Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths, Part B

 The Ustû'tlï

Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney

Appalachian Mountains/ Montes Apalache | Appalachian Mountai… | Flickr

(Image Source: Flickr)

Plot Points

  • Describe the Ustû'tlï as a snake-like creature which moves about on feet at its base and neck, like a massive inch-worm
  • It is a massive creature which lives on a particular mountain and hunts all sorts of beings for prey
  • It lures them in with the bleating of a fawn and then captures them and eats them
  • It can outpace anything which runs up or down the mountain, or even across streams or gorges, but it cannot run horizontally along the mountain
  • If it does this, it will slip and fall down the steep slopes
  • One day a hunter came to the mountain and sought to rid the world of the Ustû'tlï
  • He finds the beast and allows it to start chasing him, up the mountain at first before running sideways along the mountainside
  • Once the beast begins to slip, the man stops and lights a fire to separate himself from it
  • The fire scares the Ustû'tlï and it flees from it until it is trapped on a precipice on the mountain
  • In desperation, it tries to climb over the fire but coughs on the smoke and falls to its death

Monday, March 29, 2021

Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths, Part A

 The First Fire

Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney

Embers Log Burning - Free photo on Pixabay

(Image Source: Pixabay)

Plot Points

  • In the beginning of the world, it was cold and there was no fire
  • The Thunders sent down fire into a sycamore tree on an island
  • The animals knew the fire was there, but they knew not how to get to it
  • Three birds volunteered to go and retrieve fire for all animals, but they failed one after another; each suffering deformities which haunt them to this day
  • After the birds, two snakes volunteered, yet they suffered the same fate as the birds
  • At their failures, no other birds, snake, or four-footed animal would volunteer to retrieve the fire
  • When none else would volunteer, the Water Spider did
  • She ran across the surface fo the water to the island and, once there, she plucked the smallest of embers and carried it back to the other animals
  • From this one ember came all fire which men use to this day

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Week 9 Story: The Three Evils

 A Tale of a Changed Man

Once in a rural region in the north of China, a new mandarin came to administer the district. He was not from the region and was unfamiliar with the customs and troubles of the region. To better know the region, he dressed in the garb of the locals and went incognito amongst them to hear of their troubles. When he was at a table with the elders of one of the villages, they bemoaned the evils which plagued their region. There were two lesser evils, a dragon which caused the rivers to flood and a tiger which frequently killed travelers on the road. These both paled in comparison to the greatest evil, a young man named Dschou Tschu.

Chinese Ancestor Portrait of a Chinese Mandarin

Dschou Tschu was a impetuous young man who cared little for the hurt he inflicted on others. He would often put his hand to that which was not his and would get embroiled in numerous conflicts in the villages of the region. What was most fearsome about him for the elders of the village was his exceptional skill with a sword. He had a beautiful blade he carried with him that he knew how to use very well.

Concerned about this young man, the mandarin came to the house of Dschou Tschu one evening after the young man had been out drinking at the local inn. The mandarin met him on the doorstep as he returned and asked the man what he thought were the greatest evils which plagued the district. The young man haughtily replied there were no evils in the district, as every man had food on his table and a contented home.

The mandarin then told the young man that the elders of the very village they were in claimed there were three great evils which plagued all who lived there. Aghast that he knew not of these evils, Dschou pleaded that the mandarin reveal their identity to him so that he could make the village safe for those who lived there. 

The mandarin told him of the tiger, which the young man promised to hunt down and kill that very night. He then was told of the dragon which lived in the river, which he agreed to also hunt and kill that same evening. The mandarin then told him that he, Dschou Tschu, was the greatest of all three of these evils for those in the district.

In disbelief that he could have been causing strife for those whom he loved in the village, Dschou said that he too would make amends for the third evil. Setting his face to the east, Dschou set off for the forest where the tiger had been plaguing travelers. Rushing into the forest, he came to the cave where the snowy white tiger lived. 

