Monday, November 30, 2020

Famous Last Words: Almost There!


This is how I feel at this point in the semester. I feel like the last piece of the puzzle is ready to be put into place but I just have to do it!
(Image from Pikrepo)


Your reading for this week: 
The reading went well for me this week! I actually enjoyed reading from the Canterbury Tales unit. I thought reading The Promise of Dorigen was thoroughly enjoyable and was the story that I based my re-telling on for the week. The second story I wrote about was The Prioress's Tale: Little Hugh and was a blood libel. I was sort of shocked while reading this anti-Semitic tale, but it was good to see that side of history. I liked the way both stories were laid out and I thought I would try to emulate some aspects in future writing. 

Your best writing for this week: I thought my best writing for the week was in my telling of The Promise of Dorigen when I wrote The Diary of Arviragus, which was my twist on the tale. I definitely experimented this week with telling the story from a different character's point of view, which is something I have not done. I also twisted the story to be in a different format, the diary, which was also something new. I really enjoyed writing this way and I think keeping in the groove of just sitting down and writing it was helpful.

Other people's writing: I actually read a lot of people's retelling of the story of Gellert, the dog who saved the baby from the intruder, but his master thought he killed the baby so he killed Gellert. I thought Tink did a wonderful job with her retelling. She also switched the character point of view for this story and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Here is her story!

Your other classes: My other classes are going pretty well. I am nearing the end in all my classes and at this point I am just trying to push through to the end of the semester. I am completely over this semester and this year in general, so I am just ready to be done. I want a break so badly but I cannot take one until I am done with all my work. I just need to get it all done at this point. 

Outside of school: While I did not attend any events on campus, I did go home for Thanksgiving to see my family. We had to do a socially distanced Thanksgiving dinner, which was really weird. My sister and I were the "servers" and we were masked and gloved while distributing food. It was odd but we got it done. I am so ready for the pandemic to be over!

Next week: This next week I am hoping I have time to sit down and finish a lot of work for this class and my other classes. I want to just be done with everything so I may try to have a marathon work session this week! 

Week 13 Review



As I scrolled through the announcement feed I thought this graphic perfectly summed up what I was feeling at the end of the semester. All I want is to take a break, but I simply cannot do that until I get all my work done. It also made me laugh!



I also thought this video would bring more people the joy it brought me when I first saw it. With the year we are having I think it is important to find joy in the little things in life, such as watching a happy man do a dance in the snow. Dancing is always therapeutic for me and I do not think I am alone in that. Enjoy this beautiful little video!

Growth Mindset: Conversation with Bella

Fixed vs Growth mindset

For this growth mindset conversation I prepared a few talking points before I chatted with my roommate, Bella. I tried to give her an overview of the idea of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset and how that effects your life. She was very receptive to the conversation and genuinely seemed like she wanted to know more, so that was encouraging. Though she had never heard of the term "growth mindset" before, she had definitely heard of some concepts related to the topic. I wanted to make sure I hit the points about taking criticism and using it to improve your activity/performance/whatever you're doing because she will be the first to admit that she has trouble taking criticism sometimes. To my surprise she was very open to having a candid discussion about how she could improve in this area. I had some more points prepared on the way we see "failure" in our lives as well. I told her about the ways we can take our failures and learn from them instead of being down on ourselves. I think she really enjoyed talking about this and the conversation was productive!

Friday, November 20, 2020

Week 13 Story: The Diary of Arviragus


Dorigen and Arviragus when they were reunited at last.



May 12, 1523
Dear Diary,

Oh how in love I am! My beautiful love, Dorigen, has just accepted my hand in marriage! We are betrothed and I am absolutely ecstatic. I cannot express how ardently I love this woman. She is so stunning. I have never seen such a face and dare I say I will never see such beauty as she. I have vowed to be fair and true to her for all my days, even when I must depart from her gracious presence. I have never been this happy in all my days!

Sincerely
Arviragus



May 30, 1524
Dear Diary, 

I am feeling very ill on this day, my friend. You see, I have just broken the news to Dorigen that I must depart across the sea. How blissful this past year has been! I am fully distraught at the thought of leaving my dear Dorigen, but I am called by my duty as a knight of the kingdom to seek glory and honor in arms! I have to go, but I have vowed to return just as soon as my tasks are accomplished. I only pray now that Dorigen will not weep for me, but that her days will be filled with friendship and happiness as she awaits my return. The day when we are reunited will be glorious!

