Reading Notes: Horse's Head or Silkworm Goddess, Part A

I decided to give Chinese Fairy Tales a try this week for extra credit. I usually read Russian stories as extra credit, but I have been reading this book called The Poppy Wars by author R. F. Kuang who studies Chinese history and wrote the fantasy fiction in a very similar light to Chinese history (it's an awesome book so far FYI). Off topic - this is the first book I have read where the author is younger than me (she's only 22!)

China: The Girl with the Horse’s Head or the Silkworm Goddess

The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

An old man went away leaving behind his daughter and white horse, who fed the horse everyday in his absence. One day she told the horse if it brought back her father she would marry the horse. As soon as she uttered the words, the horse ran and brought back her father. 

During the travel back, the father thought something was wrong to be seeing the horse. He tried feeding the horse but it would not eat. When the horse returned, it tried to bite the girl. Confused, the father asked why and the girl explained what she had asked of the horse. She was very embarrassed so the father killed the horse and went back on his journey. 

Another day after all this happened, the daughter was out walking with a friend and scolded what was left of the horse for wanting to marry a human. As she taunted the dead hide, the horse hide wrapped around the girl and ran away with her. Her friend was horrified and ran home to tell her father what had happened. The neighbors all looked for the girl but never found her. 

One day, they found her hanging from a tree branch still wrapped in horse hide and she turned into a silkworm, weaving herself a cocoon. Her friend took her off of the tree and helped her out of the cocoon and took the silk for profit. 

The girl's relatives missed her so much. The girl rode through the sky in the clouds and told her family she was assigned the duty of watching over the silkworms, and that they should not miss her anymore. 

Her family built a temple to her and every year sacrificed and made offerings in her name asking for protection. She is known as the silkworm goddess but also the girl with a horses head. 

After Thoughts

Okay - weird origin story. So she turns down the idea of bestiality, only to be kidnapped and then turned into a goddess of silk but she has a horse face. Why does this remind me of BoJack Horseman?

BoJack

Week 7 Story: Careful Wording

“Why am I so ugly?” the princess asked her self. She was wealthy and smart, but ugly as sin. One day she became so upset by her appearance that she broke her mirror and stormed out the house. She walked the woods much farther than she had ever ventured before and came upon a witch.

“Oh enchantress, can you help make me beautiful? Will you replace my terrible looks with something better?”

The princess knew the risk of asking a witch for help, but she was willing to take any chance to become something pretty.

“I can give you a new face, a new head, to crown your body with that shall match the crown you already wear”.

Her crown was quite a site to see, and she was so delighted she immediately asked for the witch to change her.

“Here, drink this and your head shall match your crown.” Without a second thought the girl downed the whole bottle, and suddenly - everything went black! She could not speak, she could not see, she could not hear a thing! Frantic she started panicking until suddenly felt a weight on her neck.

“There - a head as beautiful as your crown.” The witch gave the girl a mirror - and it was true! Her skin was smooth, her teeth were straight, her hair shined.

“Oh thank you so much!” The princess started to turn, but as she did the witch laughed.

“You vain idiot, you forgot the glue!”

The princess was confused, “what glue?” she asked.

“Why, to keep your new head on of course. Your crown is beautiful but it is not apart of you, just like this head is beautiful but not apart of you. And as you must shine a crown every day to keep it pristine, you must take off and clean your head every day - otherwise it will become infected and explode.”

The princess was appalled and angry by the witches actions. “I asked to be beautiful, and you have cursed me!”

“You asked for me to replace your terrible looks with something better, I have done exactly that!” said the witch - and to it the princess replied with a knife. She lunged at the witch and stabbed her to death.

As she died, the witch's body glowed a sickly green. The light that surrounded her rose into the air. The princess was so struck by the sudden oddity she couldn’t do anything but stare. As she gazed, the light suddenly plunged into her heart. Now the princess was not just cursed, but also a witch.

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Authors Note:

When I read the original Russian story it was about a headless princess who was also a witch. A young boy passed by her window and saw her washing her head, and when she died she basically haunted him as revenge when he told everyone what he saw. The Russian stories always leave me with questions as they’re wild and all over the place. This one made me want to write a story about how a princess would end up as a witch with a removable head.

Reading Notes: The Three Evils, Part B.

The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

A young man was kind of a brat, and he was a strong brat that no one would discipline. He dressed of wealth, gambled and drank, stole from others, and overall was just a real jerk.

One day, a new guy came to town and heard all the peoples' complaints, of which were the three evils. He dressed as a poor man and sat in front of the young man's house - crying. When the young man found him at his doorstep he made fun of him, and said there was nothing to cry about.

The new guy told him of the three evils. 1 a  dragon that lives in a river making it flow very high and drowns everyone near it 2 a tiger 3 the young man.

The young man was ashamed and set out to make life better. He slayed the tiger and pulled the dragon from the water after killing it.

To deal with the final evil, he left his village and became a soldier. He won a great reputation in battle and after he could no longer fight, fell upon his sword to atone for his sinful life.

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Reading Notes: Why Dog and Cat are Enemies, Part A

The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

There once lived a couple that did not know the ring they had was what gave them wealth, and so they pawned it. After it was gone, things became very bad and they could not feed themselves or their animals. The dog formed a plan that the cat would threaten a mouse to chew a hole in the chest where the ring now laid. The cat did so, but needed help getting to the mouse by crossing the river. The dog helped without a second thought. On the way home, the dog took longer because he could not jump over houses like the cat could. Once home, the dog found the owners praising the cat and then it was beaten for not having helped the cat. Now dogs always hate cats for their selfish ways. 

