Week 2 Essay: Monsters in Mythology

Odysseus and his men passing between Scylla and Charybdis. Source: Wikipedia.

Homer's Odyssey is a fantastic tale of a warrior named Odysseus and his journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War (the account of which can be found in Homer's Iliad, the companion epic). Highly influenced by Greek mythology and the lore of Homer's time, the ballad incorporates narratives of gods and goddesses and supernatural beings. The excerpt that I read this week, taken from Tony Kline's translation into English, focuses on Odysseus's wanderings and describes all of the monsters that he encounters before he is able to return home. Through Homer's poem, the reader can tell that there are two types of beasts in mythology: those that are the typical savage who rely solely on violence to obtain their victims and a more cunning, wily kind who manipulate and tempt their targets. With both of these categories of monsters, Odysseus uses a combination of force and wits (and lots of help from the gods) to combat them and finally make his way home.

The Cyclops, Polyphemus, that Odysseus first encounters proves to be a true brute. Immediately, he and his men (and the reader) see that he is definitely not a gentle giant. Polyphemus wastes no time in dashing the brains out of two of Odysseus's crew, all the while showing no remorse whatsoever. Cunningly, Odysseus devises a plan to avenge his men and escape the island. By blinding the Cyclops and tying his men to the undersides of Polyphemus's sheep, they successfully evade their captor. 

In a way, the Cyclops is similar to the twin threats of Scylla and Charybdis. These two monsters guard both sides of a mountain and attack unwary travelers, Scylla snatching crew members from ships that draw too close to her shores and Charybdis sucking in the waters surrounding the island and spewing them out in a fiery blaze. Here, Odysseus abandons most of his hubris and follows the directions that Circe gave him before he set out on this journey around the island. Some of the gods hear his cry for help and guide his ship around Charybdis's whirlpool safely (not before, unfortunately, he loses several of his men). 

On the other hand, there are those monsters in mythology with wit that could easily counter that of Odysseus. One of these is Circe, the witch, who turns a large portion of Odysseus's men into pigs and manipulates them into forgetting about their homes. The wily temptress then tries to do the same to Odysseus, but because of his fortunate previous divine intervention, he is forewarned and prepared and does not fall into her trap. He does succumb to her seduction, but all the while is reminded of his longing for home, and after a year, finally seeks to leave.

In the same vein, the Sirens are temptresses, but in a more indirect way. Their beguiling song lures travelers in and compels them to inexplicably crash their ships on the shores where the Sirens reside. Odysseus, in his courage and (some would argue) foolishness, wishes to hear their singing, but obviously does not want to perish. Thankfully, his men are faithful and tie him up tightly, even when he protests, and stuff their ears with wax so that they would not be subjected to the allure.

Throughout the Odyssey, the reader sees countless descriptions of many dangers, and they manifest themselves in many different ways--sometimes sneaky and sometimes outright violent. It is Odysseus's good fortune and favor with the gods that gets him back to Ithaca and his family safely.

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Bibliography

The Odyssey, translated into English by Tony Kline (2004). 

Source: Poetry in Translation.

Excerpts read from the Homer's Odyssey in the Un-Textbook.

Week 2 Storytelling: The Spirit of Anticleia

Teiresias prophesying Odysseus's journey home. 

Artist: Johann Heinrich Fussli. Source: Wikipedia.

Odysseus, once daunted by the idea of going into the underworld, felt a little more at ease once he had spoken to Teiresias and heard the prophecy of safety in his journey back to Ithaca. He stayed at the entrance to Hades until the ghost of his mother met him.

She drank of the blood that Odysseus offered in order to communicate with the spirits, and immediately recognized him. Weeping, she asked him how he managed to get to the underworld alive. "Have you not seen your wife and son yet?" she asked dolefully.

Odysseus responded with his tale of his adventures since the Trojan War. "The witch Circe told me to seek Teiresias's prophecy," he explained. "After this, I can finally stop roaming and settle back in at home."

Then, a painful sadness overtook him. "Why are you here, mother? What took your life? And what about the family that I left when I went to war?"

Anticleia assuaged her son's fears, saying, "Your wife still lives in your palace, but it has been overrun by suitors asking for her hand in marriage. Despite this, she has remained faithful to you throughout the years you have been gone. Your son, Telemachus, has become a man and presides over the land. They are facing hardship and temptation each day, but they get by. However, your father is lonely in the countryside, weak with age. For years he has been grieving and awaiting your return. Please visit him on your journey back so that he does not meet the same fate as I. It was not disease or weapons that took my life, but a broken heart, waiting all those years for your sweet spirit.

At this, Odysseus was overcome by heartache. He wished he could hold her and bring her comfort. Three times he tried to hug his mother, but with each attempt, her spirit escaped his embrace. This saddened him even further, and he asked, "Why can I not hold you? Are you just a trick of the light or an apparition sent by Hades to torment me more?"