Sincerely, 
Arviragus



July 9, 1524
Dear Diary,

I have made it across the waters! I now seek to accomplish what I have set out to do as quickly as possible so that I can return to my love once more. I have a tournament in just two month's time, and I must spend every waking minute until then training for it. I must win!

Sincerely,
Arviragus



September 31, 1524
Dear Diary,

I am pleased to inform you that I have won! The kingdom has claimed a righteous victory on this day for me and my comrades have taken the top prized in the tournament. I was the jousting champion, not to brag, and I am very proud of my accomplishments. Oh, how I cannot wait to be reunited with Dorigen and inform her of the news! She will be so proud of me. She is always so supportive. I love her dearly. In one week's time I will set sail back across the seas so that I may arrive at home before the year's end!

Sincerely,
Arviragus



November 13, 1524
Dear Diary,

I made it safely across the waters without mishap, and I was reunited with my love! As we embraced, she disclosed to me something truly horrific, and something I had never in my wildest dreams imagined she would ever say. You see, while in my absence, this pitiful squire man apparently confessed his love for Dorigen. She told him that she was already madly in love with me, but he would not leave her alone. In an effort to be rid of his nuisances, she told him that when the rocks at the bottom of the cliff from which I sailed away were covered up, which would never happen for they are very visible even at high tide, she would be with him. Her, knowing this would never happen, did not give this man another thought until one day he came back to her and told her to look over the cliff. The rocks were gone, and she had made him a promise. I do not know what to do, diary. She promised him, but she is my one true love! How can I lose her now when she was so close to me only moments ago? This is truly the worst day of my life. 

Sincerely,
Arviragus



November 14, 1524
Dear Diary, 

After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that she must be with the squire. She has made a promise and I do not take those lightly. Though it pains me more than anything in the world has ever pained me, I must let her go to him. I pray now that by some miracle he does not make her follow through on her word, for I do not know if I can bear to spend another day without her by my side. 

Sincerely,
Arviragus



November 15, 1524
Dear Diary,

It happened! I sent her off to him but she has returned to me! According to Dorigen, the squire knew he could not keep her away from me. She was too distraught and although she wanted to honor her promise, he knew she would be miserable for all her days. Oh, glorious day! I have sent a letter to the squire to thank him for his generosity, and I only hope that he can find a love of his own now. But for now and all of my days, I have Dorigen. I am perfectly and completely happy.

Sincerely,
Arviragus




Author's Note:
Hello reader! This is the retelling of the Canterbury tale titled "The Promise of Dorigen." The original tale is written from from a third person point of view, but is mainly focused on Dorigen's story. I toyed around with the idea of doing a gender swap, but ended up wanting to write from Arviragus' point of view instead. The original tale does not really give the readers any indication of how Arvirgaus is feeling when all of the things go down between Dorigen and the squire, so I thought this was a fun way to implement his side of the story into the tale. I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you have fun reading it!



Bibliography:
The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908)

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part B

The Prioress's Tale: Little Hugh

Background:

  • This is an anti-Semitic "blood libel"
    • "Blood libel, also called blood accusation, the superstitious accusation that Jews ritually sacrifice Christian children at Passover to obtain blood for unleavened bread." -Britannica
    • This is literally something I have never heard of, and it is surprising that I haven't
  • These stories were apparently extremely common among Christian communities, though I would argue that these were not true Christians
  • According to Britannica, in "1144 an English boy, William of Norwich, was found brutally murdered with strange wounds to his head, arms, and torso. His uncle, a priest, blamed local Jews, and a rumour spread that Jews crucified a Christian child every year at Passover. A century later an investigation into the death of another boy, Hugh of Lincoln (died 1255), sparked anti-Jewish fervour that resulted in the execution of 19 English Jews." 
    • The death of Hugh of Lincoln is what this story is based on


This is the real shrine to Little St. Hugh
(image from wikimedia commons)


Story Notes:
  • This story starts of problematic and stays problematic
  • The writer wants to draw the reader into the Christian narrative and create a deep attachment to Hugh
    • does this with his description and the interactions with the older boy
  • Almost every line is singing the praises of the little boy, and I understand that he is innocent in all of this, but the way the writer portrays him feels a bit odd
  • Okay. So the writer is insinuating that Jews are in cahoots with the literal devil. Got it. 
  • So the Jews killed Hugh by "cutting his little throat" and now they are disregarding the grief of the mother. Sounds reasonable (please hear my sarcasm)
  • I know this is supposed to be great imagery and convince me to hate Jews, but it is really just making me hate the writer
  • So because one man killed the little boy, all of the Jewish people are to be hanged for it? Seems sketchy.
  • It also seems sketchy that the little boy had his throat sliced but was still singing. I understand that it is because of the power of "Christ's mother," but did people really believe this?
  • He was laid to rest in a solid white temple. Okay.