White tiger in serengeti park free image

The beast rushed out to meet Dschou, but he was ready and caught the tiger by the scruff of its neck. He pinned the beast to the ground and pummeled the head of the tiger with his free hand until it was dead. He tossed the beast over his shoulder and made for the nearest bridge. Once there, he deposited the tiger on the bank and stripped off his clothes. He took his sword in hand and dove into the water.

He disappeared for several minutes, with puffs of steam and smoke bubbling up out of the water intermittently. At last, Dschou burst forth from the water with the head of the dragon in his hand and the water turning to blood all around him. He waded back to shore and threw the tiger carcass over his shoulder again. With it, the head of the dragon, and his sword, he made his way back to the house of the mandarin.

He came to the house and called for the mandarin to come out. The weary mandarin, who had expected the young man to have gotten himself killed by the tiger or dragon, was surprised to see Dschou on his doorstep. He was even more surprised to see the young man with the dead beasts in each hand.

Dschou dropped them before the mandarin and told him that he had taken care of two of the three evils and was now prepared to rid the third from this district. He said that he would leave immediately and join the army, so that he would never plague his people again and would protect them from any other evils which may befall them.

Turning, Dschou left the village and made for the first fort outside of the district. Once there, he joined the army and served faithfully within it for many years, though he never returned to his district.

 In one particularly fierce battle with brigands, Dschou found himself backed up against the border of his home district with no other soldiers left standing to help him defend it. Setting his face to the east, towards his home, he determined that this would be his final act in defense of it.

 He fought for many hours, defending against all of those who sought to invade his home. He fought through many painful injuries and through untold exhaustion. Yet, he fought until he had defeated the army which had stood against him. Knowing his time was drawing near, for the number and severity of his injuries was great, he turned one last time towards his home and knew that he had paid his debt to those he loved.

Author's Note

This story is almost exactly the same as the original folktale, with only a few minor changes made to add some detail and depths to characters. In the original story, I found it quite odd that Dschou made such a drastic change so quickly and I had a hard time reconciling that in my version even. To compensate for such an inexplicable and complete character change, I attempted to increase his devotion to his home and his commitment to protecting it. I mainly did this beading the point where he did literally defending his home, while keeping his promise never to return there. In the original, he died a normal death on the battlefield, with no particular devotion to his home or reference again to his self-imposed exile. All in all, I really enjoyed the original tale and sought to do it justice by keeping it as true to the original as possible while adding details which I felt contributed to the story and the characters. Thank you for reading!

Story Source: The Chinese Fairy Book

(Image Source 1: Sunny Art Center)

(Image Source 2: Pixy)

Reading Notes: Chinese Folklore, Part B

 The Three Evils

The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm and Frederick H. Martens

File:Zhang Zeduan Along the River During the Qingming Festival detail.jpg -  Wikimedia Commons

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Plot Points

  • A new mandarin came to a district in which lived a man named Dschou Tschu
  • Dschou was a young man, gifted in the art of the sword and was a wild, rowdy boy
  • The new mandarin came to the district and sought to know what troubles ailed the district
  • He asked the elders of the region what ailed them and they told him of three evils which plagued the people
  • Upon hearing them, the mandarin came to the house of Dschou one night after the boy had been out drinking
  • He confronted Dschou about the evils, of which Dschou claimed there were none
  • Then the mandarin told Dschou that the people though he was one of the three evils
  • The realization struck Dschou in that moment how he had been living a selfish life and he committed to ridding the region of all three evils
  • That very night, Dschou ran into the forest and killed the tiger which had been preying upon the travelers on the roads
  • After slaying the monstrous beast, he dove into the river and struck the head from the dragon which caused the river to flood the bridges
  • Gathering the two carcasses, he brought them to the mandarin as a gift and then told the mandarin he would be ridding the region of the third evil by leaving in the morning and joining the army
  • Dschou left the next morning and committed himself to many years in faithful service to the army
  • In one battle with brigands, Dschou was outnumbered severely and lost his life trying to defend his region

