Week 3, Storybook Styles

For my storybook styles I am thinking for my number one choice would be narrated, third-person story-teller in a frame-style where I get to create the characters. I really want to do a modern version of the old tales, sorta like the television series Once Upon A Time, that use the same characters per se, but with a plot twist set in modern times. I think it would be interesting to use many characters in a town that are all from mythology, but a single thread that weaves all the stories together, like, the Goddesses are all related and are married to mortals, so they have a Mortal's Wive's club. They all meet at the enchanted country club and secretly run the show.

community.ew.com

For my number two choice, I was thinking about telling the story of Melusina in a frame-style that is set in the mystical island of Avalon, where over periods of time she meets different people. Because of the mysts, time works differently. The island is a resort for the magically inclined, whether or not the people are immortal, time works differently there. Who knows who could wind up finding their way into the mystical myst....Merlin, James Dean, who knows.

vuenick.deviantart.com

For my number three choice, I was thinking of telling the story of Melusina kind of like the television series from my childhood, Bewitched. Again using the frame-style so I have complete control of the characters and what they can get into for fun. I loved the mother-in-law on the show, Endora the witch, and her witch doctor and silly forgetful aunt, twin sister that would love to cause trouble, too much fun! And the mortal husband, and half mortal children, the nosy neighbors. I think it would be too much fun to re-spin Melusina the River Goddess into the stay at home mom married to a mortal of today. I think that every Saturday she has to go get a pedicure, to explain the disappearances.

www.beautylaunchpad.com

My choice number four would be to try to write a more historical attempt at trying to write about Melusina meeting Raymond, and talk about how their bloodline is connected to the blood royal and how the family tree is connected to supernatural and pagan and Christian deities. I leave this choice for last because it really may cause some of the readers in this class to be uncomfortable with the ideas that I would suggest of Mary being related to Melusina.

okmer.deviantart.com

Overall, I am looking forward to making a fun story that will be fun to write, and fun to read. I like the ideas of taking a bit of inspiration of an old myth and resurrecting it into a modern tale that we can relate to. I like the frame-style of telling things so I can have freedoms that are more restrictive when using a retelling of the story style. I like to use as many parallels a to characters and ideas so that the reader can see the comparisons, but try to also let it be able to stand on its own.

Bibliography Information:

Source: Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries (London: H. G. Bohn, 1850), pp. 480-82.

 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine

Week4, Reading Diary A, Myth-Folklore Unit: Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories,Reading Diary

Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories

www.britannica.com

King of the Dead

"The lamentations of the goddesses were heard by Ra, and he sent down from heaven the god Anubis, who, with the assistance of Thoth and Horus, united the severed portions of the body of Osiris, which they wrapped in linen bandages. Thus had origin the mummy form of the god."This story is part of the Ancient Egypt unit. Story source:Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907).
This passage from the story King of the Dead struck me as interesting because in all the years of reading anything I can find on Egypt, I had not read about how the origin of the mummy came about. Everyone knows that the Egyptians have mummies, but did anyone know why? I did not. 

The Death of Osiris

"He (Set) brought a shapely and decorated chest, which he had caused to be made according to the measurements of the king's body. All men praised it at the feast, admiring its beauty, and many desired greatly to possess it."This story is part of the Ancient Egypt unit. Story source:Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907).
After reading the passage in the King of the Dead it reminded me of the description of the ornate coffin that Osiris becomes entombed in.  Set being the archetype of the Trickster, plays a folly on his brother Osiris that he is jealous of and creates chaos for the god/goddess in The Death of Osiris. Both of these passages bring very visual images to mind for me of mummies and sarcophagi of gold and precious gems.
Strangely, also what caught my attention is the reference to a box, or chest that was greatly desired. I cannot help but to think of the image of the arc of the covenant. Besides the biblical arc, I do believe that the ancient Egyptians had access to some technology, so my mind went to some science fiction areas with references to boxes, chests, arcs, especially in the part of the story of the wax crocodile that was put into a box, then came to life. What may have been magic to some, may have been science or technology.  