Overall thoughts:
    I hated this. It is deeply troublesome to me that people would have actually bought in to this anti-Semitism, even though I know it was so prevalent. I think reading stories like these is really important to understanding the historical eras you are dealing with when you are studying any text, but it also is important to remind us of ways of thinking we cannot go back to. As problematic as this story was and as gross as I felt reading it, I think it was good that I read it. I understand better how the writing was so skewed to one school of thought, and I now know exactly what I would never want to emulate in my own writing. 


Bibliography:
Britannica on Blood Libels
The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908).

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part A

The Franklin's Tale: The Promise of Dorigen

Observations:
  • Starts in the classic way of saying "there once was..." I enjoy tales that start this way.
  • The knight, Arviragus, was fair and true, which is all a knight should be.
  • I like the fact that there is a love story. I don't think I've written a love story for this class so I will be interested to see what elements I can pull from this tale
  • This is a classic story of love and tragedy.
  • The story is centered around the broken heart of the young woman, Dorigen. I don't love how the story ascribes to the classic tropes that young women are crazy or hysteric when they don't have their man. I understand that this was just the writing style of the time, but perhaps I could change things up in such a way that there are no sexist and outdated ideas in my story for the week. 
    • I think doing a gender switch could be good for this. 
  • Her friends seem like good people trying to draw her out of her depression.
  • There is good imagery about the garden, but it could stand to do a little more showing, rather than telling, the reader about the beautiful florals. 
  • I don't like the young squire and his unrequited love. I think it is a bit creepy when people so desperately pine over someone they don't have that they literally die? Call me crazy, but that does not seem like the most rational option here. 
  • When he is begging her to love him at the end of the story it is just kind of cringe-worthy. 



Dorigen and the squire
(Image by Mary Eliza Haweis, from wikimedia commons)


The Promise of Dorigen (cont.)

Observations
  • I'm proud of Dorigen for outright rejecting the squire. I think women are often written so that they succumb to the will of any man that wants them.
  • Okay, I should have seen it coming that there would be some twist where the squire would make some miracle happen so that the rocks would sink and Dorigen would have to be his wife. I do not like him.
  • I'm glad Arviragus actually came back and was good to Dorigen. She deserved it. 
  • I truly do not care about the squire's pain at all. He wants another man's wife and she already said no. 
  • I hate that the squire's brother is in on the scheme. Men.
  • I do not like where the story is going. I think the magic is going to work in the squire's favor.

The Promise of Dorigen (cont. again)

Observations
  • This magician seems sketchy, and I truly hope he does not end up fulfilling his promise to Aurelius. 
  • Okay this story is actually turning out to be extremely sad. I desperately want Dorigen to be with the man she wants to be with, rather than having to fulfil some promise she made in a desperate attempt to get rid of an annoying man. 
  • I feel so bad for Arviragus. I hate this. I understand that he wants her to honor her promise, but didn't she make a promise to him first by promising to be his wife forever?

The Promise of Dorigen (end)

Observations
  • Okay my hatred for Aurelius lessened a little bit when he understood that Dorigen was in pain and let her go back to Arviragus. 
  • I am very pleased that the story ended with the two lovers rightfully together.
  • I also like the fact that the magician released Aurelius from his bond because he was heartbroken.
  • As for the question at the end of the story, "which of these three men were the most generous," I think Arviragus was the most generous. He was willing to give up his wife in order to have her keep a promise. 

Bibliography:
The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908)

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Famous Last Words: Gearing up for the Weekend

Your reading for this week.

    I think the reading went well for me this week. I had time do do both sections of the reading and genuinely enjoyed the works that I read. I remember the second part of the reading more than the first, and I can vividly recall the story about the Gruagach Gaire's tragic tale. Reading the stories this week gave me inspiration to write more stories that are sad and sort of scary, which I tried to do in my microfiction for the week. 

