Reading Notes: Myths of the Cherokee, Part B

So far this week, I have enjoyed reading from our Native American Stories unit. Specifically, I am reading Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney, which I chose due to my interest in Cherokee culture - a result of growing up in Oklahoma. In my reading, I have been exposed to both old and new stories, many of which have great potential for reinterpretation for this week's writing assignments.

Today, I enjoyed reading a Cherokee legend called The Race Between the Crane and the Hummingbird. In this story, reminiscent of the Tortoise and the Hare, the Crane and the Hummingbird are racing to win the love of a beautiful woman. The ending upset me; I might like to reimagine the story in a new and more pleasant way.

The Crane

The Race Between the Crane and the Hummingbird
Both birds were in love with the same beautiful woman. The woman wanted to be with the Hummingbird, as he was fast and beautiful, and the Crane was ugly and slow. Nonetheless, the Crane was determined to win the woman's hand, and continued to pursue her. Ultimately, the woman decided to challenge the two birds; the winner would be her partner. She chose to make them race, trusting that the speedy Hummingbird could easily win. Little did she know, the Crane could fly much longer without resting.

The birds begin flying around the world in a race. The Hummingbird is beating the Crane easily, and stops to rest for the night. The Crane keeps flying, and passes the Hummingbird before midnight. The Hummingbird awakens and overtakes the Crane again, but the cycle continues until the Crane is well in the lead. When the Crane wins, however, the woman refuses to marry him, preferring loneliness to the Crane's lack of beauty.

My issue with this story is that the woman's choice was entirely unfair to the Crane. He worked hard to gain her favor, followed her instructions, and was successful. Still, she would not marry him. Ultimately, I am uncomfortable with the story ending with a lack of justice. If I were to rewrite the story, I would either change the heart of the woman so that she loves the Crane in the end, or I would curse her for breaking her agreement for shallow and selfish reasons.

Reading Notes: Myths of the Cherokee, Part A

This week, our reading unit for Myth and Folklore is Native American Stories. Having lived all of my life in Oklahoma, I am familiar with many myths and legends of the Cherokee people. I decided to read the Myths of the Cherokee unit, written by James Mooney, this week, to refresh my current knowledge, and potentially learn more Cherokee legends with which I was previously unfamiliar.

In today's reading, I was drawn to one particular story, called The Moon and the Thunders. In one portion of the legend, readers learn how the moon got its spots. I was displeased with the direction the original story took, and am interested in rewriting it this week.

The Moon

The Moon and the Thunders

This legend begins by describing the Sun and Moon as brother and sister. The Sun is a maiden that lives in the east, while the Moon, her brother, resides in the west. The Sun is being courted by a mysterious suitor, who comes to visit her once a month. The suitor only visits in the dark, so the Sun has never seen his face, and does not even know his name. The Sun decides that she will discover her suitor's identity by secretly smearing ashes on his face, and looking for them again the next day. 

The Sun succeeds in her plan, and is shocked the next evening to see ashen spots on the face of her brother, the Moon. The Moon is ashamed that his sister has learned the truth, and begins avoiding her by staying far behind her, and remaining only a thin ribbon when he is forced to come close. 

I had several hangups with this story, especially the implication that the Moon was hitting on his sister! I will need to do more research to learn if such intermarriage is common in Cherokee tradition, in which case, the Moon's romantic interest in his sibling would make more sense. Regardless, if I rewrite the story, I will probably change the relationship between the Sun and the Moon so that their romance is more traditional, and may even allow them to find happiness, in place of an uncomfortable situation. 

Reading Notes: Ozaki, Part A

This week, I am reading a collection of Japanese Fairy Tales compiled by Yei Theodora Ozaki. These traditional fairy tales have been retold in English in Ozaki's book of the same name.

In today's reading, one story stuck out to me, called My Lord Bag of Rice. It is the story of a fierce warrior who saves an underwater kingdom by killing a giant scorpion. Several aspects of the story have rich potential for reimagining, and would be an excellent option for my writing this week.

