Reading Notes: The Heptameron, Part A

My goodness, this is quite a collection of stories. They were not quite what I was expecting, particularly the moralistic elements about society and sexuality. 

It is important for multiple stories to note that a Cordelier is a Franciscan friar.

The first story has multiple themes that are carried throughout, particularly the duty of women to guard their virtue and the duplicity of churchmen. I think I read it somewhat differently than the author intended it, as I was mostly hoping she would not be raped rather than that she would not be convinced to betray her husband, who had not yet been mentioned. The moralizing sermon at the end is repeated with different but often related topics as well. 

Personally, I find this 'enduring passion' rather creepy and stalkerish. He follows her everywhere with no sign that she actually loves him, although it turns out that she does. 

Marguerite of Navarre. Source: Wikipedia.

I am glad that justice is served even when the offender is a churchman. I particularly liked the implication that a misbehaving priest was at the service of the devil. (Note that I have nothing but respect for clergymen who practice what they preach). I especially disliked the priest who committed incest with his sister. I think the emphasis on clergy rather than government officials as those in power shows the prestige that the church had in society at that time as well as the author's role in the Reformation.  

Another element of social commentary was a conversation that alternately demeaned and idealized the poor. 

I thought the story of the Cordeliers and the pigs was hilarious. I am not sure how this could be retold in another context, as it is pretty specific to a society where innkeepers keep pigs and friars are called cordeliers. The mix-up where an animal destined to be slaughtered is called by the name of a person, or really any mix-up based on eavesdropping, is a pretty common theme in stories. 

Bibliography: Walter K. Kelly's The Heptameron of Marguerite, Queen of Navarre. Link. 

Week 13 Reading Notes: The Faerie Queen, Britomart, Part B

The moralistic element is something I had heard of about Spenser, but it is somewhat strange to have personifications of vices and virtues mixed in with what otherwise has the air of a historical (although obviously romanticized) drama. The magic too has a strong allegorical element, as it rewards virtue, such as in the part about the golden girdle, which chooses Amoret. It is unclear whether some sentience is granted to the girdle or if it is more like a computer program and virtue is the password. I did not care particularly much for the allegorical parts, such as Sir Scudamour's sojourn in the house of Care, but I am more intrigued by objects that respond to good and evil.

Golden Girdle. Link.

I have to admit, it somewhat bothers me when beauty is a sign of virtue and when it can so swiftly stop anger. The men are always getting so angry, and even Britomart at times. It does not seem particularly noble to me, even though the main male characters are presented as furious and seeking revenge before they are suddenly appeased. Sir Scudamour's change of heart is more reasonable, but Sir Artegall should have not been so angry at being beaten. It actually contradicts what Spenser said earlier about knights not minding defeat.

WHAAAAAT? I want to know what happened to Amoret! She would be another interesting character to make the narrator. I like that they became friends.

I am glad that Britomart kept up her adventuring after she met and agreed to marry Artegall, as she is quite good at it. I wonder whether she continues in her disguise. It seems that dressing as a knight is not merely a way to pursue her quests, as she continues to be respected by those to whom her secret is revealed, but as a prevention against kidnapping. Beautiful ladies seem to frequently be at the mercy of those who want to marry them, so it makes sense to be a knight instead.

Bibliography: Mary Macleod's Stories from the Faerie Queen, Link.

Week 13 Reading: The Faerie Queen, Britomart, Part A

I have never read the Faerie Queen before, and I am always intrigued by women who dress up as men to become knights, like in the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce.

One character that I am particularly curious about is Glaucé, Britomart's maid. She is not frequently mentioned, except in the part that explains Britomart's backstory. There it is mentioned that she disguises herself as a squire and accompanies Britomart on her journey, but throughout the other chapters, when she would presumably be present, she is not mentioned. It is particularly curious that she is repeatedly referred to as an old nurse, yet she takes on the role of a squire, who is generally a young person. As for her rather unusual name, it appears to be drawn from Greek mythology, as is Britomart's. It would be interesting to retell the story or parts of it from her perspective.