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Reading Notes: Chinese Folklore, Part A

 Why the Cat and Dog Hate One Another

Stories compiled from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm & Frederick H. Martens

This was a timely capture | but if I could shoot faster, I'd… | Flickr

  • A man and wife have a ring which is magic, though they are unaware of this
  • This ring never allows the owners to go into poverty, always provides enough for family to sustain itself
  • The man and wife sell the ring in an attempt to pull themselves from the brink of poverty
  • immediately, they fall destitute
  • The Dog and Cat, seeing this, make a plan to find the ring
  • The Cat catches a mouse and forces him to join their group
  • The group sets out for the house of the man who bought the ring
  • The come to a river and the Dog swims across with the Cat on his back
  • Once the group s across, the Cat takes the mouse to the house
  • The mouse sneaks into the chest and steals the ring out of it for the Cat
  • The Cat takes the ring from the mouse and goes back t the Dog waiting at the riverbank
  • They swim back across and head back to the man and his wife's home
  • As the Cat was able to climb over obstacles, the Cat beat the Dog back by several minutes
  • When the Cat returns, it is rewarded well by the man and his wife
  • A few minutes later, the Dog arrives but is punished by the owners because they thought he did not help with returning the ring
  • The Cat sat idly by and did not tell the owners the truth
  • In a rage, the Dog began to chase the Cat, and they have hated one another until this day
(Image Source: Flickr)

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Week 8 Progress

I am quite happy with most of my progress this semester! I haven't had much experience writing for fun since I came to OU, as most of my writing has had to be for academic papers and research, so I have greatly enjoyed this creative outlet! There have been a few stories I felt that I had a large amount of difficulty writing and conveying well, but they are the minority and I feel like the ones which were done well make up for those in my evaluation of my work. Undoubtedly, I am most proud of a couple of my weekly stories, The Woodcutter's Axe Mice Tales, because I feel like they highlight my creative and linguistic skills the best. In addition, many people acted as if they enjoyed these tales, which was very gratifying. 

While I have not done many of the extra credit options thus far in the semester, I do still plan on doing them in the later half of the class. The primary reason I have not is mostly scheduling, as I have had a difficult time melding the workload of this class with my schedule (silly excuse because the class is so flexible, but I think that is why I have so much trouble with it). 

I am quite happy with my blog website, aside from a few formatting issues which I have had trouble resolving and am very proud of my website. I have spent several hours tweaking every aspect of my storybook website so that it is as impeccable as I can manage each week. I am proud of the work I am doing there and want that to show when my readers come to see what the page is about. 

Far over the misty mountains cold | www.youtube.com/watch?v=… | Flickr

(Image Source: Flickr)

One change I intend to implement in the second half of the semester is simply better scheduling. I have had to wait until Sunday night several weeks to turn in my assignments, largely because of poor planning at earlier points in the week. As such, I am reevaluating my schedule to (hopefully) allow more time earlier in the week for assignments. In addition, I would like to try and experiment more with different perspectives in my writing. Up until this point, all my stories have been in third person, either omniscient or limited, and would like to branch out into first person some in the later half of the semester. Part of this would asl require me to better understand character motivations and emotions, something which I have largely left out of and neglecting in my stories. 

Finally, there are still some minor tweaks I would like to make to my blog specifically. I have noticed that pictures often will go out of the boundaries I had set for them and bleed over into other areas of my page. This is very unappealing visually and is representative of laziness which I do not want associated with my work. Other than a few technical issues like that, there is not much would change about my blog page. 