The wise woman answered, "This is just the way of the world of the dead. Spirits are not substantial any longer; we don't have the forms we once did. But do not worry about that, child: take the information and advice that I have given you and bring it back to the world. Say hello to your father, and when you reach Ithaca, bring the good news of your return to your wife and son."

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Author's note: As I was reading the Odyssey, this passage was both difficult and fascinating to read. Of course, it was heartbreaking to see the grief of Odysseus and his mother, but there was something sweet among the sadness of this excerpt. Inexplicably, this was my favorite part of the reading unit.

In this storytelling exercise, I stuck very closely to the original translation by Tony Kline, as I wanted to keep the reverence and loving tone in the interaction between Odysseus and Anticleia. I loved this section of the text because it was a change of pace from the violence that Odysseus faced with Polyphemus the Cyclops and the temptation that he received at the hands of Circe the witch. It is an interesting juxtaposition of emotional affection, inserted between accounts of battles with monsters that incorporate only brute force.

Bibliography:

Homer's Odyssey, as found in the Un-Textbook.

(Original: The Odyssey, translated into English by Tony Kline, 2004)

Week 2 Reading Diary: Homer's Odyssey

Excerpts from Homer's Odyssey

This week, I read selections from Homer's Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline. The sections in the assigned reading included Odysseus's adventures with Polyphemus the Cyclops, Circe the witch, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and various other monsters that he encounters on his journey home. The following are my thoughts as I read through each of the excerpts.

Trapped: All I could think while reading this was, "well...this escalated quickly." Odysseus and his men find Polyphemus's cave and want to investigate his nature--if he is a gentle giant or a hostile being (spoiler alert--he is the latter). When Polyphemus discovers them in his lair, Odysseus tries to bargain so that he and his crew can escape with their lives, begging the Cyclops to respect the gods. Polyphemus displays intense hubris here, saying that he does not care for Zeus and that "[Cyclopes] are greater than they [the gods]." He then kills two of Odysseus's men (the gory details of which I will leave out of this blog post), and Odysseus devises an equally violent plan to kill the Cyclops and escape. 

The Cyclops Defeated: Odysseus is definitely no fool. It is extremely clever of him to tell Polyphemus that his name is Nobody, so that when the Cyclops cries out to his peers and says that "Nobody is trying to kill him," they think they cannot do anything about his plight. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus can be very conceited (like when he tells Polyphemus his real name in the next section and almost loses his ship because of it), but he certainly has the wit to back up his claims for the most part.

Circe's Magic: It is both heartbreaking and extremely frustrating to watch Odysseus lose his men one by one. I was very glad that at least one man, Eurylochus, sensed the trap and did not succumb to Circe's spell. It must be a terrible thing for the men to be changed into pigs but still have all the memories of the human beings that they were before. I am grateful that throughout the story, Odysseus receives the help of various gods like Hermes in this situation.

The rest of this half of the reading seemed very ominous. When Odysseus requests to leave Circe's palace, she does not keep him against his will, but instead gives him the task of going to the underworld, a place where no mortal has ever gone and survived.

(Reading B - Notes from the second half)

Ghosts of Elpenor and Teiresias: In this story, Odysseus visits the underworld and is confronted by the blind but insightful seer Teiresias. The theme here of sight is an important one: although Teiresias cannot physically see the world around him, he can see into other parts of the cosmos and transcend space and time. In this section, he warns Odysseus that he will lose all of his men, but he will survive if he does not succumb to his pride. It is interesting because the reader sees the entire rest of the story foreshadowed in this excerpt.

The Spirit of Anticleia: This section was heartbreaking to read. Odysseus encounters his mother in the underworld, and since he had left so many years ago to fight in the Trojan War, he had not seen her. He receives details of his wife, son, and father in their respective places. Odysseus finds out that Laertes, his father, was in a dark place in his life, grieving at the absence of his son--and this is the affliction that took his mother's life. To read that his mother died of a broken heart waiting for her son was heart-wrenching enough, but when Odysseus tries to embrace her and cannot physically touch the spirit, this was the saddest part for me.

The next three chapters describe Odysseus's conversations with various ghosts in his past. The ghosts of famous women are portrayed, and Odysseus recounts the stories of their lives, how their families came to be, and how they died. Next, Odysseus sees the ghost of Agamemnon, a dear friend from the war, and listens as he tells his friend how he was killed. The spirit of Achilles wants to hear how his family is doing in the world, and the ghost of Ajax walks away from Odysseus in stony silence as he angrily remembers how Odysseus defeated him to win Achilles's weapons. Here, I was impressed by Odysseus's humility, something that the reader does not get to see very often. As he describes how he won the weapons, he shows remorse that he achieved this and concedes that Ajax did not deserve to die because of his victory.