Britomart. Web Source: Public Domain Super Heroes.

Merlin is always an interesting character, particularly as he knows everything that is going to happen.

One especially enjoyable scene was when Glaucé encourages Britomart to take up arms and find the man she loves with inspiring stories of women in arms from history. One of these women, a Saxon queen named Angela, provides the armor that Britomart needs for her quest. According to one report, Anglia was named after the daughter of a Saxon duke, Angela. However, I am not sure whether this is actually the character's namesake.

What is the backstory of the enchanted spear? Who enchanted it and how does it work? Oh maybe I could personify the spear and her sword. Perhaps it is their respect for her character, rather than her goodness itself, that gives her power. The spear and the sword could initially be rivals, but then grow in their desire to defend Britomart and further her quest.

Bibliography: Mary MacLeod's Stories from the Faerie Queen, Link.

Reading Notes: The Mabigonion, Part B

I was initially confused by the part about weirs, so I looked them up. Apparently it's a type of small dam that can trap fish. In this story, the fish are harvested yearly. Except when a baby is harvested instead.

One of the most striking things to me was the extensive use of religious language and references in Taliesin's songs. His story itself is reminiscent of the story of Moses, who was drawn up by a princess out of the water. In the last song he connects it to the history of the British (or Britons, or Brython, which comes from the Welsh spelling) in contrast with the Saxons. It's important to remember that British is not synonymous with English and originally meant the Celtic inhabitants and their languages. Well, some of the languages - the Gaelic ones are in a slightly different branch, though more closely related to the Brittonic languages than to say, English/Anglo-Saxon and the Germanic languages. 

Pre-Anglo-Saxon Britain, Brythonic area in red. Link.

I did not originally picture it, but when Taliesin was first singing to and about Elphin, he would have been a baby. How cute would a baby bard be, singing away far more intelligently than his age. I know there's a movie called Boss Baby - maybe I could write a sequel called Bard Baby. Though the original story reminds me of a musical, what with Taliesin bursting into song all the time. I don't know whether they sing in Boss Baby. People even get kidnapped, and there is a villain they have to outsmart.

The theme of boasting and honor is key to these stories. How is reneging on a word directly dishonorable but using magical means not? Like the bottomless bag or the hollies in the race? It is interesting that boasting in and of itself does not negate honor.

Bibliography: Lady Charlotte Guest's The Mabigonion, link.

Reading Notes: The Mabigonion, Part A

I am looking forward to reading the Mabinogion, as it was one of the stories I discovered when I was looking ahead.

I found this table of Welsh orthography to be useful for pronouncing the names, since Welsh spelling, though straightforward, is different from English spelling.

I am particularly fond of Rhiannon's character, although I do not understand why she is in love with Pwyll. Was it because of what she had heard of his character? Had she met him before? What is the source of her magic powers, like her ability to stay ahead of anyone that Pwyll sends after her or the magic bag that she makes? I like how sassy and decisive she is. Some of my favorite quotes that show her sassiness are below.

Rhiannon. Web Source: Wikipedia.

"I will stay gladly," said she, "and it were better for thy horse hadst thou asked it long since." 

This is after Pwyll has been chasing her and sending soldiers on horseback after her, none of whom were able to catch up to her.

"Never did man make worse use of his wits than thou hast done."

This is after Pwyll promises a man any boon, and he then asks for her hand in marriage. I like how even though she is head over heels in love with Pwyll she does not hesitate to criticize him. It would be fun to rewrite the story from her perspective.

I feel bad though that she had to bear such a penance though she had done no wrong. To constantly have to admit to such a terrible crime as eating one's child while completely innocent and probably grieving would be miserable. How does she not turn out bitter and angry?