Your best writing for this week. 

     I think I did my best writing in my storytelling for the week and in my microfiction. I think I explored elements that are new to my writing in the story about heartbreak and pain, even though the story is based off the reading from two weeks ago. As for the microfiction, I really tried to explore my darker side with something that would spook my readers. I'll be honest, I definitely watched some spooky tik toks (don't judge me) before I wrote those so I could get in the spirit, per se. 

Other people's writing.

    This week I read some really great storybooks! My absolute favorite, probably my favorite that I have read so far in the class, was titled The End (Of the World- It Might be Fine) and was written by Eli. the writing was absolutely stunning and actually made me want to read more, which is a hard thing to accomplish. He wrote the stories such that it felt like we were reading the characters' diary, or were actually present in their head, and it was so good. 

Your other classes.

    For the most part, my other classes are generally fine. I had a fairly large paper due in one of them, and a quiz due in another, but there were no major roadblocks to accomplishing work this week. I am not sure there are any explicit connections to the things we are doing in this class, but I will say that making myself map out all my work for this class has made me do the same for other classes and is a super helpful practice. 

Outside of school.

    To be honest, nothing crazy exciting happened this week outside of school, other than me remaining in quarantine because I was exposed to someone who has covid (I tested negative, but am doing the full 14 day quarantine to be safe). I don't have any exciting news stories, other than the fact that Biden is officially going to be the president, but everyone already knows that. 

Next week.

    This next week I am going to have to really budget my time well because I will be out of town for a Friendsgiving (socially distanced, of course) on the weekend and unable to do a lot of weekend work. I have a schedule written out and as long as I stick to it I will be able to accomplish everything I need to and can have a fun weekend, guilt free!

Growth Mindset: Saying yes and learning from mistakes

Quote 1:

"SAY YES: A strategy that I employed during my freshman year was saying yes to any opportunity I had even a vague interest in doing. It really helped me make friends, learn to be uncomfortable, and realize the things I did and did not like to do. I hope my acronym will inspire others to try new things."

I loved this quote! I have definitely heard of this strategy/way of living life before, but it is never something I actually do. I have a hard time doing things that make me uncomfortable because I easily get self-conscious, but I wonder about all the missed opportunities for a great time I have passed up because I was afraid of being uncomfortable. I feel like that is a common problem to run into over the course of someone's life, but it is something I would like to work to combat. 



This is the image the author used for her acronym in the second quote. I enjoy it.
(Image found here)



Quote 2:

"M.I.S.T.A.K.E.S. I made this acronym because I am often very scared to make a mistake. Whenever a professor asks the class a question, I hesitate to answer because I'm afraid of being wrong. However, I have learned that I learn best from my mistakes and they motivate me to work even harder. Many Imperfections Slowly Transform After Keen Effort."

I completely feel this quote. I live in fear of embarrassing myself in the classroom and in life, especially when I am in situations where I don't feel comfortable with the people I am around. I think there are times when we should be wary, but most of the time, our fear of making mistakes is founded on nothing of substance and only hinders our enjoyment. I would love to get better at allowing myself to make mistakes and not hate myself for them. 


Microfiction: Two Spooky Little Stories


These are somewhat like the woods I'm picturing in the first story.
(Image from Jordan Stimpson)

Got Ya

I ran. I ran as fast as I possibly could, the branches whipping at face, grabbing at my hair. It was almost as though he somehow had control of the branches, commanding them to stop me. Crack. I felt a pain in my chest before the realization hit me. I was on the ground. A scream rose from my lungs as I tried to move my ankle. No. It couldn't be. I closed my eyes and counted to three, willing my ankle to mend itself so I could run. I opened my eyes and the scream burst forth. "Got ya."


Lipstick

I couldn't help but give an exasperated sigh, knowing full well that this lady would never get the right shade of red for my lipstick. Although, I suppose it is hard to make lipstick look vibrant when you're putting it on a corpse.



