Mythology and Folklore

Late at night, Rabbit and Possum were searching for food to survive the night. The winter had been hard on the two friends, but they had remained steadfast to each other throughout the season. Nevertheless, it was necessary for them to find some food or perish. Thus, the two friends decided to search some of the neighborhoods next to the woods they called home. Meticulously Rabbit and Possum went to house after house, rummaging through the trash bins to look for food that would survive them for the night. Yet, they continued to fail to find their nourishment. The two friends were soon becoming alarmed as they knew there was no chance that they would survive the night without food. However, as they approached a quiet house on the corner on the neighborhoods, Rabbit came across a pleasant surprise. Sitting ripely underneath the balcony of the porch was a tasty trove of leafy greens for both the Possum and Rabbit to eat. Rabbit quickly became eager and urged Possum to join him to steal th...

Part B of the Great Plains unit is similar to Part A in that is a collection of short stories. Also similar to Part A is the emphasis on animals. A particular animal story that caught my attention was Why the Possum Plays Dead. The title of the story was what made me to choose and write about the story as I have always wondered why the possum chooses to play dead. Normally short stories such as this one tend to give an explanation of the a real world phenomenon, so I was interested in seeing how this Native American story from the Great Plains explained the possum's actions. The focus of the animals is seen through the personification of both the rabbit and possum. The animals are given the ability to speak and be understood by the reader, and as such, they are the main characters of the story. I was somewhat confused by the setting of the story when they mentioned how they wanted to get married. Were the animals visiting villages of humans or people and who exactly were the anim...

Similar to the California and Southwest unit of the Native American stories I read last week, the Great Plain stories were a collection of stories from Native American tribes commonly found in the Great Plains. The story I singled out was The Eagle's Revenge. This was notable to me as it referenced the Cherokee tribe which is quite well known from East Texas where I am from. There is even a lake called Lake Cherokee near by! Reading The Eagle's Revenge was quick but it was interesting, and there is plenty to unpack. I wonder first what the significance of the animals used in the story are, as they are crucial to the development of the plot. My research into the significance of the bald eagle in Cherokee Culture led me to find that it is held in the highest regard by the Cherokee people. It was believed that the Creator made the eagle the master of the sky, and its symbolism is os significant that Cherokee boys were given eagle feathers to symbolize their transition to manhood....

Last week felt like such a long week as I had a test and essay due. Thankfully it is over, and I can look forward to being less stressed this week. Overall, I enjoyed the reading I had for the week. I do not have much experience reading Native American stories, so reading the California and southwestern collection of stories introduced to me a new culture of readings. I was also excited this week to have done my second story for my storybook. It was the second of three stories and focuses on Artemis. Greek mythology has always been a fascination of mine since I read Percy Jackson as an elementary school kid, so being bale to write my own Greek mythology stories is a fun endeavor. Additionally, I really enjoy being able to read the storybooks and portfolios of other students. Some of the ideas are so creative and out there that I just cannot imagine how my fellow students come up with them. A particular favorite of mine is the Hercules email inbox. I love hoe the website is set up as a ...

This week on twitter I followed The Big Event at OU. I am currently on the Big Event Exec, so a critical part of my job is to spread the message and any events that we have to the students of the university. Twitter is a great to do that as many students are users. Additionally, a Sooner football account called Sooner Gridiron as it keeps me updated with anything to with Sooner football!

The Earthmaker was lonely as he remained in a state of perpetual darkness and loneliness. As he wandered around the darkness, he wondered to himself what he could do to make his surrounds more pleasant. Thus, the Earthmaker set forth to create the world as we know it. He first decided to create the fertile soil so that whoever he may put on this new world could grow nutritious crops to feed themselves. From his neck, he took off some dust and used it to sprinkle the ground of the new world. As the dust gently touched the ground, soil grew rapidly in all directions. With the soil placed down, the Earthmaker decided to bring light to this world. He grabbed the newly ground nd meticoulsy formed a ball of soil. With a fling of his arm, he through the ball into the sky where it soon began to radiate its bright rays. Immediately, the ground responded to the sudden warmth, as if it could sense the beginning of a new friendship. Nevertheless, the Earthmaker knew his work was for from done. He...

Part B of the California and the Southwestern Legends is similar to Part A in that is a collection short stories from the region. Specifically, I read The Boy Who Became A God. It is from the Navajo people of Arizona and New Mexico. The story mentions the brothers are part of the Tolchini, which are a clan of the Navajo. My research failed to bring up any new information of this clan, so perhaps it is a small sect of the Navajo community. I also did look up Wind Mountain and happened to find that it is located in Washington and Oregon. This is interesting as the Navajo are mainly associated with the Southwest and go mainly as north as Utah and Colorado. Regarding the story, it is interesting to see the influence of animals among the Navajo tribe. Sheep, crows, and deer all play a prominent role in the story, particularly the sheep. The sheep, as mentioned in the note before the story, highlights the importance of the sheep among the community. While researching sheep among the Navajo,...