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Reading Notes: The Headless Princess, Part B

This week I chose, surprise, Russian myths. I think I am probably going to keep reading them as my extra credit until the stories run out, as I am really enjoying them.

Russian Fairy Tales by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).

A king had a daughter who was a witch, nearby a priest lived and had a son of 10 years old who was learning how to read and write. One day he passed by the window of a princess, and he saw her dressing and noticed that she took off her head! She cleaned it and put it back on. He told anyone who would listen about what he saw.

One day, the headless witch became sick. She demanded if she died that the priest’s son reads something called a psalter over her three nights in a row. When she died, the king ordered the son to do as the princess had wished. The boy was unhappy, and when he told his teacher about it she gave him a knife for protection to trace a circle around him. She warned him he should do his work, but not to look up from the reading no matter what happened.

When he started reading, the princess rose from her grave, furious he had been a peeping tom and a gossip. She rushed the boy, but the circle protected him. She made all kinds of horrible hallucinations happen, but he never looked up. Once the sun came up, she went back to her coffin. The second night the same thing happened. The third night though, the teacher gave him a hammer and four nails, to nail the coffin shut and to hold the hammer when he started reading.

When the princess tried to leave, she found she couldnt and was furious. She made him think the church was on fire, but he did not look and when the day came the church was fine. As the princess rushed her coffin.-The king found her inside the coffin the next day, lid open and her body face down. The king found out from the boy what had happened, and a stake was driven through her chest. He rewarded the boy for his bravery with money and land. 

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End Thoughts

I love how at a loss I always am for these stories. Was the reading causing her to rise, or did she know she would rise and wanted him to be there to torment him, and the reading was a distraction for him? Why was she headless? Why did she die? Why punish a boy in the wrong place, wrong time? Why did the teacher have all the answers - was she a witch too? Maybe she had cursed the princess for some wrongdoing? Who knows, but this gives me an idea for a story.

And About My Image Choice 

I love the movie Mars Attacks! and when I searched for "female headless horseman" on google, the image results made me think of this scene in the movie where a lady whose obsessed with her dog gets a little switch-a-roony during one of the alien's experiments. If you are in the mood to watch a crazy weird and funny 90's movie, this would be a good start!

Week 6 Story: What You Give is What You Get

There once was a girl named Coral so beautiful that all the men in the land wished to take her hand in marriage. The king was distraught, as he felt no man was good enough for her; however, there were three brothers who were the son of a rival kingdom that wished to wed her. Seeking to form an alliance and to make peace, he allowed his daughter to pick one of them.

The girl was as kind as she was pretty, so she was herself distraught by the choice; she did not wish to hurt two of the three men's feelings, so she delayed the decision spending time with each of them. One brother was a priest, the other a smith, and the third a gardener. The men all loved talking with her, they took any chance they could to boast about why they would make the best husband.

But the decision would never be made, as one day she became ill and died.

All three men were grief stricken, they had spent so much time courting her they had not thought of the possibility of none of them getting her.

The priest was so struck with sadness he lost all faith and revoked his dedication to God. The smith was so depressed sailed out alone to sea. The gardener was so miserable he surrounded his house in rose thorns so no one would try to visit him.

One day at sea, the smith heard of a spell that could bring the dead back to life. Finding this prospect of having the chance at wedding that beautiful girl again he rushed back home to tell his brothers. He needed the priest to perform the ritual and he needed the gardener to collect the herbs for it.

They set about performing the ritual, and as they gathered around her grave they bickered on what would happen once she was back.

"Well obviously I should have her, as I am the one able to perform this ceremony." said the priest

"You may perform it, but I supply it with the needed ingredients. I should be her husband." said the gardener.

"None of this would be possible if I had not found the ritual. I am the one she should be with." said the smith.

They argued throughout the entire ceremony, and their selfish, vain bickering turned the herbs sour. The earth quaked, the sky darkened, and from her grave she rose; Coral came back to life, but she was a beautiful girl no more.

"Oh all that is holy, what menace is upon is!" said the priest

Coral was now a hideous shell of her former self. Her hair, before beautiful golden locks, now was slimy dreads filled with electric charge and pulsating leafs. Her skin, once a white porcelain canvas, now a rocky field of craters and protruding rocks of purples, yellows, reds, and many other unnatural colors.

The men were so horrified, they immediately threw her off of the nearest cliff they could find. She didn't even have time to comprehend what had happened in the time she rose to the time they rejected her so heinously.

The smith went back to the person from whom he received the spell, and asked why Coral was brought back so terrible looking.

"You had the ingredients, and you had a holy - or once holy man - to perform the spell. But what you did not have was genuine love for who you wished to return to the land of the living. Your shallow affection brought her back, but brought her back only as you deserved - hideous and untouchable."

The brothers' bad karma was not over yet, as the king had found out what they had done. 

"You disrupted my daughter's eternal resting place and may have dammed her soul from heavenly grounds. There is no alliance to be had with a king who raised you three!" The king waged war, decimating the opposing kingdom and banishing the sons to live lives of nomads.

While Coral was brought back from the dead as a multicolored monster, some beauty came from her sad story. As her body fell into the water from the cliff she had been cast from, she melted into the waters and became home to millions of others who appreciated all she had to offer. She became a new kind of beauty, she became the coral reef.

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Authors Note:

I was really inspired to write this story after reading the original, so I decided to write a story instead of doing the story-lab this week.

