Famous Last Words: My Best Writing

Writing. Scrapbookoftruth.net

Writing is not something that has ever come easy for me. I am from an extremely small high school in literally the middle of nowhere and graduated from that school not even knowing how to properly write an essay. You can imagine that moving to a college setting, where writing is an extremely vital skill to have, I was lost. I visited the Writing Center on the University of Oklahoma campus more times than I can count and I worked with my professors to build my writing habits.

I have found that my habits in writing have changed somewhat in this course. Normally, I have to write somewhere where it is extremely silent. I can't have any background noise or distractions. However, in this course, I have found that my best writing happens in the lounge of the residence hall I live in. There is always a lot of activity happening here, and I write best for this class when there is some background noise. I think this has to do with the nature of the stories I have chosen to read in this course. For the most part, the stories I have read have been upbeat, fun, and somewhat whimsical.

I have also found that I like reading stories about different cultures more than I thought I did. I feel like I learned so much outside of writing in this course and I am really thrilled about that. This truly is one of my most favorite classes I have taken here because I have truly enjoyed what I was reading. In the past, I haven't always enjoyed what I was reading, but I liked that I had a choice of what to read and could choose the stories I wanted to read each week.

Week Thirteen Essay: Dante's Inferno

Dante's Infero. WikiCommons.

This week, I read the unit entitled Dante's Inferno. I chose this unit simply for the reason that I have heard about it many times before and knew the main premise of the story, but had never actually read it before. It was a story that I first heard about in high school and I was always so perplexed that someone could write a story like this. After reading it, I still agree with the fact that this is a story that is hard to imagine and was very interesting.

It is hard to pick out a favorite story because they all run together to make one long story. I do like the continuity of each story building on the one before it and creating one large and overarching theme and story within the unit. That being said, I didn't really have a favorite or least favorite story, as they were all important to the overall story as a whole.

The language used in this story was much more archaic than I had expected. Furthermore, there was much more symbolism used that I had anticipated. There were many times that I was completely lost because I didn't know much about the topic, story, or individual the author was alluding to in his writing. Many times, I would have to stop in the middle of a reading, go research something that the author was talking about and come back to start reading the story again. The background information provided in the unit was so helpful, but I still wanted to know more, so I went and did some background research as well in nearly every story.

This story fit into my goals for the class because it put me outside of my comfort zone while reading. Everything from the topic of this story to the symbolization used are things I am not used to in my reading or writing.

Week Thirteen: Dante's Inferno

This week, I decided to read Dante's Inferno. I have heard about this work many times in the past but have never actually read it. I figured this would be a great excuse to read a piece of literature that I have always heard about but don't know much about. This is also very different than the types of stories I have been reading in the past in this class so it will be interesting to change it up.

Dante and Virgil 
The story begins in a dark wood where the way could not be seen. The author, Dante, feared for his life, although he was sleeping. He finally reached the foot of a hill and saw the rays of the sun. His fear became calmer and he decided to rest for a while. He then saw a leopard and ran from it, as it did not run from him. All of a sudden, a lion appeared and even the air itself was afraid. Then in the distance, Dante saw a man and cried out to him. The man answered that he was Virgil, the poet. Virgil instructed Dante to take a different road to escape that wretched place. Virgil then decides to be Dante's guide through Hell so that he could escape that evil and they went on their way.

The Gate of Hell and Charon 
Dante entered the gate to hell and saw above it a dark message inscribed on the wall. Then the two men walked through the gate and onward to hidden things. There were many harsh sounds all around Dante and he learned that they were the never able to die and would always live in darkness. They continued through the wretched place.

Limbo
This story begins with Dante and his guide coming to the shore of Acheron, which was filled with cruel people who blasphemed against God. Charon, a demon near the shore, hit those individuals who stayed near with his oar. This was the place of all who die subject to God's anger. Dante then entered the First Circle: Limbo - The Heathens. Dante found himself on the side of a valley of a sad abyss. They entered the circle and heard nothing but sighing that made the air quiver. There were many individuals who were lost and tormented. Dante was overcome with sadness at the people and saw how they lived in limbo.

Poets and Philosophers, Heroes and Heroines 
Dante and his guide continued to move through Limbo and passed many great poets, Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan. They welcomed Dante and made him one of their own. Dante and Virgil continued on and came to the base of a castle. Once inside the castle, they found many important people including Kings, Queens, and other important individuals. He then saw Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates and all the philosophers in the castle. Then he came to a region of darkness.

Paolo and Francesca
This story begins with the Second Circle: Minos - The Carnal Sinners. Dante and Virgil found that this circle was much more painful, as there were many howls and screams. The Minos stands at the entrance of this circle and sends the wicked down as far as he deems necessary according to their crimes. Dante and his guide passed Minos and entered a dark place of much moaning and crying. Virgil then began to tell Dante about each of the sinners they passed including Semiramis, Empress, Dido, Cleopatra, Achilles, Paolo and Francesca. Francesca told him of her pitiful existence and Dante fainted out of pity.

Cerberus and Plutus
Dante then regained his senses after fainting in the Third Circle: Cerberus - The Gluttonous. Then there were more tormented souls in every direction in the cold, heavy rain. Ceberus was a fierce and strange monster with three heads who constantly tortured the souls living there. They kept moving into the Fourth Circle: Plutus - The Avaricious. Plutus croaked many strange phrases at the pair and confused them in the dark place. Dante did not recognize anyone in this circle.

Fortune and Phlegyas 
Virgil then began to tell Dante about Fortune and how she is concealed like a snake in the grass. The pair kept moving and saw a dark blue-grey water and the souls there were eating each other. Virgil told Dante that there were the souls overcome by anger. Then they came to the Fifth Circle: Phylegyas: The Wrathful. They came to the base of a high tower and saw the foul waters below them. A little boat came towards them through the waves and they climbed aboard to continue their journey.

The Fallen Angels 
This story begins as Virgil and Dante enter the City of Dis, located in deep Hell. All along the walls were fallen angels around the gates and who called out to the pair in a confused state. They entered the city and saw the lord's face, devoid of all expression. Dante asked the man if any others had made the journey to hell as he is making and he noted that it is a rare occurrence.

The Furies and Heretics 
Dante and Virgil then saw three Furies that looked like Medusa who were tearing at themselves with their claws. The pair turned their eyes as the actual Medusa was coming and could turn them to stone. Then over the waves came a loud noise and a strong wind, scattering many spirits in its wake. It was a messenger from Heaven, named Stygian who helped them. The pair kept moving and entered the Sixth Circle: Dis - The Heretics. Dante looked around and saw much torment as flames made everything red-hot. These were the arch-heretics and were made to suffer.

The Minotaur and Centaurs 
Dante and Virgil continued down and reached just above the Seventh Circle: The Minotaur. They saw the creature, chained to the mountain and walked past him descending to the seventh circle. They walked over fallen masses of rocks and came to the First Ring: The Centaurs: The Violent. All around the pair, centaurs raced and were carrying weapons. Then, three centaur leaders came forward and asked why they were there. The centaurs bade them goodbye and told them to leave.

The Harpies and Capaneus
Dante and Virgil then continued their journey along the red-hot blood where those being boiled were yelled loudly. People were as far in the blood as their eyebrows and the centaur said that those were the individuals who indulged in blood including Alexander the Great. They then entered the Second Ring: The Harpies - The Suicides. In this circle, there was a wood that was dusky in color and full of thorns. The Harpies, winged creatures made this place their home. They kept walking to the Third Ring: The Violent Against God. There were many people here laying on the ground or crouched. There were cries of pain and flakes of fire falling from the sky. It was a world of eternal heat and burning flesh.

The Old Man of Crete and Geryon 
The pair continued on and they found a place where the red stream came out of the wood. The guide told Dante that there was a deserted island in the middle of the sea named Crete where the world was pure. The stream they were looking at was from a different world. They then left the wood and came across a beast. It was a hairy man with the body of a serpent. They moved towards the beast.

Descending on Geryon's Back 
Dante and Virgil climbed atop the back of the beast and descended to hell. The creature shook all over, and began to fall. As they went down, Dante could hear moaning and saw fire and knew that he must keep his eyes forward. They then entered the Eighth Circle: Malebolge, were all the stone is colored like iron and there are many cliffs. In that place, there were ten moats and bridges that run to the base of the cliffs. Geryon then shook them from his back and they then moved forward.