It's nice to read a story that's all connected, instead of a bunch of short stories. The flow helps it move faster.

Bibliography: Lady Charlotte Guest's The Mabinogion, link.

Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part B

In the story of the first woman, she is pulled in two pieces and wood is used to replace the missing parts, so that she becomes two women. I would be really curious to see what her perspective on that would be. Did the woman with wooden feet keep all her original personality and feelings, while the woman with a torso of wood would develop a new personality? Or would the two be exactly like each other, except that one sews and the other dances?

The sky arch that the Doll comes upon sounds really beautiful. 

Wow the land of the dead is such an interesting place. I don't know that I could really expand on it for a story, but it's fascinating in and of itself. Again we see cruelty to animals and even plants like grass being the crime that is punished in the afterlife. The idea that thoughts can be heard there is particularly interesting. The next story also deals with the land of the dead, and in some ways reminds me of Greek myths - such as if you eat food there you will be trapped. The ghost that returns to earth portrayed there is really interesting, though etymologically appropriate, as a shade is a shadow. 

What a lovely song! I wonder if I could write such a song based on one of the other stories? Perhaps about the creation of animals or the naming of the birds. 

In the thunderbird story, I assumed that he was going to rescue his wife. But no, he was just going to get revenge and possibly to ensure that no one else was taken by wiping out the thunderbirds as a species. 

I had no idea killer whales were so important.

Killer Whales. Link.

A wolverine origin story! I can't help but think of the superhero. I like that this super strong person and then animal started out as grass. 

Bibliography: Katharine Berry Judson's Myths and Legends of Alaska, link.

Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends, Part A

Raven is a really interesting character. I am particularly intrigued by how he lifts up his beak mask to become human. It's a really neat image and reminds me of superheros. The geese do it too.

Ah how cute, the shrewmouse was made just to keep the earth cheerful. They are pretty cute. Maybe I will work a cheerful shrew into my story.

Shrew. Link.

On the other hand, why on earth would the Man tell mosquitoes to eat men not meat? I suppose the meat was more important than physical discomfort.

Another animal whose purpose would make it an interesting character is the bear. I can't tell if the Raven meant to make him to protect other animals or just to be an animal that could not be killed, but I like to think that the bear would become a sort of defender for the animals that are easier to kill.

In these stories, man's main sin is killing too many animals, not hurting other humans or Raven, which is interesting. Animals must be extremely important.

The magic used in the flood story is really intriguing. It consists of ritual words that don't seem directly related to the result. Raven repeatedly asks about sea urchins, which causes the flood waters to go down. I assume there is likely some connection, but it is not immediately apparent to me.

It would be interesting to do a social media story about Raven and his adventures. It could include Facebook updates about his travels with Man, rebukes and environmental activism when humans are too bloodthirsty, an invitation to feast after mother's death, and a relationship status change upon marriage. I could have some of the other characters respond in comments, such as Man, Raven-Boy, the Witch, or some of the other animals.

Bibliography: Katharine Berry Judson's Myths and Legends of Alaska, link.

Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths, Part B

I really enjoyed the story of the ball game between the birds and the animals. It's such a creative origin story for the bat. It also reminds me a bit of Dirty Paws.
The race between the Crane and the Hummingbird is a lot like the Tortoise and the Hare.
What is a huhu? Turns out it's probably a screech owl, a wahuhu. I'm more curious as to why people keep accidentally marrying animals, such as an owl or a frog.

Wow, the Uktena and the Ulunsu'ti are really fascinating. Snakes seem to play a really large role in these stories. Yet they do not seem necessarily evil, more just large and dangerous. I suppose snakes are one of the more dangerous creatures that live in the original Cherokee homeland. The snake with feet, the Ustu'tli, reminds me of a dinosaur. Perhaps it is based off one. I could write a story about how a dinosaur in a museum came to life and turned out to be the Ustu'tli. It would then have to be defeated with fire, like in the original story, but in a way that does not destroy the city, just cracks its scales. The other snake story I liked, about the boy with the unkind family who turned into a snake, makes the snakes seem even less evil. For him it is an escape. I am really curious as to whether snakes really dislike the smell of sweat, though I don't think I will experiment.

