College Shirts
via Zazzle

Story Lab - Crash Course Mythology (Gods and Goddesses)

I watched the four Crash Course Mythology videos for this weeks Story Lab. They were about different god/goddess archetypes, and more specific stories the showcase these archetypes. 

The first video talked about the goddess archetype, most notably, the Triple Goddess. One way that the Triple Goddess is described is as the Virgin, the Mother, and Crone. What I thought was so interesting was how this narrow characterization is repeated in modern society: The Mother, the Virgin, the B*tch, and the Whore. Anyway, a better characterization of the Triple Goddess is Life, Death, and Rebirth. For example, Gaia is the Earth Mother, symbolizing life; Persephone and Isis are 'Queens of Death," associated with growth and decay, as well as fate and magic; and finally, nymphs and maidens who symbolize rebirth, sexuality, and creation. Goddesses are often complex and multifaceted. 

In the second video, this idea is expanded on with the somewhat-contrasting stories of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, and the White Buffalo Woman of the Lakota and Dakota tribes. Pele exhibits both death and destruction when she believes that her younger sister has stolen her man. She does this via the power of lava: she uses it to destroy both her ex-lover and her sister's tree friend, but it also provides Hawaii with fertile soil, and by the end of the story, both the tree groves and the lover are restored. The White Buffalo Woman also exhibits the power of life and death. When the two scouts encounter her, one tries to grope her and is killed instantly with a lightning bolt. But the other is reverent, and she later brings his people the sacred pipe, corn, and knowledge of turnips--making her a culture hero. 

Male archetypes are covered in the third video, and we learn that there are six well-known archtypes for male gods. The Father/Son, a dynamic which is probably best exhibited by the succession myth of Uranus, then Kronus, then Zeus: each son usurps his father, usually by violent means (i.e. castration). The King/Judge, which is obvious in the Greek and Egyptian pantheons, by Zeus--king of the gods or by Osiris, king of the Underworld who also acts as the judge of human souls. The Savior or Sage, who brings advice to humanity about how to live a virtuous life, or saves humanity with knowledge or sacrifice--like Prometheus bringing fire to humanity or Jesus dying for the sins of men. There are also Shamans, who are sort of like sages. They communicate, operate, or solve problems in or between the spirit worlds and Earth. Hermes or Thoth are examples of Shamans. Tricksters, like Loki, remind us that the world is chaotic; while Lords of Destruction, like Hades have conflicting connotations. There is both the concept of death and excess, for example, 'plutocrats'--meaning greedy bastards--comes from the Latin name for Hades: Pluto. 

The Dying God was also discussed. Some 'dying god' stories are well known, like Jesus or Odin. Sometimes a god's death is an accident, like Adonis. Venus, who memorialized him as the anemone flower, reminds us of the cyclical nature of life with the flower's seasonal death and renewal. Another reason for a god to die is for the sake of humankind. For example, the Corn Mother of Native American mythology, asked her husband to kill her and have her sons drag her body around then bury her bones to give the First People corn, tobacco, and to allow the game to replenish. 

"Odin's Last Words to Baldr" by W. G. Collingwood
via Wikipedia

Reading Notes - Celtic Tales (Reading B)

I am honestly loving these Celtic Tales. They are so random and so entertaining, a lot of things are sort of familiar from pop-culture, like the fairies and the goblins, but also there are a lot of things that I'm learning that you can only get from going straight to the source. 

For example, I was watching or reading something, and the legendary hero was a guy named Andrew Coffey. I didn't understand why, but the point was that he could see into the ghost world. Reading the original story kind of helped me make sense of the reference, even though he's less heroic and more human in the story. Every reaction he has to Patrick Rooney's ghost(?) is a reaction I could totally see myself having. 

