Extra Reading Diary: Ovid's Metamorphoses

For the extra reading diary, I did the crystal ball because I wasn't sure which one I wanted to do! So the one that came up was Ovid's Metamorphoses, and that was cool with me! Here are my thoughts on some of the stories.

I realize it's the first story in the unit, but I liked Deucalion and Pyrrha a lot. Most people are aware that the major monotheistic religions have a flood story (most famously, Noah from Genesis 5-10), but I don't know if many people are aware of Jupiter and Neptune flooding the world - I certainly wasn't! The imagery was extremely detailed. The descriptions of the world and all the animals really set the scene for a world where the sea is king. Similar to Noah, only god-fearing people remain in the world - Deucalion and Pyrrha. They are told to throw stones behind them so that the world may be repopulated. They question it at first, but eventually do as told. Sure enough, the stones turn to people. I think this reinforces what so many religions teach: do as god/the gods instruct, and they will reveal their true power.

I also enjoyed Phaethon and the Sun. At the beginning, Phaethon gets told he isn't born of such high nobility like he thinks he is. Like any young guy, Phaethon gets pretty upset at this notion. When I read through it, I kind of imagined Phaethon's mother like any mom. She does what she can to help her son feel better. And like any typical kid, Phaethon goes on a headstrong, probably over-the-top adventure.

I loved the descriptiveness used when he gets to the Palace of the Sun. Describing the days, months, years and even centuries as physical beings is something only the Greeks would've thought to do. Same with the seasons. The personification of Winter with icy white hair, or Spring with a crown of flowers. Once Phoebus admits he is Phaethon's father, like any young man does, Phaethon bites off more than he can chew. He requests to drive Phoebus' chariot of fire. Since Phoebus had promised him any wish, he couldn't refuse. So he tried to dissuade Phaethon. But Phaethon was having none of it.

Phaethon's Ride explains the reasoning behind the sun setting and rising. Phoebus tells him to take the chariot in a wide arc, only following the path already clear-cut. Of course, things don't go as according to plan, and as so many Greek myths go, Phaethon dies. He's a tragic example of overestimating one's abilities.

Phaethon attempts to control the Chariot of Fire.

Storytelling Week 3: Jesus Arrives to Jerusalem

Preface: I had a bit of a hard time writing this story just because the stories surrounding Jesus' life are so well-known and set in stone. I didn't plan ahead for the story aspect when I decided to do the reading diaries for this section. Anyways, here's a bit of a different take on Jesus' arrival to Jerusalem. In the Bible, as most people should know, Jesus is a mild-tempered person who leans more towards kindness and non-violence. His outburst in the temple during which he flips over the tables the Pharisees and high priests are using is very atypical of his demeanor. In my story, to reflect his mild demeanor, I had Jesus choosing not to confront the Pharisees and high priests, but rather praying for them. I chose the picture I did to create a sort of look into Jesus' mind, because like I mentioned, he didn't do that in my version, but in the Bible, he does that so of course someone out there had to create a picture to depict what happened that day. Also, I feel like changing the story of the Bible is somehow sacrilegious, but for the purposes of the storytelling, I did what I could.

So Jesus and the Twelve travelled towards Jerusalem, and were to arrive shortly. When they came upon the Mount of Olives, Jesus told two of his disciples to go to the inn and find a place for them to stay. They asked Jesus for some money so they could pay an innkeeper when they found one, but Jesus told them not to worry about it.

The disciples found this a bit odd, for Jesus was well-liked in some areas, and despised in others. How were they supposed to know how the people of Jerusalem would react to his arrival? Nonetheless, the two he had designated left for the city.

When they arrived, they found an inn with room enough for all of them to sleep. The innkeeper promised them they would have a place to stay when Jesus and the rest came into town. "We've been treated poorly in far too many places, give us something as a guarantee your word is true," the disciples said. The innkeeper said he had a young colt they could take with them, and to give it back when they returned.

The man who ran the inn was well-known in town as being an honest man, one all the people liked, and the people who saw the disciples with the innkeeper's colt began to wonder who these strange men were.