I took some of the things the men did and turned it into their jobs in this story. One man became a monk after the girl died, so I made him a priest. Another dipped her bones into the sea, so the only thing I could think of was a smith (someone who dips hot weapons into water) and made him the one travel to travel and find the spell to bring her back. The last I made a gardener, as he was the one to build a hut and sleep on her ashes. In the original story it was all focused on how pretty she was, so I made the point that the men had no real love for her, only her appearance; and in the end, none of them got her. I didn't want to end it as a happy-ever-after story, but I didn't want her to end up as just a prospect for some other guy to marry. So I gave her a sad spin, coming back hideous instead of pretty and her name in the original story gave me an idea to make this a creation story of how the coral reef was made. From that I was also inspired by Medusa's story, she was so hideous her gaze even turned sand to stone (or a coral reef, in the greek creation story).

Reading Notes: Goblins: The Snake's Poison, Part B

Story source: Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).

A prince wakes to see his wife has been taken, unknowingly to him by a fairy named Love-Speed. He is very distraught and his family tries to console him to no avail. He gave all he had to the Brahmans and set off to search holy places for his wife. He roamed through dreaded heat. The wife of Brahmans felt bad for him, seeing him starving she gave him food to take to eat near their pond. Right as he was about to eat, a passing hawk with a snake in it's claws died and dripped poison onto his dish without him seeing it. He thought the wife of Brahmans poisoned him, and as she searched for a doctor he died. Brahmans did not believe her, and thought she poisoned him on purpose. 

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The goblin tells this story to the king, and asks who killed the man - the hawk, snake, or wife. The king said none of them were to blame, as the man was to blame for accusing the woman of poisoning him. 

Reading Notes: Goblins: The Three Lovers, Part A

Story source: Twenty-Two Goblins, translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with illustrations by Perham W. Nahl (1917).

A girl was very pretty, and she attracted the attention of three brothers. For fear of hurting the feelings of two of the three, she waited to decide who she would marry. However, one day she died. Her body was burned to ashes that one brother slept on and got food by begging, another took her bones to dip in sacred rivers, and the third traveled the world as a monk.
The monk brother found a woman who threw her child in the fire, but she brought him back to life within seconds. The monk stole the book she had used, in hopes of bringing the girl - Coral - back to life as beautiful as ever. They fought over who should have her, and went to the king to decide.
The king knew who should have her, and if he did not say he was cursed so that his head would explode. The king decided the monk did what a father would do, so he could not be the husband. The one who kept her bones did what a son should do, so he could not be the husband. The one who slept with her ashes however, did what a lover would do - so he should be the husband.

Coral is like a phoenix, from the ashes she rose. 

Reading Notes: The Three Copecks, Part A

I really loved the Dead Mother story when I was just exploring the UnTextbook, so I thought I would do some reading notes over another Russian Fairy Tale. I chose this one because I had no idea what Copecks were (Russian currency, the more you know).

The Three Copecks

A poor orphan didn't have a penny to his name, so he offered to work for one copeck a year for a rich moujik. When he was paid, he through it down a well thinking if it floated he could keep it and if it sank then he did not deserve it. The next year the same thing happened. The third year, the moujik gave him a rouble instead of a copeck. The orphan demanded a copeck and once it was recieved he threw it down the well. To his surprise, not one but three copecks were floating. He took them and went to town. In town, he saw three horrible children hurting a kitten, and gave his three copecks for it. To earn (money?) again he started working for a merchant. When the business became successful, the merchant asked the boy for his kitten to keep his goods safe from mice out at sea. The orphan agreed, warning him if he lost the cat there would be hell to pay. The merchant then went to a land far away that had never heard of cats. When the landlord offering a room to him was hoping he would die from the rat infestation, he was surprised the little cat kept him safe and killed all the rats. The landlord asked the merchant for the cat, the merchant accepted the offer of a trifle of gold, enough of it to hide the cat with. On his way home, the merchant thought to keep the gold to himself and share none with the orphan. Suddenly, a storm threatened to sink their ship. The merchant realized this was the hell to pay the orphan spoke of, and swore he would pay him back. When he arrived to shore, he gave the orphan all the gold. The orphan used it to buy incense and burn it for God. An old man appeared and asked if he wanted riches or women, and the boy said he didn't know. The old man said to ask three brothers plowing what they thought he should do. The orphan did, and the boys said to ask the eldest brother - somehow, a three year old was the oldest and he told the orphan to ask for a good wife. The orphan did, and then became a husband.

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What an odd story! The cat part got me sad - I adore animals and feel terrible just seeing roadkill. I though there would be a moral to the story... maybe it is that if you are honest and good you will be rewarded? I'm not sure, but I love the bizarre world of Russian fairy tales. 

Week 5 Story: The Crocodile's Side

It was nothing before, I do not remember where I came from and that I am only here now, looking up at this man. He is angry, he is sad. I want to help make his heart whole again. I need to help make him smile again. 

"Bring me the youth who has defiled my wife". He shows me a painting on the wall of the woman who has been tainted. 

Having a task to do for him, I eagerly dive into the water. I dive deep, and swim until I see something odd. Four wildly moving sticks, or maybe a plant of some kind, penetrate the surface and into these waters. I swim closer, but not close enough that the sun can reflect off of me. As I close the distance, I see the woman from the painting and realize these are not sticks or plants but the legs of two people. One is his wife, so the other must be the youth. With a speed I did not know I had, I strike the youth's legs and drag him to the depths. How I should make him suffer, for the suffering of my master must have revenge - but he did not say to harm him, only to bring him. So bring him I shall. 