I am sticking with my original point from Reading A: these stories are meant to connect the past (mythical or not) to the present, and preserve history and culture in a much more direct way than I'm used to seeing in the Native American or African myths. They use people's reall names, first and last: "My grandfather, Andrew Coffey," or "Prince Llewelyn, son of King John" or "King O' Toole." I know for a fact there are some O'Tooles in Ireland or Scotland who at least claim connection to these old stories. I would. 

My favorite stories from this selection was "King O'Toole and his Goose" and the "Tale of Ivan." I liked the colloquial way that the story of King O'Toole was told. The narration included things like "I'm telling you...", which I rarely see in stories. I think that's an interesting and underappreciated way to tell a story: literally telling it to the reader, no grandiose language just a casual storyteller. I've never considered telling a story that way, but perhaps now I might. Another thing that I liked about the story of King O'Toole was the fact the Saint Kevin was the supernatural element of the story. Somehow, I forget that you can look at religious figures in a lot of ways: culture heroes, actual messengers of god, or just supernatural beings. And Saint Kevin was a really interesting way to remind me of that. 

I also liked the Tale of Ivan because it had foreshadowing every step of the way but there was still a twist. That story was awesome, relaxing and entertaining. I also really liked the "Brewery of Eggshells" because it gave me insight into where the myth of "Changelings" come from. 

"The Legend of St. Stephen" by Martino di Bartolomeo
via Wikimedia Commons

I know we're doing a StoryLab this week, but I might try out this new storytelling method for my story next week. Maybe it'd be relaxing to just calmly tell a story. 

Reading Notes - Celtic Tales (Reading A)

This week, I've decided to read the Celtic Tales for the British and Celtic unit. I have very little experience with Celtic culture or history, beyond what can be gleaned from pop-culture stereotypes of the region, the Vikings series or the show Outlander (both of which I highly recommend if you're into roguish-yet-lovable male protagonists and strong female characters). But I digress.

I found these stories were less about "deep, mystical truths" and more about entertainment and fun. Even more than that, they seemed to specifically have the goal or preserving Celtic cultural figures, like leprechauns, fairies and Druid magic. For example, the first story of "Connla and the Fairy Maiden" gave everyone a name except for the fairy maiden, and gave details about the king's Druid's method of getting rid of the Fairy. It also had lots of details about Fairy Land itself. The same is true for the "Field of Boliauns," wherein Tom Fitzpatrick (again, full names) tells us what to do and what not to do if we ever find a leprechaun chugging beer in a field. 

There were other stories that preserved history and cultural mysticism in a much creepier way. "The Horned Women" for one, was kind of weird. But now, I know what to do if a series of increasingly-horned witches enter my home and start weaving. "The Sprightly Tailor" gave us an actual location, as did the "Shepherd of Myddvai," which makes me feel like the point is to connect all generations of listeners/readers. 

My favorite story of these so far is a tie between "Munachar and Manachar" and the "Silver-Tree and Gold-Tree" story. The former is one of those stories/songs that makes a list of things and you have to keep track of all the things listed until the funny twist at the end. Loved that story, it was highly entertaining. The Snow-White story--Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree--was interesting. It's got everything, from filicide to polygamy. Both were highly entertaining. I look forward to reading the second section. 

"Munachar and Manachar" by John D. Batten
via Wikimedia Commons

Week 11 Story - Sister Wolf

I remember the day she came to us.

She was running, crying, gasping for breath. My pack heard her sobs and smelt her fear, and soon we were following her through the woods. She came to a clearing and fell to her knees, and we watched her through the shadows. The moon slid from behind a cloud and illuminated her face, and she was beautiful. With a look, I commanded my pack to stay hidden, then I took my human form and stepped out of the underbrush. She had bruises blooming beneath her tears, and welts on her arms and legs. I told her who I was--Chief of the Wolves--and bade her come to our village. 

She sat in my tepee and I asked her how to care for her, and had the coyotes bring her anything she needed. She had fled a cruel husband, and his abuse had taught her to be timid and fearful. But she was with us now, a rare and tender flower I could not permit to wilt. I told her that she was our little sister now, and that we protect our own. 

