Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit:Russian Folktales, Part B

Cemetery by Pangea

The story that stood out to me this week was “The dog and the Corpse”. I Know exactly how I am going to rewrite this story. I will keep to the plot till the end, but it will be two people instead of a dog and a person. They will both be out for a late-night jog and they will be passing a cemetery and their will be a corpse that attacks them. One friend will fend it off while the other runs off. the one who fight will get away and be very angry at his friend and hold a grudge. He will then attempt to kill his friend for leaving him and be successful. This is where I change the story. He will try to make it look like and accident. Then his friend will haunt him till he confesses to what he has done. Then he will be sent to an asylum for no one will believe his reasoning for even killing his friend. This is what I plan to do for my version of the story.

Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit:Russian Folktales, Part A

Jester(fool) by Duh Smeha

The story that stood out to me this week was “Emilian the Fool”. I loved the idea behind this story on how he is fool that is given luck and gets everything he wishes to happen happens. I would rewrite this story with similar plot where there is a man that everybody takes for a fool and runs across something that gives him luck. He would be taking care of his brothers’ wives and end up with a millionaire’s daughter. I like to keep happy ending, but I would also include something so that you know what happens to his brothers and wives for the original story had no such part. This is what I would do if I was to rewrite this story and make it my own.

Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: More English Tales , Part B

Bagpipes by Wikipedia 

The story that caught my eye this week was “The Little Bull calf”. I am going to tell story in my own way. I am going to make it where the boy owned a goat or sheep. He will have his parents die and become very poor. He will be living in Scotland. His goat will tell him to kill him and make a bag pipe out of his remains. The boy will become a master of the instrument. Then the king will call up anyone who can master the instrument to come play for him. He will choose who ever can play it the best will take his daughters hand in marriage. This is what I plan to write for this story.

Bibliography: More English Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: More English Tales , Part A

Fairy by Peter

The story that caught my eye this week was “The Three Wishes”. I would love to rewrite this story with my own touch. I am going to keep the stories plot the same where a man is told he has three wishes but does not believe it. I will apply it to a modern situation where maybe he comes home from a business trip rather than from the woods. He will meet the fairy in a sub way who gives him the wishes. He will go to his home and wish something ridiculous that doesn’t really mean anything and realize it happens. I will also stick it where his friend see it and doesn’t believe it. He will end up wishing for his friend to shut up then it will happen. He will have to waste his finally wish to undo this. This would be my plan for this story.

Bibliography: More English Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit:English Fairy Tales , Part B

bloody by Blogspot

The story that caught my eyes was “Mr. Fox”. I liked this story for it is a dark tale of a love betrayed with out the lover who was betrayed dying in the end. I want to rewrite this story with an even darker twist though. I want to inter mix the story with the idea of an old show I never finished but had a great concept. I want to make the maiden fall in love with a murderer who kills murderer and people who have done wrong. I would also make the setting a little more modern to accompany with the idea. Also the dark twist would be that the maiden still accepts him for what he is and they live happily ever after. This would be my plan for my story.

Bibliography: English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit:English Fairy Tales , Part A

The Magician By eiChi

The story that caught my eyes was two today. They were “The Old Woman and Her Pig” and “The Master and His Pupil”. I loved both of these stories. If were to rewrite the first one I would keep it basically the same but with different inputs. This can be very fun because each piece of the story leads to another. I would more than likely start out with a sack of potato that an old man needs help getting up stairs and build on the story from this point. Now second story would also be fun. I would start of with a great and powerful wizard that is trying to teach a pupil the ways of magic. One day ignoring the rules of the wizard the pupil would practice magic while the wizard was not around and loose control of everything. I almost want to write like Fantasia with Mickey, but I will make my own story instead. This is my plan for these stories if I so choose to use them.

Bibliography: English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Apache Tales, Part B

Rabbit by Martin Owens 

The story that caught my eye today was “Coyote Kills the Prairie Dogs”. This one caught my eye because in all the stories I read coyote missed out on his chance at something. In this one he misses out at a meal chance. When I rewrite this story, I would make the coyote a man that deceives some rabbits. I would have him destroy the entrance to their burrow. But then be nice and offer to take care of them for an evening until the next day where they could make a new burrow. Then I would have him make a fire and kill them while they danced and celebrated his help. When they realize he is not helping they would have nowhere to go. I would then have the man cook them and hang them high in a tree while he slept the rest of the night away. Then I would have a vulture come and take all the rabbit’s meat except the smallest one. The next morning the man would reach up for the meat and find that one and throw it away saying its to small. But after realizing the meat was all gone he would have to eat the small one he threw in the dirt.