Jason and the Demons
Within Malebolge, there are many chasms including the first of the pimps and the seducers. They saw Jason, robber of the Golden Fleece there and kept moving. They then came to the second chasm of the flatterers and heard people hitting and scratching themselves. The pair kept moving forward and Virgil told Dante to hide behind a rock since he had no fear. Many demons came forward and Virgil spoke directly to the demon Malacoda. Suddenly, many demons appeared and they were surrounded.

Caiaphas
As Virgil and Dante were surrounded by many demons, they were told they had to go around, as the last arch was broken. Virgil told Dante not to be afraid, as they kept moving. They then found a group of individuals wearing cloaks and moving in a slow step: the hypocrites. A man in the group, a friar, passed a cross to Virgil.

Ulysses and Diomede
This story begins with Dante standing on a bridge and almost falling off due to the spirits in the fire. Virgil told Dante that in the next area, Ulysses and Diomede are tormented in punishment and have to constantly endure it. Ulysses' story was then told to Dante from his past and thee pair then traveled through the ninth chasm where the "sowers of discord" like Mohammad and the tenth chasm where the "falsifiers" are found.

The Giants
The pair passed through the valley safely and saw many giants around the pit and Dante was very afraid. The giants were huge, much large than any elephant or whale. They had long faces and savage mouths. They met many giants including Nimrod, Ephilates, and Antaeus. Virgil and Dante then continued on through the eighth circle of hell and its many chasms to the ninth circle to meet Count Ugolino.

Ugolino
Next, Dante was two spirits in a hole. One was gnawing on the head of the other. Count Ugolino told his story of grief and how he was forced to eat his own sons corpses in the tower of famine after they were imprisoned. He could not tell his whole story and began gnawing on the other spirit again in despair.

Satan
This story begins with the words, "The banners of the King of the Inferno advance." Virgil and Dante moved forward, against the wind, past many who were being tortured. Then they saw Lucifer, a large spirit who was once so fair. He stood up from the ice he was sitting in and the evil flowed from him. Dante was three faces on his head. He chewed a sinner between his teeth and Dante learned that it was Judas Iscariot. The pair then had to climb along Satan's body to get out, as they had seen all of hell.

Week Twelve Essay: Beowulf

Beowulf. Matherart.

This week, I read one of my most favorite stories from my high school literature class: Beowulf. I definitely enjoyed the readings this week. I found that I really enjoy when units have a flow of a story that happens in it rather than a lot of smaller, short stories. This way, the reader is almost forced to come back to read the rest of the unit. It gives the unit nice continuity in the reading and I definitely prefer this running story in a unit, rather than short, choppy stories.

I didn't necessarily have a favorite or least favorite story this week, as all of the smaller stories were needed in order to give the overall story its finished plot. Something I loved in the reading this week was the amount of detail provided in the stories. There were so many wonderful uses of imagery and description in the stories that made it so easy for an reader to put themselves into the world of Beowulf.

This unit didn't have notes on every page, however I didn't find that confusing or challenging in any way. The story itself isn't in a very antiquated language and is fairly easy to understand. I did do some back research to find out where this story came from, but the lack of notes on every page really didn't hinder my ability to read and comprehend the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Like I noted above, I did read this story in high school but I was excited to re-read it with different eyes. I have grown so much academically since my senior year of high school so I was excited to process this story in a different way than in the past. I would definitely recommend this reading to anyone who is interested in a story with a clear hero, lots of action, and great use of imagery.

Week Twelve Storytelling: Grendel Attacks

Beowulf and Grendel. BECUO.

It sure is good to be me. I have been growing in strength the past few months after moving regions to this place called Danesland. In the city, there are so many prime suspects for my mother and I to eat. Each night, we go into the city and take a man for our own. Our most favorite dish is the young men of the city. Their young blood is the elixir of life that keeps us going.

I guess I should back up and explain. I am what is known as monsters or giants to humans. We are green in color, with scales like snakes covering our whole bodies. I have heard many humans say that we are terrifying, yet I don't agree. We are huge creatures, larger than any other creatures to walk this Earth. We have yellow eyes that shine through the night and enable us to see at any hour of the day or night. Our gills allow us to swim underwater and let us live in our underwater cave.

In addition to all this, we have a special gift that no other monsters have. We are able to use magic to cast a deep spell on the citizens of the city. We are able to cause a deep stillness in the city that even the strongest of men cannot stir from. It is a strange gift to learn but now that we have mastered it, it has been very beneficial to my mother and I in our quest for food.

Back to where I was. I have heard rumors through the land that a man is coming to Danesland to try to conquer me. The people say that he is stronger than all men, with the strength of a thousand bulls and the ability to conquer anyone or anything with whom he comes into contact. Of course, this is something I have worried about when I heard of his existence. This man, Beowulf, is said to be coming to Danesland to kill me and my mother. We will see if he can find me because I will use my magic first.

I wish him the best of luck, as it will be a battle to the death.

Author's Note:
This is an excerpt from the tale of Beowulf. In this retelling, I decided to tell the story of Grendel, a vicious monster from Danesland, attack on Beowulf. In this story, Beowulf, the strongest of the men in the land came to Danesland to save them from this vicious monster. He planned to fight Grendel from the time he came to Danesland and I thought it would be interesting to tell this story of Grendel's Attack from Grendel's point of view in the mode of a diary.

This storytelling method will allow readers to see the backstory of Grendel and see just why he is so angry. I used many details from the reading as well as changing the original story up just a little bit.

Bibliography
Book Title: The Story of Beowulf
Story Title: Grendel Attacks
Author: Stafford Riggs
Year: 1933

Week Twelve: Beowulf

I haven't read the story of Beowulf since high school! I decided to read this unit this week so that I could read it with new eyes. The huge amount of things I have learned since high school will continue to my clearer understanding of this story and I wanted to read a story this week that had some continuity from story to story.

King Gygelac of Geatsland
Long ago, there was a kingdom called Geatsland who had a ruler named Hyfelac. The Geats were very warlike, living in harsh terrain. They dealt with many monsters of the land and sea. The King and Queen of the land had valiant warriors among them who often told stories of their travels. These warriors told their stories to the younger men in the city and they listened with wide eyed eagerness.

The Young Beowulf 
One of the youths that listened to the many stories was a man named Beowulf, the nephew of the King. He had much strength and lived with his uncle. At times, his strength was too much and he broke everything he touched. When he was 16, Beowulf won a swimming race and swam for 5 days. One day, there was a feast thrown for Beowulf in the castle. Many of the lords were not happy that a man as young as Beowulf was being honored. Beowulf sat in gloomy silence and drank stonily as he longed to go to war.

The Wanderer's Song
The King waved his hand and the whole hall fell silent as a wander brought a song for them to hear from over land and sea. The mistrel walked to the front of the hall with his harp and began to sing of the North, of the forests, and of dragons. He sang of the grey sea and of monsters of the deep. The mistrel then sang of Hrothgar, King of the Danes and how a beast has struck fear into the hearts of those in Daneland. The monster was part man and part bird and called Grendel. None could slay Grendel.

Beowulf's Resolve
Beowulf was bewitched by the song. He wanted to seek out Grendel and slay him. He proclaimed this desire to the entirety of the hall and the lords began to murmur. The King charged him with killing Grendel in order to prove his worth. Beowulf finished his drink and received the King's embrace.

Beowulf's Journey
For a week, the kingdom prepared for Beowulf's journey. Beowulf wanted to go alone, yet the King commanded that a companion accompany him. Special shields were made and many cloaks were given to him. The King told Beowulf to uphold the honor of Geatsland and was given a golden collar. Beowulf boarded a ship and departed to the open sea.

Beowulf Lands in Daneland
The ship fought the waves and saw many monsters of the deep. Finally, they came to the coast of Daneland and a mighty storm arose, forcing them to find a small inlet and dock. As they landed, they were accosted by an old man with a huge spear. Beowulf told the man who he was and they took off to find the King of Daneland.

Beowulf Comes to Heorot
Beowulf and his companion trudged through the dense forest and finally found a marsh. They came upon a pillaged village with no life that could be seen. Finally, they made it to the castle and the King's herald appeared. The King appeared and the men introduced themselves. The King knew Beowulf as a child and warned him that Grendel would come. A feast was then prepared for the visitors.

The Words of Unferth
That night, there was a great feast for the first time in 12 years. It was not a joyful gathering, as there was much sorrow in the hearts of the Danes. Beowulf sat at the King's feet and was next to Unferth, who sat in moody silence. A gloom hung over the hall and finally Unferth cried out that Beowulf was not worthy and should return home.

