Week 15 Lab: Overview of Mythology

(Source)

What Is Myth? Crash Course World Mythology #1

• Finding a definition for myth is difficult
• Nonetheless, here is the definition:
• A myth is a special kind of story that has two primary characteristics: significance and staying power
• Significance: Subject matter is about something important, such as how the world works, how it got going, or how things came to be
• Staying Power: Survived over a long period of time such as centuries or even millennia
• Persephone myth: Explains the seasons, relating to plant and harvest cycles to the events of immortals

Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12

• Plato - Equated myths with lying
• Tertullian and Clement - Greek and Roman myths were influenced by demons to prepare their listeners for the story of Jesus and to provide contrast between Jesus and the Pagan gods
• Sir James Frazier - Myths are primitive science. The wills of deities, people, and animals are related to physical laws and biological processes (Events that can't be explained by physics are caused by gods)
• Freud and Jung - Myths come from the human unconscious and mythical characters are projections of that unconscious
• Freud - People create myths as a way of dealing with harsh realities
• Jung - Different parts of the world create similar mythic characters because they are representations of a certain person's psyche

The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth: Crash Course World Mythology #25

• We are all heroes struggling to accomplish our adventure, engaging in a series of struggles to improve ourselves and find our place in society
• Three parts to the hero's journey:
• Part One: Separation
• Starts with a call to adventure and ends with crossing from the real world to the fictional world
• Part Two: Trials and Victories of Initiation
• Hero starts changing into the person they're destined to become
• Part Three: Return
• Hero reintegrates with society, figuring out how they can be accepted by society after their newfound enlightenment

Bibliography
What Is Myth? Crash Course World Mythology #1 by CrashCourse
Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12 by CrashCourse
The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth: Crash Course World Mythology #25 by CrashCourse

Reading Notes: Czech Fairy Tales, Part B

(The ogre)

• A father, who was very rich, told his son Francis about Misery in the world. His son, who had been stuck at home all his life, got curious and wanted to meet Misery. So he left home and went out into the world
• As long as Francis had enough money, he couldn't meet Misery
• Eventually all of his money was gone and he had to rely on other people for help
• He traveled some more and came upon a country that was unfamiliar to him. It had a big desert and Francis walked for a long time. He became hungry and thirsty but there was no water in sight
• Then he came upon a staircase that went down into a hole, and so he went down the stairs
• He came upon a cellar with a man sleeping on a table. It was an awfully big man who looked like an ogre
• Francis looked around and saw a bunch of human bones on the ground, determining the ogre was a man-eater
• Francis tried to get out but he was crippled by anxiety and was frozen in place. Instead, he took out his dagger and used it to poke out the ogre's eyes. The ogre sprang up and found that he was completely blind
• Then Francis ran and the ogre chased after him. Even though the ogre was blind, he knew the place well so he kept up with Francis
• The orge commended Francis and told him he would give him a reward for getting the better of him. So the ogre threw a ring at Francis. Francis picked up the ring and put it on his finger
• Once he put it on, the ogre called out to the ring, "Where are you?" The ring answered back, "Here I am."
• This went on for a while until Francis got tired. He tried to pull the ring off his finger but it clung tight, digging into his flesh
• Finally, the ogre got so close that Francis stretched out the finger and the ogre gripped it and broke it off. Francis lost his finger but escaped with his life
• He went back home and his parents asked him if he met Misery. He said he did. It was awful and nothing to joke about

Bibliography
The Man Who Met Misery: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis

Reading Notes: Czech Fairy Tales, Part A

(The basilisk)

• One day a mother went to the market far away in another town. She asked each of her three daughters what they wanted. One of them had an unusual request; she wanted three roses
• On her way back from the market, the day turned into evening and the mother got lost in the forest. She wandered around until she came upon a palace
• At the palace was a garden full of beautiful roses. She forgot to get roses for her daughter at the market so she took the roses from the garden
• Then a basilisk demanded one of her daughters in exchange for the roses that she plucked. He even threatened to kill her. So she promised to give one of her daughters to the basilisk and went back home
• She gave the roses to her daughter and told her she has to go to the castle in payment for them. Surprisingly, the daughter didn't mind and was ok with it. So the mother took her to the castle
• The basilisk told Mary she would have to nurse him in her lap for three hours every day. She did just that for two days. On the third day, the basilisk brought a sword and told Mary to cut his head off
• Mary refused at first, but the basilisk told her he would kill her if she refused. So she agreed and cut his head off
• Then he formed a new head, the body of a serpent. He told her to cut off his head again and she did
• Then the basilisk turned into a beautiful young boy. He said the castle belonged to him and she must marry him. So she did and they lived happily ever after

Bibliography
The Three Roses: The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis

Week 14 Lab: TED Talks About Stories and Storytelling

(Source)

The Danger of a Single Story

• A single story in this context is describing a group of people to be a certain way. This story is repeated over and over and different viewpoints are dismissed
• Stories that are too similar and don't have variety can give a false, singular impression of what the world is like. Variety is needed to cover perspectives from all kinds of different sources
• Publishers are hesitant to publish stories that are different from the common narrative
• Power is the driver behind who tells the story, what the story is, how often it's told, and other important factors
• Stories focus on how we are different instead of how we're similar

Imaginary Friends and Real-World Consequences

• Humans spend way too much time on fictional stories
• Why? We form connections and relate with fictional characters
• Logically, we know that we don't have a relationship with fictional characters but we have a subconscious feeling that they're real
• A study showed that people would be more sad if the fictional character they had a strong connection to died than a real person who they didn't have a connection to
• What matters is how close someone is to a person, not whether or not they're real
• Pro to having connections with fictional characters: Strengthens empathy
• Con: Consuming the same type of media can prevent the opportunity to form connections with people outside of our known circle

Bibliography
The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Imaginary Friends and Real-World Consequences by Jennifer Barnes

Reading Notes: Italian Fairy Tales, Part B

(The son after he became the Pope. Source)