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

Feedback with emoji - Free Image by S M R on PixaHive.com

(Image Source: PixaHive)

1.) The feedback I have received this semester has been really quite good! In past classes, I have had little luck with constructive feedback from my classmates, but this group is very different. Almost all of the feedback I have received has helped me make my stories better and more cohesive and my writing clearer and more concise. I'm not sure if this is because of the focus on good feedback strategies in this class (though that is what I suspect), but it has been very helpful and I am grateful for the good feedback each week!
2.) I feel like the feedback which I give is pretty good also, as much of what I have used to synthesize my feedback strategies has come form the same sources as my classmates and from copying that which I have found successful coming from my classmates in my own writing. I wouldn't say any one strategy has been particularly helpful, they all seem to perform at about the same level for me.
3.)  I do feel like I am starting to get to know several people better through their blogs and because I am becoming more familiar with their writing style. I have bookmarked several students and am excited to have had the opportunity to read their stories each week! In contrast, I am not very satisfied with my initial introduction post, as I feel I did not do a good job of writing an introduction which would allow people to know me more. My introduction was fairly one-dimensional, because I wore around very specific theme, and would make it much broader if I were to redo it.
4.) I truthfully feel that the feedback I am currently receiving and giving is at a very good place where people are both giving and receiving very workable commentary. I believe my Comment Wall is fairly well situated, as there is not much to the page, but I am definitely reconsidering some amendments to my introduction to make it more personable for future readers.
5.) I chose this image because I feel a very important part of feedback is understanding what the author of either a comment or a written story meant to convey through their writing. Understand, putting yourself in their shoes, helps garner insight so that you can better provide commentary which will be applicable and helpful to them.
(Image Source: Cheezburger)

Monday, March 15, 2021

Tech Tip: Blog Profile

 I just finished up tweaking some aspects of my Blogger page and profile and was astounded by the number of things which could be modified about the page I had not noticed before! When I initially set up the page, my goal was for simple functionality and I did not spend hardly any time reviewing the options for personalization which were available. Now that I have had a chance to rework some of the finer points I missed before, I feel like many blanks in the page are now filled. My profile has been more fleshed out, though I am still unable to add an image to the profile for technical reasons which are beyond my understanding or experience. I redid some of the widgets on my home page and reorganized the sidebar so that it is more user-friendly, now that I know what makes these websites more navigable. I have been taking note of other blogs this semester and I definitely stole some ideas for organization from them! 

As far as my online identity up until this point, it has never been a thought which has crossed my mind. I am not a user of social media and typically do not spend much tome on the internet at all. However, I recognize that the world is growing to rely on both of these in larger degrees tag previously, so I intend to take advantage of the situations this class has put me in to better familiarize myself with some aspects of online work and identity so that I may be better prepared for a future career and be more marketable as a candidate in applications/interviews. The aspect of my online identity I would most like to grow is being known as a clear and likable writer. I have always enjoyed writing, both for pleasure and academic writing, and would want my reputation as a good writer to be the greatest defining characteristic of my online profiles.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Week 7 Story: The Monkey King's Trip to the Nether World

A Tale of Sun Wu Kung's Visit with Death

 Flowers and Carved Stone | I kept driving and driving and dr… | Flickr

The two administrators had been waiting outside the cave behind the waterfall for a few hours now. The sunset sky and cool mountain air were refreshing for the two, as they spent much of their time in the Nether World. The flowers confused them quite a bit, but they supposed they were part of the reason the island was called the Island of Flowers and Fruits. 

They had been sent by the Ten Princes of the Dead to fetch the fearsome Sun Wu Kung, the Monkey King, for the beginning of his time in the land of the dead. The Monkey King had been a terror for his 324 years on this planet, having conquered many of the other spirit and animal kings around him, the most recent of which being the Dragon King of the Western Sea. 

The two had been warned of the prowess of the Monkey King, but they had paid little attention to the warnings. They had been doing this job for eons and had successfully brought kings, monks, even minor gods to their time in the Nether World, all without a hitch. 

So, they treated the Monkey King like any other powerful minor deity. Once he fell asleep, they snuck into his room and stole his spirit from his sleeping body and locked the spirit's wrists with chains. They then woke the Monkey King and began leading him to the Nether World. The monkey definitely was not with it and was still very close to sleep, so it didn't appear to the two administrators that he was any threat at all. What they did not realize is that the Monkey King thought that all of this was a dream.