Copperhead. Web Source.

Cottonmouth. Web Source.

It's interesting that the hero, Agan-uni'tsi, who gets the diamond from the Uktena is not himself Cherokee. Medicine does not seem like quite an accurate translation of the power that Agan-uni'tsi and the Red Man of Lightning have. I wonder why it is called that. Perhaps because it is used in healing as well.

I really enjoyed this unit because of the combination of unfamiliar stories and familiar wildlife.

Bibliography: James Mooney's Myths of the Cherokee, link.

Reading: Stories of Congo, Part B

One interesting thing about some folklore is how much you can learn about a culture and its beliefs and values. While obviously some are held as pure fiction even by the tellers, some of these stories were presented as true, particularly the ones involving fetishes. If I were to deduce other cultural aspects from the stories, the creator god Nzambi seems likely. As almost all the male characters have multiple wives, the Vili were likely polygamous. There also seems to be a strong sense of justice that is derived from others' opinions. Often when one character kills another, the onlookers or those whom he tells the story will affirm his decision, particularly when revenge is involved. This is extended by the notion of a palaver, which seems to have a different meaning than our modern definition of our drawn out talk. It seems to have a sense of mediation. More speculatively, I wonder if children in Vili culture were treated more as adults ("The Three Brothers") and if they migrated from a region where gazelles were native.

While that is really interesting from an anthropological standpoint, it does not help me very much in writing a story. I was intrigued by the fetish Sunga in the story by the same name. She does not like someone's lying and fooled him into accepting food that would take away his power of speech and thus his ability to lie. I also liked how the man in "The Leopard and the Crocodile" valued his dogs above the supply of food provided by the leopard and crocodile. It would also be interesting to try to write a story of my own - or retell a Euro-American story - with the values and spiritual realm of the Vili, such as the fetishes, palavers, and sense of justice/revenge.

Fetish. Web Source: Randafricanart.

Bibliography: R. E. Dennett's Notes on the Folktales of the Fjort, link.

Reading Notes: Stories of Congo, Part A

This week I chose to read the Stories from Congo unit, which comes from Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort. The Fjort, according to Wikipedia, are the Fiote or Vili (Fiote being a now derogative term the Portuguese gave them. One fact that I learned from the Wikipedia article that is relevant to some of the stories is that the Vili do not build many permanent residences, and those with sumptous dwelling places are likely to be accused of sorcery. I assume from the stories that they are polygamous.

Some random notes:
-Nenpetro is an intriguing character, as he appears in multiple stories but with different wives in each.
-I feel that there must be some reason behind the seemingly random magic that determines how wives and wealth appear and disappear. Why can she not see a fish's head?

Gazelle. Web Source: Wikipedia. 

My favorite stories were "The Twin Brothers" and "How Gazelle Got Married." "How Gazelle Got Married" reminded me of the story of Rumpelstiltskin, since in both names needed to be found out and the servant was the one who found them out. I am curious as to why a dog was such a faithful servant to a gazelle (even though his master forgot him) and why the water caused them to forget the names. Was it water in general that led to forgetfulness or this particular spring? I also find it interesting that the gazelle is a man, but that is because it is a symbol for a female beloved in Arabic.

As for "The Twin Brothers," I am particularly fond of Luemba's character. The fetishes also result in a very interesting system of magic, which seems less rule-based than the fantasy I've read. They seem omnipotent. I was also surprised that the horse could use them to revive Luemba.

Bibliography: R. E. Dennett's Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort, link.