• A father had a son who went to school for ten years.
• When he could no longer go to school, the father held a celebration for his son where he invited the most noble gentlemen of the country
• They asked the son what he learned from school, and the son replied that he learned the language of the animals
• They laughed at him and make fun of him and his father. His embarrassed father then ordered servants to kill him. The servants told the father they killed his son but they let him escape
• The son fled and came upon a castle with a treasurer. Shortly after a lot of dogs came to the castle. The treasurer asked the son why and the son said that it meant a hundred assassins were going to attack the castle that night. Sure enough, the assassins came and they were easily caught. The treasurer asked for the son to marry his daughter but he declined and said he would be back in a year and three days
• After leaving the treasurer's castle, he came upon a city where the king's daughter was sick. The son found out that it was being the frogs at a nearby fountain kept croaking, and they were croaking because the princess threw her cross into their fountain. After the cross was removed, the king asked the son to marry his daughter. He declined and said he would be back in a year and three days
• After leaving the king's city, he came upon Rome and found three companions. One day, a giant flock of birds came to them and sang loudly. One of them asked why the birds were singing so joyfully, to which the son replied that they are rejoicing the new Pope which is one of them. The son is the one who became the Pope
• After becoming the pope, he sent for his father, the treasurer, and the king. The Pope revealed his identity to his father and said that he tried to have him killed for knowing the language of the animals while the treasurer and king were very grateful for the son's knowledge
• The father apologized and the son accepted his apology

Bibliography
Italian Popular Tales: The Language of Animals by Thomas Frederick Crane

Reading Notes: Italian Fairy Tales, Part A

(The serpent stuck under the rock. Source)

• A hunter, passing by a quarry, saw a serpent stuck underneath a large rock.
• The serpent wanted the hunter to free him but the hunter said no because the serpent would eat him. Serpent promised that he wouldn't eat the hunter so the hunter let him free. Serpent was about to eat him, saying hunger doesn't observe promises, when hunter asked him if he would still eat him if he had no right. The serpent said no he wouldn't, and so they went to find three judges
• First they found a greyhound, who says the serpent should eat him because the greyhound's master wishes to kill him because he is too old and can't help catch hares for his master anymore
• Second they found a horse, who says the serpent should eat him because the horse can no longer travel and his master wishes to kill him
• Third they found a fox. Fox gets everyone to go back to the quarry to reenact the situation
• After they put the stone on the serpent, the fox asks if that is how the serpent was. Serpent says yes, and fox says to stay there

Bibliography
Italian Popular Tales: The Man, the Serpent, and the Fox by Thomas Frederick Crane

Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part B

(Foxy-woxy waiting in the cave to eat the others. Source)

• Henny-penny was out in the cornyard when suddenly something hit her on the head. She thought to herself that the sky must be falling so she needed to go tell the king
• On the way, she met Cocky-locky. When Cocky-locky asked where she was going, Henny-penny told her, and she joined Henny-penny to see the king
• On their way, they met Ducky-daddles. When Ducky-daddles asked where they were going, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky told her, and she joined them to see the king
• On their way, they met Goosey-poosey. When Goosey-poosey asked where they were going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles told her, and she joined them to see the king
• On their way, they met Turkey-lurkey. When Turkey-lurkey asked where they were going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey told her, and she joined them to see the king
• On their way, they met Foxy-woxy. When Foxy-woxy asked where they were going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey told him.
• Then Foxy-woxy told them of a better way to see the king so they followed him
• They came upon a narrow and dark hole which, unknown to the others, was the door of Foxy-woxy's cave. Foxy-woxy told them he would go in first and told the others to follow after him
• Foxy-woxy went into his cave, and after not going very far, turned around to wait on the others
• First Turkey-lurkey went in, and soon after Foxy-woxy snapped his head off and threw his body behind him
• Second, Goosey-poosey went in, and soon after Foxy-woxy snapped his head off and threw his body behind him
• Third, Ducky-daddles went in, and soon after Foxy-woxy snapped his head off and threw his body behind him
• Fourth, Cocky-locky went in. When Foxy-woxy hurt Cocky-locky but didn't kill him, he called out and warned Henny-penny
• So Henny-penny ran home and never told the king the sky was falling

Bibliography
English Fairy Tales: Henny-Penny by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part A

(Old Woman and Her Pig. Source)

• One day an old woman found some extra money laying around in her home so she decided to go and buy a pig.
• As she was coming home, they came upon a stile and the pig wouldn't go over it
• She asked a dog to bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the dog wouldn't
• She asked a stick to beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the stick wouldn't
• She asked a fire to burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the fire wouldn't
• She asked water to quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the water wouldn't
• She asked an ox to drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the ox wouldn't
• She asked a butcher to kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the butcher wouldn't
• She asked rope to hang butcher so butcher would kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the rope wouldn't
• She asked rat to gnaw rope so rope would hang butcher so butcher would kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the rat wouldn't
• She asked cat to kill rat so rat would  gnaw rope so rope would hang butcher so butcher would kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the cat wouldn't
• She asked the cow for some milk so she could give it to cat. Cow asked for hay. The old woman got some hay for the cow and she got milk in return that she then gave to cat. Then cat began to kill the rat; rat began to gnaw rope; rope began to hang butcher; butcher began to kill ox; ox began to drink water; water began to quench fire; fire began to burn stick; stick began to beat dog; dog began to bite pig; pig jumped over the stile; woman went home with the pig

Bibliography
English Fairy Tales: The Old Woman and Her Pig by Joseph Jacobs

Week 12 Lab: TEDEd Videos on Language

(This week's lab is a series of TEDEd videos on language. Source)

How Languages Evolve

• The thousands of languages that exist today can be traced back to a much smaller number
• The world used to have a much smaller population. As population grew, groups split and separated from the main group, creating their own new languages
• Languages can be shown to be related to each other through shared syllables, pronouns, numbers, etc

How Did English Evolve?