When they arrived at the gates to the Nether World, however, this seemed to waken Sun Wu Kung. With a startled shout, he plucked the staff from behind his ear (the very staff he had just taken from the Dragon King and that he could will to change its size and weight whenever he desired). With that staff he crushed the two administrators into a grease spot on the road, it growing as he swung it down on the two.

At the sound of their administrators getting smote by a monkey, the Ten Princes of the Nether World come to see what the commotion is about. Seeing the Monkey King, they grow fearful for their lives. Sun Wu Kung begins raging at them for daring to try and bring an immortal being into the realm of the dead. 

When the Monkey King is met with confused stares from the Princes, he demands to see the book of life, in which is determined the length of all living beings. Still fearful, the Princes give it to him and help him find the page on which his name is listed. 

Beside his name is written "324 years and will die in his sleep." Outraged they could have missed such a massive clerical error; Sun Wu Kung takes a brush and blots out the line which foretold his death. Then, with a stroke of brilliance coming upon him, he blots out the dates of over seventy thousand of his monkey soldiers also; effectively rendering them all immortal. 

With a smirk, Sun Wu Kung gives the defaced book back to the Princes and struts out of the Nether World, back to his newly immortal army back on the Mountain of Fruits and Flowers. As he leaves, the Princes turn to look at one another and say, in unison, "That monkey is going to be a bigger problem than the Nether World can now handle. We must get Heaven involved in this matter..."

Author's Note

This story is essentially a straight retelling of the original tale from the Chinese Fairy Book. Short backstory on the character: Sun Wu Kung is a monkey born from a rock on the Mountain of Fruits and Flowers which predates creation. He quickly becomes the leader of the monkeys on the island and then sets out on a quest to achieve immortality. He manages this in a few short years and returns to the island a triumphant hero. From there, he trains the monkeys as an army; an army so powerful that no force on Earth can stop it. In one of his final acts before this story, he attacks the Dragon King and takes this immensely powerful weapon from him so that Sun Wu Kung would have a weapon powerful enough to match his strength. Hope you enjoyed the story and hope the background helps fill in some of the plot holes!

Image Source: Flickr

Story Source: The Chinese Fairy Book

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Reading Notes: Monkey King, Part B

Sun Wu Kung: Yang Oerlang & Buddha

The Chinese Fairy Book compiled by R. Wilhelm & Frederick H. Martens

OFT AS SPRING DECKS, ON THY SINUOUS BANKS" | From Fitz Park… | Flickr

(Image Source: Flickr)

Plot Points

  • After several days of fighting, Yang's spirits manage to capture many of Sun Wu Kung's apes
  • At this, Kung grew uneasy and began to attempt to flee the fight by changing forms repeatedly
  • Many times Yang loses track of him and has to ask Li Dsing to use the mirror of heaven to find him
  • In one of their final encounters, they are in Yang's temple and Sun is eventually defeated with aid from the Heavens in the fight
  • Sun is carried up to Heaven and is tortured for many months in an attempt to rid him of his immortality
  • After being in a furnace for 49 days, Sun sees a chance at escape and seizes upon it

Monday, March 8, 2021

Reading Notes: Monkey King, Part A

 Sun Wu Kung: The Nether World

The Chinese Fairy Book compiled by R. Wilhelm & Frederick H. Martens

National chinese image of foggy mountains free image

(Image Source: Pixy)

Plot Points

  • Sun Wu Kung, the Handsome Monkey King, falls asleep after a meal and is visited in his dream by two men who fetter him
  • They take him down beneath the Earth in his dream to the Nether World
  • Once there, he realizes what they are trying to do
  • Having achieved immortality, Sun Wu Kung is outraged that they are trying to bring him to his death
  • He lashes out with the rod from the  Dragon King and smites the two who are escorting him
  • The ten princes of the Nether World come to see what the commotion is at the gates
  • Sun Wu Kung confronts them and demands to see the book of life, which sets the limits of the times of men and animals and gods
  • Fearful of the Monkey King, they offer the book to him
  • Sun Wu Kung takes a pen and scratches out he times of death for he and all of his fellow monkeys from the Island of Flowers and Fruits
  • Now protected from the grasp of the Nether World forever, the Monkey King exists the dream and reawakens back in reality
  • Once there, he tells his monkey army of what eh has done and they throw a huge party for their King