Out of the water I crawl, and spit out this vermin to my king. He is glad to see I have accomplished what he asked, but the smile dose not reach his eyes. I am tasked with taking the youth back into the water, somewhere so deep no one will ever find him again. He bids me farewell, and commands me live a life like a natural creature would when I am done. 

After abandoning the youth in a deep cave under the water, I swim back towards the surface. I hope to see the man again, I hope him knowing that youth is forever gone will bring him peace. I break the surface just enough so that my eyes can see, as I see other creatures like me do. Off in the distance, I see a crowd and the man. They tie the wife to a pole, I assume so that no other youths will touch her again. My assumption is almost right, as no youth or anyone can touch her now that she is on fire. I cannot understand why he would do such harm to this woman, since he asked me to do so much harm to the man who courted her. If he loved her so much to hate this man enough to banish the youth to an abyss, why banish her in flames? 

I watch until the crowd disperses, leaving only the man on his knees looking up at the flames. It is very quiet now, and he is more melancholy than when we first met. He stays at the fire, until the fire is no more, and the woman is no more. In his despair, he turns to look across the water and sees me. He approaches the distance, I am so thrilled at the idea of another task that might make him happy. 

"I know no feelings other than heartache, as revenge has not snuffed out the fire in my heart like the flames that have snuffed out that harlot's existence. Do me one last task, and take me to the bottom of the lake". 

As his wish is my command, and as I only hope this will ease his pain, I do as he wishes. It takes me several moments to reach the bottom of the lake, and upon my last look at this man, he seems to have found peace in these deep waters. 

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Author's Note

I wrote this story from the crocodiles point of view. I have pretty strong feelings about cheating, but I don't agree with what the husband did so to avoid being biased I wrote the point of view from the crocodile. I wrote an extended ending of the original story, to illustrate that for most situations revenge does not fix what was broken. In the story I gave the crocodile a duckling like attachment to the scribe - he is the person who brought him to life and the first person he saw so this is my reasoning for him doing whatever he commands. He also is so new to the world, I decided to make him a little naive so he doesn't understand death, only understanding emotion and having some what of an object permanence issue (the wife is there and then the wife is gone to him - banished, not killed). I decided that if the man was so enraged by the affair to kill both the youth and his wife, it isn't such a crazy notion that he might kill himself once the dust settles. Original story. 

Reading Notes: The Golden Deer, Part B

The Golden Deer, from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

Ravana has decided to steak Sita so that Rama is left weak without her. Maricha, the partner in crime, has turned into a golden deer that was decorated in gems and stones. When Sita told Rama she wanted the deer, he lept to catch it and as his bow pierced its heart Maricha lept out of the carcass and in Rama's voice caled out for Sita. Lakshmana had been left to guard Sita, and said it was probably an illusion and that she should not go. Sita asks and prods him to go after Rama and help him, and eventually he does.
Ravana takes the opportunity to dress as a forest sage and ask Sita what is wrong, since she is sad and alone. She tells him the story and he eventually reveals who he is and asks for her hand in marriage. Sita is furious at the trickery, and jabs at his pathetic attempt to woo her when she is the wife of a courageous warrior. Insulted, Ravana turns back into his monstrous form and steals her away. On his way home, he fights a bird king.

For whatever reason this scene made me think of fight milk, a weird scheme in the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia when they try to sell crow's "milk" for an energy/gym drink 

Rama returns to the spot he left Sita, knowing she was kidnapped but having no idea where too.

Reading Notes: The Wax Crocodile, Part A

The Wax Crocodile, from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie (1907)

A wife has started cheating with a younger man in a lake, and when the husband found out he was not thrilled. He asked for a wax crocodile and then gave it life. This magical entity did whatever the husband commanded, and he commanded to be brought the youth who was sleeping with his wife. When the crocodile did, the husband sent the crocodile back to the lake where the youth was never seen again. His wife was burned at the stake for infidelity. 

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Reading Notes: Macbeth

Act 4, Scene 3 

Malcom wants to cry, and Macduff wants to kill somebody. Malcom suggests that Macduff will hand him over to Macbeth to win his favor, but Macduff says he is not a traitor. They try to think of a way to take him down, but Malcom thinks he would make no better leader as he cant keep his hands of of women and Macduff thinks he can learn to hide it from the public - but Malcolm can't stop talking down on himself. Macduff makes a speak so inspiring that Malcolm decides he will let him guide him and that he is trustworthy.
Their conversation is interrupted by a doctor who speaks of one curing by touch, and eventually Ross follows. Ross speaks of the great fall of the nation under Macbeths rule. He then reveals that Macduff's wife and children have been slaughtered. Malcom uses this info to fuel Macduff into killing Macbeth. They end the scene by deciding to go fight Macbeth.

Act 5, Scene 1

Doctor and a man speak of Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking. As they discuss it, she walks in appearing to be washing her hands, speaking of secrets and blood on her hands.

Act 5, Scene 2

Tension rises in the rebel army, they speak of how insane Macbeth has become.

Act 5, Scene 3

Macbeth is freaking out, yelling at servants and putting on armor before the battle has arrived. He learns his wife is sleepwalking. He barks orders at anyone within shouting distance, saying he has no fear until the army is past Birnam Wood.

Act 5, Scene 4 

The men are past Birnam Wood. They hide behind shrubbery to hide their numbers from the spies Macbeth surely has watching. They march.