A Simple Bag of Rice

My Lord Bag of Rice
The story begins with a traveling warrior. He comes to a bridge covered by a sleeping dragon. Instead of running away, or waking the dragon for battle, the warrior simply walks over the dragon to get to the other side. He has made it several paces from the bridge when he hears a voice call out to him. The dragon has transformed into a king! The king explains that he was seeking a brave man to kill the centipede that is terrorizing his kingdom. The warrior accepts this challenge, and travels with the king to his underwater palace, where they await midnight and the arrival of the centipede. The warrior kills the centipede with only three arrows. He is named a hero, and given a myriad of gifts by the king, including a bag of rice that never empties.

As I read, I had several doubts about the story. First, I initially mistrusted the king. It seemed that he was trying to trick the warrior, especially once he was lured into the underwater palace. Then, the description of the centipede's death seemed rather thin to me. It was no major battle scene, but the shooting of a few arrows. If I were to rewrite this story, I would further develop the king's character (although he would ultimately be trustworthy). I would also add more exciting details to the battle between the warrior and the centipede. Perhaps, the story could also benefit from a more modern retelling.

Week 8 Progress

While this class is not what I originally anticipated, I have loved it! The reading is interesting, and the writing has been an enjoyable challenge. While I have not taken much advantage of the extra credit, I plan to explore it more in the next few weeks, helping me to make up a few missed assignments. Thus far, I have done a poor job of sticking to the schedule we created at the beginning of the semester, and I would prefer to get back to a normal routine. Hopefully, in the next half of the semester, I can establish a more regular habit of completing assignments early, and acting upon extra credit opportunities!

An Important Reminder

Week 8 Reading and Writing

This week in Myth and Folklore, we are reviewing the work we've put into the class thus far. Below are some of my thoughts on my writing and blogging this semester.

One of the aspects of this class that I have enjoyed most is the reading. At times, however, the reading has also been one of the most trying portions of the class. For example, I loved my reading of Noah and the Folklore of the Holy Land. Tales from a Parrot were fascinating, and my research for Three Brothers has been wonderful. Yet, I struggled with the dialect of Brer Rabbit, and sometimes think that myths lack the depth of background I prefer in my reading.

Nevertheless, I have enjoyed reading and taking notes over such new stories, and have especially enjoyed the opportunity to explore creative writing. Thus far, I consider my project idea and introduction, 'Three Brothers in a Spacious Kingdom" to be my greatest accomplishment, and am excited to see how my writing continues to develop in the coming weeks.

An Image of Jupiter Used in "Three Brothers"

This gif of Jupiter is my favorite image from the semester so far! It is the first gif I have employed in any of my posts; the slow zoom, coupled with the black and white photo, makes the gif a dramatic touch, and enhances the story in which it was placed. 

In the next few weeks, I want to focus more on my reading, specifically when choosing which reading I would like to complete for each unit. Instead of diving into the first stories that interest me, I would like to take more time to sample all of my reading options for the week, and then select the best fit. I am truly looking forward to the rest of the semester in Myth and Folklore! 

Week 7 Story: Brer Rabbit Catches the Big One

Brer Rabbit HATED working, especially when Brer Fox was presented. He knew that the fields had to be tended if he and his family were to have food, but Brer Rabbit was tired, and just wanted to take a nap instead. Brer Fox would not stop talking, and Brer Rabbit just had to get away. If he was careful, he knew he could sneak away from the crop without Brer Bear and the others noticing. So, Brer Rabbit bided his time, and when a moment of distraction came, he bounded off into the forest.
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An idyllic well, but is it good for naps?

Brer Rabbit had not been gone long when he came upon a clearing in the forest with a small well in the middle. Admiring the well bucket, Mr. Rabbit thought it might be an excellent and cozy place for a snooze. Surely Brer Fox could not find him there. He hopped right in, and to his dismay, was lowered directly into the water below. Suddenly trapped, Brer Rabbit started to PANIC.
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Brer Fox was ASTONISHED. He had snuck away behind the Rabbit, determined that this would the best opportunity since the Tar Baby to embarrass Brer Rabbit. Leave it to that vermin to weasel his way out of work, and probably only to go fishing. But without warning, Brer Rabbit had disappeared from the Fox's sight.

