Week 14 Story: Rumpelstiltskin

A depiction of the Brothers Grimm character Rumpelstiltskin from the famous story

One day in a far off kingdom tucked away in a forest, a miller who was working diligently for the king and his kingdom was graced with the presence of the king himself! In an effort to impress the monarch of his land, the miller nonchalantly and falsely bragged that his daughter could spin straw into gold, thinking nothing would come of it. The king, a wealthy and greedy man, ordered the miller's daughter to be taken to his stores of straw and spin them into gold before the morning had come or else he would cut her head off. The daughter tried her hardest all night, but alas, did not have special abilities and could not do the impossible. Right as she was about to give up, a scrawny and harrowing-looking man appeared and told the daughter that he was able to do what she seeks for a deal. The daughter, relieved and thankful, gave him her necklace. The man spun all of the straw into gold in minutes and then left with her necklace.

The king arrived and saw the amazing rumor was true, and the very next night brought her to a bigger room with more straw, seeking to increase his wealth. The same thing happened yet again. The daughter tried very hard to do what the man did, but could not. The man appeared with minutes to spare again, ready to make a deal. The daughter gave him her ring, and the same result occurred. The king was astounded and brought her his largest store of straw in the kingdom with a new deal. If she could spin the straw into gold, he would marry her, and if not, she would be killed. The man again appeared in the dwindling hours of the night to make a deal. The daughter had nothing of value to offer until the man asked for her first-born son. After contemplating, she agreed. The king saw the gold in the morning and married the miller's daughter.

About a year later, the man appeared when the now queen gave birth to a son, demanding payment on his deal. She, however, realized she was the queen of the entire kingdom with an army at its disposal and wealth to live handily forever. She and the king ordered the guards to arrest and imprison the man who dared to try to steal the king's first-born son and heir. The man was arrested and never heard from again, and the king and queen lived happily ever after. 

Author's Note: I decided to take the original story of Rumpelstiltskin and an unusual twist to a story that many people know well. I had always wondered what would have happened if the miller's daughter just told Rumpelstiltskin no and didn't give him her first-born. She marries the king who can imprison the man forever and likely be safe! That idea was the foundation and inspiration for the story.

Bibliography: Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales by Dan Ashliman. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/04/myth-folklore-unit-brothers-grimm.html

Week 13 Story: Long Live King Arthur?

A painting of a scene from the famous King Arthur stories of British legend

One fine morning, a little boy by the name of Arthur headed out from his home in Brighton and went to school, as it was in walking distance and his parents both work full-time jobs. Arthur was an interesting and whimsical kid that was really into magic, dragons, mythology and legends, which of course meant that he was bullied by his peers for essentially knowing himself and his identity and interests. After a particularly rough day of being picked on by Ralph and his gang of insufferable peons that bombarded him with insults, Arthur decided to take an alternate route home to avoid the trouble that was surely to be caused if he walked near Ralph and his friends.

On his clever walk home, Arthur stumbled into an abandoned construction site, the ultimate playground for someone like Arthur. After hanging out for a while, Arthur noticed a large metal pole stuck into the ground, seemingly off to the side for no reason. As Arthur approached, he heard a man's voice holler "Who goes there?!" Arthur almost ran instinctively, but decided to face this foe. The man looked to be about 70, and scuttled over to speak with him. The old man explained that only a true king of power and might could pull it out of the ground, showing Arthur that he couldn't do it. Arthur walked over and he easily pulled it out (as it was barely sticking in the ground at all).

The old man erupted and began singing praises to Arthur and his might, which Arthur took to heart and really started to believe about himself. For the rest of his young adult life, Arthur easily tolerated and dismissed is bullies because the opinions of the common people could not be taken seriously. After all, what did commoners know about the life of a king?

Author's Note: I thought it would be funny and interesting to set the premise of the beginning of "King Arthur" in a modern context, and also if Arthur was just some gullible child. I also thought it would be interesting if Merlin was just some ordinary guy that maybe just didn't know what was going on and liked to prank some kid because nothing of consequence really happens, but really ended up giving Arthur some confidence to be himself. 

Bibliography: King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-king-arthur.html

Week 12 Story: Beowolf

A depiction of the wolf that Beowolf becomes to fight his enemies.

