Mythology and Folklore

(Egyptian god Set from  DeviantArt ) Look ye wanderers upon my tale book, and see that which should convince ye to not betray thine kin. Here we have the story of Set, brother of Osiris. Set was a god of Egypt, or more specifically, the god of storms and strange occurrences. His brother Osiris, god of the dead and the underworld, loved him dearly. But Set was not so warm-hearted. He loathed his brother's successes and wished the throne for himself. And for that reason, we have the story of Set's rise, and of his fall. Set came to the place of Osiris bringing good tidings and wishes of merriment. He brought a great gift, a fine chest which he claimed that any man who could perfectly fit could have. Many men tried to fit in the chest in an attempt to win it, but none could. Along came Osiris, willing to play along with his brother's games. When he entered he discovered it was a perfect fit, and cozied up inside. At this time, Set's men came from the shadows a

(Giza Sahara Egypt Sphinx Ancient Egypt Pyramid from  Max Pixel ) For this reading the character I'm focusing on is not in the story, so I chose to focus more on the style of writing used, and focus mostly on the vocabulary in the story, picking out words I would like to find a way to use in my own story. So I chose to do a list and definitions style of note taking. Alternatively, I chose a word I could replace with the words I chose from the story. As a side note, I liked how the story of Bata and Anpu can be related to modern day scenarios. It often happens that an unfaithful woman will attempt to sway a man, then when the man denies her, she will tell the opposite to her husband to get back at the one who denied her. Garments-in place of clothing Imbued-inspired or permeated with a feeling or quality Yonder-at some distance in an indicated direction Raiment-also clothing Smote-struck with a firm blow Fragrance-in place of smell Seized-in place of grabbed

(The Great Pyramid of Giza from  flickr ) The main reason I chose to do this reading was to focus a bit more on getting information about Set, the Egyptian god of storms and terrifying occurrences like earthquakes and eclipses. So for this reading I decided to read through and focus on the parts that talked about Set in order to learn a little more about him. What I gathered: Set is paired with Nepthys  He is very jealous of Osiris's works Very Evil Loved wartime, didn't like times of peace Liked starting rebellions Plotted to overthrow Osiris through deceit  Killed Osiris with a chest and followers, and usurped the throne. Ruled Egypt through tyranny and killed the followers of Osiris and Isis without mercy Found Osiris's body (after it was recovered by Isis) and separated it into 14 parts, casting it into the Nile to be eaten by crocodiles. Usurped by Osiris, once Osiris had grown strong enough. Bibliography: Laura Gibbs, Ancient Egypt , fro

(Symbol comment 2 from  Wikipedia ) https://sites.google.com/view/the-hymelian/home

(Trojan Horse of Movie Troy, Canakkale, from  Flickr ) Host: "You are listening to 100 Aegean Radio, coming to you live from the island of Santorini. We're taking callers for the next thirty minutes to chime in about current events. Call in now and let us know what you think about this upcoming Trojan war!" Host: "Caller number one you're on! What's your name and where are you calling from?" Menelaus: "This is Menelaus calling from Sparta! I just want to say that in this upcoming war I HOPE I see Paris on the battlefield. I'm going to crush that little fledgling of a boy and take back my woman!" Host: "Wait a second, this is THE Menelaus? King of Sparta?" Menelaus: "That is correct." Host: "Oh man we've got a celebrity on the line ladies and gentlemen, the mighty king Menelaus who was so daft he couldn't even hold onto his woman!" Menelaus: "What did you sa-"

(Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus by Nikolai Ge, from  Wikipedia ) The only devices from this section that I feel I could use in my own story telling are the figurative language and the imagery.  "And Athené put her great shield about his shoulders, and set as it were a circle of gold about his head, so that it shone like to a flame of fire" "Only he shouted aloud, and his voice was as the voice of a trumpet. It was a terrible sound to hear, and the hearts of the men of Troy were filled with fear. The very horses were frightened, and started aside, so that the chariots clashed together." These pieces deliver powerful images that adequately paint the picture of what Achilles is doing, while adding a sense of beauty to it with how it is described. "Then he turned and ran towards the city, swift as a racehorse when it whirls a chariot across the plains." This type of exaggeration is something I could use as well. Plenty of

( Achilles Slays Hector , by Paul Peter Rubens. From  Wikipedia ) Again, the Iliad is a story I know fairly well, of how Paris took Helen to Troy thus sparking a war between nations. One thing I very much enjoy in reading stories is good character knowledge. So at the very beginning of this one, I enjoy how it announces the main characters in the story within the first "chapter". The first bit also gives good exposition, explaining how the setting came about and what events led up to the current position. A good exposition leads to good reader understanding, so this is something I see myself using.  I also really enjoy tension between characters that are on the same side, so to speak. The tension that is introduced between Achilles and Agamemnon  makes for great suspense. It works later on to humble Agamemnon when he must make amends and discovers he needs Achilles in order to win this war. Tension between allies, however slight the alliance, brings another element