• English comes from Anglo-Saxon (Old English) of the British
• Old Norse combined with Anglo-Saxon. Then bits of Latin and French was incorporated. All of this adapted the English language

How many verb tenses are there in English?

• There are aspects that further divide the common verb tenses (Past, Present, and Future) 
• Continuous/Progressive Aspect - actions are still happening at the time of reference
• Perfect Aspect - actions that are finished
• Perfect Progressive Aspect - combination describing the continuous part of a completed action
• Simple Aspect - basic form of past, present, or future tense where action isn't specified as continuous or discreet

Are Elvish, Klingon, Dothraki, and Na'vi real languages?

• They are all conlangs, which are real languages
• What makes a languages real?
• Grammar
• Change over time
• Exceptions

Where do new words come from?

• From other languages
• English gets over half of its vocabulary from other languages
• Sometimes another language has a better word to describe something
• Combining existing words that each have part of the new concept
• Old words acquiring new meanings
• Ordinary people that have the right combination of useful and catchy

How to use a semicolon?

• Fills the space inbetween a comma and a period
• Links together independent clauses

When to use apostrophes

• Mark possession, contraction, or pluralization with single letters

Does grammar matter?

• Descriptivism - how a language is actually be used
• Prescriptivism - how a language should be used

Bibliography
How Languages Evolve by Alex Gendler
How Did English Evolve? by Kate Gardoqui
How many verb tenses are there in English? by Anna Ananichuk
Are Elvish, Klingon, Dothraki, and Na'vi real languages? by John McWhorter
Where do new words come from? by Marcel Danesi
How to use a semicolon? by Emma Bryce
When to use apostrophes by Laura McClure
Does grammar matter? by Andreea S. Calude

Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part B

(Sir Lancelot. Source)

Sir Lancelot and the Five Hundred Knights

• When Lancelot went through the forest, he met lots of the hermits that lived there. They told him that Sir Galahad, his son, sat in the Siege Perilous, which was saved for the best knight in the world.
• Lancelot left the forest and came upon a plain of land with a castle. Around the castle were 500 knights on horses. The knight close to the castle were on black horses and the ones further from the castle were on white horses and they fought against each other
• The black knights seemed to be getting beat by the white knights so he helped them. He defeated many of the white knights but he eventually grew tired. Once he was too tired the white knights took him to the forest
• This confused Lancelot because he thought he was the best knight but he was shamed into thinking he was sinful
• Then he rode until he came upon a chapel where he found a nun. He told her who he was and what happened at the tournament and the vision he had in his sleep
• She told him that what happened was a dream. Lancelot represents both the earthly black knights, who were not yet purged of their sins, and the heavenly white knights. He helped the black knights because he thought they were his peers. She warns him of everlasting pain because he doesn't have any peers 

Bibliography
King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang

Reading Notes: King Arthur, Part A

(Vivien closing the rock over Merlin. Source)

The Passing of Merlin

• Merlin fell in love with a lady of the lake and always wanted to be around her
• Knowing that he loved her, she used this to her advantage and made him share all of his knowledge with her. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help himself
• Merlin knew that one day he would be buried alive but he refused to try and change his fate
• Merlin and Vivian left Arthur's Court and traveled to lots of places.
• Eventually Vivian got tired of Merlin and wanted to kill him
• One day Merlin took her to a big rock and told her of the great marvels that were underneath it. Then Vivian seduced Merlin into going underneath the rock to show her the marvels he was talking about. Once he was under the stone, she used the magic he taught her and rolled the stone over him, burying him alive
• Wouldn't he be able to get out?
• What if Merlin did try to prevent his death?

Bibliography
King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang

Extra Credit Reading Notes: Mythology Overview

(Plato, the first to equate myths with lying. Source)

What is Myth? Crash Course World Mythology #1

• A myth in the context of mythology is a story that has significance and staying power
• Significance - the story is important to the reader in some way. Ex. something important, how the world works, or how things are the way they are
• Staying power - Stories that last over multiple centuries and generations, which is a sign that the story has great meaning to those people
• The "American Dream" is a myth, not because of religious significance like other myths, but because of its staying power
• The "Persephone" myth has significance by explaining why we have seasons

Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12

• Mythology - systematic study of myths
• Plato was the first to equate myths with lying, which is an idea that still exists today. He reasoned that because myths were irrational then they were false. However he deemed that philosophical myths that "served a purpose" were true
• Myths from multiple languages were derived from a single language known as Prodo-Indo-European, which came from a group called Ayrians.
• Anthropologists who studied myth say it's not symbolic but instead a direct expression of subject matter by expressing and enhancing beliefs, safeguarding and enforcing morality, and contains practical rules for the guidance of man
• Psychologists Freud and Jung claim that the source of myths are from the subconscious and mythical characters are projections of the unconscious
• Structural theory breaks down myths into a structure of patterns

The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth: Crash Course World Mythology

• What are heroes?
• Contemporary scholars say that we are all heroes in a way, struggling in our own adventures and engaging in our self development and finding our purpose in life
• Monomyth - the idea that all heroic stories follow a certain pattern
• Part One: The hero leaves the known world and goes to the realm of the unconscious
• Initiated by a Call to Adventure
• Part Two: The hero's trials and victories of initiation, changing into the person they're destined to be along the way
• The exciting part consisting of tasks they have to overcome to prove their worthiness
• Hero achieves enlightenment, taking an object that symbolizes this
• Part Three: Hero's integration to society
• More common in older myths than the modern ones
• Ends with hero living happily ever after

Bibliography
What Is Myth? Crash Course World Mythology #1 by CrashCourse
Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12 by CrashCourse
The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth: Crash Course World Mythology #25 by CrashCourse

Reading Notes: Native American California/Southwest, Part B

(The beautiful Bluebird after getting its blue feathers. Source)

• Bluebird was not always blue. He used to be a very ugly color.
• He found a lake that didn't have a river connected to it and bathed there four times every morning for four mornings. Every time he took a bath he sang a magic song
• Change song to roses are red, violets are blue?
• After the fourth bath on the fourth morning, Bluebird shed all his feathers and spent the day without any feathers. When he took a bath the next morning, he came out of the lake with blue feathers
• Maybe Bluebird doesn't lose the feathers but they just go colorless on the 4th day?
• Coyote crossed paths with Bluebird and was curious on how he turned blue. Bluebird told him, and since he also wanted to be blue, he bathed in the lake four times for four mornings, singing the song each time
• On the fifth day, Coyote came out blue. He was so proud of his new color that he went around showing it off to all the other animals. He got distracted of all this new attention that he ran into a stump, covering the blue with dust.
• Maybe Coyote fell off a cliff and rolled down it instead?

