Week 5 Story Planning: Sindbad the Sailor and his Successors

I want to write a story where Sindbad has a become a tradition, a role to assume when there is an adventure to be had and a need for treasure. I am inspired by the fact that Sindbad told his stories to a fellow he met who was also named Sindbad, and also by Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride.

Presumbly, the tradition would have carried on from that time till the present day. They would likely have initially worked for Harun Al-Rashid, a caliph in the Abbasid caliphate in the late 8th century. The Abbasid caliphate ruled the entire Middle East and much of North Africa at its height. Under its reign, the arts and sciences flourished. A Thousand and One Nights (also known as the Arabian Nights), which contains the tale of Sindbad, was compiled during this period. 

Abbasid Caliphate. Web Source: Wikipedia. 

The Abbasid caliphate's rule in Iraq ended after the Mongols invaded. In the latter half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th it was under the rule of the Mamluk dynasty. In the mid-19th century the Ottomans gained control of the region. In my story, the tradition of Sindbad the Sailor would have continued through the different dynasties.

One of the other real places that Sindbad visits is the island of Serendib, known formerly as Ceylon and now being the modern country of Sri Lanka. Part of his accomplishment and then mission was to establish a relationship between Harun Al-Rashid and Serendib. My story will tell how his successor in the early 19th century was called upon to help the kingdom of Kandy, located on the island of Lanka, defend itself against the British East India Company. The British were actually defeated in one of the Kandyan wars, so I may have that be due to Sindbad's intervention. 

The Last King of Kandy. Web Source: Wikipedia. 

To incorporate more elements from the original stories, I will bring some of the other creatures, such as the rocs, giant snakes, and elephants, onto Serendib, although they were originally found on other islands. They will serve as allies to Sindbad in his fight against the British.

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

Tech Tip: Pinterest Browsing

I got a Pinterest account a few years ago, but it's been a while since I have actually used it. While I do have the browser button in Chrome, I am also given the option to save any image to Pinterest when I scroll over it, which is simpler. When Pinterest was suggested for the course, I realized that it certainly would be great for story illustrations. I think it will be particularly useful as I develop my storybook.

Babylonian archers. Web Source: Tumblr.
 In addition, I decided that it would also be helpful in my cooking, as I am trying to explore more foods this semester. So far that board mostly includes different uses for corn masa, including a pizza and pancakes.

Corn masa pancakes. Web Source: Mi Maseca.

I have also added some to my calligraphy board, in case I find time during the school year to experiment with that.

Russian calligraphy. Web Source: Pinterest.

Comment Wall: Babylonian Tales

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback about my storybook, Babylonian Tales. I will be retelling some of the mythology from ancient Babylon.


Mushhushshu Dragon. Web Source: The Met.

Week 4 Story: The Golems

The last thing the golem remembered was pain, as if every part of his body had been crushed. Looking at himself now, he was surprised to discover that he was whole and as strong as before. He wondered if he could still talk. In the distance, he saw another figure, and walked towards it. To his surprise, it was a woman, of his kind. He had never seen anyone else made from wood and glue like him.

"Hello!" He was pleased to see that he could still talk. He supposed the rabbi had put the Name back in his mouth. 

She smiled shyly back. Perhaps she could not speak. 

"Have you seen the rabbi anywhere?"

She shook her head. 

"Can you talk?"

She hesitated, then slowly opened her mouth. At first the sounds were garbled, but then they began forming words. "I've never tried before. I was just a servant. I did everything I was asked, but - but -" 

She began to cry softly, something he had seen humans do but did not suppose was possible for a wooden creature like himself.

"I think I remember the rabbi mentioning a servant before me, one who set the town on fire?" 

She nodded. 

"Don't blame yourself. What could we do that we were not made to do? We can't be held responsible." 

"What did you do?" 

"Ha! I fulfilled the king's judgement on the rabbi. The king decided that if the rabbi made something truly alive, he should be killed and all his people with him. I suppose that I am truly alive, for I began to turn against the rabbi and threaten him and his people with death." 

"But the Name is gone from us! How are we still here?" 

"The paper is gone, but I suppose the Name is greater than the paper it is written on. It stayed inside us, keeping us alive." 

"I don't think we are actually alive. I'm sure I died, in the fire. I remember the flames, the burning wood and melting glue."  

Now that she mentioned it, the golem supposed that he had died too. The Name must be greater, not just then paper, but then death too. Had it given them a soul? "I wonder what will happen to the rabbi now. After all, it seems that he did make living creatures, not just tools. How arrogant! Does he not know that this power belongs to G-d alone?" 

The other golem smiled. "I hope he burns too." 

He thought about the pain she must have suffered, all because the rabbi was so careless with his creation. Truly, humans should not be in charge of creation. "I hope so too." 

The Rabbi and the Golem. Web Source: Wikipedia. 

Author's Note: In the story "The Rabbi and the Bogey-Man," Rabbi Lion makes two servants from wood and glue and puts a paper with the Name of G-d in their mouths to animate them. The first is burned up in a fire after some children tell her to make them one. The second is made to prove to the king that the rabbi can control his invention and that it is not alive. However, the golem turns on the rabbi and threatens to kill all the Jews in the city, so the rabbi removes the name, and he crumbles away. I decided to have the two golems meet in the after-life and realize that they are truly alive. I decided to write G-d without the vowel, as this is a Jewish fairy tale and I believe that is considered appropriate. 

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.