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.