"You there!" some of them asked. "How did this colt come into your keeping? He is the man's most prized possession, surely he would never just let someone take him."

"We take it as a token of good word that Jesus, the Son of God, will have a place to stay in his time here," they explained.

When the people heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, word spread throughout the city. Many people lined the streets to welcome him, offering clothes in his path and palm branches. The elders and high priests watched as the people embraced him, and they began to devise ways to trick him.

The next day, Jesus went into the temple. He watched silently as the priests and scribes did business on holy ground, and he became increasingly angry. Just as he was about to confront them, he thought of what message it would send to his disciples if they saw him lose his temper.

What Jesus wanted to do. 

So he calmed himself, and walked out. The disciples followed him, questioning why he didn't say anything to the people in the temple for what they were doing. "I have spoken to my Father," Jesus explained, "And he has been watching the priests and Pharisees. He has allowed these things to happen in order to test the leaders." And Jesus began to cry tears of sadness, for his teachings had not yet been accepted in Jerusalem, though word of them had surely spread to the Holy City by this time. 

The next day, Jesus decided to travel around the city and spread his Word, in hopes that the priests would hear him and accept his teachings and the power that God had given him. But rather, they became incensed by his teachings, for they did not align with the scriptures of old. They asked him who gave him the right to say these things, but Jesus simply answered in response, "I have not questioned your authority in the temple, so do not question mine."

And the priests thought of even more ways to put an end to Jesus' blasphemy. 

Bibliography: King James Bible (1611)

Reading Diary B: Gospel of Mark

For Reading Diary B, I'm continuing my study of the Gospel of Mark. Here are my thoughts on some of the sections.

While I mentioned that Jesus' teachings are great lessons for life, I will be focusing on the historical tale of Jesus, starting with the Last Supper. This momentous event in Jesus' life marked the beginning of the end, the road to crucifixion and ultimately resurrection. As a Catholic/Episcopalian growing up, we did communion every Sunday (or every time we went to church I should say). As most of you will know, this stems from the Last Supper and Jesus telling the disciples to eat of his body and drink of his blood. This is also when Jesus called out Judas Iscariot as his betrayer, which eventually led to his suicide.

One of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings, The Last Supper.

Peter's Denial is the next story I read. Jesus told Peter he would deny knowing him three times. Peter boldly says he will never deny that, but like Jesus said, he does. He weeps knowing he confirmed what Jesus had said. I think this shows Jesus' all-knowing power. He knows people more than they know themselves.

Finally, I had to include the Crucifixion, as without this event, Christianity doesn't exist because Christ wouldn't have had to be resurrected. The crucifixion solidified the hatred the Jews had for Jesus and his new way of thinking. They let a convicted murderer go, just so they could put Jesus to death in the most brutal way available at the time. They tortured him (crown of thorns, whipping with the cat of nine-tails, which would usually be interwoven with glass or broken pottery), mocked him and overall dehumanized him. All for basically teaching something they didn't agree with.

Roman cat of nine-tails, for sale here (for some reason).

Jesus paid the highest price so he could be resurrected for the world's sins, which is I think why so many people flock to the religion. Everyone wants to be cared for SO MUCH that someone would give his/her life for them. With Jesus' death, they have that someone, whether they can physically see or feel him or not.

Reading Diary A Week 3: The Gospel of Mark

For the first reading diary of the week, I chose the Gospel of Mark. I went to a private Christian school from kindergarten till graduation, so I'm very familiar with the stories. I haven't read through them since then, however, so I chose it as a refresher to see if my opinions on it have changed since I last read through it back in high school. Although I've somewhat grown from religion (personal choice), I firmly believe Jesus is one historical figure people should model themselves after. Whether you believe the stories are true or not, the lessons taught are something we can all take to heart. Here are my thoughts on some of the most well-known stories in the world.

Jesus and the Pharisees was always one I thought was interesting. The way they attempt to trick him to no avail shows probably more than other story how wise Jesus was. Many people fall victim to people who wish ill will on them, but Jesus saw through the Pharisees' tricks and gave them an answer they could not respond to.