Bibliography: Apache Tales by P. E. Godard

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Apache Tales, Part A

creature from wiki  

The story that caught my eye today was “the swallowing monster”. This story seemed short and quick, so I believe I can do more with it. I will start my story with people who are out on a hunting trip. Then I will give the experience of seeing the monster for the first time and give details of what it looked like. Then I will explain their escape plan. After this I will explain how their escape plan works out. I m will end the story different than how it is written. I will either make it to where all the people escape for the creature or I will make it to where there is an eerie cliff hanger at the end. This is my plans for this story if I write it.  

Bibliography: Apache Tales by P. E. Godard

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Chinese Fairy Tales , Part B

Centaur by Marc Camelbeke

The story that caught my eye today was The Maiden Who was Stolen Away. this is simple tale and i want to make it my own. I will make the story take place in modern city in america rather than in a city china. I would keep the story the same where a girl is in her yard then swept away by a freak storm. She will wait at the top of a skyscraper taller than any other in the city by far. I will change the ending and the creature though. I will make it a happy ending for all rather than kill the creature. In my version the creature will be a centaur with wings. I will have the brother try to kill the creature but in the end the girl fall in love with the centaur and save it from being killed. This is what I plan to do with the story.

Bibliography: The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens 

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Chinese Fairy Tales , Part A

business suit by Gentlemanstalor

The story that caught my eye this week was Why Cats and Dogs are Enemies. I loved this story for there are so many direction that i could take it. I as always will modernize the story for it something i like to do to make the story more relate-able. I think I will go in the direction of a mathematician and a business man. I will make the business man gain all the reward like at the end of the old story while the mathematician gets fired at the end. I think I will make it to where they seek out a way to save a business and are successful but the business man get all the credit as previously stated. I know there is not a whole lot of information here but I know the story will come together.

Bibliography: The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens 

Reading Notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang) , Part A

Stone image by NA

The story this week that intrigued me was the story “The stone cutter”. This story is simple and nice. It teaches the lesson that you don’t always need more than you already have. Just be happy with what you have. To make the story my own I would change it in a few ways. I would first add a modern touch. Along with the modern touch I would add multiple different situation to story to keep the same flow with the modern touch. I would make the man an accountant. Then I would make him wish he was rich. After this I would make him wish he was the CEO of a company. Then I would make him wish he was the moon. Then I would have him wish that he was a fish. Then finally make him a man again. It simple changes but these changes would make the story my own.

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales Retold by Andrew Lang 

Reading Notes: Myth-Folklore Unit: Persian Tales, Part b

assassin

image by Anthony Hill 

The story that seems the most interesting to me was “The Man Who Went to Wake His Luck”. There are many things I can do to this story to make it better un my own way. First, I would modernize some of the aspect of the story such as making his brother a business man rather than a horse farmer. From there I would make his luck into an accountant that keeps his books strait. Then I would tell have the man face different people based out of the modern business world. I would first have him see a man trying to open a new business. After speaking to his luck, the solution for them man will be to get a loan from a bank. He would ask me to be his partner. The next person he would see is a restaurant owner not getting any customers. After speaking to his luck, the solution would be to create food the customers like not just himself. He would ask me to be his food taster. Then I would come across a man sharply dresses man. He would say ask why my assassins’ business is not getting off. After speaking to luck. The solution was to get a contract on a fool so that you show you have the skills to perform. He asks me to give him 500 dollars and I would. That night he kills me while I sleep and make it look like and accident. This is how I would adjust the story and make it my own.