Bibliography
How Bluebird and Coyote Got Their Colors by Katharine Berry Judson

Reading Notes: Native American California/Southwest, Part A

(The cunning Coyote. Source)

• The world was created. There were fishes in the water, animals on the land, and Man
• What about the fish in the water?
• No food hierarchy to determine which animals are predator and prey with each other and which were supposed to be food for Man
• They were all to meet so that Man can determine this for the animals
• Man would determine this by giving all the animals bows and arrows, the longest ones given to the top of the food chain and the shortest ones to the bottom of the food chain
• The day before the meeting, all the animals gathered in the area and went to sleep to meet Man in the morning
• Coyote, more cunning than all the other animals, pretended to sleep and stayed awake all night so that he could meet Man first and get the longest bow and arrow
• Coyote stayed awake all night but in the morning he got too tired and couldn't help but fall asleep
• What did he do during the night? Why couldn't he stay awake?
• When morning came, the animals went to meet Man. Cougar got the longest bow, Bear got the 2nd longest, and so on until Frog got the 2nd shortest bow. There was still one bow left but no animal to give it to
• They found out that Coyote was still asleep and took him to Man, who gave him the shortest bow
• Man took pity on Coyote and asked Kareya to give Coyote more cunning
• Coyote was now the most cunning out of all the animals. With this cunning he befriended Man and did many things for him

Notes

• Creator name - Change to Great Spirit
• Animals had some kind of contest to determine food hierarchy - Arm Wrestling Tournament?
• Coyote cheated, did good at beginning but got caught and given lowest rank
• Man took pity and gave Coyote cunning

Bibliography
The Fable of the Animals by Katharine Berry Judson

Week 10 Lab: TED talks about the creative life

(This week's story lab is on TED talks. Source)

Copyright is Brain Damage
In this video, Nina Paley makes the claim that copyright laws slows down progress that could be made in areas that deal with concern for intellectual property. While I do agree that it does slow down progress, copyrights are important to prevent people from stealing the work of others and selling it as their own. As a computer science major my code is protected by intellectual property laws. If I work for a company, I give up my ownership of that code in exchange for a yearly salary. Without those laws there would be less incentive to create software for a profit because people would steal the code at will.

A New Theory of Human Intelligence
In this video, Scott Kaufman makes the claim that there should be a new theory of human intelligence. While I agree with his point that intelligence needs to be redefined, I disagree with the way he wants to redefine it.

The definition of intelligence is an outdated one. As it currently stands, intelligence is measured by standardized tests such as the Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.). This does measure intelligence but only a certain type of intelligence, that is, logical intelligence. There are many other types of intelligence such as artistic intelligence, leadership intelligence, emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and others. Unfortunately logical intelligence is much easier to quantify than the others so it often gets defined as the standard for intelligence. So I do agree with Scott that logical intelligence and the standardized tests that go along with it are not the only ways of defining intelligence.

However, the ideas of current intelligence and how goal oriented someone is should be kept seperate. Intelligence is related to potential while goal orientation is related to performance. Combining goal orientation with the of intelligence would also combine aspects of potential and performance. Both metrics have their place and it's important to keep them seperate. For example, if the goal is to predict which person is more likely to do better at a job, it makes more sense to use GPA score instead of IQ. However, if the goal is to predict which person is more likely to come up with a groundbreaking theory (Einstein, Newton, etc) or come up with new ways to improve society (Elon Musk's SpaceX and Tesla, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with the first personal computer), then IQ score is a better indicator instead of GPA score.

Bibliography
Copyright is Brain Damage by Nina Paley
A New Theory of Human Intelligence by Scott Barry Kaufman

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Part B

(Navaranapaluk, the lying wife who started 

a war between two tribes. Source)

• Navaranapaluk came from a tribe of man-eaters but married a man from a tribe that didn't eat men
• One time when she went to visit her birth tribe, she put mittens on her feet instead of boots to make it look like the other tribe was treating her poorly
• Why did she feel the need to do this?
• When her birth tribe saw this they vowed to take revenge and wage war on the other tribe
• Her birth tribe waited until the men from the other tribe were gone and then they killed all the women of the tribe except for 3 that hid
• This seems cowardly
• When the men came back to see all their wives were killed, they correctly put the blame on Navaranapaluk who fled recently
• They prepared for war against her birth tribe by making lots of arrows
• What if they didn't make arrows? They might've lost the battle...
• Then they set out and came up behind the houses of her birth tribe. Her birth tribe knew they would come for revenge and had their women take turns watching but apparently didn't see them behind the houses
• Why didn't they have someone watch behind the houses which seems like the most obvious spot?
• An old woman from her birth tribe had a dream about two creatures fighting above her head, and when she told the man-eaters this, they saw it as a sign that the other tribe was near
• Seems far fetched. Maybe the man-eaters heard strange noises outside, planted a alarm system of some sort, or didn't know they were coming at all?
• The men of the man eaters came out of their houses but it was too late. The other tribe had already surrounded their houses. When they came out they were killed by arrows
• After killing all the men, they chose new wives from the widows and took them back to their tribe
• Maybe this sparks another round of revenge with the wives getting vengeance for their husbands?
• Two of the men carried off Navaranapaluk with her asking them which one was going to take her as wife.
• They laughed before cutting off her arms with their knives, making her bleed to death
• Seems like a strange way to kill her. Maybe slit her throat or take turns stabbing her repeatedly instead? Or the men could take her back to the 3 women survivors and they can stab her to death?