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Week 4 Story: Revision

  A Tale of an Honest Man

Once there lived a simple man who was a woodcutter by trade. Our Woodcutter would go into the forest near his village every morning and fell a number of trees which he would then log and sell for his livelihood. He was content with his lot, despite the fact he always lived near the edge of poverty. He sustained himself well, but one bad season could be irreparable. There were a number of other woodcutters in the village with whom he was quite good friends, despite their obvious disdain for their profession and less-than-desirable reputation as gamblers and cheats. Notwithstanding his company kept, our Woodcutter was a good man who enjoyed his life.

Image result for forest scene

One blustery autumn morning, he took his axe in hand and made for the forest. The axe had been his only means at providing for himself since he had been a youth. The old, weathered handle was simple oak, but was smoothed with years of usage and was as familiar to him as his own hands. Once he arrived in the section of the forest he was to begin cutting, our Woodcutter took a few moments to scout the few trees he wished to fell that day. Having taken a moment to plan, he set to work. And work he did. All day he worked diligently felling the trees and deftly moving to the next. He worked until the sun began to lower on the western horizon. 

Then he was nearly finished with his final tree and set himself to finish it quickly before the sun set, for he had not expected the chill weather and had not dressed well nor brought any gloves. As a result, his hands were quite cold and his grip occasionally slipped on the handle of the axe. Hurrying to finish, he began throwing heavy strokes at the final tree. It was on one particularly powerful strike that our Woodcutter allowed his grip to loosen slightly and, with a cry of distress, let the axe fly off through his numb fingers and into the trees. Then, with an even greater cry from the Woodcutter, it fell with a loud splash into a deep pool of water.

      Image result for pond in forest fall

Seeing his only means at providing food and shelter for himself disappear beneath the chilly waters, the Woodcutter began to cry loudly into the forest. He could not believe he had allowed himself to loose such a treasure to mere foolhardiness. His crying was so loud that even the gods heard him. One of these gods, by the name of Mercury, came down to see what was causing such a terrible noise. Seeing the Woodcutter knelt by the edge of the deep pool with trees felled all around him, the god approached the man and asked what had happened to cause him such despair.

Upon hearing the story, and the man's numerous proclamations of his devotion and austerity in life, the god had an idea. He told the man he would retrieve the axe and immediately dove into the water. Mere moments later he returned with a golden axe and proffered it to the man. Our noble Woodcutter told the god that this axe was not his. Pleased, the god lay the golden axe on the bank and dove into the water again. This time, he returned with an axe of solid silver. Still an honest man, the Woodcutter said that this axe was not his either. With a pleased grin on his face, Mercury dove a third time. And this time he returned with the simple wooden and iron axe which the man treasured so dearly.

With an excited shout, our Woodcutter told the god that this indeed was his axe. Having tested the man's veracity, the god proffered all three axes to our humble Woodcutter; his own so that he may return to work and the ones of precious metals so that he need not work as hard in the future. Beside himself with joy and disbelief, our Woodcutter repeatedly thanked the god and began the trek back to his humble shack. He stopped there long enough to deposit the axes and made his way for the tavern where he often supped with the other woodcutters. There, he told them the story of the day and, they, knowing the man to be truthful to a fault, believed him. However, instead of being happy for their friend, they were jealous of his newfound wealth and sought to find similar prosperity for themselves.