The legend of Beowolf had traveled far and wide throughout the world, and finally King Hrothgar, having no other option to save his subjects, enlisted the services of that legend himself. After many days and nights, Beowolf and his men arrived at the sacred mead hall of King Hrothgar himself, and stayed in for a night to observe the kingdom. After a fun night of drinking enjoying the company of one another, the King finally had to ask how Beowolf had achieved all of his legendary feats, being just a mere human. Beowolf laughed and decided it would be easier to show when the time came.

Almost at that instant, the terror that had been destroying the town had reappeared, somehow sensing a worthy foe had appeared. It ripped through the town, killing and maiming everyone in his path. Beowolf looked back at the king and gave him a sly smile, almost as if saying "Watch this!". Beowolf took a running start and leaped into the air, instantly transforming in a large wolf approximately 7 feet tall on his hindlegs and 350 pounds of pure muscle. The wolf leapt at the dragon-like terror, affectionately called Grendel by the Nords, and instantly bit into its neck while it was distracted and gnawing on a fellow Nord. The monster screeched with all of its might, and tried to wrestle out of the strong jaw of the wolf, but was unable to. Grendel, after a few more minutes of thrashing about, became still. The trained observer would see that the wolf got a little bit larger and a little bit stronger, almost absorbing the strength and likeness of Grendel itself.

The town had been saved, for the time being, and the people watched as the terrifyingly powerful wolf slowly became a man once again over the course of 30 seconds or so. Beowolf slowly approached the wavering King and his royal advisors and spoke, almost in a whisper, "Drinks on me."

Author's Note: I started with the notion that Beowulf looked like the word "wolf" was in his name, and then just kind of ran with the story from there. It was also strange for me to try to understand how a man like Beowulf could destroy Grendel and his mother with ease without really doing anything other than fighting them with his bare hands, which does not seem feasible to me. Therefore, I decided if he had a superhuman power to turn into a wolf, it would make a little more sense. 

Bibliography: The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs (prose adaptation in modern English). http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-beowulf.html

Week 11 Story: The Boy Who Became a Sheep and That's It

A photograph of the Navajo churro, the sheep that the Navajo tribe believe to be sacred.

The Tolchini, a clan of the Navajo, lived at Wind Mountains. They moved west after the young brother kept bring back food and pine boughs without rhyme or reason and the other brothers questioned his own sanity. After moving, since they had only been eating seed and grass to survive, the eldest brothers suggested that they go hunting to find food for themselves to be able to thrive and prosper instead scavenging for grass. They suggested that the youngest brother stay behind while they continued onward. After five days of no communication from his brothers, the youngest one set out on his own to find them. He camped at various caves and survived off of the land until he came across a large group of crows, that eventually morphed into Crow People that began speaking to the youngest brother in harsh whispers that terrified him. After overcoming the initial shock, he began listening to the voices and they told him about what had occurred with his brothers. They had become lost and killed 12 deer in their journey and they began telling the young brother where to go to find his family. After much walking and following their guidance, he found his brothers and told them of what the Crow People had told him. The details of their trip so closely matched the brother's retelling, that they realized that the brother had been very blessed and not gone crazy. In that moment, four ancient Gods appeared in the form of sheep and turned the young brother into a sheep much like them; however, the young brother felt no different, his form had merely just been altered. In a flash, the gods disappeared and the young brother was left in his form, a symbol of the sacred gods in Navajo culture, but no different from any other sheep. 

Author's Note: I started with the traditional Navajo story of the young boy who became a God in the form of a sheep after rescuing his brothers. I had a funny thought while reading this story that was essentially just "What if nothing else happened?" He would just be a sheep without godly powers or knowledge that improve the lives of people.

Bibliography: Judson's "Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest." http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/03/myth-folklore-unit-california-and-old.html

Week 10 Story: The Logical Pacifist Hiawatha

A movie poster for the 1913 film adaptation of the Native American legend Hiawatha.

On one fateful day, Nokomis, Hiawatha's grandmother, looked up from the ground pointed in the direction of the western sky and told her grandson some troubling news. There was an evil magician named Pearl-Feather who has been hoarding large sums of food and money, while also using his evil magic to spread disease amongst the population. Additionally, this Pearl-Feather had killed Hiawatha's grandfather. Hiawatha took on Nokomis' request and agreed to stop Pearl-Feather once and for all. 