Bibliography
The Wife Who Lied by Knud Rasmussen

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Part A

(Makite the eskimo. Source)

• Makite, a married man, had trouble catching seal but his brothers were catching lots of them
• His wife said she would leave him because he can't catch seal like his brothers, so Makite left for the hills to live there all alone
• Once they knew Makite was trying to leave, his brothers went after him. Once they got closer to Makite, he walked faster and faster until they lost sight and stopped pursuing him
• He came upon a house. Its walls were covered with reindeer and foxes' skins but he went in anyway
• The owner of the house heard him come in and asked if he wanted something to eat. Makite declined the offer, saying he wouldn't eat until the owner told him what were the things that looked like candles in front of the window
• The owner said he cannot tell Makite because Makite isn't a lone-dweller
• Makite said he would kill him if he didn't tell him
• The owner tells him that if a person climbs the furthest of the great hills in the blue to the south and reaches the top, they will find those candle like things there. But that person has to be a lone-dweller
• After hearing all of this Makite finally ate
• When they went to sleep, the lone-dweller prepared his bow and was about to kill Makite but Makite, aware of what the lone-dweller was doing, pretended to wake up and the lone-dweller put his bow down
• Near dawn, the lone-dweller finally fell asleep. Makite tried to leave but the front door made another strange sound and woke up the lone-dweller
• Makite, now outside of the house, ran to where he put his spear with the lone-dweller in pursuit. He got his spear and ran until he got to a big rock. He ran around the rock 3 times then threw the spear behind him, hitting the lone-dweller and killing him
• Makite wandered on again and came upon another house with dwarfs. They were constantly coming in and out of the house so much he struggled to get in the door
• When he finally got in someone inside told him inland-dwellers are coming. Makite looked and saw a large group of fighters approaching
• The dwarfs went outside to fight
• The dog with the inland-dwellers gave a great bark. It created a huge wave of water at the dwarves, but when the wave got close to them, it shrinked and became very small
• Then the dog with the dwarves gave a great bark. It grew into a huge wave of water and drowned the inland-dwellers
• Makite built a house by the dwarves, retrieved the candle like things from the far hill, and hung them up in his house. He lived there until he died.

Bibliography
Makite by Knud Rasmussen

Week 9 Story: Karma

(Paul and Mary. Source)

Paul and Mary were very poor. They both retired a long time ago, about 20 years or so, and had no retirement savings left due to the stock market crash a few years ago. They sold their home and were forced to live in an apartment with a terrible neighborhood that had a lot of crime. Sometimes, they would go to the nearby church for food.

 Although they were poor in wealth, they were rich in love. Not too long ago they celebrated their 50 year anniversary. Their relationship was a symbol of true love. They cherished every moment they had together, always teasing and laughing and kissing each other. Instead of their love growing weaker and weaker over time it grew stronger and stronger.

Unfortunately, good things don't last forever. Paul woke up one morning to find out Mary passed away in her sleep. Paul, having so much love for Mary, vowed to bury her in the nearby cemetery instead of cremate her.

He called his son and daughter, both of whom moved far away to advance their careers, to help pay for her funeral but they said no. Paul expected this though as they never called or visited him and Mary and cared only about themselves. He went door to door, asking everyone in the community to help pay for her funeral but they were all too poor. Eventually he asked the local priest, David, at the nearby church for help.

At first David declined to help since funerals were expensive and he was poor himself. However, Paul was persistent and was determined wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Mary is the love of my life and I will not let her be cremated. There must be something you can do!" said Paul.

Then David remembers the burial plot his father told him not to use. "I'll tell you what. I have an extra spot at my family's burial plot. I'll let you bury her there," said David.

And so Paul and David bought a couple of shovels, took Mary to the burial plot, and started digging at the forbidden spot. They dug about 3 feet worth of dirt when suddenly David's shovel makes a loud clanking noise with the dirt.

"What was that?" said Paul.

A few minutes later they pull a steel, unlocked briefcase from the ground. They open it up and find a bunch of shiny gold coins with a letter.

"To whomever needed this plot, may this gold help you through your rough times," the letter said.

 They took the gold to an appraiser who evaluated the gold at $10,000 which was more than enough to pay for a proper burial for Mary. Then Paul and David became good friends and David even let Paul move in with him until he passed away.

Author's Note:
This story is based on The Treasure by W.R.S. Ralston. In the story an old man's wife dies and he asks people for help but no one offers to help, not even the pope. Taking matters into his old hands, the old man digs a grave by himself and discovers a pot of gold. Then he uses the newfound wealth to pay for his wife's burial. The pope, curious on how the old man suddenly got money, asks him what happened. When the old man tells him, the pope gets jealous and devises a plan to get the money from the old man. Wearing a goat mask to impersonate the Devil, the pope goes to the old man's house and scares him into giving up his money. When the pope goes back home with the money, he tries to take off the goat mask but discovers that it's now fused with the rest of his body and he can't take it off. I decided to make a number of changes including the plot, the ending, and changed elements to be more modernized. I also added more details to the old man and his wife's relationship, describing how they got poor and showing just how good their relationship was.

