Week 5, Reading Diary A, Folk-lore of the Holy Land, Reading Diary

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This story is part of the Holy Land Folklore unit. Story source:Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).

Moslem Cosmogony (cont.)

Then, in order that the angel might have something to stand on, Allah created a great rock of green emerald which He commanded to roll in beneath his feet and support them.

Thus, as I have explained, the world rests upon the shoulders of an angel, and the angel upon a great emerald rock, and the rock upon the horns or shoulders of a bull, and the bull upon the back of a great whale, and the whale or dragon swims in a great sea which is upborne by air, which is surrounded by darkness. The heavenly bodies shine at certain seasons through the darkness, but what there is beyond the darkness Allah knows!

First of all, I spent last week being blown away by the boxes of magical things, and the Emerald Tablets of Thoth as well from Egyptian myth. It was a surprise to me right away in this unit to find another reference to such things. Granted, the emerald rock that Allah makes is a little different, or is it? I enjoyed this units readings, though I am now looking at the Patriarch Abraham a bit differently. 

Week 1, Introduction

St. Louis Missouri

Greetings and Salutations!
My name is LaDawn Beckman and I am excited to be taking this mythology and folklore class. I have always wanted to know more about the subjects but it never worked out that I could take a class in it. My fall classes are going to be super interesting albeit a lot of work, but it will all be worth it. My summer is drawing to a close as I write this, and fall classes have not technically opened yet. I took two courses at OU this summer, Native American Philosophy and History of Heaven and Hell. Both were really great classes, but I do not feel I got much of a summer break. I did have a few weeks off in June, and my husband, my daughter and I got to take a quick trip to St. Louis Missouri. It was a load of fun. None of us had ever been there before. My husband took the photo above right before we went into the famous arch and museums. So much American history has taken place in that city, it was fascinating to learn so much about the country I live in, and to share it with my teenage daughter.

Camp Verde Arizona mhcwillows.com

Montezuma's Castle www.travelux.com

I am from Camp Verde Arizona, a tiny little town North of Phoenix and South of Flagstaff. It became a town after being a military fort back in the days of the Cowboys and Indians. When it was a fort in the Wild West back in the 1800's they named it Camp Verde because the valley was green and lush, people died of malaria then because of it. Now it is more like shades of brown because of the changing weather patterns and also the dwindling water tables of rivers and lakes due to modernization. Camp Verde is also where you will find the state parks of Montezuma's Castle and Montezuma's Well. Interesting historical Native American sites to visit.


I am starting my second year here at the University of Oklahoma. I am a Religious Studies major with a minor in history. I graduated from Oklahoma City Community College where I got an Associate of Arts degree in Psychology and almost had an Associates of Applied Science in Business Management but I am one class short of that degree because I didn't want to take finance. I found out that I really don't like business, or accounting. I decided to follow my passions. I am hoping to finish my Bachelors degree here at OU and then start working on my Masters here at OU in the Library Science path.

I love to read, write, travel, garden, bake all kinds of foods, and lounge around in my pajamas. My friends and family live all over the United States, and I am lucky enough to have a sister who lives here in Norman and goes to OU, and is also in this class. Considering we are 15 years apart in age, this is a rather different experience for us! I hope we all have a great semester and have fun learning new things. I look forward to reading all the interesting things that people will be posting!

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Extra Reading Diary, Myth-Folklore Unit: Persian Tales, Week 4

Myth-Folklore Unit: Persian Tales

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Persian Tales: The Wolf-Aunt

This was not one of my favorite units that I have read. It is the A side. I don't want to read the B side if it is like the A side. These stories did not make a lot of sense, they did not appeal to me. I love the way that they all started out with at one time there was no god, and then it launches right into the stories It really has the feel of Muslim pillar of Islam, that there is no god except Allah, Muhammad is a messenger of Allah.  I have a lot of respect for the beautiful religion of Islam. But these stories seemed harsh. The one story that I like the most is the story of The Wolf-Aunt. The notes on the story helped me to better understand what was happening as far as it is a custom to not like the fathers sister, that aunt was to be feared. So they villainized the lady whom was alone for whatever reason and create a sense of separation through a sense of fear and mistrust. I really like the sort of unspoken moral of the story; dude listen to your wife when she tells you something important even if it sounds completely absurd!

It is interesting to me to note, the theme of the Lycanthrope across many cultures. Because this one starts out like it is written after the timeline of Muhammad, it makes me wonder if it has an oral tradition that predates it, and if so, does it predate the Roman myths of the Lycanthrope (or even the She-Wolf that raised Romulus and Remis)? What is the connection across the various cultures. Is this also how we get the stories of Little Red Riding Hood? Is she an offshoot of more antiquated stories? There are lots of wolf stories. I wonder now if the wolf is more symbolic of a person or family crest.

Week 4, Reading Diary B, Ancient Egypt Unit, Reading Diary

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Egypt: The Book of Thoth: Part One

The book of Thoth is what caught my attention the most for this reading. Again with this unit the reference to a box or chest, this one has the mystical tablets of Thoth under magical spells in the river. In the Two Brothers stories a virgin of the pharaoh drops her emerald stone from her hair into the river, and his scribe ( Thoth? He is a scribe) divides the waters to retrieve the lost stone for her. Parting waters reminds me of Moses story of parting waters on the exodus of Egypt. What kind of magic or technology did these ancients have? Since this story predates the exodus, did the story get retold? Also, the tablets seem to be like the philosophers stone, making a person very powerful. I can see why it should be hidden. Reminds me too of the Nicolas Flamel books,  about the alchemical book of Abraham.

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

Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories

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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

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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).