Hiawatha began trekking toward the direction of Pearl-Feather's lair, and after two days of walking, he came upon a large home in the middle of a lake with pitch black water. Upon approaching the shore, fiery snakes leapt out of the water, guarding the only walkway to his home in the middle of the lake. After being unable to come up with a way past them without fighting them, he realized something strange... How were these snakes on fire, but also in water? And at that exact moment, the snakes suddenly were extinguished, and left, almost as if they were also confused by their existence. 

After walking a while, Hiawatha approached the door of the dreaded Pearl-Feather and gave it a quick knock. There was no response. Hiawatha turned to leave, and just before he left the vicinity of the house, he felt an evil presence and Pearl-Feather appeared from thin air. Hiawatha began trying to settle the incident peacefully. He explained to Pearl-Feather that his powers and wealth and riches could be used to improve the lives of others and work toward a communal good. Pearl-Feather was very hesitant, as he enjoyed doing evil things, but did realize that he was quite lonely out here on this lake and he really could change the trajectory of his life in the best way possible. Hiawatha and Pearl-Feather walked back to the village together. Upon arriving at the village, Pearl-Feather apologized and gave away his wealth to build up the community, and began using his magic to improve crop yields and vanquish disease. Perhaps violence is not always the answer after all.

Author's Note: In this version of Hiawatha story, I added an unconventional twist, given that the protagonist is often forced to use violence as a means to achieve his goals and do what he considers best for the ultimate and communal good. I focused on the retelling of his encounter with Pearl-Feather, an evil magician that hoards wealth and spreads disease, because I am the most familiar with this particular story in the realm of Hiawatha stories.

Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Published in 1855. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-song-of-hiawatha.html

Week 9 Story: The Monkey King Reigns

A depiction of the Monkey King from Chinese legend, Sun Wu Kung

The Handsome Monkey King, known simply as Sun Wu Kung to many, had been a huge disruption to the status quo of Heaven. Since his birth from a stone from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, to his coronation for leading a group of monkeys upstream to the source of their river, which was near a great waterfall and cave they now reside, to his very reluctant appointment to a job in Heaven after gaining several magical and powerful artifacts that have established him as one of the greatest and most feared beings in existence. After being "promoted" to keeper of the Garden of Peaches, Sun Wu Kung, in a fiery rage, decided to plot and destroy those in Heaven who belittled and opposed him. After wreaking havoc in Heaven and defeating many celestial generals, deities, and dragon kings, it became time for someone to step in. The Buddha himself appeared before Sun Wu Kung and made a wager; if Sun Wu Kung could escape from his palm, he would not imprison him and, in fact, make him a Buddha himself and have him ascend. Sun Wu Kung vehemently agreed, and the wager was on. After many weeks of wandering and running, he had approached five large white pillars unlike anything he had ever seen in his life. Believing he had escaped Buddha and found the end of Heaven itself, he began to carve his name into a pillar. Upon further reflection and inspection, Sun Wu Kung, by sheer luck, began inspecting his own hand before finishing engraving his own name. He realized that these pillar must the edge of the Buddha's finger and quickly jumped between the pillars, falling into a void of pure darkness... 

And like that, he had caught and held open once again in the familiar air of Heaven. The Buddha had caught Sun Wu Kung after he had escaped his hand. Always a being of his word, Buddha opened the mind of Sun Wu Kung and gave him the ability to ascend into a powerful Buddha in his own right, co-ruling Heaven as Heaven's Equal, finally. 

Author's Note: In this version of this portion of the story of Sun Wu Kung, our protagonist is faced with his greatest challenge: trying to escape Buddha himself. In the original version of the myth, Sun Wu Kung cannot escape the palm of Buddha and is then enclosed and imprisoned in his fist for 500 years as punishment for wreaking havoc in heaven after being disrespected. In this version, Sun Wu Kung is successful and contributes to a sense of an unstoppable force in media, like Michael Myers from the Halloween horror franchise, which I think is an interesting idea to ponder in life. 

Bibliography: Wilhelm's Chinese Fairy Book. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-monkey-king-sun-wu.html

Week 7 Story: Brother Rabbit

A Walt Disney Productions depiction of Brer Rabbit from their adapted cartoon series. 