Bibliography
The Treasure by W.R.S. Ralston

Reading Notes: Tibetan Folk Tales, Part B

(Little rabbit after seeing his mom being cooked and eaten. Source)

• There were two families, one with a mother bear and her son, the other with a mother rabbit and her son
• The mother rabbit dug roots faster than the mother bear, so the mother bear killed her
• Little rabbit waited on his mother but she didn't come home. He went to the bear's house and discovered that mother bear and her son were cooking and eating his mom. Little rabbit vowed to get revenge on them
• When mother bear left little bear by himself, little rabbit killed him and took his mother's stolen sack of roots
• Little rabbit left the scene, going up a mountain. He came across a tiger and asked the tiger to help him hide in his ear. Tiger agreed
• Why didn't Tiger ask little rabbit what he had done?
• After finding her son dead, mother rabbit went to find little rabbit. She came across the tiger and asked if he had seen the little rabbit, telling him she would kill him if he didn't tell the truth. Tiger said don't talk to me like that or I will kill you without much trouble. Mother bear obeyed and went on
• What if mother bear was stubborn and tried to fight the tiger?
• Rabbit started eating some of the roots in the sack. Tiger asked what he was eating. Rabbit said his own eyeball.
• Tiger asked to eat one and liked the way it tasted. Asked rabbit if he took out his own eyeballs and ate them if rabbit would lead the tiger around and take care of him
• Rabbit says he would, digging out tiger's eyeballs and handing him some roots to eat instead. He then led tiger to a big cliff and told him to go to sleep. Then he built a big fire so that when the tiger moved back to avoid it he fell off the cliff and killed himself
• Then rabbit went to the shepherd and told him to cut up the dead tiger on the mountain
• Then rabbit went to the wolf and told him to kill some sheep since the shepherd is gone
• Then rabbit went to the raven and told her to pick the eyes out of the little wolves since their mother went to kill sheep
• Then the rabbit ran away

What if the rabbit went so far with his mischief that karma came back and mother bear killed him?

Bibliography
A Rabbit Story by A.L. Shelton

Reading Notes: Tibetan Folk Tales, Part A

(The Tiger and the Frog. Source)

The Tiger and the Frog

• A tiger went hunting for some food along a river
• A frog saw him and, scared that the tiger was going to eat him, asked him where he was going
• Why did the frog call out to the tiger if he was scared of him?
• Adding dialogue between the animals gives more character
• Tiger says he's very weak and hungry and looking for something to eat. He can't find anything else so he'll settle for eating the frog even though he's small. Tiger asks the frog who he is
• Why can't the tiger find anything to eat?
• Add details about how weak and hungry the tiger is. It's been 2-3 days.
• Frog tells him he's the king of frogs. He can jump any distance and do anything. He challenges the Tiger to see who can jump across the river
• Tiger should've created his own challenges if he can do anything
• As the Tiger jumped across the river, the Frog grips his tail with his tongue and goes across the river with the Tiger
• Frog, going further than the Tiger, taunts him
• Frog challenged Tiger again, this time to see who can vomit the most
• Tiger, being without food, could only throw up a little water, but Frog threw up the Tiger hair that was in his mouth
• Frog says he has tiger hair in his body because he ate a Tiger yesterday
• Tiger, scared of Frog now, runs away toward a mountain
• Doesn't have to be a mountain
• A fox asked why he's running. Tiger tells him about the Frog
• Fox laughs and says he can kill the Frog
• Tiger will go back with Fox but he wants their tails to be tied so Fox doesn't run away
• Tiger and Fox confront the Frog
• Frog says Fox hasn't paid tribute to him today and asks if that's why he brought the Tiger to him
• Tiger gets scared and runs away with the Fox tied to his tail

Bibliography
Tibetan Folk Tales: The Tiger and the Frog by A.L. Shelton

Extra Credit Reading Notes: Russia Folktales, Part A

(Pot of Gold that the old man found. Source)

• A poor old man's wife dies. He asks people to help bury her but no one wants to help. Not even the pope
• He tells the pope he'll pay him back with interest but pope still doesn't want to help
• What if the pope accepted the offer?
• Old man goes to dig the grave by himself
• While digging the grave he finds a pot full of gold
• What if the pope put the pot there on purpose?
• Used the money to hire people to help dig the grave and bury his wife
• After the funeral, pope gets curious on how the old man suddenly had money. Old man told him and that made the pope devise a plan with his wife to get the gold from the old man
• The pope killed and skinned a goat, wearing the goat's skin as a mask. Then the pope went to the old man's house, acted like the Devil, and told the old man he planted the gold there and was only supposed to take a little to help pay for the funeral
• When the pope got home with the money, he tried to remove the goat skin but it was fused with his body as punishment from God

Possible plot twist:

What if the pope is good and accepted the offer, old man got his wife buried, pope puts pot of gold near old man to find on purpose, old man finds it, pope asks old man if he has the money yet, old man lies and says no, then karma comes back on the old man

Note: Add some dialogue

Bibliography
The Treasure by W.R.S. Ralston

Week 8 Progress

(My reflecting pose. Source)

Looking Back

I'm proud that I dug in and started putting work in the class. Early in the semester I fell behind and missed about two full weeks worth of assignments. It was a combination of being distracted with personal issues, prioritizing assignments in other classes, anxiety about writing my own stories, and thinking I could just make up all the assignments later in the semester. I don't have a strict schedule or anything because assignments in other classes are too dynamic for that. Rather, I started doing better by dealing with those personal issues and doing whatever is necessary to get the assignment done on time.

The assignments I enjoy the most are providing feedback to other people and learning new feedback techniques. It's much more natural for me to critique, analyze, and look for ways to improve a story rather than creating my own.

Looking Forward
For the second half of the semester, I want to try to get a little bit ahead just to have some extra wiggle room. Since I fell behind early on I don't have much room for error and it would be a good idea to work ahead with how dynamic school assignments and schedules can be.

As far as my writing goes, my feedback shows that I need to try and be more details and have the characters show more emotion. I also want to get better at changing the plot of a story but still have it be almost as interesting as the original.

I don't think much I want to change about my blog or website. On my introduction post I think I provide readers with a lot of insight about who I am and what I like to do. The project website is also going really well with a nice layout in place. Perhaps I could make some small changes here and there like changing the font of my stories.

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

(Feedback Grid. Source)

Feedback In

The feedback seemed to have a healthy mix of praise and criticism. Some of the praise liked making changes to plot such as making the little boy change into an ogre. As far as criticism goes, there seemed to be a common theme to include more details such as what the monk is like in Deception and how the daughter's relationship with Surero evolved in How a Thief Married My Daughter.