With avarice in their hearts, the other woodcutters took to the forest early the next morning. They tried to recreate the fortune of our humble Woodcutter by hiding their axes under bushes or in the hollows of trees and crying loudly of their misfortune into the forest. Mercury descended to each of these woodcutters but, being well-versed with trickery and thievery, he saw their desires. However, he would play along until the point he proffered a golden axe to the woodcutter. Wishing only to take wealth with them quickly, so as to limit their encounter with the frightening god, they sought only to make off with the golden axe. When they would exclaim that the gracious god had found their lost axe, he would confront them about their avarice and treachery. At that point, Mercury would beat the men in the woods and tell them to never return to the wood again, for our humble Woodcutter was now the master of these woods and all that was within them was now his by right.

Author's Note

The original story did not go into near as much detail as this retelling, and that is primarily what was changed to the story. I fleshed out the motivations, and backstories of the characters and added more detail to the events. The only changes outside that to the original story was that I added more reward to that which had been given to the Woodcutter. In the original, his only reward was the golden and silver axes. By adding his lordship I wanted to denote that not only was he a good and truthful man, he was greatly more so than those who he shared his life with. In a setting such as that, it is all the more noteworthy when one lives well while living in proximity to those who do not. Thank you for reading!

Note on Edits

One comment mentioned a few loose ends in the story when it came to the confrontations between the other woodcutters and Mercury. I had left a few holes in my plot as to the motivations of the other woodcutters that needed to be revised. Additionally, I cleaned up some phrasing that I found a little too wordy while additionally smoothing out a few rougher transitions between scenes and/or thoughts. Besides that, there was little to change based on the comments for other students or that I noticed in hindsight.

Image Source 1: Pixibay

Image Source 2: Snappy Goat 

Story Source: Aesop's fables, illustrated by Milo Winter

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Week 6 Story: Hathor and Ra

 A Tale of a Misunderstood Goddess 

Ra had summoned her again. She knew what that meant, but she did not want to admit it to herself. Someone must have angered the vindictive old god again. The petty old man only ever summoned her when he needed the Other. Hathor hated the Other. 

Ever since she had been created from Ra's words, the Other had been there, lurking on the fringes of her life like a maleficent shadow. She and the Other were opposites: Hathor was meant to be gentle goddess who cared and nurtured, the Other was nothing like that. The Other was harsh, brutal, and bloody.

As she walked into the throne room, she was surprised to find all of the gods were there; something that had not happened since the day Set killed Osiris. Isis stood in the corner, likely scheming something; Horus perched protectively behind Ra; Hapi was bubbling around the edges of the room; the other gods interspersed throughout. 

Once she had entered and bowed before the throne of the god she hated, Ra spake and told her that he needed the Other, just as she suspected. He told her how mankind had disrespected him and needed to be wiped out, to a man. Hathor stood up in shock, never before had Ra asked something so ghastly from the Other. The Other was used to doing the dirty work for Ra, but that usually entailed only razing a city of men or hunting down a wayward god; never before something like this.

She tried to protest, but Ra was still king of the gods and was in total control of his throne room. Hathor tried to suppress the Other, but when Ra bade her she always readily obeyed. She felt the transformation begin as the same intense pain she had always experienced when the Other took over. She felt her muscles tightening and strengthening, her petite hands morphing into clawed instruments of brutality, her teeth into curved fangs only suited for one purpose: to kill.

The next few days turned into a bloody blur as Hathor tried to block out what the Other was doing while in control. However, try as she might, Hathor could not block it all out. The seas of men's blood and the cries of their anguish were all-pervasive, even as Hathor secluded herself further and further down in her own body. She vaguely recalled Ra trying to speak to her, but she was so beside herself that she could not make out what he was saying. She just continued letting the Other pilot her body.

Hathor suspected she had let the Other be in control for several days before she sensed the Other weakening. She then fully came back into control of her body and was horrified by the sight around her. The dead were everywhere and she was coated in so much blood. Tears welled up in Hathor's eyes as the visions of dying faces flooded through her. She turned to Ra, who was standing over her menacingly.

He said that she had lost control and that she was too dangerous to be left in her current form. Hathor could not believe the injustice of this. She was an unwilling tool of an oppressive god and now was being punished for doing her horrible job. She had never wanted to be what she was, what the Other was; now she was being told that the things she had been forced to do were her fault. 