Week 3, Storytelling Callie and the Case of the Cold Shoulder

en.wikipedia.org

Callisto

Callie and the Case of the Cold Shoulder

Callie was the star athlete of her track team, she was the fastest long distance runner, and had many trophies and scholarships to prove it. Her schools track team was number one in the district and all the girls were very proud of their achievements. Callie had worked very hard to be in amazing physical condition but she was also a natural born beauty. She was kind and was friendly to everyone, not in the least bit selfish or vain. Everyone liked her and looked up to her.

One day Callie was out for her normal morning jog around her upscale exclusive neighborhood running path when fate stepped in and changed this amazing young woman's life forever. In her neighborhood unbeknownst to Callie there was a man, who happened to be a senator of her state, who started to have an unhealthy obsession with this underage girl, Callie. He started watching her and stalking her. His obsession with this girl grew and grew. His beautiful young privileged wife found out and was so jealous and insecure about her husband taking an interest in a younger more beautiful woman that she began to plot her revenge....

Eventually one day the man became deranged in his thinking and followed her on her morning run and he raped her. He had no shame and went about his way. His wife had taken to spying on him, so she too knew what happened but did nothing but grow angrier at the object of his obsession. The young girl who was of course traumatized by the event, went home, showered and cried and said nothing about the event because she was embarrassed and ashamed.

The event was repressed in Callie's emotions and she mastered the art of denial and pushed it all aside. When she did start to notice the signs of pregnancy she ignored it and again did nothing at all about it, focusing only on her passion, her athletic skills. When several months had passed one day after a track meet and Callie's team was taking showers in the locker room when her team mates noticed that Callie was obviously showing signs of being several months pregnant. When they noticed, they went to the coach. The coach in all her anger and disgust at losing her star athlete threw Callie off the the track team, because it goes against school rules.

Callie's parents were called by the coach to discuss the situation. When they came to pick up Callie, they were so appalled that their child was at the center of a public scandal that they decided at once they would pull her from her school and send her off to a private school across the country, after they could deal with getting the pregnancy removed from public view and set up for adoption. Their cold-hearted reaction to the situation broke Callie's heart. They did not even yell at her, they just sent her away. And just like that, Callie lost her family, her friends, her passion that was her life, that was her stability, all gone.

Just when she thought it could not get any worse, the evil senator's wife contacted Callie's parents and told them lies about how Callie was having an affair with the senator....the scandal would continue to be a nightmare to keep quiet. How could anything ever go right for Callie again?

Author’s Note:  I chose this part of the story because it emotionally affects how I feel (and many others) about women who have been violated and victimized and how it has caused people to look at them differently. More often than not the victim suffers the penalty and pays the price, not the predator. I tried to keep the main plot of the story the same, just retold in a more modern setting.

Statistics show that one is six women have been or will be a victim of rape in their lifetime. This is truly heatbreaking. In the case of Callisto, she was a victim of Jupiter and his jealous wife, but also of losing her family and place in life that she was a part of. Now because of circumstances beyond her or human control she lost everything. No one was there for her when she needed support the most. It was the same story for the fictional character, treachery, betrayal and loss of support from people she most needed it from.

During the readings of this unit in particular it seemed like the gods and goddesses could get away with whatever selfish and horrible things they wanted and at very little consequence for themselves. This is why I chose for the villan of my story to be powerful person, like a senator, because it would be easy for a person of power and wealth to identify with a god who wields power over others with little personal consequence. However long ago this story of Callista was written, very little has changed in that we still face the same human issues. It's main fiber of truth still illustrates itself in globally woven tapestry that we continue to weave even now.

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

Week 3, extra reading diary

musee.louvre.fr
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss

Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche

For my extra reading this week I chose to do the unit of Cupid and Psyche. I had not read much of classic literature before this current semester. The first few weeks of this semester I have had the opportunity of reading bits of Ovid's Metaphorophes in every class. It has really been a great read and I am drawn to keep reading all of it. So I was supposed to read a half unit for the assignment. I plead guilty that I could not stop at half. I had to keep reading. 