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bibliography: Persian Tales translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer

Reading Notes: Myth-Folklore Unit: Persian Tales, Part A

Ghost that Haunts 

image by Fer Gregory 

The story that peaked my interest in wanting to rewrite was from part A was “The Boy Who Became a Bulbul. I like this story for there is so much more that could be done with it. When writing my own version of the story I would keep the intro like the original story where the son and father have a competition of some sort and the father cheats in the end. After the father kills the son I would have cut off the head still and try to feed the meat to the sister. After this I would start to really change things up. I would have the sister bury the remains of the brother near a haunted cemetery so that I would be able to haunt my father and stepmother. This iswhere I would really deviate from the original story. I would take a revenge on my parents starting with my stepmother who originally came up with the competition by taking over a bird and having it sing to her most beautifully. It will cause her to want to hear it again but when she says that I would make her close her eyes and swiftly sow her mouth and eyes shut. This would be revenge for trying to feed me to my sister and coming up with the competition. Next, I would haunt the father and kill him for cheating me in some way. There are many ways I could do this. Far too many to write down. I am set on how to handle the stepmother. To finally end with a somewhat happy ending I would reward the sister for being a good sister. This would be my plan if I want to rewrite this story.

bibliography: Persian Tales by translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer

Reading notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Bengali Folktales, part B

Seems fitting for a Ghost Wife 

image by Lina Blixt 

The story that I found most interesting today was “The Ghostly Wife”. The story itself was short and kind of bland but what makes it fun for me is, It is a story I can spice up and make better in my opinion. I will first change one of the characters. I would change the mother to a sister, for my sister is always judging and females I bring around. I will change what the ghost does with the wife for stuffing her into a tree seems very simple. Burying her and saying that she has no chance of survival seems more appropriate. Yes, I know this is very dark. I will also change some of the other things that are noticed in the story that brings them to the conclusion that she is a ghost. I may also change the ending to where she curses the family or house for she wants to stay. I could also make it to where they live with the live happily with the ghost in the end and the ghost provides them help with the special powers that she has. The story seemed simple but I will give it the set up and plot i think it deserves.

Bibliography:Bengali Folktales by the Rev. Lal Behari Day

Reading notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Bengali Folktales, part A

a siren attracting a man

by John William Waterhouse 

image site

The stories presented this week were very interesting. What I have gained from previous weeks is I will choose my favorite part of a story or single story from the reading and give note on what I will do with it from now on.  My favorite this week was The Boy whom Seven Mothers Suckled. The story was easy to read so I will not change the language of the story. I will adjust the story by giving it an actual setting. The original story doesn't really give a setting other than they are in a kingdom and then the boy goes to Rakshasi lands. I would add detail of where the kingdom is and where in the kingdom the scenes of the story take place. The story just used vague detail such as the other side to the ocean. I would say what ocean. I would add detail to keep the setting I would keep the story pretty similar but maybe throw in plot twist. First I would have the boy kill the mother of the Rakshasi to prevent her from taking revenge. I would also maybe make it have a twist of an ending where the king realizes it is his son and helps to kill the rakshasi who had blinded him for so long. I could also change the creature that she is while still keeping the plot in tact. I could make here a siren who eats men that has wooed the king in an enchanting human form. These are the things i would choose to do to make this story my own. If I find a better story in the part b I will adjust the notes to fit that for part b.

Bibliography:Bengali Folktales by the Rev. Lal Behari Day

extra credit: Reading notes: Dantes Inferno: part B

The inferno 

 Image by di Fruosino

These are a few notes to help me keep track:
The seventh level is violence all kinds whether acts of violence, self violence(suicide), or violence towards god.
The eighth level is full of liars and schemers. To make sure I understood I looked it up and it the level of fraud. Dante reached this level on the back of Greyon (a creature)
From the looks of it the ninth level of hell is treachery and contains Satan himself


I will write the last two parts of my stories using these final 3 levels of hell with some leeway. I may go back and rethink the way I want to set the story up. I think I will make the final level of hell its own story for it contains treachery and Satan making those who committed the greatest treacheries suffer the most. And I may have the eighth and seventh level together. The thing I may have to do is skip a level or two such as purgatory and gluttony level 3. I would mention them but I don't see the best way to fit them into the story. I know I will not stick with many of the original creatures to make the story my own but I also can not include every detailed areas from the original story for it would make it too long. I will put my own modern twists on the features of hell but keep to the original sins that got people there such as lust greed and so on.But with each levels sin I will add modern people who would be there and the modern ways of committing these sins. I will also add creatures of my own for the sins. i want to keep Cerberus in the mention of level 3. So to tally up, I will start my journey, mention the purgatory and traveling through it, then I will describe lust level which is level 2, and mention gluttony because I believe level 3 is just a subcategory of level 4 which is greed and would be described in detail next. These will be the first story. The second will contain detail on level 5 and 6 which are anger or wrath then heretic. The third story will contain levels 7 and 8 which are violence then fraud. To end I will discuss the ninth level which is treachery which contains Satan himself for betraying god.