Jesus talks with the Pharisees by Ernst Zimmerman

The Parables of Jesus are teaching points with such great messages. The Sower is something all Christians attempt to live their lives by. Jesus states the sower spreads the seed in four different places: the rocks, the road, the thorns and the good soil. Some would be like the seed sown in the rocks, quick to sprout, but quick to wither. Many people associate this with the "church camp high," or the feeling of being so connected to God for a short period of time, only to return to their old ways a few weeks after. 

But Jesus said only some would be like the good seed and truly accept the word of God. Their hearts accept the word and it grows inside, yielding more than the original seed had planted. 

In this section, Jesus also calms the water of the sea to ease the fears of his disciples. This is one of his most famous stories, and one that's taught to every child in every bible class around the world. 

Finally, I always found the story of John the Baptist interesting because of the way he's depicted as being clothed in camel's hair and with a loincloth, eating locusts and wild honey. He's described as what most people would think to be a savage, but the Holy Spirit blesses him. I think this story is the basis for the idea that anyone can be a Son of God, so long as you do God's will. 

But these are my thoughts about the first half of the unit, from someone who's grown up with these stories. Any thoughts or comments are surely welcomed!

Mythology Storyboard Topics

Topic: Dogs in ancient myths and legends

Comments: Dogs are revered in many differrent cultures, from Egypt to the British Isles and even in today's society (by some people). I'd like to look into how dogs have been portrayed across the different cultures over time. 

Possible stories: One story I noticed was "The Martyred Hound" in the British Isles section. I think stories regarding Anubis would be good for this section as well. 

Story Comments: In the Martyred Hound, the Prince's hound is treated like family. He goes on hunts, looks after the prince's son, etc. But he ends up killing the hound in vain, and burying him. Stories like these that explain why places are called what they are would be an interesting concept I think.

Story Source: The Martyred Hound

The Welsh Fairy Book 
W. Jenkyn Thomas with illustrations by Willy Pogány 
(1908)

Topic: Dante's Inferno

Comments: I've always had a fascination with how Dante portrayed Hell. The idea of "Hell" was hotly debated during the early 2nd millenium, as it still is. Dante's creativity in storytelling has been studied extensively, and still people study him to find more from what he was trying to say. I've read through some of the cantos he wrote before, but never fully finished it. 

Possible Stories: Since Dante's Inferno is one big story, I'd have to choose a section to focus on. I think the section of Fallen Angels would be a good focus point, or even something as broad as the final 3 rings that hold the worst sinners.  

Story comments: I read through the section on Fallen Angels and was a bit disappointed to see a lack of any angels mentioned by name. I thought I remembered seeing some last time I read (or attempted to read) the Inferno, but I guess I was wrong. Nonetheless, it's an interesting topic because Dante does a great job of creating a human element in that section especially by demonstrating his fears or worries.

Story Source: The Fallen Angels

Dante's Divine Comedy 
Author: Dante Alighieri
(Translation by Tony Kline)

Topic: Alice in Wonderland

Comments: Alice in Wonderland is such an interesting story because of the fantastical aspects of it. There have been many adaptations, film and otherwise, and I think a project from the view of the Mad Hatter could allow for a lot of creativity. 

Possible Stories: The same thing I would have to do for Dante's Inferno I would have to do for this I imagine, pick a specific section. Like I mentioned, I think a project from the Mad Hatter's point of view would create an interesting narrative, one that could change the way this story is perceived. 

Story Comments: I read through the story "A Mad Tea-Party" and noticed it's quite a puzzling section. The use of riddles and questions with no answers is such an interesting narrative to me. The dialogue is strange, which, again, would add up to some interesting dialogue opportunities from a different perspective. I think I could create some ridiculous things that would make perfect sense in the Mad Hatter's thought process. 

Story Source: "A Mad Tea-Party"

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland  
Lewis Carroll 
(1865)

Topic: Japanese Myths

Comments: Having been to Japan, I learned quite a bit about their culture, beliefs and daily happenings. But what I didn't learn about was their myths and legends (well, besides the obvious ones). I'd love to dig deeper into the aspects of Japanese culture that attempted to explain the unexplainable. 