So I have learned that I love Ovid. I have learned that the Gods are mean, and it is a bulls-eye on your back if you are born beautiful. These old myths don't seem to have happy endings at all. It seems like they are bragging rights to Gods and Goddesses that they can interfere with humans and cause all kinds of heartache with little or no consequence. I think that modern day-time television and maybe all our reality tv shows are templates from the old Gods and Goddesses antics.

I don't really understand why Cupid had to be invisible to Psyche in the fist place though. Or why a drop of candle would cause a God so much grief. Why is it too that all the Gods and Goddesses are so fickle with their love relations? My heart breaks for this poor girl Psyche. My heart also breaks for Cupid. I think they both get a raw deal.

In the stories, Cupids mom is making his life miserable, as well as his wife who really loves her husband and also misses her dysfunctional family. It goes to show many morals I think too. The one about money and all you can want are not the same as having friends and family. It just doesn't replace love at all. If you do have beauty, wealth and an amazing Greek God of a husband it will end badly. Jealousy is going to move the heavens to cause you harm if you have it all. Geez. 

I guess this may be where we get the whole ignorance is bliss. If you have a normal boring life, not too much to write home about, you may live long enough to be happy.

Week 3, Reading Diary B, Ovid's Metamorphoses,Reading Diary

Perseus and Medusa

www.gutenberg.org

 Neptune raping Medusa in Minerva's Temple

 "They say that Neptune, lord of the seas, violated her in the temple of Minerva. Jupiter’s daughter turned away, and hid her chaste eyes behind her aegis. So that it might not go unpunished, she changed the Gorgon’s hair to foul snakes. And now, to terrify her enemies, numbing them with fear, the goddess wears the snakes, that she created, as a breastplate.’"

My goodness there is so much raping of the poor unwilling human virgins  or any female, and then angry jealous goddesses punishing the rape victims for being a victim to add insult to injury. It would appear that it is detrimental to be born beautiful. You are not even safe from the Gods and Goddesses, in fact it puts a bulls eye on your back. Medusa got a rough deal. Just like Callisto. Just like a lot of women who were punished for being victims. In so many ways I see the parallels with modern times. The more that times change, the more they stay the same. I wonder if we just keep being stuck in the old archetype roles and retelling the same old story, just with an updated look or language. At least for the sake of mythology and folklore I think this is the case.

Ovid is telling the story of Perseus and Medusa in a strange point of view. Perseus is the archetype hero and he of course is known for his heroic deeds and so Andromeda's family is asking about the Medusa head that he drags around everywhere turning things into stone,like Atlas into Mount Atlas.

Week 3, Reading Diary A, Ovid's Metamorphoses,Reading Diary

Callisto

nihilnovum.wordpress.com Callisto being asked by Dianna to leave

I chose to read the Classic Ovid's Metomorphoses because it is a classic and I have not read it, but have translated Latin sentences into English from the great story. It is interesting  how Ovid is telling the story of many Roman myths as a seamless story to explain the accepted ideas by the Romans of his day, but in a more exciting way through verse in Latin which is not easy to do. In my first Latin course at the University of Oklahoma I started reading Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan for part of my culture points. Yes, the first series of the books are about Greek myth, but, the second part of that series is about Roman myth. I think in many ways I compare what Ovid did in his style of telling us about Metamorphoses in much the same way. An old story being told in a new way, one that we can identify with and be entertained by. I feel amazed when I read Rick Riordan's books and I am also intrigued by Ovid's stories of changes of all the many characters of the myths. 

I especially like the story of Callisto, it is a sad one, but the imagery is vivid. I like the part where Hera grabs Callistos hair and face and she transforms into a bear. This is so heartbreaking that this poor girl that was raped, gets kicked out of her career path basically because you have to be a virgin to be a part of the hunt with Dianna, then cannot even raise her child because a jealous Goddess turns her into a bear. She sadly watches her life being trapped inside of an animal. Nobody said life was fair. I find it interesting in the difference too of how in Ovid's stories, bad things happen, really bad and it doesn't end well. But in modern times, telling stories almost always requires needing a way to wrap it up nicely so it has a happy ending.