Reading Notes: Filipino Tales, Part B

To me, "The Iguana and the Turtle" seems like a tragedy. The turtle lies and tells ridiculous stories to his friend, who wants to believe him and is hurt for it. I wonder if I could tell it in a way that is very dramatic and emphasizes this tragic element. I feel more backstory would help, as to why the iguana and the turtle are such good friends in the first place and what makes the iguana willing to believe the turtle even when he tells outlandish tales.

So much drama about the king of the crabs and his sheriff! I am curious as to why Lamoc bit the king's face instead of coming up with a placating lie like the rest did. Perhaps he had no interest in court intrigues and prefered to be straightforward. This is probably my favorite mosquito story. I am also curious as to the meanings of the names. Does Lamoc mean mosquito in Boholano, the dialect of the Visayan language Cebuano spoken in the area the story teller was from? The answer is yes, according to Google Translate. I had some trouble with some of the other names, but Aninipot appears to mean firefly, which makes sense as his eyes were flashing fire. While I enjoyed the names, I think I would have appreciated the story more if it were clearer which animals were playing a role. I initially assumed that they were all crabs, but that does not seem to be the case, if Lamoc is a mosquito and Aninipot is a firefly. That leaves Hu-Man, as I am pretty sure the king, Mangla, his sheriff, Cagang, and his people the Bataktak (yay reduplication) are all crabs. Since Hu-Man carries his house on his back, perhaps he is a snail or a hermit crab.

Land Crab. Web Source: Wikipedia.

Not related to the story, but the coling is a lovely bird.

Bibliography: Dean S. Fansler's Filipino Popular Tales, link.

Update: Hu-Man is indeed a hermit crab, but his name would be spelled in modern orthography Umang. Also, the Bataktak, as suggested by the author's note, are actually frogs.

Reading Notes: Filipino Tales, Part A

This week I read the Filipino Tales unit. I think what struck me most was the lack of an apparent moral to many of these stories. The three brothers did not seem to get what they deserved - no punishment for laziness, and Ambo revived the girl but Suan ended up with her. Perhaps the message is that if you trust fate with your fortune the results will not necessarily be fair. 

"The Clever Husband and Wife" also seemed unfair to me. They took advantage of the doctor's kindness the whole time, but in the end he was just glad they were alive. That creates a really interesting dynamic - if they had just asked for the money, he undoubtedly would have given it to them, but instead they wanted to get it by their own cleverness. Or perhaps they thought that he was somewhat capricious and would be likely to change his mind about his generosity. It would be interesting to flesh out more of their characters and motivations. 

Monkey. Web Source: Jeff Shea.

I would also very much like to see what happened after Chonguita turned from a monkey into a beautiful woman. Was she a woman all along or was some other magic at work? Did her husband like her better? What were her feelings towards him? How was she able to do such fine work as a monkey? It would also be interesting to work in the monkey from several of the other stories as a character. Perhaps he is a relative of Chonguita's. As he is very clever, perhaps she called upon his help to get revenge on her husband for his violence. I also wonder if there could be some kind of colonial interpretation, since the sons of the monarch all have Spanish names. That would probably depend on when this story was created, on what Chonguita means, and if it was based on an older, pre-colonial story. 

Bibliography: Dean S. Fansler's Filipino Popular Tales, link. 

Reading Notes: Folklore of the Holy Land, Part B

Al-Khidr. Web Source: Wikipedia.

One theme from the first half of the reading that came up again in the second is the search for eternal life. This is a pretty common theme around the world, including in the Epic of Gilgamesh, but I was somewhat surprised to find it in when the characters expect to life forever in Paradise. Adam wished for fruit from the tree of life but did not get it. Abraham and Moses were both, at least according to some accounts, promised the possibility of choosing their own time of death, but had to be tricked into choosing it as neither of them wanted to die. I am curious as to what the relationship is between these folktales and the Quran. 