The California and Old Southwest unit of the Native American readings are collection of many myths and folktales. This includes stories from California, New Mexico, and Arizona. In particular, I read The Creation of the World. I was attracted to this story as I had read the story of Adam and Eve from the Biblical unit and wanted to compare the two cultures in how they detail the origin of the world. The Creation of the World centers around not an ambiguous god or lord, but rather a creator named the Earth Doctor. While researching the Earth Doctor, I found no information elaborating on the specifics of this creator. However, the note above the story details how the Earth Doctor is from the Pima people of central and southern Arizona, so perhaps this Earth Doctor is isolated to their community. Regarding the story itself, it is interesting to see how the Earth Doctor chose which parts of the world to exist first. The Adam and Eve story centers around the creation of the first humans. P...

There was once a mother Blue Crane who looked after five of her children. One day, while feeding her child in the wetland areas of the Western Cape, a brown hyena approached her. He demanded that the Blue Crane give up one of her children or else he would swim across and take her entire family. The Blue Crane was immensely worried. Here she was, a small and weak mother bird, merely trying to take care of her family. As she sat in her nest pondering of what to do, she came up with an idea. She yelled to the hyena to give her another day to choose which of the five children she would give up. The hyena, knowing that he was guaranteed a meal tomorrow, quickly agreed and head off. Now the Blue Crane was in a conundrum. What could she do to save her children? As she thought, she remembered the favor she had done to the queen of the lands, the Lioness. Just recently Blue Crane had informed Lioness of her son's willingness to explore the lands late at night, a behavior that easily worri...

Like Part A of the South African Tales, Part B is very animal focused. This is not surprising due to the prominence of animals in African stories typically, and it is story type that I have always found interesting to read. While this is a short story, there is a lot to unpack as well as I could add in a potential story retelling. The three animals, Jackal, Dove, and Heron, all play an integral role in the plot of the story. What I found interesting is the common pattern of using three animals or humans in a story and the title. This was seen when I read the Indian tales about the Brahman, Jackal, and Tiger, as well as my previous South African story of the Lion, Jackal and the Man. Perhaps there is some significance to using three titular characters for the stories across cultures. Reading this story, the main lesson taken away is how the heron's neck becomes bent. Most short stores tend to be significant in that have a meaning or explanation of some real world phenomenon. What I...

The South African Folk tales are a collection of short stories that have a heavy focus on animals from Africa, Many of the stories are about elephants, lions, jackals, or even ostriches. In particular I read the story, The Lion, The Jackal, and The Man . The story title reminded me of the story The Brahman, The Tiger, and The Jackal, from the Indian short stories which is why I immediately chose to read this short story. Like the Indian story, this story has a dominant animal, the Indian one being the tiger and the South African story being a lion. Additionally, both stories eventually lead to the fall or defeat of the lion and tiger. Also notable is how the jackal is common to both stories. My research of jackals led me to find that they are commonly located in India and Africa, so it really is not a surprise that they are in both stories. Moreover, I found out that the jackal is a close relative of the coyote and are often depicted as a clever, witty animal in numerous myths and folk...

I am satisfied with the progress that I have made so far this semester. I have been able to complete all the required assignments so far, and I intend to continue to do so as this class heads to its final weeks. I do wish I was more strict on completing extra credit assignments as I do have the time to do so but have just lacked the discipline. In terms of my blog and website, I feel like I have a good handle on the schematics and control, and I have not really been limited in my ability to use either platform. Looking forward, I plan on exploring more of the blog and website options so I can perhaps enhance the presentation of both. Additionally, I hope to really analyze the comments of my classmates and Dr. Gibbs to improve my writing. Wikimedia: For an image that will motivate me the rest of the semester, I have chosen the classic "Keep Calm and Carry on" sign. 

I would say that the comments that I have received so far have been very helpful in improving my writing both in my blog and storybook. Specifically for my storybook, the comments have allowed me to configure my website in a way that is more accessible for the users. Additionally, the comments have given me some great ideas to improve my storybook. For example, because of my comments, I am thinking of making my website more like the common app by creating resumes for my Greek figures, admission requirements, and more details in my intro. I feel like my comments have been helpful for other students. I really try to focus on concrete aspects of their stories that can enhance the story or make it less confusing for the reader. Commenting has also allowed me to interact with others in the class which is something that I have not experienced before in my other online classes. Looking forward, I hope my classmates continue to critique my writing and storybook so that I can continue to improv...

Reflecting back on my coursework this year, I am satisfied with my progress in my blog and storybook. This is the first time that I have ever blogged, so it is a new but rewarding experience. I enjoy being able to read stories from different cultures. Additionally, completing the reading notes each week has allowed me to keep the stories fresh in my mind while I retell the stories later in the week. My favorite stories to read were the Indian fairy tales as I enjoy fun, and short stories with a witty ending. These stories remind me of my childhood reading stories like these often which probably explains my attraction to them when I am in a new unit. I think my biggest accomplishment in this class is truly engaging and understanding with the stories. Some of the stories are from cultures that I do not really know, so I have really tried to understand research the stories so that I can grow my knowledge. Looking forward, I am excited to continue my storybook project. I was really excite...