Reading Notes: Russian Folktales, Part B

Gah, some of these stories are just so morbid and gruesome! I just don’t enjoy reading stories like that. Give me rainbows and unicorns… Lol. That is a joke, of course, but a woman’s daughter ending up being the witch of Death and getting her arm cut off and having to be drowned? That is just too much for me. Could we somehow purify the little girl so she didn’t have to die? I thought it made for a very interesting story how the man discovered who the witch was, but the circumstances were very sad. Perhaps he could find out who the witch was a different way or perhaps get her to go away altogether somehow. Now, the story about the headless princess was a great one! It did have some scary details, but I love that the boy stuck to his faith and was able to overcome evil! That is what I’m walking about! That is another one of my favorite aspects of some of these stories- good overcoming evil! The religious themes in these stories are something I really enjoy, and I wasn’t really expecting them. I know that the reason the third daughter-in-law lived in the Warlock story was because she was cunning, but of course, she was cunning in that she would not remove her cross. These stories make me think of the devilish horror movies they make. They are pretty captivating, but I am a baby apparently, meaning I only enjoy them when good things happen in the end. Multiple stories used the phrase “Glory be to Thee, O Lord!” I would like to use this in my story as well because I want to incorporate the religious themes in my story while enforcing good character over evil actions. I can try to include some morbid details in my story since it is out my comfort zone, but I will continue to give happy endings to my stories.

Rosary, online source

Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston, link to online source

Reading Notes: Russion Folktales, Part A

I really liked the idea that the dead mother came back to care for the baby and comfort the baby, but why did the baby have to die? How morbid! I would love to write a story where there is a happier ending because the original ending was way too sad and abrupt for me. The story was almost too short because it lacked details that could have made it better. I am so glad that the pope got what he deserved in that story, but I wished I could know what happened with the poor man. I could write a story where he ends up with riches and success some other way and remains rewarded for his good nature. I enjoyed the story about the orphan. It read so easily and was so captivating that I was finished with it sooner than  I thought I would be. My favorite aspects of these stories is that a good character will bring you reward, but a bad one will bring you punishment. No matter what story I decide to write, I will definitely keep this aspect of the Russian stories alive. I still don’t know how I feel about the water snake story. There were aspects that I liked and aspects that I didn’t. If I were to retell it, I would either make her mother killing the snake an act of rescue because the daughter would not actually enjoy her life with him or I would have him turn into a human so he could come live with them on land and they have a nice life together. I like happy endings too much, I guess. I just have the opinion that if you are getting to control what happens in the story, why not make it something good? There are too many unhappy endings in the real world. I figure I might as well make happy endings if I have control over it!

The Water Snake, online source

Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston, link to online source

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox), Part B

I appreciate that these stories show the justice of the characters who make good decisions are the ones who reap the benefits in the end. I know it was better for the brothers to awaken from their stone form, but I think they got off a little too easy, especially since they got to marry the other two sisters. I think it is very important that stories have justice for both the characters who make good decisions and for those who make bad ones, even if it is only slight and subtle. The story about the twelve huntsmen had a weird premise to me. I thought it was odd that her fiancé did not recognize her nor did he realize the huntsman were in fact women. The whole premise of the stepping on peas thing was odd, too. I was fond of the ending though since the two lovers were reunited. I thought the onomatopoeias in the Jorinda and Jorindel story were weird. There were several things I found in this story that were odd to me when I think about it. I liked the story about the horse and the lion, but I felt sorry for the lion. I would like to write my own version of the story where everyone gets what they deserve basically. The man should let the horse stay in his stable, and the lion should get to have a happy ending, too. Or possibly, I could get rid of the lion completely, and the man could have some other motivation behind making the decision to let the horse stay. I think it was a bit morbid that the men in the story of the twelve princesses got beheaded for not being able to figure out where the princesses went. It seems the classic fairy tales are all a bit more morbid than we like in this day and age. 