The Words of Beowulf 
Unferth started at Beowulf in hatred. He had never taken up the fight of Grendel and that played largely into his frustrations. Beowulf told Unferth the true story of his fight in the sea and spoke with temperate words. At last, the King and Queen drank to the destruction of Grendel and the banquet resumed. Finally, the warriors departed and silence ensued.

Grendel Attacks
The story continues as Beowulf is dreaming. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the trees and a shadow appeared in the moonlight and it was Grendel. Beowulf was under a spell, causing him to be groggy and grew more and more sleepy. Then, the door burst open and Grendel came through, causing Beowulf to be awoken. He saw the monster and was struck with horror at the creature. Grendel devoured Hondscio, one of the men with Beowulf and he leapt from his bed ready to fight.

The Battle with Grendel
The fight between Beowulf and Grendel ensued, as they fought silently through the streets of Heorot, as the town was under a spell of deep slumber. The fight turned to mortal combat and Beowulf had the upper hand. Finally, Beowulf tore off Grendel's arm and the spell was broken. The soldiers who had been in a deep sleep woke up and the men took the mangled arm into the city. People crowded around and viewed the token of Grendel.

A New Misfortune
The King and Queen entered the hall and found Beowulf, rejoicing in his accomplishment. There was a great feast. Suddenly, a messenger came to to tell that Aescher was murdered by a fiend; Grendel's mother. Beowulf then grabbed his sword and called the men to kill the monster. A man gave Beowulf his sword and took off to find Grendel's mother.

Seeking Grendel's Mother
Beowulf rode off to find Grendel's mother in search of the beast. Finally, they found a evil lake filled with many monsters. Beowulf knew that he had to go into the lake to find the monster. He wanted to go alone and ran into the lake. He sank down to the bottom and felt things brushing against his legs. The water then began to glow and saw a forest made of living cora and flowers. He was attached by jellyfish and killed a hundred-armed monster. he kept sinking and began to wonder when he would find the monster he came to kill.

Beowulf Battles Grendel's Mother
Beowulf continued to sink and something grabbed him around the waist and dragged into a glowing cave. The monster was ugly, equipped with a full head of snakes as hair, fangs, and burning eyes. She grabbed Beowulf and he saw Grendel in the corner of the cave. Beowulf was petrified, as he was smothered under the monster. He drew his sword but it fell to the ground and the fight ensued. Beowulf was able to grab the sword and cut her in half. He cut off Grendel's head and threw the two bodies into the flames. He floated back to the top of the lake.

Beowulf's Triumph
Beowulf was gone for so long that his companions left him and went home. Only a few stayed and when they saw the water has been stained with blood, began to worry. They saw Beowulf rise to the top of the lake and shouted in glee. There was much rejoicing as they went back to Heorot. Beowulf noted that his task was done and was to return home. He was given many riches and then set sail back home.

The Arrival of the Dragon
Many years passed and Beowulf was regarded as one of the greatest heroes of the north. There was great prosperity and Beowulf grew in stature and strength. One day, a stranger came to see the King and he wished to speak to Beowulf. The visitor fell upon his knees and told a great tale to the King and Beowulf.

Preparing for Battle
The stranger told a tale of riches that could be plundered when suddenly a roar rung out to the crowd. The warriors went to secure the door but blue flames burst through the door, as a dragon rushed in. Beowulf got everyone out as dawn came. Beowulf gathered his men in the forest to go to battle as they discussed a battle plan. They decided to fight the dragon and drive him from their land.

Battle with the Dragon 
Night fell as they neared the spot where the dragon was. Beowulf told his followers that he would have to fight the dragon alone. Beowulf yelled to the dragon and called him to battle. The dragon was huge, covered in razors and billowing fire and smoke. The battle began, each contender weaving left and right to avoid each other's grasp. Beowulf tried to find the soft spot on the dragon and his legs shook beneath him. The world around him began to spin.

The End of Beowulf 
Finally, Wiglaf, Beowulf's friend, came to his aid and they fought the dragon side by side. Beowulf was caught by the dragon's tail and he sank to the ground. Wiglaf sunk his sword into the dragon and no sound came from it. The dragon was slain and Wiglaf turned to Beowulf, who was dying. Beowulf died as the greatest and truest of heroes. His body was carried to his home and men and women gathered from near and far to marvel at the dragon. Beowulf was laid to rest and he was passed onto his own gods.

Week Eleven Storytelling: The Drawing of the Sword

Arthur and Excalibur. Art.com

I am so tired of waiting. Waiting, waiting, sitting and waiting. That is all I do day in and day out. I am waiting for my savior to rescue me from this lonely and terrible place. Knights come here nearly every day to try to pull me from this wretched stone, but none prevail. How I wish that someone would come to my rescue.

Wait, I'm so sorry. I'm sure you have no idea what I am talking about. Let me start from the beginning to tell you how I became the sword that many have searched for, many have spent endless hours pulling at my handle, and left in frustration.

Let's start from the beginning; the part that no one knows. I am an ordinary sword under a magical spell by an ancestor of the great Merlin. The story begins with an angry King of many years past. He was a tyrant, leading his nation into many wars and conquering kingdoms across the land. He and I went into many battles together, always conquering anything in sight.

The King grew old and his adviser, Malon, cast a spell on his sword so that only those worthy of being the next King could reign. He placed me in a rock while muttering a strange incantation that I did not understand. The words "He who pulleth out this sword is by right of birth King of England," assuring that the King's son, who only wanted to carry out the will of his tyrant father, could not be the rightful King of England.

And then I was all alone. It has been years since the day when Malon cast the spell and yet I am still here in this rock, wasting away. I couldn't tell you how many years it has been. One hundred? One thousand? It could be more than that, yet I sit here day after day, year after year as knights by the hundreds try to see if they are the true King of England.

The worst part about my existence is seeing the continual disappointment of the knights. They arrive, excited and anxious to begin the rest of their lives. However, when they leave, they walk away with slouched posture, bowed heads, and curse words under their breath. This disappointment soaks into my very soul every day, telling me I may never be freed from this stone prison.

Who is that coming now? He looks like a young man, handsome, with no sword of his own. "Arthur!" a boy next to him calls out. "I tried this last year and now it's your turn!"

The boy canters over to me, peering over the rocks to where I am wedged. I pray that this will be the one; that Arthur will be the one to set me free. He grabs my handle and pulls ever so slightly. I spring to life as I am pulled from the stone sheath. Free at last!

Author's Note:
This week, I decided to try something new in my storytelling method. I haven't written from the view of an inanimate object yet, and I have been wanting to try this. So, this week, I decided to retell the story of The Drawing of the Sword from the point of view of the sword, Excalibur.

In this story, the sword has been in a rock waiting for an able knight to come pull it from the stone. The original story doesn't note how the sword got in the stone, so I wanted to tell the backstory of the sword and tell the story from the sword's point of view.


Bibliography
Book Title: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table
Story Title: The Drawing of the Sword
Author: Andrew Lang
Year: 1902

Week Eleven: King Arthur

This week, I am reading the King Arthur unit. I remember reading books about King Arthur and the knights of the roundtable when I was a child and being fascinated with that period in history. I am excited to read these stories again and possibly some new ones!

The Drawing of the Sword
The story begins in ancient, kingless Britain. There were many knights who tried to seize the crown but Merlin, the magician, saw a sword in a great stone. He said that whoever pulled the sword from the stone was the be the rightful King of England. Many knights tried to pull the sword and many were unsuccessful. One day, a tournament was held to see who could gain the sword and a man named Sir Ector, his son, and a boy name Arthur were in attendance. Arthur needed a sword and pulled the sword from the stone as if it was nothing. His uncle knew it was not his sword. Sir Ector told Arthur that he was the rightful king, as he had removed the enchanted sword. Arthur took the sword and offered it to the altar where he was crowned king.

The Questing Beast
Now that Arthur was King, he had many battles to fight and conquer. He often listened to Merlin for help and was helped by his magical sword. One night Arthur had a strange dream that the earth was overrun with creatures that killed his people. He went to the forest and a beast came after him. It was a strange beast. The King watched the creature and followed it until he killed it.

The Sword Excalibur
This story begins with King Arthur becoming wounded and being healed after being put in a magical sleep by Merlin. Arthur was without a sword, and an arm came out of the lake holding a sword. Merlin and Arthur looked at the maiden standing in the water and gave him the sword as long as he would give her a gift in return. They brought the sword back to land and found that when one is wearing the scabbard, he cannot be wounded.