Feedback Out

Looking back on my own feedback I implement a lot of the WWW strategy. I think this is because I like to naturally give feedback by first pointing out the things that I like before giving healthy criticism. The part that WWW strategy helped with is to be creative and offer suggestions on how a story could be improved.

Blog Comments

I do feel like I get a pretty good idea of what a person is like by reading their introduction, writing style, and what kind of stories they can come up with. I also feel like my introduction post provides a lot of information about me and insight into who I am. Lots of people are psychology majors and will comment on what they know about personalities and my poker hobby as well.

Looking Forward

Personally I think the feedback strategies are pretty good so if people would just implement that more often when they provide feedback I think that would work pretty well. I really liked Story Lab and I think having more of those lessons where we learn more strategies to write better would be great. 

Image

I chose this image for a couple of reasons. One is that I'm kind of a nerd and think grids and graphs are great tools to help visualize ideas. Another reason is the the grid is very informative. For example, it shows that critical feedback requires a person to be both positive and negative and shows how trust is an important factor in how the feedback is perceived.

Extra Credit Reading Notes: Khasi Folktales, Part A

(The twin sisters Ka Ngot and Ka Iam. Source)

• Ka Ngot and Ka Iam were the beautiful and lively twin daughters of the god of Shillong
• They weren't happy if separated for long
• One day, at the top of Shillong mountain, they challenged each other to a race the woody plains of Sylhet down below
• Ka Ngot was the more timid one, Ka Iam was the more fearless one
• Ka Iam was very confident and boasted she was going to win the race
• At the start of the race, they both transformed into rivers
• Ka Ngot traveling safer but longer paths went slowly. When she eventually reached Sylhet, she couldn't find her sister there. Then she went to nearby areas Chhatak and Dewara but still no sign. She went back for her sister and took a long curve in the process. The Khasis living on top of the hill who saw the river called that part "Rupatylli," meaning a silver necklace
• Ka Iam, trying to get down the hill as fast as possible, took the shortest route which was toward Shella. This path was rough and included large rocks. Once she reached Shella she could see that her sister reached Sylhet before her. She was humiliated, and in hoping to hide her defeat, she divided herself into 5 streams, entering the plains and joining Ka Ngot
• These rivers are now known as river Ngot and river Iam
• Since Ka Ngot won the race she is given more praise as a goddess than her sister, and when some people want to cross Ngot they first pay their respects to Ka Ngot, the one who won the great race

Bibliography

The Goddesses Ka Ngot and Ka Iam by Mrs. K. U. Rafy

Week 7 Story: Deception

(The old wandering monk. Source)

There was once a monk who resided high in the mountains. His appearance was what you would expect from a monk with old wrinkled skin, a head with no hair, and wearing the only article of clothing as an orange robe with holes and stains that visibly had not been washed in a long time. He often wandered about around the mountainside, helping any animal or human in need.

One day, while walking around the mountain on the outskirts of a village, he saw a little boy running by himself with no one around. The boy caught sight of the monk and ran toward him with haste. Once the boy got close to the monk he tried to talk to the monk but couldn't for his mouth was completely closed with no visible opening and covered by skin. Although the boy couldn't speak, he kept pointing in the direction he came from and it was clear he was in danger and afraid of something in that direction. Then the monk told the boy to hide in a nearby ditch and told him to wait there while he confronted the danger.

After a short time had passed, an elderly woman riding a horse with long white hair and wearing a long dark colored dress down to her feet came upon the monk and asked if he had seen a little boy with a closed mouth. "Perhaps. How do you know this boy?" replied the monk. "He is my grandson," said the woman. Still skeptical, the monk led the woman to the boy.

Once they arrived where the boy was hiding, the monk asked "is this your grandmother?" The boy shook his head furiously while pointing at his mouth. Then the monk took out one of the scrolls from his bag, unrolled it, and recited the ancient words from it at the women. Then she turned into ash right before their eyes, saying "what have you done?" before losing her head. The monk looked back at the boy who now transformed into an ogre with horns growing out of his head. "Thank you," said the boy before flying off and out of sight.

Author's Note: This story is based on The Flying Ogre by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens. In the story an old monk wandering nearby a giant tree stumbles upon a little girl who asks for his help and helps her hide in a giant hollow tree. A man flying on a horse tells the monk that he is looking for the girl asks for her whereabouts The monk refuses at first but then reveals her position once the man says she's not a little girl but an ogre. The man goes after the girl in the tree with the two eventually flying in the air off out of sight. I decided to change a number of things in this story including the location, characters, and plot. Instead of being near a big tree I changed the location near a mountain since that is where monks are known to reside. An elderly woman character was also added, giving the appearance of a possible witch with knowledge of magic, and the little girl was changed to a little boy. Lastly, the plot was changed by the little boy plotting to get rid of the woman that had a spell on him.

Bibliography
The Flying Ogre by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part B

(The flying ogre disguised as a little girl. Source)

• A Buddhist monk loved wandering to different places and he wandered to a huge tree that was hollow inside
• A little way past the tree, he saw a girl running towards him and when she got close she asked the monk to save her life
• When the monk asked her what was wrong, she said a man is pursuing her and wanted him to tell the man he hasn't seen her while she hid in the tree
• After the monk walked further, he came upon a man with a bow and sword on an armored horse. The horse could travel on air and on ground.
• He asked the monk if he had seen the girl in the red coat, to which the monk said he had not
• The man on the horse warned him and said that this girl is not a human but a flying ogre and this ogre is the worst of them all
• Upon hearing that, the monk pointed at the hollow tree and revealed the girl's location
• When the man searched the tree for the girl, she came out of the tree and flew away with the man on the horse chasing after her

Bibliography

The Flying Ogre by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

(The emperor when he returns for his wife. Source)