At that time, Brer Fox heard a SPLASH. He peaked his head over the edge of the well, only to find Brer Rabbit sitting in the bucket at the bottom. Immediately, Brer Fox began to wonder what Brer Rabbit could possible be up to at the bottom of a well. Could he be hiding treasure of some sort? Or was this another trick intended to make a monkey of Brer Fox?
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"Hello, Mr. Fox!" called Brer Rabbit. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"Brer Rabbit," retorted the Fox, "what are you hiding down there? Gold and riches?!"

"Of course not, silly Fox. I've skipped out on work to go fishing."

How stupid did the Rabbit think Brer Fox was? Of course he knew there weren't fish at the bottom of a drinking well. But, he decided to play Brer Rabbit's game, if only to learn where it led.

"I'm sure the fishing in the well is EXCEPTIONAL," said Brer Fox, heavily laying on the sarcasm.

"It sure is. I've found catfish bigger than me, and am working on a catch large enough for lunch for our crew as they finish today's job. Why don't you come down and help, Brer Fox? You'd be the hero of the day, discovering a new fishing hole and feeding everyone from it."

That foolish Rabbit must find the Fox so gullible. But still, the Brer Fox could not resist the opportunity to show up Brer Rabbit. He would go down into the well and find out what the Rabbit was truly doing.

"Okay, Brer Rabbit, how do I get down?"

"Climb into the bucket, Brer Fox," said the Rabbit, innocently.
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As Brer Fox fell into the well, Brer Rabbit was drawn UP, UP, UP. As he passed the Fox, he laughed, knowing he had succeeded in his trickery and captured a very big fish indeed.

"Goodbye, Brer Fox! Don't get too wet!"

Author's Note: "Brer Rabbit Catches the Big One" is a retelling of Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman. The original story proceeds in much the same way, with Brer Rabbit skipping work to take a nap, and landing himself at the bottom of a well. In this version, however, I worked to make his rivalry with Brer Fox more apparent. I also rewrote the ending. This time, Brer Rabbit leaves Brer Fox trapped, instead of sending humans to retrieve him. Ultimately, I think my ending better depicts the relationship between the Fox and the Rabbit.

Reading Notes: Brer Rabbit, Part B

This week, I am continuing to read from the Myth and Folklore unit on Africa, and have chosen to explore Joel Chandler Harris's Brer Rabbit.  In these stories, Brer Rabbit and other creatures like Brer Fox and Brer Bear cause mischief in the American South.

Brer Rabbit

In today's readings, two stories stuck out to me for their humor. The first, Brer Rabbit: Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman, is an ironic account of how Brer Rabbit found himself at the bottom of a well. In the second, Brer Rabbit: Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again, Brer Rabbit's schemes result in no good crops, and a laughable fear of heights.

Brer Rabbit: Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman
In this tale, Brer Rabbit is trying to avoid working a field when he decides to take a nap in a well bucket. Of course, when Mr. Rabbit jumps into the bucket, his weight carries him to the bottom of a well. Alone, cold, and terrified of falling into the water, Brer Rabbit has a stroke of good fortune. Mr. Fox had followed him to the well, and was convinced that Brer Rabbit went into the well to hide his riches. Brer Rabbit tricks the fox into jumping into the other well bucket, at which point Mr. Rabbit is lifted to the top, and freed. He then leaves Brer Fox alone at the bottom, after telling him that the angry owners of the well are on their way.

Like I said above, I love this story for its irony and humor. I think the dialogue between Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit could become even funnier if given a modern update, especially if Brer Rabbit further tricked Brer Fox into believing that there were, in fact, treasures at the bottom of the well.

Brer Rabbit: Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again
Brer Rabbit and Brer Buzzard decide to work a crop together, and divide everything they grow. It turns out, however, that they grow nothing. Thus, they devise a plan to cross the river and find a gold mine. Brer Rabbit is concerned with how he will cross the river, when Mr. Buzzard assures him that he may ride across on the Buzzard's wings. Halfway across the river, the alight on a high tree branch, and Brer Rabbit begins to panic. He assures Brer Buzzard that he knows of a gold mine on their side of the river, and relieved, they return home.

Once again, I would love to build on this story via updated dialogue. I would also enjoy exploring what could happen if Brer Rabbit slipped from the Buzzard's back, and found himself in the river. Perhaps he would not go seeking gold again...