The Round Table
The story of the round table begins with Arthur wanting to take a wife but not having time to while fighting so many battles. He asked Merlin what he should do because the woman he loves is unattainable. Arthur asked for Leodegrance's permission to marry his daughter and he was able to. Two young men were dubbed knight as the story ends.

The Passing of Merlin
Sir Tor, who was crowned at the Round Table, was given a seat there. Merlin saw that Tor and his wife were happy together. One day Merlin who showed Vivien some powers was then betrayed by her as she killed him with the powers he taught her. Merlin was buried alive and the damsel left with joy.

King Arthur and Morgan le Fay
This story begins with Morgan le Fay, a magical sister of King Arthur. She was very vengeful, but let no one know of her intentions. One day, Morgan left the country with the blessing of Queen Guenevere and rode until she found her brother. She told the scabbard and went away. The King went looking for her and she continued to run away. Arthur gave up and went back to the Abbey to rest. He was angry with his sister.

The Quest of the Holy Graal
This story begins with an explanation of the Holy Graal. It is a vessel used by our Lord brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea. The relic is invisible to men because of their sins but now and then it appeared by angels or floating in a heavenly light. The Knights made a vow to find it and that became their only job, against the King's will. This story is compared to a beautiful dream.

The King's Pilgrimage
The King decided to go on a pilgrimage to find the Holy Graal. He went forth with a youth so he would not be alone. The youth, named Chaus, had a strange dream the night before they left. He dreamed that the King had left without him and he found the King in a chapel. Then, by a scream of a squire, the King and Queen were awoken from their slumber and the youth told them of his dream. Because of the dream, King Arthur went on the journey alone and resolved to bring peace to his kingdom.

The Coming of the Holy Graal
The story begins on the eve of Pentecost with the knights at the round table ready for a feast. They heard a loud crash and a sunbeam appeared and in floated the Holy Graal. The Graal left and the King knew he had to go after it. The next day, he bid the kingdom farewell and went to see the Holy Graal.

Sir Galahad and the White Knight
Sir Galahad went to the White Abbey to rest after traveling for many days. He talked to two knights who had came in search of a shield that could cure all men. They saw the white shield in the Abbey and King Bagdemagus took it and rode away. He was not the noblest of all knights, as the shield did not protect him. They learned that the shield was meant to save Sir Galahad only. He hung the shield around his neck and met the White Knight. They each went off in search of the Holy Graal.

Sir Lancelot's Vision
This story begins with Sir Lancelot finding an old chapel with a high altar inside. He laid down by a cross in the chapel and all of a sudden, a candle floated toward him and so did the Holy Vessel of the Graal. Lancelot was then cured of his illness. He kissed the cross and wondered if what he had seen was a dream or not. Lancelot looked around and saw that his helm and sword were gone and his horse was gone also. He wept and left on foot quite sadly.

The Adventure of Sir Percivale
Sir Percivale begins this story with his own dangerous adventures. He came across Sir Lancelot who was without a horse. Percivale rode as fast as he could until he saw a woman before him. The woman lent him her horse, but the horse was a fiend. Percivale then fought a strange creature and saved a lion from harm.

Sir Lancelot and the Five Hundred Knights
This story begins with Lancelot moving through the forest and finding out that Sir Galahad was his son who was in search of the Holy Graal. Lancelot then left the hermit he was staying with and found five hundred knights riding on horseback. A war broke out and Lancelot helped the lesser of the sides, the black knights. After the battle, Lancelot left and came across a nun who told him of his future.

Sir Gawaine and the Hermit
Sir Gawaine rode along the countryside alone before he met Sir Ector de Maris and was happy. They talked and all of a sudden, they heard a voice that told them that Galahad would die a holy man and Gawaine left immediately.

The Adventure of Sir Bors
Sir Bors went off in search of the Holy Graal. He came across a man on a donkey and they rode together into the hermitage. Sir Bors then left and had many adventures, once almost killing his own brother. He then went to the sea and on the shore found a vessel as well as Sir Percivale. They shared their adventure with one another.

Sir Galahad and the Mysterious Ship
This story begins with Sir Galahad leaving a hermitage for another adventure. He reached the sea and found a ship where Sir Bors and Sir Percivale were lying. They found a ship that only the best of knights could navigate. He found a sword and tried to grab it. Neither Sir Bors nor Sir Percivale could grab it, yet Sir Galahad could.

Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad
Lancelot came to a water and fell asleep. He went to find an adventure and found the dead woman from the previous story with the tale of her adventures. Galahad and Lancelot met, enjoying each other's company. They lived in that shit for half a year and after that time, went into the forest to quest. The father and son then bid farewell and Lancelot went back to Camelot.

Sir Galahad and the Graal
Sir Galahad went to find the Graal. He rode until he found a ship awaiting them and saw the Holy Graal covered with red samite. The Graal healed him and he was given a place at the round table back home. At the end of the year, Galahad was crowned king and sent Percivale and Bors away. He was praying when his soul suddenly left his body. Percivale died shortly after and Lancelot fell to his old sins again.

The End of Arthur 
This story begins with Arthur lying wounded on a battlefield. He told Sir Bedivere to take Excalibur and throw it in the water. Instead of doing this, Bedivere hid it under a tree and Arthur knew he was lying and Bedivere did it again. King Arthur was then put on a barge and died. Queen Guenevere stole away after hearing of his death. She became a nun. Lancelot often visited the tomb of his parents, Queen Genevere and King Arthur. Sir Lancelot then died in his bed from sadness and was taken to heaven.

Week Ten Essay: Visiting the Writing Center

Writing. OU Writing Center. 

This week, I did something that I have never done in my time at the University of Oklahoma. I am currently working on a term paper that will determine my grade in one of my political science classes, so I decided to visit the OU Writing Center.

It is somewhat embarrassing that I haven't ever been to the Writing Center before. It is a very helpful place and I preach about it all the time. As a Small Group Leader for Camp Crimson and a Peer Teaching Assistant for Freshmen Programs and Gateway to College Learning. My students always ask me to proofread their papers and I do so and then tell them to visit the Writing Center just to double-check. I probably tell people to visit the Writing Center at least twice a week for the past three years and I have never been myself.

I went into the session knowing that I needed help organizing my thoughts and correctly using APA style. My professor was very specific about the type of citations we had to use and I needed some help double-checking my citations. Furthermore, another big goal I had for the session was to make sure that my ideas made sense to someone else. They made sense to me because I have been working tirelessly on this paper for weeks but they might not make sense to someone else.

The tutor I was paired with was so helpful! I have heard good and bad things about the Writing Center before but, didn't know exactly what to expect. My tutor was very patient with me with all my questions about citations. He didn't act as if I was dumb or act annoyed and was very calm in his approach to writing. I really appreciated the calm way he spoke and how helpful he was.

I took away a lot from this session. First, I gained some valuable insight into strategies for better formatting. I was able to run my ideas by someone to see if they made sense at all, and I realized that I have been missing out and wished that I would have went to the Writing Center sooner.

I will definitely be using the OU Writing Center again in the future for research-type papers. They were so helpful!

Week Ten Storytelling: Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts

Eskimo Folk Tales. Abela Publishing.

Diary Entry #1
Today, I am alone and needed someone to talk to. I figured that writing here would help me have someone or something to talk to. This is so hard for me to do, but I heard once from the elders of the village that those who can write should record everything we can so as to keep history up to date. Today I lost my family. They should have known better about the seaweed, but it took both my parents and my older sister as well. Now it is just me and the fierce tides that beat against the island.

Diary Entry #2
Today was a hard day. Some strangers came to take me away to look after me. My family knew of my disability and never made fun of it. However, these strangers just don't understand me. They do not understand how hard it can be living in a body where half of it just doesn't work. I can't walk around normally as others do and they act as if it is a joke. I hope that I will soon like my new home, but today I do not.

Diary Entry #3
The strangest thing happened to me today. I was in our hut alone with the family was out hunting and I heard a noise. It frightened me so I hid behind the skins hanging on the wall. All of a sudden, a ghost walked in, drank some water and left. I was so confused and when I tried to tell the family after they returned, they did not believe me.