Bibliography: Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline

Reading notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Homer's Odyssey, part B

link to Image

As I had stated in my previous post about the Odyssey the language is more difficult to read and I want to tell a story with a more modern flowing language. The second half of the story that was provided had too much information to write a single story within the limits and I would not want to leave out any of the important parts. I also can not think of a way to leave out parts to make it shorter without skipping important plot parts. There were just way too many character ghost that Odysseus spoke to that had been sent to Hades at death. I think I will write my story based off the first encounter of his adventures. I would like to put my own twist on the encountered with the cyclops as I had suggested in my last post. I will either tell the story from the point of view of the cyclopes or tell the story with a few plot changes. The plot changes may be that the cyclopes actually dies or kills himself by accident or change the way that Odysseus escapes with his men. This is the story I plan on telling and how I plan to change it.

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey, Translated into English by Tony Kline

Reading notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Homer's Odyssey, part A

Circe By Wright Barker: link

The language of the stories is not terribly difficult to read but it is an aspect I would would change. I would write the story in a more flowing language that does seem to have such a old language tone to it. I could rewrite the part of the story for the giants or Circe’s point of view. If I were to do this, I would make it look like they were not in the wrong but rather they were doing something that is normal and they see no evil in it. I could also do a retelling of the stories with some plot point changes. An example would be in stead of the giant being blinded he is kill in the escape by his own mistake or clumsiness. I could also make it where Odysseus fails and dies. I could also write the story with a modern touch completely changing the plot but keeping the characters the same. There also seemed to be a lot of repetition in the stories, like when Odysseus is mentioned they always say a few lines after that are repeated on multiple occasions. I see no need for this and would leave this out. The story I will right will have have more of a flowing language but keep the same entertaining aspect of the story even if I do a plot change.

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey, Translated into English by Tony Kline

extra credit: Reading notes: Dantes Inferno: part A

  Dante in the inferno 

link to image

Simple notes to help me keep track (useful to me):

Dante's starts in purgatory

Moves on to level 2 which is lust

The 3rd level contained Cerberus the 3 headed dog and gluttony aka light greed

The 4th level is greed

The 5th level is anger and wrath

The 6th level is hertics or those who follow faith wrong the city of dis

I have just finished reading Dante's Inferno part A. These notes will be based on the project I have chosen to do. The story start off with Dante in a Forest trying to ascend to heaven up a mountain from what I understood. He find the path impossible so he stay where he is at until virgil comes along to show him there is another way and to follow him. He leads dante to the entrance of hell and will guide him through. I would change my guide to a jewish person for it has great biblical irony for in the jewish faith one does not believe in hell. I not sure because i do not want to offend by doing this. I would write my first part of my story to include the first 4 levels of hell. I would start of with a quick intro to purgatory for there is not a whole to lot to say. I would say a lot for the 2nd level which is lust. For the 3rd and 4th level intertwine the two for they are so similar. I would hit a 2 for one. I would write these in a way for modern audiences to understand with what modern sin would have you in that level and name some modern people who are there. I would also put a twist on the punishment for the people in these places. The second part of my story would include the 5th and 6th levels of hell for their are many things that I could write about in modern day to be a part of these levels of hell and many people who could be used as examples of those who dwell on those levels. Putting the modern twist on punishment and people would be the goal to make the story my own.

bibliography: Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline

Reading notes:Myth-Folklore Unit: Jewish Fairy Tales, part b

The story I liked most out of all the reading is the fairy frog. Of course, the final of all the stories. It takes 10 to find one I want to rewrite. I believe could make this story a little better for my own writings. The first thing I would attempt with the story is it starts out with a typical “once” start and jump right into the story. I would start the story a better place setting. It doesn’t really describe when or where it is taking place. I would also want to change the animal in the story to something more mythical like a jackalope or something sinister such as a snake. This would peak my interest because jackalopes aren’t real and snakes are sinister, so to follow a snake and be rewarded would be interesting. I would also include another character such as a child of the husband and wife to add to the feeling in the story. To add the feeling the child would be suffering along side the two to create more of a feel for the characters. I could also create a greater twist by using the child as a sacrifice half way through and the parent be rewarded at the end with the child to create a happy ending. These are my notes and what I think I will do with my story later this week.

jacklopes

link to image

Bibliography:
Myth-Folklore Unit: Jewish Fairy Tales
Author:Gertrude Landa