Act 5, Scene 5

Macbeth brags that if only so many men hadn't deserted him then they would meet the opposing army to fight, but they can wait them out. He finds out his wife has died, and barely has an afterthought about it saying it would have happened eventually. A messenger tells him the forest is moving! Macbeth decides he has had enough of this thing called life, and wishes that if he dies he dies in armor and chaos.

Act 5, Scene 6 

Short and sweet, the rebels prepare for battle.

Act 5, Scene 7 

Macbeth kills a man, referencing how the only one he cares for is the one not born of a woman. Macduff swears he will be haunted forever if he is not the one who kills Macbeth.

Act 5, Scene 8

Macbeth and Macduff come face to face, Macbeth brags on how charmed his life is and how Macduff is worthless to try fighting him as he can be killed by no man born of a woman - this is when Macduff reveals he was born via cesarean. Macbeth, frightened, says he will not fight Macduff. But as we cut scenes to the rebellious army who has won, in walks Macduff with Macbeth's head.

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And so ends the tale of Macbeth. A once noble man turned merstyrant with power and greed, a once doting husband who ended a man that could not care less about the suicide of his wife. Were the witches to blame, or would he found his way to his moral demise without them?

Reading Notes: Macbeth

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Act 2, Scene 3 

A drunk gate keeper fantasizes of being the gate keeper of hell - maybe he doesn't like his job, or the king. Macbeth and friends talk, when suddenly Macduff enters wailing about his discovery - the king is dead! The sons, Malcolm and Donalbain flee in fear for their lives while Macbeth puts on quite a show for how pointless life is now that the king is dead.

Act 2, Scene 4

Ross and an old man speak of the omens and signs that the day the king died was a bad day. Macduff enters, suggesting the sons ran because they were bribed to kill their son with the prize of being king themselves. They also speak of Macbeth being crowned.

Act 3, Scene 1

Banquo ponders the possibility that things are all too good to be true for Macbeth. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter and awkward conversation ensues. When Macbeth is alone, he thinks of his fear of Banquo and of the prophecy the witches gave - him a childless king and Banquo a kingless father of kings.  Two murderers are brought to him, and Macbeth makes them believe it is Banquo's fault their lives are so terrible and not his. He orders/asks them to kill Banquo in a way that will leave him with no possible link to the crime, so he can grieve to their mutual friends without suspicion. the murderers agree.

Act 3, Scene 2 

Lady Macbeth starts to feel guilt, all these crimes will be for nothing if she does not feel happy in the end. Macbeth and her chat about how they cannot relax yet, and Macbeth seems to have learned from his mistakes before and tells her she is better left in the dark for this next part. He asks her to make Banquo feel special, as right now it is important that they act normal.

Act 3, Scene 3

The murderers attack Banquo with the help of a third man. During the struggle the torch lighting the area goes out, and on his dying breath Banquo tells his son to flee. The murderers have failed half of their duty, and leave to go warn Macbeth.

Act 3, Scene 4

The first murderer informs Macbeth that though Banquo is dead, his son escaped. Macbeth is troubled but knows his son is no threat at the moment like Banquo was. He returns to entertaining his guests when suddenly he sees the Ghost of Banquo in his chair. He starts to freak out, insisting someone is in the chair everyone else says is empty. His wife tries to cover for him, and to him berates him for freaking out over something so silly as a hallucination. After composing himself, he apologizes to his guests for his outburst. The ghost returns, Macbeth freaks out, Lady Macbeth makes fun of him, and the ghost leaves. After this repeated onslaught of craziness, Lady Macbeth orders everyone to leave. They discuss his outbursts and he says he is suspicious of Macduff, but it is late and he will see the witches tomorrow to find out more information. He thinks it will be equally hard to go back to being good as it is to keep killing (but I guess he's gonna keep on keepin on).

Act 3, Scene 5

The witches leader is pissed, apparently they told Macbeth his prophecy without her permission. But all will be well, as he is coming tomorrow and they can right their wrong. They will make him crazier with more illusions. The witches talk trash on Macbeth, that he is spoiled and will mock death like only a fool would.

Act 3, Scene 6

Lennox think's Banquo's son must have murdered him, since he his no where to be found. Here he mentions how great of Macbeth it was to kill those two servants before they even woke up. But apparently all do not see Macbeth is so great, as Macduff and Malcolm are seeking alliances to overthrow Macbeth. Macbeth had ordered Macduff to return and he refused. Lennox ends things by saying Macduff should return, and free them from the bad king that is Macbeth.

Act 4, Scene 1 

The witches are busy making a charm when Macbeth enters, demanding answers. They make an apparition appear that can read his thoughts. One tells him to beware Macduff. A second apparition appears, stating he should fear no man born of a woman. The third says that he will never be defeated until Birnam Wood comes against him at Dunsinane Hill. As Macbeth demands to know if Banquo's children will reign, he is once again met with Banquo's ghost. The dead Banquo is happy to show Macbeth that at least 8 of his descendants will rule. Finding out from Lennox that Macduff has fled, he is angry that he did not act on his impulse when he had the chance and vows to be impulsive in the future.

Act 4, Scene 2

Lady Macbeth expresses anger that Macbeth is gone and Ross tries to ease her nerves that Macbeth knows what he's doing. Lady Macbeth talks of him being dead, and tells her son that Macbeth is a traitor. A messenger interrupts their conversation to warn them that something bad comes this way, and they should leave while they can. The murderers enter soon after, and man oh man are they angry. They stab Lady Macbeths son for being the son of a traitor, as they say Macbeth is. Lady Macbeth flees as she is chased by the murderers, carrying her dead son.