Caught up in despair for the bloodshed and the pain she had caused, she just allowed herself to sink back in deeper into her self. She was already so far gone that, by the time Ra's magic started to work on her, there was hardly any Hathor left to change.silhouette, human, dim, light room, exposure, reverse, reverse light,  women's, CC0, public domain, royalty free | Piqsels

Author's Note

In the original story, Hathor was to tool of Ra to wreak havoc on mankind and punish them for disobedience. However, the original tale is told form Ra's perspective and I wanted to show how Hathor felt. She killed many men and grew uncontrollable in her bloodlust, and was punished by Ra at the end of the original tale for going too far by transforming her into the Heavenly Cow, a beast Ra would ride to the heavens form Earth.Hathor has many disparate roles as goddess, many of them antithetical; as such, I saw an opportunity to create a Jekyll and Hyde version of the story with the good-natured Hathor and the Other Hathor which was the vindicator of the gods. I also made Hathor intensely torn with her roles, eventually driving her into a depression so profound she allowed the transformation into the Heavenly Cow to happen. The tale came out much darker than I predicted, but thank you for reading!

Image Source: Piqsels

Story Source: David Mackenzie

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Reading Notes: Egyptian Mythology, Part B

 The Brother Thieves

Egyptian Tales compiled by David Mackenzie 

Free Images - SnappyGoat.com- bestof:egypt travel pharaoh egyptian temple

(Image Source: Snappy Goat)

Plot Points 

  • Pharaoh was exceedingly wealthy and had a large vault built
  • One builder put a fake block in wall to come and steal later
  • Builder dies but tells sons about block
  • Sons rob the pharaoh blind
  • Pharaoh gets mad and sets traps in vault
  • Trap catches one brother in vault
  • Other brother cuts entrapped brother's head off and escapes
  • Pharaoh is confused by the scene and has the decapitated body hanged outside
  • The living son tells his mother of their deeds and she demands he recover his brother's body, lest she tell the pharaoh 
  • He goes and gets the guards of the body very drunk and steals the body back, and also shaves the hair off the right side of the guards was they are passed out drunk
  • Infuriated, the pharaoh sends out his daughter to discover the thief
  • She finds him and convinces him to confess the crimes
  • Once she has found him out, she attempts to drag him off, but he held out the severed arm of his brother and she takes that instead
  • Impressed by the thief, pharaoh offers him a pardon and his wife in marriage

Monday, March 1, 2021

Reading Notes: Egyptian Mythology, Part A

 Ra and Hathor

Egyptian Tales compiled by David Mackenzie

Counterweight for a necklace with three images of Hathor, … | Flickr

(Image Source: Flickr)

Plot Points:

  • Man grows discontent with Ra's rule and speaks seditiously against him
  • Ra, upon hearing this, is driven to rage and vows to kill mankind
  • He calls an assembly of the gods to hear their counsel on how to deal with the human insolence
  • He claims he wishes to flood all of man and kill the gods also, except for Osiris and Horus
  • The gods, ver much wanting to stay alive, say that Ra should just send Hathor to kill mankind
  • Agreeing, Ra activates his weapon and sets her loose on the earth
  • Hathor proceeds to kill a vast majority of mankind, causing the earth to flood with their blood
  • Taken aback by her destruction, Ra tried to reel Hathor back in and cease her slaughter
  • Drunk on the blood, Hathor refused to heel and the other gods feared confronting her
  • Instead of direct confrontation, the gods brew some really strong beer and use it to get Hathor literately drunk out of her mind, until the point they were able to contain her
  • Once subdued by the beer, Hathor transforms into the Heavenly Cow and is satiated, man having been saved from her wrath

Week 13 Story: The End of Beowulf

 A Tale from the Background Sven stared enviously at the pile of gold in the dragon's lair. Wiglaf had just commanded all of the earls, ...