Diary Entry #4 
I'm not sure what is happening to me. I could be going crazy or I could be dying, but I keep seeing ghosts. Today, the ghosts appeared again and began to play on the floor, rolling and laughing with each other. But, as soon as the family returned home, the ghosts fled, leaving me alone again. This might be strange, but when the ghosts are here, I feel a sort of strength that flees when they leave. I have grown to love their presence because they help me feel less lonely.

Diary Entry #5
Today is a day of great rejoicing, although it did not begin that way. The day began with the ghosts coming back, bringing me strength with them. This time, my parents were with them. I had never been so happy in my life to see them and they asked me to go away with them. I am writing this last entry as a ghost, happily living with my family again. They turned me to a ghost, no longer disabled, and we are able to live here in happiness!

Author's Note: 
This week, I decided to tell a somewhat sad story. In my storybook, I have been writing very whimsical stories of nursery rhymes but when I read this story of Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts, it really stuck out to me. In the story, Qalagánguasê is a lame boy who sees many ghosts and tries to tell others what he has seen. The people around him do not believe him and it makes him very angry.

In the end, the boy decides to go with the ghosts to their land so he would no longer be disabled. In the beginning of the story, Qalagánguasê also looses his family so I thought a diary entry from this character would be beneficial to hearing his thoughts and feelings.

Bibliography
Book Title: Eskimo Folk-Tales
Story Title: Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts 
Author: Knud Rasmussen
Year: 1921

Week Ten: Eskimo Folk Tales

This week, I am reading the unit entitled Eskimo Folk Tales. I have always been fasciated by the life of Eskimos and I am excited to learn more about their culture from this unit

The Coming of Men, A Long, Long While Ago
The story begins with an unknown narrator telling the readers about storytellers and that they do not lie. The narrator goes on to begin the story to tell how men came to earth. Men were said to come forth out of the earth among the willow bushes and that men and women learned to live together. Once there were more men and women, they desired to have dogs and the men found them. The same with children who grew on the earth. There was no sun in this time and men did not know how to die and crowded the earth, so came a mighty flood from the earth and death was known. Now, when men die, they go up into the sky and become brightly shining things there.

Nukungasik, Who Escaped from the Tupilak
This story begins with Nukunguasik who one day rowed to an unvisited, beautiful island. On the island, he came upon a brother who was making a Tupilak. The brother became so frightened that he fell down dead but the Tupilak was still alive. The man rowed home and his brothers were glad to see him. They went out in search of the dead brother and found him in grief. They buried the brother and the Tupilak and the man lived for many more years before dying.

The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son
The story begins with an old woman who obtained blubber and meat from those in the town. One day a wife came to the woman's home to ask if she wanted a bear cub. The woman put it in her home to thaw and noticed that it thawed and began to grow. She spoke human speech to it and it began to gain a human mind. People in the town brought her things for the cub and it continued to grow, making children cry. One day hunters nearly killed the bear so the woman made a mark for it to wear to keep it safe and it caught food for the woman. The bear killed a man and the woman threw him out of the house. The woman smeared him with oil and  that tells the world of the bears with the black spot on the side.

Qalaganuase, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts
Qalaganuase lived near the sea with only his family until they died and he was looked after by strangers. He was without strength and the lower part of his body was dead. He heard a noise in the house and hid, only to see a ghost walk in. He told people but they did not believe him. Many days passed and then suddenly the walls shook and many ghosts of his family were there. He found the ghosts a pleasant thing and they left when they heard the villagers. People still did not believe him. Finally, Qalaganuase went with the ghosts and was turned into one so he would be lame no longer.

Isigaligarssik
Isigaligarssik was a strong man who lived in a house with many brothers. One day a wizard called upon him to see his spirit. A girl asked to have Isigaligarssik and he also wanted her. The wizard told him this would never work and Isigaligarssik went home wifeless. He wanted to kill the wizard and the villagers disagreed. However, Isigaligarssik still stabbed the wizard and ran quickly home to put on his charm dress to keep himself safe. The wizard shot and missed Isigaligarssik and Isigaligarssik won his wife again.

The Insects That Wooed a Wifeless Man
This story begins with a wifeless man, as many stories do. One day, the man went out on his kayak and heard another man yelling and went to help. He saw that the man was a "Noseless One" from beneath the earth. The man saved the noseless one and rowed home. That evening, the wifeless man wanted to rest and woke up the next day to find a wife. During this time, he lost the power to hunt and was all alone.

Makite
Makite could never catch a seal on his kayak. He decided to go up into the hills to live alone. Many brothers went after him but couldn't find him. He found a house and went in as it began to shake. Makite heard the master of the house talking and said that he would kill him. Makite then ate and they both went to sleep. Makite saw that a great black thing was approaching the house and the dwarfs went out to fight it. Makite then built himself a house and lived there until he died.

Atungait, Who Went A-Wandering
This is the story of a man who wanted to go on a sledge trip with a strong woman. He went to visit a tribe who wanted to play football and watched the strongest of the players. He then took some dogs and climbed a cliff. He found some interesting people, as they were all left-handed and all had one shorter leg than the other. He found his wife kissing another man and roughly killed her so that he could make another woman his wife.

The Giant Dog
This story begins with a man who had a giant dog that could swim and haul whale to shore. The man wanted a son but didn't have one so gave the amulet to the dog. One day, the dog killed a man and the man was forced to move to a new place. The dog and man were forced to move many times and the dog grew to become big and fierce and had many enemies. A stranger tried to kill the dog and it could not be killed. The dog would roam the land and that is how island-dwellers got their fear of dogs.

Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother
This is the story of Papik who often went hunting with his wife's brother. The brother often brought back more game than Papik. One day, Ailaq did not return at all and Papik was accused of killing him. An old woman died and sought to avenge Ailaq. Much time passed and Papik was out hunting when a monster had come to kill Papik. Many villagers tried to kill the monster that was the old woman who was avenging her son. It is now said that when any man killed his fellow without good cause, a monster would come a strike him dead with fear.

Patussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle
This story begins with a man named Patusorssuaq who was fonder of his uncle's wife than his own. Patusorssuaq killed his uncle when he heard that he and his wife were moving away. The wife fled from Patusorssuaq and found her farther. Patusorssuaq then went to kill his wife but she had also fled. He took his uncle's wife and lived with her until she died. One day a fox came to him and it was the soul of the uncle who killed him. This shows that punishment comes to the man who kills.

The Wife Who Lied
The story of the wife who lied begins with a woman who put mittens on her feet rather than boots. She made war against the tribe to which her husband belonged and they set out and crept into a store shed the village. The men of the village found all their women dead and fled away. War then ensued. Among them, an old woman had a strange dream that there were avengers around her. The woman was then murdered by the avengers and died.

The Eagle and the Whale
This story begins with many brothers who had two sisters who would not marry. One wanted an eagle husband and the other a whale. The sisters were carried off by these animals. The brothers then killed the eagle and the whale to get their sisters to come back home.

Atdlarneq, The Great Glutton
Atdlarneq was a strong man who was a great hunter. One day while hunting, he saw a woman who welcomed him into her home with great quantities of food. The master of the home came back and saw that his cheeks were made of Copper. Atdlarneq was forced to eat and drink so much in order that he not be killed but he nearly gorged himself to death.

Angangujuk
This is the story of Angangujuk, a child who lived alone with his family. One day his mother could not find him and her husband said that he would kill her for killing their son. The husband went to some wizards to see if they could help locate the child but no one could help. A spirit came to the husband and then he wandered to the east until he came to many houses and found his child. The child would not respond and the father became angry and put the son under a magic sleep. The father took Angangujuk back home.

Atarssuaq
Atatssuaq had many enemies, yet he could not be killed. He had a son and threw him into the water. The son did not die but became a clever swimmer. One day Atatssuaq swam with his son and the son was a better swimmer. The boy kept going under water for a long time and the father thought he had died. And the boy was increasingly more clever. One day the father Atatssuaq was killed while hunting and the boy swam to the kayaks of his father's enemies. The son drowned all the men who killed his father and went home.

Tungujuluk and Saunikoq
Tungujuluk and Saunikoq were from the same village and both were wizards. Saunikoq did not have any children and soon began to plan evil. One morning, Saunikoq went out to hunt and stole his brother's son to kill. Instead of killing the boy, he killed a seal instead and took it home to see. The brother then moved and to another city and hasn't been seen since.

Kanagssuaq
The last story in the unit begins with a man and woman living in a place where it was so cold that all hunting had to be stopped. They began to die from hunger. Kanagssuaq finally was able to catch a seal and took it home. There was suddenly a lot of food in his home. Kanagssuaq then learned to tie a tow-line and caught many animals.