Comment Wall

Storybook: Lady Macbeth

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Did the witches make her evil? 

Or was she evil all along? 

Could a great enough temptation bend your morals? 

Story Lab: crash course in mythology

I was going to write another story, but I ended up watching the three videos about mythology.

Video 1

I have never found mythology to be difficult, maybe because I'm book worm I don't know - but I love all the different ways stories can be told and relate to actual events.

Oh wow - I love how they pointed out the line between myth and religion is blurry. Whether my opinion has been made with mistaken information learned or not, I have always said the reason Greek Mythology is Mythology - is because everyone who used to believe in all the "gods" are now dead! Religion is so vast and ever changing, in the concept of time as our existence on earth as sentient beings. However, having made that statement publicly/online I looked it up and apparently that isn't totally the case; around the 1990's ancient greek religious practices were brought back and was declared a religion again in 2017.

Significance is a great point, because we often tell stories to children because it is more engaging to get them interested in a story where they evaluate the theme or morals rather than by telling them point blank. Staying powerful reminds me of one of my first posts, the things that makes us different from all other organisms is our communication - and unlike wales and dolphins or other animals that communicate, we often do so in an abstract way.

I have heard the story of Persephone a million times, but I really enjoyed the use of animation and the animation they chose to tell the story.

I love the idea of myth as primitive science, because that is what it was many times (imo)! I learned in Latin in high school that they had gods for everything back then - as an example my teacher said if they didn't know how pencil sharpeners sharpened pencils, then they would think there is a god inside the sharpener making it happen.

The ideas that myths are useless is like saying reading fiction is useless, and myths are the historical foundation of fiction and pretty much all books! Yes, using myths as scientific explanation is absurd now, but myths have many things to offer. Reading for enjoyment alone could increase survival by 23%! There are many other articles and links supporting this, I just chose the first I had read about it to share.

This narrator was a bit dorky, but I really enjoyed his enthusiasm. So far this video has been very thought provoking and I hope anyone reading this enjoys the two links on related(ish) subjects I found.

Video 2

I love the art they showed in this video, mainly because I took a gods and heroes in art class last year.

I think it is absolutely bonkers that mythology is tied into how the nazi's furthered their agenda!

At the end of the day, most of the theories have something to offer. There is not going to be a one fits all theory for why we tell myths because there are many reasons to; moral guidance, explanations for the unknown, justifying our actions, or just because we are bored. Myths are the pre-books that I believe our ancestors used for all of those reasons and more. I also believe the reason we have so many people today analyzing and arguing about them is that we can't actually find the answer - until we find a time machine, we will never know the true meaning behind myths and since we can't, I don't think we (as a species) will lose interest in them.

Video 3

This video reminds me a lot of, surprise, my gods and heroes class. We spent an entire month learning about Hercules trials and his sub-plot adventures. The seven girl story was interesting, and brutal, and reminded me at the end of my own story about Narcissus/Empathus realizing without knowing the worth of others or worth beyond your appearance you can't know true value (vanquish self). 

End Thoughts

While I like reading and writing stories, it can be overwhelming. After seeing the longish list of topics to browse for story lab I thought writing a story would be easier, but when I saw those videos I was really interested to learn more about mythology as a subject. I'm glad I watched them!

I really had no idea what image to use for this post - so here is a picture of an opossum I found trapped behind my house and grill last year! Angel, my dog, was all excited and acting weird coming in and out of the house repeatedly; eventually I realized she wanted me to meet her new "friend". I moved the grill, and with the friendly nudge of a broom, he left out the same hole in the fence I'm assuming he came in.

Reading Notes: Ovid’s Metamorphoses - Perseus and Medusa, Part B

Ovid's Metamorphoses: Perseus and Medusa, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

Perseus stabs a monster repeatedly, making it vomit as it torments it in battle. Perseus drives into overkill, stabbing the monster until he hears applause from the people he has saved. Having done his part in the bargain, he will now marry the beautiful Andromeda. During the celebration, he sets Medusa's head on the ground which turns the green plants into stone coral. Sea nymphs try the head's magic on other plants and are delighted by the magic.  

In a shrine to the gods, Perseus sacrifices a cow to Athena and a bull to Zeus. The wedding ceremony starts, with many rich guests and even Dionysus joining the party. Perseus takes a request to tell the story of how he acquired Medusa's head: 

He sneaked past the Gorgon's who share one eye, and after finding Medusa turning men to stone with her gaze he used his shield to look upon her - waiting until she was asleep to cut off her head; after this event, Pegasus and Chrysaor were born from her neck hole. 

A prince asks why she alone had snakes for hair, and the tale of Medusa is recounted:

Medusa was a gorgeous woman who had the best hair above all other women, it was the key feature to her beauty. Poseidon, like his brother, had no ability to restrain himself and took her against her will - in the temple of Athena no less. Athena, unable to punish Poseidon, chose to take her anger out on Medusa by changing her into a Gorgon but with snakes for hair - whose head and snakes now decorate Athena's aegis.  

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Reading Notes: Ovid’s Metamorphoses - Callisto, Part A

Ovid's Metamorphoses: Callisto, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

While on duty searching for damage from fires and floods, Zeus stumbles upon Callisto in her employee-of-the month-status with Artemis. He quickly falls in lust with the favorite nymph of the Goddess of hunt.