One day at the estate of Mr. Brother Fox, a mischievous and malicious thought entered the catacombs of his mind. Though he was indeed a man of literature and finer things, Mr. Brother Fox was still a fox, an animal with animal needs. After pondering about how to execute his plan to ensnare Mr. Brother Rabbit, he began preparing. The plan was simple: create a life-like child made of tar and turpentine that resembled a very small child. Mr. Brother Fox began sculpting the child out of tar and turpentine, then dyed the skin and painted a greatly detailed face, which was easy for him with his arts background from his study abroad year at the Paris Conservatory. After completing his masterpiece, he laid it out near where Mr. Brother Rabbit would be often approaching. Mr. Brother Rabbit, a proud Yale graduate, came around the corner and quickly noticed the baby leaning against a rock. He called out many a time to greet the child and attempt to locate the parents, but he was finding the child's lack of initiative quite disturbing. After his frustrations grew greater, Mr. Brother Fox delivered the coup de grace. He roared in a child's voice "Yale is a second rate institution and Harvard is clearly superior in all facets." Mr. Brother Rabbit, unable to control his animalistic instincts, punched the baby and quickly became stuck. After struggling and getting more stuck, Mr. Brother Rabbit gave in and Mr. Brother Fox appeared. Trying to think on his feet and escape, Mr. Brother Rabbit began pleading not be thrown into the briar patch, as it would be the worst fate of them all. Mr. Brother Fox, possessing a minor in Biology, retorted that rabbits are actually very comfortable and at home in those particular areas of nature, and was mostly just confused by his pleadings. After allowing Mr. Brother Rabbit to get his affairs in order and visit with a lawyer to set up his estate and inheritance, Mr. Brother Fox hosted a grand party, with the main course being a delectable entree of rabbit. 

Author's Note: I began thinking about the nature of the story and how dialectical language predominates to engage readers that were mostly illiterate, and I thought it would be funny and interesting to experiment with characters that were well-read, literate, intelligent, and critical thinkers. From there, I just put a twist ending on the classic Tar Baby tale. 

Bibliography: Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-brer-rabbit.html

Week 5 Story: Aladdin and the Magician

An illustration of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp from an Arabian Nights book

Now it had been many a day since Aladdin and the sultan's daughter had returned from Africa, having defeated the evil magician by tricking him into drinking a poisoned glass of wine, and the happy couple had ruled over their kingdom and lived very well in their palace. However, unbeknownst to Aladdin and the sultan's daughter, the evil magician had a brother who was supposedly even more wicked than the brother Aladdin had dealt with so long ago. This man was cunning, decisive, and cruel to the extreme. Knowing the secrets of the jinn from having practiced magic for so long, he knew the very thing that would be able to destroy Aladdin and his kingdom for having killed his brother. So, he dressed a divine, holy woman and entered the kingdom, arriving at the gates of the palace to meet with Aladdin in order to bestow a blessing from the Gods themselves. After being granted their audience with Aladdin and the sultan's daughter, the brother in disguise convinces the sultan's daughter to request a hanging roc's egg in the palace for protection and prosperity, and Aladdin, not wanting his darling love to be left unfulfilled, asks the jinn to grant his wish. At this request, the jinn begins yelling and cursing at Aladdin for such a dangerous and evil wish, as the roc is the jinn's master. Unable to listen to reason because of his immense anger, the jinn unleashes his full potential of magic into the kingdom, wiping its very existence out of the scope of this world and history, leaving only a well-polished oil lamp in the sands of the now barren desert.

Author's Note: I began with the part of Reading B of Arabian Nights where Aladdin and the sultan's daughter are together and living in prosperity, and the magician's brother returns Asia to destroy Aladdin with his wish. I changed some of the details so that the jinn's rage is too great and he is unable to see the deception from the magician's brother.