I was very surprised by the part of the story of David where he learned from his people that he ought to earn his own living - and actually took up a trade. I find it rather ironic that he became an armormaker, as when he fought Goliath he refused King Saul's armor. But I'm even more impressed that he actually took up a trade because his people thought it was right. While in general I do think it makes sense for the ruler to be compensated financially so they can focus on ruling and not have conflicts of interests, I appreciate the humility and desire for fairness that his actions show. 

El Khudr (or Al-Khidr) is interesting as he combines so many different figures, including Phinehas (a priest of Israel), Elijah the prophet, John the Baptist, Vishnu, and St. George. I am not entirely sure how he can be all of those people - I suppose each is a manifestation of the underlying, immortal person of Al-Khidr. It would be amusing if he had a friend who was also immortal and got very confused as to who he was whenever their paths crossed. 

Bibliography: J. E. Hanauer's Folklore of the Holy Land, link. 

Reading Notes: Folklore of the Holy Land, Part A

Jinns. Web Source: Wikipedia.

My main thoughts when reading these stories were on the similarities and differences with the stories I know about people such as Adam and Eve, Noah, and Abraham. There were, of course, a lot of parallels that I was expecting, so what caught my eye were the differences. However, this course is not about religion, so I will not go into details.

I was intrigued by the Tablet of Destiny, which reminded me of the tablet with the same name in Mesopotamian mythology, which I am doing my storybook on and actually led me to more information about it. According to Wikipedia, the Islamic one is actually called the Preserved Tablet, اللوح المحفوظ, and, like in the story, contains all that will and has happened.

The second piece of the creation story that was interesting from a story perspective was that God created the mind before he created humans. I wonder what that mind was thinking before it was part of humans.

I was highly amused by the comment about European doctors who think they know everything but do not let women chat with new mothers to protect them from jinn. Whether or not you believe in jinn, it does seem important for new mothers to have companionship and help. Here I think they tend to be somewhat isolated. It would be interesting to have a spin-off story about a new mother who is under the care of a Western doctor and her friends have to wage a secret war against the jinn.

Speaking of women, the part of Noah's story with the three types of women also stood out to me. In this story, Noah promises his daughter to three different men. When the first two, who have been gone longer than promised, return, he turns a donkey and a female dog into women to become their brides. Because of this, women are either wonderful and helpful, or share the characteristics of a donkey or a dog, according to this story anyway. Ouch.

Bibliography: J. E. Hanauer's Folklore of the Holy Land, link.

Reading Notes: Sindbad, Part B

Two things that struck me during the second half, which were also present in the first half, were that even though Sindbad is clearly a very adventurous person, he does have a tendency to wish he had stayed at home in luxury. This seems not to occur when he is in a crisis, but rather when he is alone and without a clear source of help. Basically, he gets homesick.

Secondly, I forgot to mention in my first reading notes that the currency is called the sequin. I assume he is not getting rich with these....

Sequin. Web Source: Wikipedia. 

Some further searching shows that the sequin was a Venetian currency, a gold coin minted from 1284 to 1797. In addition, the Ottoman Empire minted a similar coin starting in 1478. However, Sindbad's adventures occur during the reign of Harun al Rashid, who ruled from 763 to 809. His currency was the dinar, so the use of the sequin here is an anachronism, albeit an amusing one.

My more general takeaway was that Sindbad's story conveys what the narrator values without imposing an obvious moral on the story. For example, Sindbad survives multiple times because of the generosity of people who discover him starving, as after he escapes on a raft from the jeweled cliff and ends up in a strange land. At other times, he survives because of his patience and ability to endure crises with a cool head. He extols the virtues, particularly the justice of the king of Serendib. Finally, his end goal is spend the rest of his life with his friends and family. Thus, these stories extol the virtues of hospitality, endurance, justice, and family life positively. I appreciate this manner of conveying a message, with an interesting character, plenty of adventure, and rewards for the presence of virtue instead of consequences for its absence.

Bibliography: Andrew Lang's Arabian Nights' Entertainments, link.