Soon, she learned the life of the wolves. She ran with us when we wished to run; she dressed our wounds when a hunt proved difficult. Once a month for an entire year, she followed me and my kin to a sacred butte, where she howled at the wide-eyed moon alongside the pack. 

One day, I'd gone down to the stream for fresh water. As I drank, I heard two Dakota hunters laughing and joking as they approached the creek as well. They spoke of how they had followed the buffalo from the south, and said that now that they were less than a day's travel from the herd, a hunt would take place the next day. At once, I became a wolf and ran to our village--for I had made an agreement with the Chief of the Buffalo just one day prior, which allowed him to cross through our lands without conflict. The Dakota hunters would follow his tracks and find our village. 

When I arrived, I told Little Sister that she must ride out to meet her people. "Tomorrow at noon, they will be here. You must speak with them, or they will follow the buffalo, find our village, and kill us all," I said gravely. 

Little Sister agreed, but I saw that she was nervous. She feared being returned to her husband. Seeing her fingers twitch with anxiety, I almost changed my mind and called for us to flee in the night. But something shifted behind her eyes, and she wore her fear with grace--like a wolf. Somehow, it became bravery. 

The next day, she went to meet two of the warriors on a knoll. Several of our pack went with her, acting as protectors. They exchanged words, and she returned to our village. I could sense that it was her last night with us, and I remembered what she was like when she first came to live among the Wolves. Timid, weak, and frightened. She had been so small and wounded, but as I watched her boldly stare down a coyote for the last of the buffalo meat, I could see how truly fearless she had become.

The next morning, I found myself watching from the sacred butte as our Little Sister rejoined her family. Even as I was proud to see the strength in her stance, I can't help but feel sad to see her go from us. 

Now, with a stone in my heart, I tell the timber wolves and coyotes to pack up the tepees so that we can move on to land with better game. Now that the Dakotas have arrived, they'll take the choice buffalo for themselves. We all busy ourselves with our tasks, when suddenly....

Arooooooooooo!

...I hear Little Sister!

The rest of the pack perks up too, listening for her howl. 

Arooooooooooo!

Again, she howls for us! Before I know it, I take off in the direction of the sound, catching her scent in the breeze. I can hear the thundering of a hundred paws across the plains, my pack running right behind me. 

We crest over the hill and see a Sioux camp, with tepees, fires and people all milling about in the distance. But right before us is a pile of butchered buffalo: tongues, tenderloin and all the best morsels. Little Sister is perched on top of the meat, waving a red flag about in her hands and howling with all her might. I feel a burst of joy at the sight of her, and I stop short to admire how far our Little Sister has come. My kin descend upon the meat, tearing into calf-shoulder and romping in the great, bloody mess. Little Sister looks on with satisfaction while her kin look frightened as hundred of wolves make short work of their offering. 

Little Sister smiles and looks at me, and I let her--and only her--see my human form as I smile back.

by trustmevhenan via Tumblr

Author's Note:
This story is based on the Sioux Nation story of "The Lost Wife"--wherein a young woman flees an abusive husband and ends up living with wolves for a year. After she rejoins her tribe, she not only makes sure that the wolves aren't hunted, but that her people share the spoils of the buffalo hunt with the animals who saved her.
I wanted to do this story from the wolf chief's perspective because I think that it's clear that the girl and the wolf chief are the main characters. I know I usually do a 'romance' type of relationship but I think that it was better to have a big brother/little sister dynamic--someone who wants the best for her but isn't going to do the work for her.
I also think that doing it from the wolf's perspective keeps in tradition with a lot of Native American stories where an animal is the protagonist, and it let me put in some of those recurring Native American story themes. 

Reading Notes - Native American Tales (Reading B)

I finished reading the stories in the Sioux Nation unit. These stories tended to focus more on a specific trickster character: Iktomi (or Unktomi). He is a spider, but in some stories he is given very anthropomorphic characteristics, for example being described as wearing moccasins or buckskin clothes. He reminds me of the African trickster Anansi, for a lot of reasons. 