Week Nine Essay: American Indian Fairy Tales

American Indian Fairy Tales. Suffolksheepni.

This unit was one of my favorites to date. I picked to read this unit simply because I had no idea that American Indians had fairy tales. The description for the unit drew me in and I was happy to find that everything mentioned in the unit description was actually in the unit. 

I really did enjoy the readings this week. I loved that the stories in this unit were all presented with the frame story of Iagoo and the two children, Morning Glory and Eagle Feather. The fact that all the stories were presented within this frame kept me on my toes and made it a very interesting read. I was never bored with any of the stories and I also liked that many stories in the unit were continuations of each other. This made the stories a little longer but there were more details and more progression of the characters, which I really enjoyed. 

My favorites stories were definitely the Child of the Evening Star and the Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds. These stories had lots of details and continuations of each other and I really enjoyed that. There was lots of background information noted in the readings for these stories and I liked the frame that was set with Iagoo and Morning Glory for both. I honestly didn't have any stories this week that I didn't like. Each story was very interesting and it was as if they were separate entities, yet built on each other within the frame story. 

The only information I would have liked to know is that the entire unit is a frame, or lots of stories within one larger story. I found this out on my own, but knowing that up front might help people choose this unit because this unit really is great! The American Indian Fairy Tales unit definitely exceeded my expectations I was able to learn more about the heritage and culture of American Indians, all while enjoying the frame story of Iagoo, Morning Glory, and Eagle Feather.  

Week Nine Storytelling: Child of the Evening Star

Oweenee. Jill Oxton.

Dear Diary,

Today, my last sister was married and moved out of our teepee. Although I am the youngest of the ten, I know that there is something different about me. All my sisters have found suitors that they can love and have married, bringing my father much joy. However, I am left here all alone.

I am so confused because many men come to our door to woo me. They come from far and wide and have many riches, gifts, and are extremely attractive. Yet, I have this strange feeling that I can see something within them that no one else can see. It is as if I can see their true self and see straight into their heart, rather than just what is on the surface.

The talent or curse is causing much grief and heartache in my family, as I am viewed as picky and with much too high of standards. I am not hard to please, as I genuinely want to be married, but these men just did not seem right. Many times, I blame it on their appearance, as I do not know how to express my feelings in words. I tried to tell my father that I have a special gift through which I can see the true souls of men, but he did not listen. Instead, my father views me as a silly and naive girl. I feel forever lost and do not know what to do.



Dear Diary,

Today, the most peculiar thing happened. A man several years older than I came to our home, asking for my hand in marriage. He was many moons older than me, and could have been the ugliest man I had ever seen. With jagged and yellowed teeth, matted hair, and strange eyes, this would be one man my elder sisters would smirk at.

However, there was something different about him. I couldn't place my finger on it, but he was kind and gentle and I knew that he was the one for me. His heart was of pure gold and I knew that he would treat me in the best way and that we would be happily married for the rest of our days. Looking past his appearance and the wagging tongues of my sisters, I accepted his hand in marriage. I knew, deep down, that he needed my love as much as I needed his. Although this decision is one that would confuse many, I am excited for our life together as man and wife.

Author's Note: 
This week, I decided to do my storytelling over the story, Child of the Evening Star. The original story is split into several parts through which a young girl, Oweenee, who was a fair and beautiful girl. All her sisters were married and she was not yet married because she could see into the hearts of men.

She ended up marrying an old beggar who was actually under an enchantment. The old beggar was actually a young, beautiful man and the son of the Evening Star and later in the story, the enchantment is shifted to Oweenee, who becomes old and ugly. This story tells its readers the importance of love for what is on the inside, rather than appearance.

I decided to tell this story as a diary entry from the first story in the series about how Oweenee is feeling to give more insight to her character.


Bibliography
Book Title: American Indian Fairy Tales
Story Title: Child of the Evening Star
Author: W. T. Larned
Year: 1921

Week Nine: American Indian Fairy Tales

This week, I decided to read the unit entitled, American Indian Fairy Tales. This unit stuck out to me because I had no idea that American Indians had fairy tales in their traditional folklore. I am hoping to learn more about the American Indian culture through this unit, as it is a big part of Oklahoma history as well.

Iagoo, the Story-Teller
The story begins with Iagoo, a wise man who knew and understood many things. He knew about fairy tales and wonders told to him by his grandfather and he won over children with his stories. In the winter, Iagoo would tell many stories and he begins with the first story of how Shin-ge-bis fooled the North Wind. This story is a frame for the rest of the stories to come in the unit.

Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind 
This two-part story begins with Ka-bib-on-okka, the North Wind. He lived in the land of ice where no man could live, for it was too cold. Ka-bib-on-okka was no match for Sha-won-dasee, the South Wind. The story progresses with a group of fisherman who knew the North Wind was coming so they worked more quickly. A man, Sin-ge-bis, was a diver of fish and had a happy spirit, as he was always laughing. His friends told him they had to leave, however, he wanted to keep fishing so he turned himself into a duck and kept fishing. His friends never expected to see him again.

Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind (cont.)
Shin-ge-bis begins this story by preparing for his fire to keep warm. He learned to catch fish through the ice and sang a song about the North Wind. Ka-bib-on-okka found him and asked who dared to linger in the winter. Shin-ge-bis sang his song again and the wind began to blow more heavily. The snow then covered the tent and kept the cold air out. Ka-Bib-on-okka forced himself into the curtain to where Shin-ge-bis was sitting by the fire. The North Wind began to thaw and shrink. Shin-ge-bis left the tent, believing he could overpower Ka-bib-on-okka and they wrestled all night until Ka-bib-on-okka was conquered, showing that cheerfulness and courage could conquer even the North Wind.

The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds
The story begins with Iagoo again telling a story to the children. A little girl asked if the mountains had always been here and Iagoo told her that he has always wondered the same thing. He noted that the mountains and hills were made when the world was made and he proceeded to tell the story of the Big Rock that carried a little boy and girl up among the clouds. The story began with a little boy and little girl who lived in a beautiful valley with nothing to fear. All the animals and humans lived in harmony around the river than ran through the valley. There was a shallow pool that seemed especially made for the children and they learned to swim there.

The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds (cont.)
One summer day, the boy and girl climbed on a big rock and fell asleep. All of a sudden, the rock began to rise and grow until it was taller than the tallest of the trees. Their parents searched in vain, trying to find their children and a coyote told the parents that their children were on the rock. None of the animals could help get the children down except the measuring worm. It took the worm a whole month to reach the top of the rock and he guided the children down safely, showing that even the smallest of animals could be mighty.

The Child of the Evening Star 
This story begins with Gitchee Gumee, a hunter who had ten beautiful daughters. Many men came to court the daughters and brought presents with them until all but one was married. Oweenee was the fairest of all the daughters and was shy and modest. She seemed hard to please but it wasn't their appearance, but the fact that she could look into the hearts of men and tell what really mattered. One day, Osseo, a poor and ugly man came and married Oweenee and her sisters were unhappy. Oweenee saw his heart of gold and her family did not.

The Child of the Evening Star (cont.)
Little did anyone know that Osseo was a beautiful youth who had an evil spell cast on him. He was the son of the King of the Evening Star. Osseo had descended from the beautiful star. One evening, on their way to a wedding, Osseo and Oweenee found an old tree and was transformed into his beautiful self. Then Oweenee turned old and ugly as the enchantment had shifted to her. They loved each other no matter their appearance.

The Child of the Evening Star (cont. again)
Oweenee's sisters could not believe their eyes. They looked enviously at Osseo. Osseo had changed. He was no longer the vibrant soul he once was and was often found gazing at the sky. One evening, he heard the voice of the Evening Star and everything around him changed and Oweenee's beauty was restored. The tent moved upward to the sky and was settled gently on the land of the Evening Star. The King welcomed them into his kingdom.

The Child of the Evening Star (end)
Osseo and Oweenee lived in the kingdom until the evil magician, Wabeno, lost his power. The couple had a son who soon became lonely. He wondered what Earth was like and wanted to leave the kingdom. One day, the son opened the cage in which the sisters, who had been turned into birds, were nesting. He shot the bird with an arrow and it turned into a woman. Soon, the tent descended to Earth and they all danced in the light of the Evening Star.