The Horse and the Lion, online source

Bibliography: Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, link to online source

Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (LibriVox), Part A

The Frog Prince, online source

I love the classic fairy tale storytelling style of these stories. They take me back to childhood. These stories just had that “child sitting in bed listening to their parents read a story” vibe. I hope that I am able to emulate that in my story. There have been so many retellings of these classic stories that I am reluctant to try to make another version of my own, but I am going to do my best.  The Frog Prince story was a bit repetitive, but I think that is helpful as a children’s story. I found myself becoming impatient and wanting the girl to just help him out already. Also, I really wished that she had actually kissed the frog. I will definitely add this detail to my story.  I did like the rhyme that was repeated throughout the story though, and of course I liked the happy ending. I would have liked it better, however, had the princess wanted to help the frog on her own volition. I want to have the princess kiss the frog simply because she feels sorry for him and wants to help him out. It could maybe be better even if the princess was not a princess at all but a poor little girl. This would emphasize the lesson that being caring and helpful can help you reap great reward. I would like to add more description to my story, too. Vivid descriptions are so important, especially for children’s stories. This set of stories did have some great descriptions, but I want to add some that are even more exciting, focusing on all of the senses. I could even reverse the gender roles making the frog a princess and have a little boy help her out! This is something that I do not think I have ever seen done before with this story, but I think it would be great since reversing gender roles is so popular these days. 

Bibliography: The Frog Prince from Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, link to online source

Reading Notes: Ballads of Robin Hood, Part B

Robin Hood: Men in Tights, online source

(Although this movie is a parody, it is a great one. I highly recommend.) 

I thought the story about the bishop of Hereford was a fun one to read. It was nice that the story led you to believe Robin Hood and his merry men were going to kill the Bishop but instead Robin Hood brought the Bishop back to participate in merry things with them. The Robin Hood character is very likable, and I think he will be a fun one to write. I can’t help but wonder if Little John likes his sidekick gig or if he would rather be in charge of the group. I could maybe explore a story about conflict between Little John and Robin Hood, like changing the Little John begging story to have Little John argue with Robin Hood about him telling him to go begging. I really like how all of the stories start, telling everyone to come ‘round to hear the story of Robin Hood. I was confused at first because the rich Robin Hood is stealing from seem to all be people of the church, which seemed wrong to me until I considered corruption. This was a little hard for me to get used to at first though. I did like that the story about the priests finally came outright and explicitly stated the theme of giving to the poor. I had said in my previous reading notes that I would enjoy a story about Robin Hood fighting a woman and meeting his match, which I actually got with the story of Maid Marian. I loved this one too because it included a love story component. I really enjoyed the story of the golden arrow because it was familiar to me, but I don’t think familiar stories are the best ones to alter sometimes because people are too comfortable with how they go. It was very sad to read about Robin Hood dying because he seems so invincible. Perhaps I could write a story about him actually being invincible. In some way, I need to see Robin Hood live on-maybe through offspring that is just like him? That would be more realistic, of course. I did not like the second story about Robin Hood dying, but I did appreciate the detail that Robin Hood would never hurt a woman. Although he is a cocky and arrogant character, he is noble, and that is admirable and what makes him so likable. 

Bibliography: Ballads of Robin Hood from The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child, link to online source

Reading Notes: Ballads of Robin Hood, Part A

I was not expecting the Robin Hood stories to rhyme, so that was a nice surprise! The dialect was a bit difficult to read at times but not too bad. I thought it was kind of sad that the forresters died, but I did enjoy Robin Hood’s arrogant attitude. He is a fun character to read about; that’s for sure. I love how he seems to be good at anything he tries, and he just knows that he will be. I wonder what Robin Hood would be like in modern day. That could be a fun story to write- Robin Hood in high school. I loved the story of Little John. I think it is great that they could fight and be men about it, and it is great that Little John joins them. The fact that two men can fight and then be friends afterward is a fun element to me. I like how the sentence structure is switched around sometimes to make the rhymes work. I have played with that a bit in my nursery rhyme storybook, but these stories really sow the value of it. I like how Robin Hood encounters all these men and fights with them, but I think it would be fun to see Robin Hood fight a girl who can hold her own. I always related Robin Hood with the whole “steals from the rich, gives to the poor idea,” which I hope to see more of in the second set of stories. I do love how Robin Hood doesn’t know a stranger; he interacts with others as if he has met them before or even known them for a while. I liked that there was a love story incorporated into all the fighting stories with Robin and Allan a Dale. I also loved Robin saving the three squires because that showed his helpful side. I am excited to read the next set of stories!