Author's Note:

Hello! I hope you got a little spooked when reading these stories. I wanted to write something that was inspired by those two sentence horror stories that are circulating the internet, so I chose to engage the more twisted sides of my brain. I think what makes "Got Ya" particularly scary is that we don't know who, or what, is chasing the character, so that leaves the doors wide open for our brains to fill in the blanks with whatever horrible creature we can imagine. For "Lipstick" I tried to create a horrifying little twist. Reading the first sentence could make you think that perhaps she is getting her makeup done for a wedding or special occasion, but when you realize the character is dead, it just sends a shiver down your spine. Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales, Part B

The Shee an Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire



The Gruache Giare and his thunderous laughter.


Observations:

  • Although this is written over a hundred years ago, the language is easy to understand and lends itself well to modern audiences.
  • There is a decent amount of geographical locations listed in the story. I think we often we neglect to tell our readers where things are taking place, so I will try to be more cognizant of the way I introduce my settings.
  • The story is laid out in different pieces. There are different subheading, which aren't something I think to use when writing.
  • Even with all the other elements, this is a story where the girl is owned by her father and the suitor has to prove himself worthy to be with her. I tend to shy away from that trope because women aren't something to be won, so I don't love that about the tale. 
  • The Gruagach Gaire's story is incredibly tragic and devastating, which is something I have been trying to explore in my own writing. I think the author does a really good job at drawing the reader into the tragedy by making it the reason for the absence of the Gruagach's laughter. I will try to do something similar in my own writing. 
  • There is low-key a lot of gore in this story, and gore is something I have never written.
  • The ending of the story felt a bit rushed. It ended happily, but it felt like there could have been more detail about the wedding, rather than just saying it lasted 9 days. 
This was a really interesting story. There were a lot of elements that I liked and think that I may try to implement into my future writings, such as the subheadings, different geographical locations, and the tragedy of the Gruagach Gaire's story. I enjoyed the way the story was written, which was with a good mix of narration and dialogue. The author did a good job of laying out all the important details of the characters without droning on forever with detail. I liked this reading a lot and I will definitely be coming back to reference it. 


Bibliography:

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892).

Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales, Part A


The field of Boliauns

Observations:

  • Obviously written in the late 1800s, so that is reflected in the language used. Makes it a bit hard to understand at times, but is able to be broken down
  • Written in third person
  • Has a good bit of introductory narration before we get to any dialogue. I think sometimes this works and sometimes it feels boring
  • Has a lot of dialogue in the main part of the story, and it is almost solely dialogue for a portion. I like this style of narrative and it is something I try to mimic in my own stories.
  • There is a weird leprechaun character that adds a little bit of fright to the story. I have written sad stories but never one that makes readers feel frightened, so I could possibly try to write a story like that at some point.
  • Overall, this story was interesting. I liked the dialogue portions and the actual storyline, although I still think there was too much narration.




The sprightly tailor and the beast, trying to distract him.

The Sprightly Tailor

Observations:

  • This is also written in the late 1800s, and the language ("trews") reflects this. The story is still easily accessible and understandable though.
  • I chose this story because it, again, has elements that are frightening to the characters and readers. I found myself rooting for the tailor to stitch more quickly and finish before the creature fully rose from the earth, and this is something I will definitely be trying to mimic in my own writing.
  • There is a lot of repeated phrasing, such as "I see that, but I'll sew this!" and slight variations as the monster rises from the ground and tries to distract the tailor from finishing the trews on time. I like this element in writing, and I would like to implement something like that into my own stories.
  • There was a lot of narration but I didn't mind it because it still propelled the story forward.
  • The ending was satisfying and I felt like I could take a breath after the tailor escaped.
  • I really liked this story. I thought it was well written and actually captured my attention. I will definitely be taking several elements of this style of writing and implementing them into my own stories.


Bibliography:

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892).
The Field of Boliauns
The Sprightly Tailor

Friday, November 6, 2020

Week 11 Story: Fox and Coyote

*An updated version of this story can be found on my portfolio, which is located here!*


*If you want to be extra immersed in this story, click to hear a Crackling Fireplace with Thunder, Rain and Howling Wind Sounds *


"We have to go." Coyote coughed and wheezed as the smoke rose around the two of them. "Come on, Fox!"

"Just a minute longer, please," Fox begged. His eyes widened as he stared at the flames consuming his once glorious and flourishing plot of land. "I can't just leave it all behind." But he knew that really, there was nothing left to leave behind anymore.