The Boy Who Snared the Sun
This story begins in a cold and silent winter night. Inside the old Iagoo's tepee, it was warm and a little girl, Morning Glory, and her brother, Eagle Feather were visiting. Suddenly, a mouse crept up and Morning Glory caught him. Iagoo proceeded to tell the story of the Dormouse, the biggest of all the beasts. Iagoo begins the story by noting the world was much different than it once was, as animals used to rule the world instead of men.

The Boy Who Snared the Sun (cont.)
Iagoo's story begins with a young boy and girl who often killed many birds. The sister sewed the skins together and made a coat so they would not freeze in the winter. The boy, only three feet tall, walked until he became tired and fell asleep. The sun caused the coat to shrink, causing the boy to become angry. The boy laid for ten days without moving and then he rose to his feet and told his sister of his plan to catch the sun with a noose. He caught the sun in the noose and held it fast.

The Boy Who Snared the Sun (end)
This story begins back in Iagoo's teepee where Morning Glory asked if he had forgotten about the Dormouse. He noted that he had not forgotten and began to tell the story again. The sun did not rise as normal the first day in his story and the animals knew that something strange as happening. The East Wing came and said that the sun was caught in a snare and noted that one animal must cut the cord. The eagle tried but the sun was too hot. The Dormouse cut through the rope and was singed until he was the size of a tiny mouse, proving the story of how the mouse came to be.

How the Summer Came
This story begins with Morning Glory longing for spring. Iagoo told her to be patient and pointed to the sky, asking the girl if she knew the name of the stars. Eagle Feather knew and said it was the Fisher. Iagoo told the children that there could have been a time with no summer on earth and the Fisher brought the summer down from the sky. The story begins with O-jeeg, a mighty hunter who was very skilled. Many believed that he had magical powers, as he could change himself into the Fisher.

How the Summer Came (cont.)
O-jeeg had a wife and a son who would also be a great hunter. O-jeeg would bring his family food even though the snow never melted. There were some wise men that heard summer was above the sky and one day a red squirrel told the son about summer just above the sky. The boy asked his father to do this dangerous task nearly every day and he planned to climb the tallest mountain, as he heard it could almost touch the sky.

How the Summer Came (end)
This story begins with O-jeeg beginning his long journey to the mountain and stopped at an inn with a giant called Manito. Finally, they reached the foot of the mountain and began to climb. The animals jumped and cracked the sky until one of them disappeared. O-jeeg went up to the sky and saw a beautiful land. The sky people pursued him but he turned into the fisher and ran at top speed. He slowed down and realized that he was stuck in the heavens and said that his son will enjoy the summer. He was to stay in the sky and his name was to be praised.

The Fairy Bride
This story begins with Neen-i-zu, a lovely girl and the daughter of an Indian chief. She often roamed off and came back with eyes as if she had seen strange things. She was called a dreamer and often thought of fairies and little men that were suspected to be in existence. One day, she went to the river and sang a song to the fairies.

The Fairy Bride (cont.)
The last story begins with Neen-i-zu's mother bringing her a hunter to marry. The dreamer saw in her mind fairies in the forest and yearned to go after them. Her mother scolded her for not paying more attention to the hunter and notes that her daughter does not know what is best for her. Neen-i-zu looked like a fairy and often sang her songs until her wedding day to the hunter. Neen-i-zu ran away and was not seen again. She left to go to the fairy world in the Spirit Wood and became a fairy bride, after all.

Week Eight Reading Diary Review

After reviewing the reading diary assignment from the beginning of the semester, I found that my reading diary is being used a little differently than originally intended. I realized that the original assignment was intended for students to keep up with their reading experience. I have been using the diary more as a reminder of the actual stories rather than how I felt while reading them.

Within my diary, I have been mainly using the strategy of keeping note of the events that happened in the story and things that stood out to me in the writing. The strategy of using the main events of the story to bring back all the memories of how the story made me feel and the things it reminded me of. I also always try to note any new things I learned or things that stood out to me. I have been using the same strategy every time to keep them consistent with my thought process. Furthermore, my posts are generally all about the same length. If stories are a little longer, the post is typically a little longer as well.

Overall, I think that my diary posts could be a little more detailed on the way the readings made me feel and what I got from them, rather than focusing so much on the actual events of the story. This change could cause the ideal reading diary to be a little bit longer. I normally don't include images in my diary post because many of the units are so diverse that finding one image to encompass the entire unit is definitely a hard thing to do.

I think that I have been doing a decent job at the reading diary. As noted above, I am going to work on focusing on the effects of the story and more of the literary devices used in the story, rather than the actual events of the story. My reading diary is helpful to my long-term memory. Remembering the events of the story helps me remember what happened and then the details come back to me so I think that my diary has been effective thus far.

Week Seven Essay: Stories From the Congo

The Congo. National Geographic.

The unit of Stories from the Congo was definitely an interesting one.  I really did enjoy the readings and accomplished my overall goal, which was to learn more about life in the Congo and life in the area. We can learn so much about a culture and a group of people by their stories and their myths and legends. From this unit, I learned that magic, farming, and nature were a big part of life for the people living in the Congo.

Something I found very interesting from the unit was the amount of talking animals in the stories. For instance, the story of the Antelope and the Leopard revolved solely around two animals and their interactions with each other. Also, the story of How the Spider Won and Lost Nzambi's Daughter was interesting to me. In the story, a spider is married to a human. This fusion of nature and human life was apparent in many of the stories, showing the importance placed on nature and its components on daily life in the Congo.

I enjoyed many stories from this unit, however my favorites were How Kengi Lost her Child, The Jealous Wife, and The Twin Brothers. I liked that these stories told us more about the human experience of those living in the area. It is always interesting for me to read about the lives of those around the world because no matter where you go around the globe, human nature does not change.

The notes of the unit were very helpful, as some of the terminology used in the stories is a little different than our society knows. Having those helpful tips on many of the stories was very helpful and did positively contribute to my reading experience.

Overall, I really did enjoy this unit. I loved that there was a nice mix in stories of normal people and their lives, magic, and talking animals. It was a very diverse reading unit and I really enjoyed it.

Week Seven Storytelling: How Kengi Lost Her Child

African Mother and Child. John Warburton-Lee.

Today was easily the worst day of my young life. The day started out as any other, I woke up, took my daily walk around our hut, and began to cook the first meal of the day for Nenpetro, my husband, and Gunga, the other wife. Gunga and I have been on strange terms since our quarrel in the garden a few weeks ago.

Nenpetro gave us each a plot of land on which to plant maize, beans, and cassava for us to eat. The land that we were allotted was excellent, yielding much food for our family until Gunga took beans from my land. Naturally, I was quite upset with her, as the beans belonged to Nenpetro and I. In order to show that all was good, we decided on a rule that I had no idea would later ruin me.

The rule of our land was that anything born on the farm belonged to the woman who owned that particular farm. I just knew that this rule would help solve my problems with Gunga and could help our relationship flourish from the broken thing it was.

This morning, I awoke with some strange pains in my side. After cooking our first meal for the family, I went outside to the farm when the pain became too much. I asked Gunga for some tobacco to help curb the pain, as I did not have any tobacco in my farm. Gunga told me to sit down in her garden and smoke the pain away.

As I was sitting on Gunga's land, I bore my child. I knew it was coming but it came as more of a surprise to me. I had no thoughts that I was on Gunga's land or that she could take possession of my child, but Gunga was not the woman I thought she was. She took the child as her own and would not give him to me. I was distraught at the fact that she had my child and let a stupid rule get in the way of myself and my child.

We resolved to go to the town of Manilombi tell him our grievances with one another. We told him the sad story, going all the way back to Gunga taking my beans. He agreed with our original rule, nothing that anything born on Gunga's land belonged to Gunga, including my child.

I will never forgive Gunga for taking my child, even within her legal right.


Author's Note:
The story, "How Kengi Lost Her Child," revolves around two women, Gunga and Kengi. Each woman was given land by their husband. One woman took some beans from the other's land and the quarrel resulted in the rule that if anything was made on one's land, whatever was made there would be the property of the one who owned the land. Kengi had her child on Gunga's land and it was decided that the child would belong to Gunga.

I decided to write this story from the eyes of Kengi, the woman who lost her own child due to rules that she worked to put in place. She goes through so much misery after the loss of her child to Gunga and I wanted to explore her side of the story via a diary entry.