Robin Hood, online source

Bibliography: Ballads of Robin Hood from The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child, link to online source

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Part B

I don’t like the gory stories. Killing and blood don’t interest me as far as stories go. The names are still distracting for me, but I do recognize that this is only a cultural thing. I try not to let it interfere with my impression of the story. I did like the justice found in some stories like the one that ends with the fact that the man who kills is punished in the end. I am very fond of justice, but I don’t necessarily want to read about people killing other people just to find justice in the end. Again, I see the value in teaching about not killing nor lying, but I hate that the woman who lied got killed for her punishment. Why kill someone in the story as a punishment if killing is in fact something we are trying to teach is bad? I still sometimes get uncomfortable with the idea of animals marrying humans. I get that it is for the sake of teaching a lesson or entertainment, but it does not make for a great story in my opinion. I definitely want to emulate these stories in that I want my stories to also teach valuable lessons, but I want to leave out the gory details. I also don’t like the way women are portrayed in these stories. They are portrayed as weak almost and needing a man’s help for their rescue. I do not get the vibe that they are being revered in these stories, which of course, I would prefer they were. These stories seemed to be darker than the ones before. I like more positive, happy stories! Perhaps I can rewrite one of these in a more positive light! I liked that the stories included lots of family interactions such as father/son and brother/sister. I think family stories are great because most people can relate to them on some level.

Inuit Family, online source

Bibliography: Eskimo Folk Tales by Knud Rasmussen, link to online source

Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Part A

Some of the stories were told in very simple terms, which I admire sometimes, but I think I prefer the stories with a bit more detail. It helps immerse me in the setting better.  This would make them more believable to me if that is the goal. I like the stories that ended with hopeful endings the best. It is always better to leave on a positive note than a negative, in my opinion anyway. Some of the stories were just too weird for me. I must not have been ready for the supernatural stories. Animals communicating with humans is sometimes as fantastic as I want to get. I guess it is more about how those stories thrust the reader into the fantast world. I suppose this phenomenon would not be the same for someone a part of that culture, but it made the stories more confusing for me. I would have appreciated more background information to establish the setting. The names were too confusing to me, but of course, that is just a culture issue. I didn't like the stories where there were too many characters of which to keep track, and I also had a problem when there were too many things to follow within the story. I like one main story with a couple characters to get to know.

                                                                    Polar Bear, online source

I absolutely loved the story about the bear and the woman! It was such a fun idea that the bear ended up having a human like mind because the woman spoke to him in "human speech." It honestly gave me a Paddington vibe but in a much more "realistic" way. I did think it was cute that the bear played with the children, but it made me sad that soon everyone was too scared to play with him. It was a great story, but the ending was just so sad! I want to write a reunion story for the old woman and the bear. Or maybe just have the bear find a bear family in which to belong! Many of the stories ended with “And here ends this story,’ which I would like to include in my own. A few stories began with “There once was a wifeless man,” and one story even mentions that’s how “all” stories start. I think it would be fun to start my story with “There once was a childless woman,” because she fosters the bear. I liked that the stories promoted good values like honesty and loyalty, and I would like to give my bear story a theme of love, inclusion, and compassion.

Bibliography: Eskimo Folk Tales by Knud Rasmussen, link to online source

Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales, Part A

                                                          Red Fox, link to online source

These stories were unlike any others I have read. They were very strange, but their strange nature kept me reading more. I really do enjoy the "Once..." stories. They are so simple and classic. Perfect for children.  I like the idea of the animals and humans interacting, but I was slightly weirded out by the idea of animals and humans having romantic sort relationships, as well as the story where the girl married the rock. Sounds weird, huh? It was interesting that all natural things were interacting in some way though, even trees and rocks. I think this is a good testament to how we are all connected. These stories had very odd things happening, but they were explained as if they were commonplace, which gave them more intrigue. Some of the descriptions in the stories were a bit too gruesome for me, and some were just too plain weird honestly. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the stories and, of course, the happy endings were my favorite. The tales did contain justice in the end, even if the ending wasn't all that happy. I enjoyed the short stories better than the longer ones. The long ones seemed to have multiple stories within them, which actually made them a little hard to follow. I hated that the poor fox-woman couldn't be the man's husband simply for her smell. I would like to alter that story. I would like to give her more justice somehow because all the other stories seemed to give justice to those who deserved it. I could incorporate nature into that story as well because it only talks about animals and humans interacting. I would love the fox-woman and man to live happily ever after because the original ending was very sad to me. I want the husband to be grateful for his new wife.

Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson, link to online source

Reading Notes: Folklore of Laos, Part A

The interesting thing about this collection of stories is that ita only shows humans in a negative light. It shows the greed of humans, as well as their selfishness and heartlessness. For example, one stort tells of a woman gping to live with the beasts in the jungle because she does not want to live with man anymore. I understand this sentiment, and I do appreciate that she finally found some good in the people, but ultimately she chose to go back to living with yhe beaats. Another story told of young girls being disowned and taken in again, just to find out the "kind" woman who had tamen them in was a cannibal! It would be refreshing tk have a story where good men prevail. I did not like the stories that showed the negative side of man because I like to believe that there is good in all people. These stories though did not encourage that belief of mine. In reality, the love stories are where the goodness of mankind really presented itself. This was interesting to me because it shows the power of love. A very enchanting story to me was the one of the enchanted lake, ironically enough. I found it interesting that there was no proof of the wonderful place because the enchantment only existed there; it was nonexistent outside of the realm of its enchantment. I was thinking while reading the story how interesting it would be if once man found it, they could not leave. Of course, it is a utopian place, so that would not necessarily be a bad thing. Because I would like to see a story focusing on the positive aspects of human beings, I think it would be nice to see humans rewarded for good behavior. Perhaps only the good people could make their way into the enchanted place, living in paradise for the rest of their days in a place where bad people could not even gain access to.

Enchanted Lake, online source

Bibliography: Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India by Katherine Neville Fleeson, link to online source

Reading Notes: Nigerian Folk Stories, Part A

I really love stories about animals that give an explanation for why they are the way they are. They have always fascinated me, and these did not disappoint. These stories make the explanation seem so straightforward and simple. The earthworm story, for example, was very short, which I think helped add to the appeal. Since the world is so complex, it is refreshing to have a simple explanation for why something is the way it is. One of the only things that I did not like about these explanation stories was that they were somewhat negative. Looking at the earthworms again, for example, they were forced to live underground and be blind, but the stories behind these things are not due to the earthworm's choice, which is what does not settle with me. If I were to write an explanation story, I would let the animals have some say in why they are the way they are. After all, they are just stories. Why not make them a little more positive? I was not a fan pf the story of why the hawk eats the chicken either. It was so morbid that the king made the decision to let the hawk eat the chicken children since they could not repay the dowry. I did like how the story was very straightforward again. Its short length and simplicity were still appealing, but I can't get passed the negativity. I did think that the story about the sun and moon was very cute. It was interesting because if I were to give those two things genders, I would have seen the sun as a female and the moon as a male, so it was cool to see the opposite. Although, the sun and moon were driven out of their home to the sky, they got to remain together, and there was something sort of romantic about it.

Sun and Moon, online source

Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa by Elphinstone Dayrell, link to online source

                                            

Reading Notes: Turkish Fairy Tales, Part A

I was so captivated by the first story in this group of fairy tales. The main theme of the story was so unique and interesting. The story made me consider something I had never considered before. What if one did not know what fear was? How could someone describe it to that person? This story had me thinking about how feelings really are difficult to describe. For a person to truly understand a feeling, they have to experience it for themselves. Of course, not everyone reacts to certain situations in the same way. There were many things that happened to the boy in the story that would have scared me, but he was not phased. I loved the fact that the thing that scared him in the end was really quite trivial compared to the other things that scared him, but it was the element of such quick surprise, I believe, that did him in. I think it would be interesting to explore this concept with different emotions and feelings; happiness would be a fun one. One of my favorite aspects of these stories were that they were very easy to read. This is, of course, important for fairy tales, which are meant for children, but as a young adult, I still appreciate the simplicity behind them. It is part of what makes the story so entertaining, and it keeps me reading. When the language is difficult, it deters me from wanting to read more. Another fun thing about these stories I that although they are fairy tales, the characters are still relatable. They don't seem like people in a faraway land, but I feel like I can identify with them on a certain level. This is another very important aspect of stories for me because I find myself much more interested in what I'm reading if I can relate to the characters.

                                     The boy watching his coffin be made, online source

Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales, link to online source

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part A

                                                Scheherazade telling her stories, online source

While reading the Arabian Nights stories, I realized that shockingly morbid details are quite captivating. I am a huge fan of happy stories, but a story doesn’t have to start peachy keen to end that way! Nor does it have to have a happy ending- I know- but they are much more fun when they do. I was curious when reading these stories why everyone was seeming to take others’ words for face value. It was as if deceit was not something to be expected from people in this culture. At first, I felt these stories flowed too easily to the point of being unrealistic, but then I realized… They are stories! They don’t have to be realistic. For my storytelling this week, I want to fill in the third story that she could not remember. Instead of a story of humans turning to animals, I think it would be awesome to make the third old man an animal that turned to a human. I want to make it easily understood and straightforward as these stories were. That made them more captivating because I did not have to use my brain too much, and I was onto the next story before I even knew it. I do want my story to include a lesson for the sultan who is being told the stories. I noticed that the phrase, “O, (insert name here)” was used a lot, alluding to her saying “O, Sultan,” so I would like to use that element as well in my own story. Another appealing aspect to these stories is that they do not have much dialogue. They have some, but the story does not rely too heavily on it. I find myself including a lot of dialogue because that is easiest to write for me, but this is not always a good thing. I will try to adapt my writing this time to rely more on the storyteller than the dialogue as these stories do.