In the first place, he is a trickster and a spider. He is used to tell anthological stories, such as the reason that people avoid certain spiders' nests. He is lazy in the sense that he has no work ethic, and would rather lie, cheat, or steal to get by--never to get ahead. his pride, conceit, and preoccupation with his baser instincts (i.e. hunger) are often his downfall. Sometimes he is portrayed as a genuine spider, sometimes as a spider-person-thing. In some stories he is a father, in others he acts alone. He is often used as a morality tale, but flipped. In several stories, like "Iktomi and the Coyote" or "Iktomi and the Muskrat," he uses trickery, but is later the victim of counter-trickery and his would-be victims are used to teach the lesson, even though Iktomi himself is the protagonist. 

I noticed a difference though, in the portrayals of Iktomi and Anansi. It seems that Iktomi is more willing to trick without provocation, like in the story of "Iktomi, the Widows, and the Red Plums." He had some red plums, went up to two widows, lied about where to find the red plums. Then he decapitated their children and served their bodies to the widowed mothers in a stew. Then tricked them again when they tried to kill him. He is definitely more murderous than Anansi, and where Anansi can be afforded the label of moral ambiguity, Iktomi is clearly just a jackass. 

"Iktomi cooking ducks" by Gertrude Spaller
via Wikimedia Commons

In other news, I have decided that I will write my story for this unit on the story of the Lost Wife, the girl who runs away from an abusive home and lives with wolves. I think it would be fun to write it from the wolf chief's perspective, seeing as he is the one who decides to take her in. It's another opportunity to explore character motivation, and maybe highlight some of the elements of Native American customs that motivate the characters, such as Natural Democracy. I am excited to write this story, and if it turns out well, I'll add it to my portfolio. 

Reading Notes - Native American Tales (Reading A)

This week, I read the Sioux Nation's story unit. I don't really know what I was expecting, but I really liked these stories. They were a strange mix of anthology and just pure entertainment. A lot of these stories were more light-hearted, or maybe I was able to read them in a light-hearted manner because I wasn't getting my wires crossed (last week, I had a ton of work to do including a Native American book report, which required a lot of intensity so I was reading everything with intensity). 

One thing that I know I can learn from these stories is that a story can be short but still entertaining and impactful. I tend to write and write and write in my own stories, and I think that it would be a good exercise for me to practice being more concise and try to still create a god story. 

I also noticed a lot of the consistent elements of Native American stories, namely: origin stories for why things are the way they are, animals acting as helpers for people, animals acting with human attributes, and spirits influencing human life. 

I had a fleeting idea for one story, seeing as I need to start looking for inspiration for my next story for the portfolio project. I really liked the Story of the Lost Wife. In it, a young woman, mistreated by her husband, runs away and is taken in by a tribe of wolves who learn how to care for her and give her shelter for a year. Later, when she is reunited with her own people, she makes sure that the wolves aren't hunted by her family. In fact, she ensures that they are fed with a surplus of buffalo meat before permanently rejoining her tribe. I think that this would be an interesting story to write from the woman's perspective, or from a family members perspective. It's kind of a "new" (technically old) take on the whole feral child thing. Or like the Jungle Book. 

I'll read the second half and see if any other stories really speak to me. 

"Howl" by Sim33 via Pixabay

Week 10 Story - The Dance of Bees

Once there was a boy from a family of giants. He wasn't like his five older brothers. Where they liked to run and fight and roughhouse, he liked to sit, to think, and write songs. His brothers teased him often, and he felt all alone. His brothers were wrestling one day, and he couldn't concentrate with the ground shaking and the trees trembling. He wandered away through a mountain pass and found a valley--peaceful and quiet. There were large purple roses covering the ground, and it was quiet except for the wind. He thought he could write music calmly here. He started to settle himself onto the ground, nestling himself amongst the flowers. He heard a small yelp, and hopped up in alarm. He unfolded some of the petals on the largest flower, and found a plump girl--not a giant--nestled within. 