Reading Notes: Sindbad, Part A

First of all, Sindbad is a really interesting character. He starts out rather profligate with his wealth, but decides to invest it with a combination of thought and daring. But upon gaining wealth, he is very generously with it, donating charitably to the poor and the mosques of his homeland. Although his subsequent adventures serve to make him even wealthier, his motivation is adventure and wanderlust, not earning money. I am particuarly fond of his adventurous spirit combined with kindness and ingenuity. My favorite story was that of the roc and the valley of diamonds, because the dangers are magnificent animals and he does not have to kill them to escape.

Roc. Web Source: Wikipedia. 

I like the serial nature of Sindbad's story, which reminds me of modern storytelling, particularly in TV shows. Sindbad also seems to have somewhat of a superhero story arc, which could be enhanced. His origin story would be his realization about his poor spending habits which will leave him destitute, causing him to pursue a life of adventure and ultimately generosity. This would be more apparent if his motives were more deeply described. For example, what specifically prompted his realization that growing old in poverty would be a life of misery? What if his mission on his voyages was not just wanderlust, but specifically a desire to gain additional wealth for the poor in his hometown?

If someone were to turn the story of Sindbad into a superhero show, they would have a wealth of fantastic creatures and villains, from the roc to the giant snakes to the cannibals. It might be a bit of a challenge to integrate them into a real world universe. Perhaps the idea would be that these are islands that are somehow hidden from the rest of humanity, like the island of Themyscira in Wonder Woman.

Bibliography: Andrew Lang's Arabian Nights's Entertainments, link.

Reading Notes: Jewish Fairy Tales, Part B

One of the reasons I chose this unit was to learn more about the history of the golem, as told in "The Rabbi's Bogey-Man." Some of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books feature golems. Interestingly enough, given that the first golem in this story ends up burning down the synagogue, Pratchett's golems form a volunteer fire brigade. Certainly this story portrays the golems in a more negative light than those of Discworld. However, golems in any world pose ethical questions, such as whether they or their maker, here Rabbi Lion, should be blamed for their actions. For example the second golem turns on the rabbi, but he may simply be fulfilling the king's judgement on the rabbi, that if he truly made a living thing he should be condemned to death. At first glance he may seem simply murderous, but he may actually be the just reward of the rabbi's arrogance. On the other hand, his desire to kill all the Jews in the name of the king could be representative of the king's actual desires. In that case, it should have been taken as a warning to the people.


Golem. Web Source: Wikipedia.

I would be very interested in telling the story from the perspective of the golems, particularly if I could do so without definitively stating whether they were alive or simply like robots. I feel especially sad for the first golem, who was trying to help the children and ended up causing great destruction and killing herself. The second one is more complicated, given his desire to kill the Jews of the city. It would be interesting to explore how his mind, if he has one, came to this conclusion and whether it was truly of his own agency and free will, or more like computer programming because of the circumstances of his creation.

Bibliography: Gertrude Landa's Jewish Fairy Tales, web source.

Reading Notes: Jewish Fairy Tales, Part A

One of the creatures that stood out to me from the Jewish Fairy Tales unit were the unicorns, featured in both the "The Giant of the Flood" and "From Shepherd-Boy to King." I never really thought about which story traditions unicorns came from, and I certainly did not associate them with Jewish folktales. I was particularly surprised that they were so large. Just from scanning the Wikipedia page, I learned that some of the oldest images of unicorns are from the Indus Valley seals and that unicorns were originally known for their strength, not their beauty and innocence. This makes more sense with the flood story in particular.

Unicorn. Web Source: Wikipedia.

"The Beggar King" has a pretty similar pattern to most stories of proud kings. particularly reminds me of the story of Nebuchadnezzar. What stood out to me was that Hagag wanted to stay in his humbler role, and I thought his concern for the blind beggars was quite touching. I am confused by the genie, since I thought jinn were from Islamic stories. According to Wikipedia, there are creatures called Shedim that parallel the jinn, however they tend to be demonic, while this genie is benevolent. Is it an angel?