Arabian Nights from The Arabian Nights' Entertainment by Andrew Lang, online source

Reading Notes: Bible Women, Part B

This set of stories was even more captivating than the last! I was shocked as I read these stories because I did not realize how dark some of the subjects in the Bible could be. Firstly, I did not realize that the bible referenced witchcraft, but I did like the story of the Witch of Endor because seeing a person of power and prestige (King Saul) needing to disguise himself is fun. Continuing on, I did not realize that King David was such a savage.  He is a character that just keeps getting worse, even when you think he can't get any worse. This was an interesting aspect to the story because it kept the story taking unexpected turns. King David was so very evil, but this made for a captivating story. The story of Esther was incredible in that true love prevailed over evil. The Bible is straightforward in its storytelling, but there are some vague aspects to it, too. I like this about the Bible, but I think it would be difficult to find that happy medium. The story of Susanna truly captivated me. It reminded me of a modern day situation. This is what I especially liked about it. I could literally see the headlines in our current media matching this biblical story. I want to do a story where Susanna's trial leads to a feminist march. It could be a huge media story, all over the news an social media. Daniel could actually be a man who is a feminist who leads to the finding of her innocence. She would not be tried for death, of course, but her attackers could almost escape their punishment. There could be a misogynistic judge who takes the men's side in a he-said/she-said trial. This could be a very fun story to write.

                                      Susanna and the Elders, painting by Sisto Badalocchio

Stories of Women from the Bible, link to online source

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part B

This set of stories was not as captivating as the women of the Bible stories. They were less captivating in my opinion. I found Adam and Eve in these stories too whiny. They had a hard time accepting the punishment for their actions, which was frustrating for me. The stories were very dark and more depressing than I would have liked. There was so much grief and desperation with little hope. This bothered me due to the fact that I like to see the Bible as quite inspirational, building hope. In addition to all this, God seemed meaner than I'd like to see Him. Although he was merciful, it was not to the extent I would have expected. His punishments were harsh, and I feel like the whole forgiveness lesson cold have been taken advantage of here. All that being said, these issues I found with the stories helped me come up with alternatives for my own story. I would like to write a story where Adam and Eve overcome the hardships they are facing. I would like to see them learn how to cope with their punishments a bit better. I would also like to see them take more accountability for their mistakes. Although there were some things I did not like about these stories, there were some good qualities as well. I enjoyed the dialogue between Adam and Eve, and I also appreciated the love story aspect between the two. Eve was so upset by Adam's suffering that she did not want to live without him. This helped the story seem less distant and more relatable. I also realize that although God seemed quite "mean," his actions were necessary to teach Adam and Eve a lesson. Therefore, it was important that God have this quality in order to use these stories as a teaching tool for those who read it.

Adam and Eve by Masaccio, mythfolklore

The Forgotten Book of Eden, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr.

Reading Notes: Bible women, Part A

     I really loved the story of Sarah because her story portrays her as "real". Her unintentional laugh when hearing of her bearing a child in her old age is classic. I would like to use that in my story, showing each character's "realness," with little details like Sarah's laugh. It is always interesting to see a character's internal thoughts, and it is fun to have the characters express them, especially by accident. This makes the character more relatable and more likeable even, in my opinion anyway.
     The story of Rachel and Leah fascinates me. The jealousy between the two women is something that I can include in my story. Jealous women are automatically entertaining. Who doesn't love some drama? I would love to include some sassy dialogue between the two women in my story. It could especially be entertaining if the women were trying to mask their jealousy but just could not seem to tame it in their conversation.
     Leah's story seems so ridiculous to me, which means it will be a really fun one to write about! I want to have all of Jacob's offspring explaining their relation to each other to a visitor who does not know them. The children could do their best at explaining who shared just a dad and who shared both parents. The only girl could be a very fun character to play with, considering she has only brothers and a lot of them at that. They could also explain their different mothers' jealousy toward each other but from an innocent child's point-of-view. Perhaps I could have both the children and the mothers attempting to explain the connections. The children would explain parts of the story their way, and then the mothers would have to interject, explaining the story with more accuracy but also with less innocence.

 Jacob's Flight by von Carolsfield, mythfolklore

Stories of Women (Sarah, Rachel, and Leah) from the Bible, link to online source.