Bibliography: Scheherazade, Arabian Nights. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/04/myth-folklore-unit-arabian-nights.html

Week 3 Story: Odysseus' Dilemma

A visual of the Greek hero Odysseus attacking the suitors who are trying to seduce his wife

Now Odysseus, having been in disguise as a strange wanderer, had found in his way into Eumaeus' hut. Eumaeus, being the hospitable man and servant of a fine person such as Odysseus, has given this fine stranger a place to stay and eat in warmth and comfort. Eumaeus has explained to the stranger the story of his master, the great hero Odysseus and his strange disappearance after the Fall of Troy, as well as the situation that his illustrious wife, Penelope, has been approached by a horde of suitors who refuse to leave their palace until she has chosen one of them to be her new husband. After all of this, Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, enters the hut of Eumaeus and greets the stranger kindly, much like how Odysseus had hoped he had been raised. After going outside to get some air, Athena reveals Odysseus' true appearance to Telemachus, a tender moment for the two. They hatch a plan to rid their palace of suitors and return Ithaca to greatness and glory. The very next morning, at the begging and persistence of the suitors, Penelope states that anyone that can string Odysseus' bow and fire a bolt through 12 axe heads can be her husband and rule Ithaca with her. They all try and inevitably fail. Simultaneously, Eumaeus and Telemachus have taken the wandering stranger to the palace to carry out their vengeful plot. As all of the men have failed, they decide to wait until tomorrow to sacrifice to Apollo, the God of Archery, in order to stand a chance of stringing it. The stranger approaches the bow and easily strings and breaks all 12 axe heads in a single motion; however, the plan has stopped there. Odysseus' true form has been revealed by Athena for all to see and the suitors are terrified. Odysseus takes a look around and realizes that violence is not the answer, and that his absence has been a great strain on his family unit, and his kingdom as a whole. Odysseus puts down the bow and says the following: "I am very sorry for what I have almost done to you. You all are just here to find love and restore Ithaca to its former glory, while I have abandoned it for 10 long years. Please do better than me, and make good on my longing promises." And with that, Odysseus literally walks away from Ithaca and sails away for the final time. 

Author's Note: I am a huge fan of Greek mythology in general, so I wanted to be able to pay homage to the original story, but then I had a funny idea that I couldn't stop chuckling about, so this story was really the result of that ridiculous idea! I hope it wasn't too horrible to read!

Bibliography: The Odyssey by Homer (translated by Tony Kline in 2000). http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-odyssey.html

Week 2 Story: Pygmalion

An image of Pygmalion and his masterpiece, and love, Galatea together

Pygmalion, a decorated and celebrated sculptor, hailing from the land of Cyprus, was a man dedicated to his craft. This, of course, had many benefits, but it also took a personal toll on his own life. Worst of all, after seeing the wicked daughters of Propoetus, he had completely given up on the idea of women and love at all, deciding to live his life as a bachelor. The culmination of loneliness, sadness, and anger lead Pygmalion to near madness, pining for a chance to reconnect with society and with women., but he could not be with just any mere flawed woman of the earth. Therefore, he set out to carve the most realistic, detailed, and beautiful sculpture of a woman. After many weeks and months of careful craftsmanship, Pygmalion had finished. Knowing that the Festival of Aphrodite was just days away, he set out to find a most suitable offering to the goddess of love herself. On the day of the festival, he approached the altar of Aphrodite and he laid out his offering and prayed for many hours for Aphrodite to breathe life into the statue he so lovingly named Galatea. After many hours, he abandoned hope and headed back to his workshop in a depression. In a fit of sadness and loneliness, he laid his lips upon the surprisingly warm lips of the statue. The warmth shocked Pygmalion, and he kissed again to make sure his senses were not deceived. The statue gained color and eventually began walking and talking and breathing like a human. Pygmalion was deeply in love, and it appeared Aphrodite had answered his prayers. Galatea and Pygmalion began living with and for one another and they eventually had a son named Paphos, a shining example of a true man. After years on the island of Cyprus, the townspeople realized that Galatea was not of their kind and not a true Cyprian citizen. The constant scowls and ridicule from society took an even greater toll on Pygmalion, who had given up his life to dedicate it to Galatea. Eventually, the constant berating drove Pygmalion to insanity, which distressed Galatea, and seeing no way out, committed suicide to escape Pygmalion's crazed frenzy. 

Author's Note: I love and respect the nature of mythology, and it has always been a great inspiration for me to read and become well-read; however, progress is only achieved through trial and error, therefore I added a twist to the ending to represent a new take on a traditional Greek tragedy.

Bibliography: Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000). https://sites.google.com/view/mythfolkloreanthology/metamorphosis