As he gazed into the ever-growing bursts of heat and embers, he saw the world he created flash before his eyes. This was no ordinary land that was now wrought with flames. This was home. This was home that Fox and Coyote built, even if Coyote protested at times. At the beginning of this decade, this land was nothing but but a vast expanse of ocean, black and deep. Fox had seen this and known that he could make it so much better. He had taken his arrow and bore two holes, one for sky and one for land. He had painstakingly taken his paws, each of his now charred and burnt paws, and stretched the land for days on end, lovingly and tenderly pushing it to the north, the south, the east, and the west to create space for Coyote to run free. 

"Fox," Coyote half-yelled to snap Fox out of it. "We have to leave, now!"

He could feel his whiskers start to singe, but he could not part with his beloved creation just yet. He squinted his eyes and searched the wall of flames for any remnants of the home he and Coyote had lived in. He remembered so vividly the day he instructed Coyote to build it out strong logs and pad the floor with plush grasses. How quickly that grass had burned up in the flames that now grew stronger with each passing second. 

Whoosh. Fox snapped his head downward and saw the white flash of a rabbit sprinting by him. He remembered then the way he so carefully and intentionally dreamt up each animal, each soul. He had chosen how many hairs were on little rabbit's head. The color of the shells of each tortoise. A singular tear dropped from Fox's eye then, and he knew the time had come. 

"Are you ready?" "I'll never be ready, but we can go."

As the pair turned from the blaze and started sprinting into the cool night air, Fox looked into the sky. As tears streamed down both of their faces, he looked upward to howl at the moons in anguish. For the first time four moons didn't seem like enough, and he desperately wished he had listened to Coyote when he suggested ten. 



The Silver-Fox


Authors Note:

Well this story turned out way sadder than I had anticipated, but it's where my brain was telling me to go. This myth is based off the creation myth titled How Silver-Fox Created the World, which is from the Atsugewi tribe of the Pacific Northwest. I re-wrote this initially with the twist ending of the burning of the world, but it evolved into the whole dialogue between the characters and re-framed the whole story.


Bibliography:

How Silver-Fox Created the World  from Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon, by Katharine Berry Judson (1910).

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Reading Notes: Pacific Northwest, Part A

How Silver-Fox Created the World

Summary:

This is a creation story from the Atsugewi tribe of the Pacific Northwest. In the story, the world is created by Silver-fox, who is accompanied by Coyote. Silver-fox wanted to make things and create the world, but Coyote was opposed. The story starts with there being nothing but water in the world until one day the Silver-fox sent Coyote off, took an arrow flaker and created a hole in the water, which was sky. The next day he created another hole, where he made an island. Coyote eventually came back and found him, but needed the island to be bigger. Over five days, Silver-fox made the world bigger and bigger until it satisfied Coyote. He then instructed Coyote to build a house with grass and wood and to go to sleep in it. While Coyote was sleeping, Silver-fox dressed up and then began to stretch out the earth in the four directions, again repeating the process over five nights. He eventually made the earth as big as it is now, and then created plants and animals by thinking of them. Coyote then suggested there be 10 moons for the seasons, but in end there were four moons: one for autumn, one for spring, and two for winter. 

Comparisons of Other Creation Narratives in the Unit
  • How Kemush Created the World
    • From the Klamath tribe
    • the earth was flat and bare, not water
    • Kemush was a man, who was ancient and old
    • Kemush apparently planted all the plants, but there are no details as to how
    • lots of details about the Sun, sky, night, day
    • Kemush is more like the traditional Christian version of a god, rather than the Silver-fox
  • How Old Man Above Created the World
    • From the Shasta Indians
    • the earth was flat and dark
    • the Old man created a hole in the dark sky to get to the earth, like the Silver-fox
    • the Old man created plants where the Sun apparently melted snow that was on the earth. He planted all things, like Kemush
    • the animals came from plants, like birds from the leaves of trees
    • good detail about the way the animal hierarchy goes, like the grizzly bear being the master
    • the Old man lived in Mount Shasta for a very long time to be safe from the grizzly bear, but disappeared when white settlers came to America (of course the white men ruined it)


Sunrise on Mount Shasta (from the Shasta Indian Narrative)


There were lots of different details in the creation narratives, and I think I will try to incorporate a lot of different elements into the story I write for the week. I enjoyed this unit!


Bibliography:


Microfiction Revisions: Two Spooky Little Stories

Original Texts: Got Ya I ran. I ran as fast as I possibly could, the branches whipping at face, grabbing at my hair. It was almost as though...