Bibliography
Book Title: Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort
Story Title: How Kengi Lost Her Child
Author: Richard Edward Denett
Year: 1898

Week Seven: Stories from the Congo

This week, when looking through the stories, the title of this one really stood out to me. I have always been interested in the Congo region and the stories of that area. This week, I am reading Stories from the Congo unit.

How the Wives Restored Their Husband to Life
This is the story of Nenpetro, who had three wives. He continually brought them food, yet they were still hungry. Nenpetro went to kill a ox for them to eat but was accidentally killed by it. The wives went to find him and each had a dream about him. One dreamt that he was dead, another showed the road where he lay dead, and the last dreamt she brought him back to life. This then happened in reality and the third wife was prized, as she brought him back to life.

How Gazelle Got Married
The story begins with Nenpetro and his two wives. They had two daughters named Lunga and Lenga. Both daughters grew in beauty and the antelope came to Nenpetro asking for their hand in marriage, but the antelope was denied as only the many who could guess their names was to be married. A dog heard the names of the daughters and told Nsassi. Nsassi gained the marriage of the daughters and killed the antelope to eat him.

The Vanishing Wife 
This is the story of two brothers, Swarmi and Buite. Swarmi was married and Buite was alone and sad, so he left their home. One night he dreamed of a beautiful girl and followed her. In the morning, he followed the path of his dream an found a beautiful house. Every day, Buite was to cut the heads off of the fish for his wife else she would disappear. One day, Buite forgot to cut the heads off of the fish and everything disappeared. Swarmi appeared and Buite wept.

Another Vanishing Wife 
The story begins with two sons, Mavungu and Luemba. The latter grew to be a handsome man but the other was not and their mother mistreated Mavungu. Mavungu ran away and fled into the forest. While there, he pulled a leaf which then turned into a beautiful woman, who became his wife. Mavungu turned into a beautiful man and a large house appeared. Mavungu began to tell his mother the tale but remembered he was not supposed to tell. He visited again and told them of the story. Everything he owned disappeared and the townspeople said he was foolish.

The Jealous Wife
This is the story of two wives who each had children and whose husband was leaving for six months to trade. When it was time for the husband to return, they went to fish for their dinner and would take turns staying with the children. The child of the younger wife was much more intelligent and the older wife tried to murder him out of jealousy. She had killed her own child by mistake and ran into the jungle. The husband returned and asked where the elder wife was. They found her in the woods still cradling her dead child and fed her casca to kill her. Her ashes were scattered to the wind.

Ngomba's Balloon 
Ngomba was suffering form sores from head to foot and her friends told her to go away. She was determined to stay and catch fish for her mother and sang a song while catching fish. A murderer was watching her and made her go with him, lest he would kill her. The murderer took her to his home and healed her sores and made her mistress of all his prisoners and goods. One night, the murderer tried to kill his wife but heard music and danced, forgetting to kill her. Ngomba was determined to escape and finally made it back to her mother.

The Wicked Husband
The story begins with a quarrel between a husband and a wife while cutting palm-nuts. The wife does not do as the husband says and he dragged her into the woods and cut her arms and legs off and left her there. A hunter found the woman in terrible shape and told his wife about it. The prince heard of what happened but the woman had just died. They tied up the husband and killed him in a fire.

How Kengi Lost Her Child
Kengi was one of Nenpetro's two wives. One day, the second wife took beans from Kengi's land and this made her angry. Kengi needed tobacco from Gunga's land and while sitting there, had a child. Because it was on her land, Gunga took possession of the child. The court decided that Gunga had rights to the child, as it was born on her land.

The Twin Brothers
The twin brothers were both born with magical powers and wished to travel the world. One brother heard of a young girl who was looking for a husband and was determined to marry her. His magical powers helped him in his journey to find the girl. The girl chose him and they were to be married. While in the city, Mavungu found mirrors and discovered he could see into them, he went to the terrible city, knowing his charm would protect him. An old woman killed him on his travels. His twin was determined to find him. He found his wife and was mistaken for his brother and didn't know what to do. This time, Luemba killed the old woman, rather than being killed by her and put her bones with his brother's bones. Mavungu and the horse came back to life. A quarrel broke out and Mavungu killed Luemba.

The Younger Brother Who Knew More Than the Elder 
This is the story of two brothers, whom the younger thought he knew more than the elder. The younger brother was enraged and left the town with his wife. While on their journey, they came across several huts. After befriending a man, they dug a hole and caught many animals. The brother sent his wife to get wood and she didn't return. He found her in the trap and his elder brother found them in the forest. The elder brother called the younger a fool, as he was to take his wife. The younger brother saw how foolish he was and the two brothers and wife returned to their home.

The Antelope and the Leopard
This is the story of a leopard and an antelope who had a bet that the antelope could not find the leopard. However, he did find the leopard and the leopard was angry. So, the antelope hid himself and the leopard gave up. He went to his home and returned to his four princesses. There was a maiden that showed herself and turned into the antelope as the leopard was dying. This is why the leopard now kills the antelope.

How the Spider Won and Lost Nzambi's Daughter
Nzambi had a beautiful daughter who wore that she would not marry a mortal. The spider agreed to help her with the feat for a reward. Nzambi told many animals what they needed to do and Nzambi gave the spider her daughter for marriage. The animals all thought they should have the girl and Nzambi instead gave them cloth and sent them away.

The Turtle and the Man
In this story, a turtle and a man build themselves a small town. They made a trap so as to catch a large animal to curb their hunger. The turtle caught an antelope but the man did not. An ox came to help them ready the food and the turtle tricked him into leaving. The ox then stormed away, yet fell into the trap and died. The leopard destroyed the trap, rather than being outsmarted by the turtle. He put rope around his heck and laid in the trap. The leopard then bit the turtle's head off.

The Gazelle and the Leopard
This story is of a gazelle and a leopard who were to be cutting down bush so that their women could plant seeds as soon as the rains came. The gazelle went and cut the bush twice alone without the leopard. Then the next day, the gazelle was sick so the leopard when alone. the continued for several days and the leopard set a trap. He caught an antelope who said he was with the gazelle and the gazelle was annoyed when the antelope was slain. The gazelle then set up an army against the leopard and killed him.

The Fetish Sunga
Basa was a wise fisherman who used to smuggle fish into his home. This went on for many years and one day he heard a voice telling him to go into the river. It dried up and all the fish disappeared as soon as he touched it. The voice, Sunga, took him to a town and gave him so much wine he could not speak. Then Sunga deprived him all powers of speech so that he would lie nor more and he could only communicate by sign from that point on.

The Rabbit and the Antelope
There was once a shortage of water, so the rabbit and antelope paired so as to dig a deep well to quench the thirst of everyone. The rabbit left many times, causing the antelope to do all the work. The antelope asked for the leftover food, as he was tired and there was none left. The next day, the same thing happened. The antelope became angry and planned to kill the rabbit. The rabbit stuck to the figure he was trying to kill so the antelope killed him in laughter.

The Fight Between the Two Fetishes
King Jack owned a fetish called Lifuma. Lifuma has rejoiced by the sea but now was retired to the interior and wished to see his people happy again. Lifuma got into an argument with Chimpukela and broke his leg. Lifuma cursed the bird, the tree, the canoes, the saltwater and everything else pertaining to the beach and that is why they no longer belong to that country.

The Fetish of Chilunga
In Chilunga, there is a fetish called Boio. One day a woman was in the forest gathering wood and was tied up by Boio, who took form in the bird. The husband got the woman gave her liberty. There were many other instances like this one through which Boio was mentioned and many went to the place of Boio to praise this fetish. Only two men have ever seen this fetish in his earthly home and they are who brings him food.

The Leopard and the Crocodile
This story begins with a man and his wives who refused to work and the man didn't know how to feed all of those people and himself. He cut down palm-kernels and sought out the leopard to help him. The leopard promised meat and the crocodile promised fish. This continued for many years as the man brought palm-kernels to the animals. The two animals then fought bitterly and the beasts killed each other, causing the town to feast on their meat.

Why the Crocodile Does Not Eat the Hen
This is the story of a hen who would go to river's edge to pick up food. The crocodile came near her and was frightened by her scream, yet was determined to eat the hen. Mbambi told the crocodile that all animals are related and are kin, so the crocodile does not eat the hen.

The Three Brothers
The story begins with three babies born at once to a single mother. She didn't know what to do with them and the river spirit called them to eat the food around them. The three brothers grew and built their homes in a town and soon met their father. He returned to town and told his wife he found their children. They then took are of their mother for the rest of her days.