Mythology and Folklore

Tanuki statue ( Wikimedia ) Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part B The Magic Kettle: · I like the setting of the mountains of Japan, anything can happen up in the mountains · The tanuki as a shapeshifter has incredible possibilities for retelling. · This is an interesting introduction to the Tanuki. The story leaves much to the imagination in regards to the personality and thoughts of the Tanuki, good potential for retelling from the tanuki’s perspective. How the Wicked Tanuki was Punished: · The tanuki is married to a fox, how convenient for my Storybook · Great plot where the tanuki and fox work together to find themselves food, might be able to place Reynard into this position. Specific point where he notes that he is glad he is not a fox and can climb, good way for him to best Reynard at first · Tanuki kills his own wife and actually sells her body, perhaps not as nice as he seemed. Again excellent place to interject Reynard. · ...

The Girl with the Wooden Helmet ( Wikimedia ) Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part A The Stonecutter: I like how the spirit acts almost like an omnipotent narrator, interjecting into the story. It could be interesting to retell this story with the spirit as the narrator. Could add more of a commentary element on the actions of the man with this. I find it interesting that the man was bringing a gravestone to the house of a rich man who he then envied, without considering the reality of why he might be bringing a gravestone to this person. Excellent foreshadowing. I would like to include elements like this in my own stories but I am never sure how authors invent aspects of their stories like this Theme of gluttony or excess here, keeps asking for more I like the plot development here where the protagonist continually ascends to mightier and mightier beings. Very similar to a passage from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist when the protagonist becomes one with the universe. I d...