• The daughter of a prince was very unlucky
• She could've chosen anyone among a group of princes and counts but instead she chose a beggar because of his luck
• The beggar had dragons in his ears and nostrils and dragons were a symbol of luck
• Her father didn't agree to this and kicked her out of the kingdom and she had to live with the beggar outside of the castle
• One day her husband, the beggar, left to seek out fortune and said he would come back for her
• Why didn't he take her with him???
• The princess waited 18 years for him to come back
• The beggar returned to him as an emperor
• However, she didn't recognize him anymore
• He asks her if she wishes to marry someone else since her husband the beggar was gone for so long
• She says no she will wait for her husband the beggar to come back until she dies
• Seeing how faithful she was to him, the emperor revealed himself and took her back to his palace
• They celebrated every day together as if it was a New Year
• After 18 days together, she got sick and died while he lived on for many years

Bibliography

The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens

Comment Wall

(Statues of Greek Gods in Mythology. Source)

Comments about any of the stories on my portfolio can be made here. When leaving a comment, please include the name of the story to which you're referring to. Here is the link to my portfolio. Thanks and happy commenting!

Week 6 Lab: Creative Writing and Style

(Creative Writing. Source)

The Power of Creative Constraints

Boundless freedom isn't always helpful. Creative constraints are the requirements necessary to achieve a certain goal. Constraints help drive discovery and invention. They also help us create something new and useful. Often, discoveries are made for other applications due to constraints on a certain goal. Penicillin, synthetic dye, plastic, and gunpowder were all made on accident when trying to address constraints of other problems. Rather than thinking of constraints as the boundary of creativity, they are instead the creation of it.

What Makes a Hero?

What do all heroes have in common? For one, they start in ordinary worlds but then have quests in a special world. Then there is a certain pattern that is followed: 0) Status Quo, 1) Call to Adventure, 2) Assistance, 3) Departure into the special world, 4) Trials, 5) Approach of the hero's worst fear, 6) Crisis, or the hero's darkest hour, 7) Treasure, where the hero gains something, 8) Result, 9) Return into the ordinary world, 10) New life, 11) Resolution 12) Back to Status Quo. In a way, we are all heroes by leaving our comfort zone and following the pattern.

How to Build a Fictional World

Fictional worlds still have physical and societal rules just like the real world. Fiction authors are constantly creating their own worlds. How are these worlds created? Start with a basic place in time, either the past, present, or future. Create a timeline of what past events shaped that world. Think about societal values, government, power, belief system, etc.

How to Write Descriptively

The point of fiction is to create the illusion to the reader that they're living in the story. Descriptions help the readers feel what the characters feel. Instead of generalizing and using the word sound, an author describes the type of sound to the reader. Choose words well in order to engage the senses. Then create unexpected connotations among the story elements to engage the imagination of the reader.

Reading Notes: Persian Tales, Part B

(The Traveling Merchant. Source)

The Story of the Baker and the Grateful Fish

• Every morning a baker would throw his bad bread that got burnt and spoiled to the fishes
• A traveling merchant offered to hire the baker
• Wouldn't have to do any work for first 40 days
• Only has to do 2 hours of work on 40th day
• Didn't ask the merchant what he would be doing
• Merchant led the baker to a different place with mules and loading bags
• Killed a cow, skinned it, and put the skin and meat on the mules
• When they got to the base of a mountain, merchant lit a fire, got out the cow skin, and asked the baker to get inside it to see how much it could hold
• Merchant tightened up the skin and threw meat into the fire
• A talon came and carried the baker in the skin to the top of the mountain
• Talon pecked at the skin until baker fell out of it
• Talon then flew away
• Baker threw jewels down to the Merchant in hopes of getting down from the mountain
• Baker can either die on top of mountain or jump in the river and drown
• Baker jumps in the river
• Fish that he used to feed form a raft around him and he floats to safety
• 1 year later, baker sees the merchant again and disguises himself
• Baker offers to work for the merchant
• Merchant tries the same trick on him again
• Baker asks merchant how to put on the cow skin
• Merchant puts it on to show him
• Baker ties up the skin and Talon takes him away
• Merchant throws down the jewels and asks where the road to escape is
• Baker informs him there is no road, he can either jump in the river or stay at the top and die
• Merchant jumps in the river and drowns

Reading Notes: Persian Tales, Part A

(Mouse Asking for Help. Source)

The Sad Tale of the Mouse's Tail

• A mouse went to get food and fell into a trap, getting its tail cut off
• Went to the Cobbler to get tail sewn back on
• Cobbler told mouse to get some thread
• Went to the Jew to get some thread
• Jew told mouse to get an egg
• Went to the Hen to get an egg
• Hen told mouse to get a grain of corn
• Went to the Corn Heap to get a grain of corn
• Corn Heap told mouse to get a sieve (strainer)
• Went to the Tinker to get a sieve
• Tinker told mouse to get a goat skin
• Went to the Goat to get a goat-skin
• Goat told mouse to get some grass
• Went to the Farmer to get some grass
• Farmer told mouse to get a spade (shovel)
• Went to the Blacksmith to get a spade
• Mouse yelled at the Blacksmith and never made it back home

Topic Research: King Arthur and Merlin

(The magic wand. Source)

The Passing of Merlin

Key Feature: How love blinds a man and is susceptible to betrayal. This will be for my first story.

The Drawing of the Sword

Key Feature: A weapon mightier than all the weapons can only be used by a chosen one. This will be for my second story.

Sir Lancelot and the Five Hundred Knights

Key Feature: The chosen one gathering up an army. This will be for my third story.

Right now I have an idea for a story where two cities are rivals and at war with each other, the royal family of city A sends an evil daughter to be raised by city B. The daughter marries the prince and becomes queen. One day she betrays the king and kills him and allows city A to take over and enslave city B. Within city B is a mystical magic wand that no one is able to use until a brave noble young man who almost sacrifices his life is saved by the wand. The young man gathers up five hundred knights and vows to slay the evil queen. Him and his five hundred knights ride to city A, defeat their two thousand knights, and slay the evil queen, creating peace between city A and city B.