(Lightning Strike from  DeviantArt ) At the counsel of our professor, I have decided to have my story take place at a party being thrown by Indra. I believe this ties in close enough with my original idea for the story, as well as giving it a different view. Initially I was going to have the four gods competing for best tale against one another, but this setting gives them adequate reason to simply share tales with one another and marvel at each other's power.  One source I have not accessed yet but hope to towards the goal of showing off these gods is one that was also recommended by our professor: Indra And Vritra: The Demon Who Terrorized the Gods. This book is said to, and I quote, " show Indra in full weather mode," so I hope to be able to use the story in it! The story I have chosen to use for Thor is that of his duel with the giant Hrungnir. This story will add a bit of comedic value to the party scene I have laid out, but will also do well to hi

(Feedback Communication Opinion Review Group from  MaxPixel ) I would like to start out by saying I heavily disagree with a lot of what is said in the Kamenetz article. I have never once found praise to have an inverse effect on me, nor have I heard anything of the sort from my peers. I grew up in a home where one of my parents was overly critical of my recreational activities (sports) and my other parent was overly critical of my schooling and schoolwork. I craved praise. I did really well in school, but struggled with my soccer, as I was not very athletic until I hit high school and started playing for a different club soccer team. When I actually got to the point where I was doing well enough to receive praise in both areas, I yearned for it.  The same goes for the other article I read about Managers avoiding praise. At all of the jobs I have had so far, I strive to make an impression and give my supervisors reasons to commend me. I seek praise consistently, and have ne

(Simpsons+Odyssey+1 from  DeviantArt ) Odysseus had some boats, E-I-E-I-O He came ashore and took some goats, E-I-E-I-O With a bit of meat here and a bit of mead there Here a drink there a drink Everywhere a good drink The men were fed on nice hot roast, E-I-E-I-O Odysseus found a cave, E-I-E-I-O And in that cave he found much cheese, E-I-E-I-O With a nice feast here and a nice feast there Here a feast there a feast Everywhere a nice feast The next sound that they heard was grave, E-I-E-I-O Polyphemus found some rats, E-I-E-I-O And in his cave ate them as snacks, E-I-E-I-O With a "crunch crunch" here and a "crunch crunch" there Here a "crunch" there a "crunch" Everywhere a "crunch, crunch" When he was full he took a nap, E-I-E-I-O Odyesseus hatched a plot, E-I-E-I-O I'll be nobody was his thought, E-I-E-I-O With a "hard stake" here and a "drunk giant" there

(Masque d'Agamemnon from  Wikimedia Commons ) One thing I greatly enjoyed from this piece was the personification that is used in the first section of the story. "Still, Circe of the lovely tresses, dread goddess with a human voice, sent us a good companion to help us, a fresh wind from astern of our dark-prowed ship to fill the sail. " The narrator talks of Circe providing help in the form of "a companion" and that companion is the wind. This instills a feeling that the wind is sentient, and is capable of being companions with people. It also personifies the ship with, "And when we had set the tackle in order fore and aft, we sat down, and let the wind and the helmsman keep her course. All day long with straining sail she glided over the sea, till the sun set and all the waves grew dark." This gives another impression that the ship is actually a living being, as it is referred to as a woman. I like personification of non-living objects in s

(Head Odysseus MAR Sperlonga from  Wikipedia ) Each time I read Homer's Odyssey, I relearn what descriptive language should be. The use of adjectives, metaphors, and similes is something I adore, and in this piece there is no shortage of it. Prime examples include "rosy-fingered dawn" and "high-crowned oaks". This language gives an accurate depiction of what is being described, while appealing to the reader's imagination as well. I have also always been partial to the type of speech used in mythology. It is very "antique" sounding, or at least that is how I would put it, so I plan to use speech patterns and phrases of the same caliber in some of my own stories.  In this story, not only is there the use of descriptive text devices, but also most everything is described in detail as well. For example, "There were baskets full of cheeses, and pens crowded with lambs and kids, each flock with its firstlings, later ones, and newborn se

(Weather Storm Cloud Thunderstorm Sky Rain from  Max Pixel ) For this week, I was allowed to do research on my project topic that I have already chosen, which is weather gods from different pantheons. I'm going to try and illustrate the deeds and adventures of these gods in a tavern setting, with them sitting around a table and telling their tales to one another. The gods I've chosen are:  Thor, the Norse storm god of thunder and lightning (as well as oak trees, protection of humanity, strength, hallowing, healing, and fertility.) Zeus, the Greek storm and sky god, also king of his pantheon of gods. Set, the Egyptian god of storms, and the desert (as well as foreigners and violence). Indra, the Hindu god of storms and the sky, as well as war. Research Links w/ Short summaries: Thor:  https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/thor/ A general overview on who Thor is and his role in the Viking world. This piece goes into

(Feedback from  Public Domain Pictures ) When I read that the same part of the brain that activates when we feel physical pain is what activates when we experience rejection, I was shocked to some extent. I have had several bad breakups or rejections in the past. And it truly felt like I was in physical pain, but I never suspected that it was due to a reaction within my brain. To some extent, I relate emotions to the soul rather than the brain, though there is plenty of information online about chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin that suggests otherwise. But the study done that showed the relation mentioned previously does make sense to me. When I play soccer in games that matter and are not for recreation, mistakes feel REALLY bad. I played defense, so if I made a mistake that led to a goal, it almost did hurt physically. It was as if my stomach went cold and started hurting, and my entire mentality dropped. I also agreed with what was written in the portion of the article