The most curious story to me was "The Magic Palace." First of all, like "The Beggar King" it is called a Jewish fairy tale yet the main character has the Arabic name Ibrahim, and the mysterious guest (who, spoiler alert, is Elijah, who was Jewish) appears as an Arab. Also, when I first read through it, the moral was not clear to me, particularly the magic palace part. However, a second reading clarified that the entire story was really about rescuing the godly and esteemed Ibrahim from his poverty, and the ornate palace built by magic was simply the means, not the end.

As far as retelling goes, I would like to incorporate a unicorn. So I might retell "The Giant of the Flood" from the point of view of the unicorn. I would also be interested in a sequel to "The Beggar King," focusing on the group of beggars that he served as guide.


Bibliography: Gertrude Landa's Jewish Fairy Tales, web source.

Reading Notes: Women Saints, Part B

After finishing the second half of the reading from the Golden Legends, I am extremely curious as to whether women frequently disguised themselves as men and became monks in the Middle Ages, as this theme appears in several stories from both halves. The phenomenon is especially intriguing to me because I would have assumed they could have just joined abbeys as nuns, though I suppose this would not have served as well as a disguise, nor would it have set the stage for the accusation of sexual immorality as well. 

This set of stories contained more adventures and less torture, which was nice. However, I do not think they delved as deeply into the women's psyches as the previous stories. So with an eye towards the retelling, I think it would be interesting to take a first person perspective and look more deeply into their motivations for say, becoming a monk, or their feelings as they attempted to convert people or slew dragons. I am familiar with Martha from the Bible, which would give me additional background to draw upon for her emotions and character. I like the team element of Daria's story. Even though her husband originally converted her, afterwards they worked as equals and partners in their mission. As for Cecilia, I would like to delve into what she was thinking while she preached half dead with her head partially severed. 

Another possibility, as mentioned in part A, would be to explore another figure's role. In Theodora's story, her husband is a likeable character, and the child she assumes responsibility for plays a larger role than in some of the similar stories. I was glad to know something of what happened to the child after the father/mother's death. Likewise, if I were to modernize a story, I think it would be Theodora's. I would be particularly interested in looking at battling demons in a modern context. 

Tarasque. Web Source: Je vois la vie en rose.

Bibliography: Voragine's The Golden Legend, link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: Women Saints, Part A

The stories of women saints from the Golden Legend are a striking combination of violence and innocence. In the first section, almost all of them lack worldly power, but gain some kind of agency as they hold on to their beliefs in the face of intense persecution. They are mostly young and unmarried, generally under the control of a father or husband. But through their perseverance they gain power over men, primarily to convert them, and even over the devil himself.

One of the most interesting things about these stories in general is the tone in which they are written. The violence and torture that these women undergo is described rather graphically, with a child's brains spilling onto the ground and marrow coming out of broken bones. Despite the pain, the tone still maintains a type of innocence or naivete. that seems almost paradoxical. Although the women suffer physically, they remain spiritually untouched. Because of this, the constant torture and death does not render these stories tragedies, but rather a sort of triumph.

As far as specific stories go, I am curious about Marine. Since she valued her obedience and purity, why did she confess to a sin she did not commit? The only benefit I can see is that the child was brought up in a monastery with someone who would care for them well. Mary of Egypt differs from the others both in that she does not begin her life as a steadfast believer and in that her travails are ascetic and self-inflicted.

Marine the Monk. Web Source: St. Takla. 

While I enjoyed the archaic language of these stories, I think I will have to use more modern language in my retelling. I'm less sure whether I can replicate the tone of the stories that I mentioned earlier. One possibility would be to retell them from another figure's point of view, possibly the torturer or the hangman in Margaret's story.

Bibliography: Voragine's The Golden Legend, link to the reading online.