Fearing being caught by his wife, Zeus changes his form to appear as Artemis. At first, Callisto falls for the charade but too little too late when she realizes her mistake she is already being kidnapped by Zeus. 

When Callisto is returned, she tries to hide the affair (if we are going to call it that) from Artemis but sure enough when its time to hit the showers it is revealed - Callisto is pregnant, and now banished. 

Hera knew what happened from the beginning, and decided this time revenge was best served cold (and to the wrong person) in the form of turning poor Callisto into a bear right after giving birth. 

15 years later, Callisto's son - unaware of the fate of his mother - is hunting and sees a bear; unknown to him this is her, he proceeds to shoot her with his arrow and in the nick of time, Zeus of all people, stops him. Ending the tragic tale of these two lives, he throws them to the stars to become apart of the constellation.

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Topic Research

Here I explored Macbeth on Wikipedia and I have an idea to write a story about Lady Macbeth being behind all the mayhem. Unlike Macbeth, she has no hesitation to killing the king to become queen herself, and that made me think of her scheming with the witches to entice her husband to commit the murder and tell the story from her point of view as a villain. It will tell the entire story, in a much more condensed form - This could be an entire storybook in itself broken up as:

Introduction: Lady Macbeth's unhappiness with her status, meeting the witches and asking them to help her become queen (starting out without malice).

• Link for witches:
• Sacred Texts
• British Library

1. She receives the letter confirming the witches have started the chain of events and becomes malicious. Here she plots, and then commits the act with her husband, continuously manipulating him to keep killing others

2. She is haunted by the same ghosts that Hamlet is, where they guilt her for manipulating him and pointing out she is still worthless even as a queen - will she feel guilt? Rage? I'm not sure yet.

• Links for ghosts:
• Sacred Texts
• British library

3. Hamlet kills himself instead, and she is left with the aftermath. Once revealed, they mistake her for a witch rather than someone who asked witches for help and they burn her at the stake.

• Salem witch trials:
• Wikipedia

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Feedback Strategies

Be a Mirror 

by Gravity Goldberg 

Being specific is beneficial for feedback because generalizations can be broad and intimidating, just like large plans versus small goals. Specific feedback gives someone a task to do. In the military, it wasn’t “this room is dirty, clean it” it was “your bed isn’t made” or “the floor needs to be mopped”. I’m not sure why that’s what I thought of when I hear “be specific” but it’s similar in direction.

The second quality was a great point also. For story feedback pointing out what isn't there, is again, a general/broad term and not as helpful. “Her backstory is missing” verses “can you elaborate why she did this”. Although, I’m not sure if that's a great understanding of their point (the author of the article).

Process can apply to the flow of the story, commenting on someone’s ability to transition and how these moments can be more fluid.

The fourth quality also can apply to transition, because it’s making sure things can transfer. However, their example didn’t really clarify what they meant by it (to me).

The ending is the best advice by far, being unbiased is the only way you should give feedback IMO. I might dislike sappy romance stories, but many people do not and therefore I should either give feedback as someone who likes these stories or focus on the story telling method verses whats being told.

Why do so many managers avoid giving praise? 

By Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman

This one caught my eye because one of my first jobs at Best Buy focused on giving praise as much as they could to their employees who did well, verses now as an IT Specialist we only receive feedback if we did something wrong.

Just as puppies and babies respond better to positive feedback, I think adult humans do too. Negative feedback is more constructive, but I believe that takes a certain mindset to appreciate whereas most people will appreciate positive feedback.

Overall, I found the feedback gallery the most helpful - but that's probably because it's about this class and had great examples written by students who had previously taken it. I have a hard time with confronting people, but I don't think I will struggle here; I find critiquing paintings (generally my own) easy to do in a positive/constructive way - and isn't writing just another form of art?

From the article: The Six Qualities of Good Feedback

Week 3 Story: Empathy Meets Narcissism

My mother always told me, that I am not great unless I do great things, and that I cannot do great things if I do not see and appriciate the great things others do. Though she never told me the prophecy that urged her to always remind me this, I always wonder what that prophet said.

***

It is a sunny day, here in the forest. I have many dates planned, there are so many wonderful women who find an interest in me that I cannot decide on just one. Their interest is a wonder to me in itself, as I am just one man; but, any relationship whether platonic or more is a relationship to have as all people have something to offer. However, since so many of these beautiful women women like my appearance - maybe I am more than just one man? Maybe, I have something to offer with my looks alone?

His thoughts are interrupted. As he passes a pond, he notices something strange.
What is this? 

He attempts to wave at the person in the pond, but the person does not respond as they stare in adoration.

It is just a pond, but if it is just that, how can someone be on the other side? 

He ponders, as this person touches the surface, making the water ripple. The person looks as if it is trying to embrace the surface, even try to kiss it.

It is as if he doesn’t know I am here, and yet there is something so familiar about this stranger in this weird pond… And it is not that it is a stranger, it is me! This must be evil magic of some kind. 

He runs away, frightened by the realization.

***

At home, he confronts his mother. 

Mother: Empathus, what is wrong? You look so distressed?

Empathus: I was in the forest, and upon looking in a pond I saw myself in another world!

Mother: I was afraid one day something like this would happen, please, sit down.

Empathus takes a seat.

Mother: Many years ago, when you were born, a prophet told me that you would do many great things in life and live a long wholesome life - but only if you did not discover yourself.

Empathus: what could that even mean?