Possible Stories: I think the stories focusing on snakes or dragons would be the best ones to adapt into stories. Dragons and serpents play such an integral role in Japanese culture, so finding a way to tell a story from their perspective could make for an interesting project. 

Story Comments: The story I chose was "The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi" because of the serpent/dragon connection. The use of gods as "regular people" stood out to me as odd because usually gods are portrayed as all-powerful, all-knowing, etc. I'm curious if other Japanese myths have the same dynamic between the gods as this one did. 

Illustration from Romance of Old Japan (sourced below)

Story Source: Romance of Old Japan 
E. W. Champney and F. Champney 
(1917)

The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi

Aesop for Children (Winter): Extra Reading Diary

Although I love Greek mythology, I remember having the book of Aesop's Fables as a kid. The stories were always simple but packed a valuable message. Reading through them again, I got the same impression I did all those years ago. Here's what I thought of a few of the stories from the first half of the unit.

The first story I liked a lot was the "Tortoise and the Ducks." The tortoise loses his life because he opens his mouth to tell the crow he is the king of the tortoises, even though the ducks told him not to or he'd be sorry. The moral of the story is not to let foolish curiosity and vanity in your life because they often lead to misfortune. This is a valuable lesson (like most of Aesop's fables) to humans because all too often being too proud or curious can get us into trouble, in more ways than one. 

The tortoise before he met his untimely demise.

The next one I thought was good was "The Boy and the Filberts." He gets his hand stuck in a jar trying to get them, when all he has to do is take fewer at a time. The moral of this story is don't try to do too much at once. This is especially relevant to college students, particularly during finals week. We're all guilty of putting off studying until the night before the test and trying to cram everything in at one time. If we had studied in small sections over the course of the week (even though that's hard to do sometimes), we probably wouldn't be so exhausted during finals week!

"The Farmer and the Stork" is a story that especially stuck out to me. In it, the stork went with a party of cranes and got into some trouble in the farmer's field. He pleaded with the farmer to let him go, for he was a member of an honest and trustworthy family. But since he was with the cranes, the farmer told him he would receive the same punishments as them. You are judged by the company you keep is the moral of the story and something we should all be wary of. You could be the nicest, most honest person in the world, but if you hang out with the wrong crowd, people will automatically judge you as a bad person almost every time. 

Homer's Iliad: Reading Diary B

The beginning of the second half of the unit starts with "The Rousing of Achilles," which recounts the battle for Patroclus' body. I found it extremely interesting because it kind of shows how important wartime customs were to the Greeks and Trojans. Sometimes they would leave the body for the enemy to bury, but other times they would take their arms, I assume as a sort of humiliation for defeat. I also found it interesting that the greatest god of all, Zeus, had such an interest in this particular battle.

The story also shows the grace of the gods shown towards Achilles. He has no armor, so his mother says she will get Hephaestus to make some for him. Not many warriors have that sort of connection with the gods.

In "The Slaying of Hector," I found it even more interesting that Apollo willfully intervened in the battle. Achilles could easily slain Agenor (I'm not sure how to do the accent mark above the "e") had Apollo not protected him. It doesn't seem very fair for a mortal to have to contend with an immortal as powerful as Apollo. In the continuation, the gods meet to decide if Hector should be able to live or be forced to die, as fate had condemned him to do. The humanity of the gods seems rather odd, as it seems like they would have no interest in mere men.

Once Achilles slays Hector, his care for Patroclus becomes apparent. He doesn't even consider giving Hector's body back to the Trojans; he only wants his body to be destroyed completely. Even after the offer of riches, Achilles only cares for vengeance and glory.

The story ends with "The Ransoming of Hector." Although Achilles had no intention of giving Hector's body back, once he learned that Zeus wanted Priam to have his son's body, he agreed to give it back. I found it very interesting that Priam would give up so much gold and jewels just to have his son's body back to bury it. It really showed how much emphasis was put on proper burials to prepare for the afterlife in that time period.

Priam pleads Achilles for Hector's body in this painting by Carl Probsthayn.