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Reading Notes Week 15 EC: Lang’s European Fairy Tales 1, Part A

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Le Chat Botte ( Wikimedia ) Reading Notes Week 15 EC: Lang’s European Fairy Tales 1, Part A Puss in Boots: · Apparently talking cats in this world are normal, but if I have learned one thing in this class it is that myths often do not include much description in the form of explanation · Puss in Boots would have been a cool trickster to have Reynard go up against. · Monsieur Puss has a very funny sound too it · Insane also that they just let this magic cat right in to see the king · This is an interesting story for a trickster though as it appears the cat is only performing tricks to the benefit of his master, will be interesting to see if this changes. Typically tricksters work for their own self gain, maybe an altruistic trickster? But I suppose he would also benefit if his master became rich · Kind of aggressive for the cat to threaten these people into supporting his cause, seems out of turn from what he had been doing. Maybe a little m
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Storylab Week 15

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Thor ( Wikimedia ) Storylab Week 15: Thoughts from the Watch: Crash Course videos · Cool explanation of mythology as a blend of all these different fields. Good from to think of it facilitates understanding of certain aspects that may not make sense · Myths are old, that’s what makes them cool! They’ve withstood the test of time because they are essentially · Was about to finish that last thought and then they discussed the idea that we have no idea what exactly myths are which makes more sense · Interesting how they point out the blurry line separating religion and myth early. But I like that they do this because whether you believe in a particular religion or not I think it’s something important to consider particularly in consideration of how that religion came to be what it is today and what role religion and myth both play as evolutionary mechanisms. · They did a good way of approaching that line though and explaining they are talking about m
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Reading Notes Week 15: Russian Folktales, Part B

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Witchcraft ( Wikimedia ) Reading Notes Week 15: Russian Folktales, Part B The Witch Girl: ·         Right off the bat the people are audacious. Creepy start. ·         And it only got crazier with a death woman walking around town and forcing people to get into coffins if she looks into their house at night. Insane setup ·         Not sure what to make of this line: Never fear, master! ‘Without God’s will, no pig gets its fill!’” Might have to do some research on that. ·         This Cossack has some insane bravery to just be cutting a witch’s arm off who kills everyone with a shaker. ·         This is an intense witch story that I’m not sure if even Salem stories could match. I like this story and there is potential here for retelling by adding more detail and exposition to the crazier parts. Possibly even telling the story through the witch’s perspective, or the mother’s perspective. Could also add more dialogue to drive the plot rather than manly action p
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Reading Notes Week 15: Russian Folktales, Part A

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Goat ( Wikimedia ) Reading Notes Week 15: Russian Folktales, Part A The Dead Mother: · I could learn a thing or two about creating titles that draw interest from this story · Story is short and to the point. It is comprised mostly of descriptive action prose, might be interesting to add a bit more embellishment. I like how direct it is right now but I think there could be a significant amount of detail added. Particularly at the end. · The ending is great and really shocking with the dead baby as well. I think this ending deserves some expansion. Some interesting ways to take it could be that the mother never really died. Could also be that the mother is sentient or “alive” still. I like the creepiness of it and the fact that the baby is dead too adds to the gruesomeness of the story. Could tone it down by making it ghost mother and baby lives. Could also intensify the terror by having the mother bring take the baby with her. Many possibilities. The Treasure
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Story Lab Week 14: Storybook Research

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Godfather Death ( Wikimedia ) Story Lab Week 14: Storybook Research New Story for Retelling:  Brothers Grimm: Death's Messengers I needed a story to base the final chapter of my storybook on and so I decided to do Storybook Research to find a source for retelling. I wanted this last chapter to reveal the narrator, who is also the final trickster Reynard has to face, Death. I searched the UN-Textbook and the first story I found actually fit perfectly. I found the Brothers Grimm: “Death’s Messengers” Story. Within the first part death is injured and a young man helps him so death promises to send messengers before he comes for him himself. I think this part of the Brothers Grimm story will be a flashback within a dream in the Storybook Project. Reynard will take the place of the man and the dream will recall a past arrangement between Tricksters. As the story continues the young man grows old and is surprised to see death, who then claims that he sent many messengers in the f
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Week 14 Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part B

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Bearskin ( Wikimedia ) Week 14 Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part B Bearskin: · Soldier experiencing same problem many veterans in the United States face, could be modernized to a scenario like that or to be even more intense a soldier returning from Vietnam · Interesting dialogue for the fancy guy, might be fun to try and replicate · Ah, fancy pants is the devil · Moral of the story so far: money talks · I like the generosity of this character, but generosity is easy when you have unlimited money, potentially interesting twist if he only has so much money to last the seven years, still gives it all away and then still receives riches in the end · Hilarious that the devil has to clean Bearskin · This is a pretty grim ending, the two older sisters just go and kill themselves and then the devil gloats, potentially re-writing option for a happier ending Hans the Hedgehog: · Very little explanation / exposition here as to
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Week 14 Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part A

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Allerleirauh ( Wikimedia ) Week 14 Reading Notes: Brothers Grimm (Hunt), Part A Hansel and Grethel: · Wild that the mom’s first instinct is to abandon the children, is she actually the witch or related somehow? Might make an interesting retelling · Ah, Step-mother, maybe even more likely that she and the witch are in cahoots · Interesting that he uses stone’s to find way back, I had always heard it as bread crumbs but I suppose the creatures of the forest would eat that · This story has a really nice balance of narrative description and dialogue keeping the plot flowing, some descriptive imagery details might enhance it though. · Ah, here are the bread crumbs · And the birds ate them, there we go · First interaction is interesting, no explanation given for why house is made of food · Interesting that she forces Grethel to take care of her brother and make him fat, this story seems to lack a little bit of dialogue here between
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