Mother: I am afraid it is this occurrence is what was foretold.

Empathus: So it is simple, I will never enter that forest again.

Mother: No! Those who seek to change their fates always meet them tenfold. Remember Uranus? Remember Cronus? They tried to stop the inevitable! Had they allowed events to unfold naturally, maybe they would have survived their prophecies.

Empathus: Then what am I to do?

Mother: There is nothing more you can do, but discover yourself. See what this portal shows you, and learn from it.

***

Back in the forest, Empathus finds the pond once more.
Alright, Inevitable, what have you to reveal. 

Within the pond, he can now hear himself speak in the otherworld. He hears himself speak of adoration for his own face, yet act in anger and melancholy that he cannot be with the one person worthy of his affection - himself. His once young reflection starts to fade, becoming old and grey. Starved and dying, he disintegrates into nothing, alone.

This, this cannot be my fate. My face is not my worth, nor is anyone’s face. Life means more than a face. My life, my worth, is deeper than my flesh, and I cannot prove my worth beneath my flesh without virtuous action. This was the lesson to be taught, that I must know true till the end of my days. 

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Author’s Note:

The idea came to me to make Narcissus the opposite of himself, as humble person who values others more than himself as his mother raised him to be, as she feared the prophecy. Instead of narrating it just from that perspective alone, I chose to tell a story from the other side of his reflection - sort of like a one way glass that is a portal into a parallel but opposite universe; he is humble, and instead of falling in love with his reflection he sees what he could be if he had discovered himself as the prophecy had claimed. Though his mother did her best to raise him right, by not revealing the prophecy she didn’t give him all the knowledge to handle his “fate” the best way he could. Many greek stories have characters try to avoid “fate” and things are much worse. Like Uranus and Cronus, if they had just accepted that their sons would become rulers in their place one day maybe they wouldn't have been castrated or imprisoned. I decided to have Empathus be a humble person, but that he would still grow up to be a narcissist if he did not see the consequences to understanding beauty is only skin deep (having many girls ask him out started to have an effect on how he viewed himself). I decided to name him Empathus because empathy is more or less the opposite of narcissism. In this story, unlike greek mythology, fate and prophecies are not so much a guarantee but a warning of what will occur if actions are not corrected.

The original story can be found here.

Reading Notes: Ovid’s Metamorphoses - Narcissus, Part B

Ovid's Metamorphoses: Narcissus, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

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A woman, one among many, is rejected and curses Narcissus to only be able to love himself. One day when Narcissus is walking in the forest, he sees his reflection in water and thinks it is not himself but the most beautiful person in existence. He questions who it could be, one of the gods probably. Any time he tries to drink water, touch the person below it, or kiss the image the ripple destroys the person’s appearance. He realizes it is in fact himself, and he becomes depressed when he cannot be with himself. So distraught, he stops eating and sleeping - never taking his eyes off the reflection of the pool. No one else has ever felt this love, and no one else has ever felt this pain Narcissus expresses as he aches to be with himself. He cries about the cruelty of his reflection appearing to respond to his approach, only for the image to be distorted when he finally makes contact with it. He protests about the fact that it is a one sided conversation, and that he can only see smiles or tears returning his own.

“My riches make me poor” - his own beauty is his downfall. No matter what he wishes to do, he stays and stares at his reflection. Echo, a forest nymph who was once rejected by him, finds him at the end of his existence suffering and dying. Once mad, she now feels pity and sees him off to the other side. When his family comes to collect his remains, they only find a flower in its place.

The Narcissus Flower

Reading Notes: Ovid’s Metamorphoses - Io, Part A

Ovid's Metamorphoses: Io, translated by Tony Kline (2000)

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Zeus (Jupiter) has the hots for the help (priestess of Hera -Io), and Hera (Juno) once again overreacts and attacks the girl - letting her shady husband more-or-less off the hook.

Jupiter, having no ability to tolerate rejection, kidnaps Io as she flees from him. Juno notices something is different in the air and when she also notices her husband is gone, she knows it is no coincidence. Feeling her presence upon him, Jupiter quickly turns Io into a cow (Moo-O). Enter Juno, who appreciates how pretty this cow is asks where it came from and Jupiter feeds her some nonsense about the cow coming from earth. Juno retorts with, Well if this is just a mere earth cow then you won’t mind if I keep her? Jupiter does what only Jupiter would do - gives his stolen lady-friend-turned-heifer to his wife.

Knowing Jupiter has pulled some metamorphosis schemes before, Juno charges Argus to keep an eye (or hundred) on the cow. Apparently Io had not noticed until now that her hands were hooves, and upon seeing her reflection ran away scared into the night.

Throughout some clever pictionary, Io was able to tell her family that she was in fact the cow they found. Upon the news, her father is more upset that he has to find a bull instead of a boyfriend for his daughter. Argus finds her and rips her away from her family, guarding her even more securely this time.

Mercury (one of Jupiter's many children born not from Juno) has been tasked by Jupiter to kill Argus. Dressed like a shepherd, Mercury converses with Argus until he finds a moment to poke him with his sleepy-stick. The moment Argus is asleep. Mercury cuts off his head. Devastated, Juno takes his eyes and thus the peacock’s feathers are born.

Io is revealed and in Juno’s grief and anger she sends the Furies after her. After Jupiter finally saw that the girl had been tortured enough (having done nothing wrong too) he begs his wife to end the onslaught by promising he will never go after Io again (only Io). Io’s body is restored, though she will probably never be the same again.