"Watch it, mister!" she humphed at him. He blinked in confusion. 
"Don't you even know what you've done? You've crushed the flowers!" she said, getting to her feet and settling her hands on her hips. She was wrapped in an ochre and black dress flecked with gold, and barefooted.
The boy didn't know what to say, or what to do. He stared at her, searching himself for a defense, or perhaps--judging by the way she was glaring--an apology. 
Suddenly she softened and said, "You're a giant? Why aren't you trampling all my lovely flowers just for sport?" 
He shrugged. 
Finally, he saw the hint of a smile grace her face. "Fine," she said. "You'll come with me, maybe there's hope for you yet."

He followed the girl through the flowers, trying not to step on any lest she yell at him again. When they reached the mountain pass on the the other side of the valley, the girl began to pull herself up the cliffside. She didn't need any help, being much stronger than her size suggested. He followed her up to a spacious room in the side of cliff and only peeped inside because he couldn't fit. There were other pudgy members of her family, dressed in the same ochre-and-black garb, all working on one task or another. One woman, the only one wearing all gold, was at the center of the hive, tending to the children. The boy watched them work as they turned dust into sweet food, built storage containers, and cleared away debris. 
"Soon we have to go back out and dance," the girl said.
The boy looked at her in confusion.
"We have to dance, in the flowers. We work with the sun, the flowers, and each other. It's how we make sure that everyone lives good lives," the girl explained. Sure enough, many others in the cave started toward the opening. They were all impressed with how kind and gentle the giant was, and how he was careful not to trample any flowers as they made their way down the cliffside to the valley.

The boy watched the girl and her family whirl and dance through the flowers, gathering golden dust and throwing it in the air and all over their arms and legs. They laughed, they were joyous in it. And they were careful not to damage any of the flowers. The boy was delighted, and came back every day to watch them dance.

Every night, when the sun set, the boy started home to see his mother, his father, and his five brothers. Every night, the girl stood stubbornly in front of him, and he knelt to listen to her warning: "Do not teach your family of our flower dance. They are too big and too rough, they will break the flowers and we will all be devastated." He always nodded his assent and headed back through the mountain pass. 

One night, after he returned his brothers teased him about missing their horseplay. They demanded to know where he had gone. The boy didn't want to betray his friend's secret but he missed his brothers. He just wanted to share the Flower Dance with them, and maybe they would think it was as lovely as he did. So he told them about the valley full of purple roses on the other side of the mountain pass. 

The next day, his heart no longer weighed down with secrets, he happily headed to the mountain pass to see his friend. But as he walked the road between the peaks, he noticed that rocks trembled and fell into his path. He heard shouting and instantly recognized his brothers' voices. He ran to the valley, and saw his brothers throwing each other around the valley. They stomped and mocked each other, they jumped and spit, laughing and punching and kicking. To the boy's dismay, the flowers were destroyed. Bodies of purple roses were strew around the valley. Not one remained in tact. 

In a panic, he ran to the other side of the valley. He stepped up to the opening of the cavern, peering inside in the hopes that his friend or her family would be hidden safely inside. But it was too late.

His friend was gone. The Flower Dance had come to an end, and so had the Bees.  

"Solitary Bee" by Alvesgaspar
via Wikipedia

Author's Note:
This story is very very loosely based on "The Youth that Joined the Deer." In the original story, a young man finds a community of Deer people, who die to feed the community then are revived. I found that one of the main take-aways for me was "responsible consumption" and "respectful relationships with nature." I kept the theme but told the story in a different way: the deer of 2018 are the bees after all. They do so much to keep our entire human community alive and we aren't really trying to help them survive. I tried not to anthropomorphize my characters too much to keep with the Native American style, but I really am a one trick pony when it comes to writing--I can only do people. Anyway, save the bees!