The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis: It was in this section that I appreciated the loyalty of Odysseus's men. As they row past the Sirens, Odysseus's ears remain unplugged and he begs his men to loosen the ropes that bound him to the mast and to draw nearer to the shore, but they refuse. It was because of this that it was a pity that Scylla "devoured" six of his crew members when they reach the shores of the twin dangers, Scylla and Charybdis. This was an abrupt and gory ending to these excerpts, and I will most likely read the rest of the account later this week.

Bibliography:
Homer's Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline.
Books IX-XII.
Source: Poetry in Translation.

Week 1: Famous Last Words

Reflecting on this week, I am satisfied with my work so far in this class. There is nothing that I am exceptionally proud of, but I did feel that I got to practice and sharpen my storytelling skills a little bit, which will definitely prove to be a valuable skill later on in this course. This is something that I am really excited about because although I am interested in it, I have never taken a creative writing class. Looking forward to the coming weeks in this semester, I am thrilled to get a chance to think in unconventional ways to tell the best tale.

This week, I had the privilege of reading a lot of new stories and nursery rhymes and some very interesting recounts of classics. I had never heard of most of these, and for the stories that I am familiar with, it is always a pleasure to get a fresh take on them. I loved reading other people's storytelling blog posts to see the extra details that they injected, the new settings that they incorporated, and the different interpretations of the same stories. Short stories and nursery rhymes leave a lot of blank spaces for the imagination to fill, and I love seeing all of the unique ways that people can twist the same words.

More than that, however, I enjoyed reading the introduction blog posts within my group. It was really interesting to see the different majors present in this class, and more than that, I loved getting to read about the unique hobbies that people had. Some of these will inspire me to take up more outdoor activities (for example, mountain climbing--something I have always wanted to do). Overall, it was great getting to know my classmates a little and reading about the different backgrounds in the class.

I've always loved hiking and the idea of mountain climbing. Source: Wikipedia.

Week 1: Introduction

Hi there!

My name is Chelsea and I am a student at the University of Oklahoma. This fall marks the beginning of my third year here at OU, and I am incredibly excited about what the new semester will bring (even though the fact that I'm a junior still freaks me out a little).

A little about myself: I was born and raised in the metropolitan Detroit area in Michigan. I am proud to say I was born in the cereal capital of the world, Battle Creek, Michigan, where the Kellogg's company was founded, but I grew up in the suburbs of Madison Heights, and later, Bloomfield Hills. I graduated from Andover High School in Bloomfield. When I was in high school, I was on the swim team and played the violin in the symphony orchestra. I also loved to join community youth ensembles outside of school--despite rivalries between the different schools in the area, I met some of my closest friends in these groups and always enjoyed making music with them. Overall, I have fond memories of my time in high school and strong ties to my hometown.

So you may be wondering, why OU? All my life, I had just assumed I would go right down the street to the University of Michigan (and there will always be a special place in my heart for this wonderful institution--Go Blue!) Honestly, I never even knew OU existed until December of my senior year, and Oklahoma was never even a consideration. However, when I was applying for colleges, I knew I wanted to go into medicine and I researched a lot of accelerated medical programs: these are the ones where the student goes through four years of undergraduate studies at an institution and then is offered direct admission into that university's medical school. When OU sent me information about their Medical Humanities program, I learned about the intermingling of science and the arts and was immediately interested. What really sealed the deal was when I finally visited the beautiful campus and absolutely fell in love.

I mean, just look at that library. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Now, I'm entering my fifth semester at OU and have loved every minute of it. I am a pre-med student majoring in psychology and minoring in chemistry and biology. When science gets tiring, however, I go back to one of my first loves, the violin. Although I don't perform with an orchestra anymore, I am fortunate to be able to play with my campus ministry's worship band. In the future, I would like to be a pediatric psychiatrist, but if that doesn't work out, then I think it would be interesting to incorporate music with psychology and perhaps go into the relatively new field of music therapy.

I am so thankful to be a Sooner and I can't wait to see what the rest of my college career has in store!

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

The first project that caught my eye was "How Chaucer Ruined the Canterbury Tales." Originally, it was the title that drew me in--I read a selection of Chaucer's Tales in high school and I enjoyed seeing the culture of the Middle Ages manifested in the literature. As I began to read the introduction, I became more and more intrigued by the background that the author, the Vintner, gave for his retelling of the stories. I especially appreciated the humor that was interjected throughout! The project was a refreshing twist on a classic.

Another storybook that I wanted to investigate more was "Odysseus Goes Shopping." I love reading modern takes on ancient literature, and this one definitely delivered--I ended up reading the entire thing! The author clearly put a lot of thought into each aspect of her story from the names to the details in which she changed the events from the Odyssey to fit modern life. Throughout the story, the protagonist, Sam, is asked by his wife to get several items from the grocery store to make various dishes for a holiday meal, and there are recipes for each dish at the end of the chapters--this was definitely my favorite part.

Finally, I loved the premise behind "Mother Goose: All Grown Up." In her introduction, the author states that Mother Goose's nursery rhymes are known for their brevity and are comedic due to their seemingly random nature: the details are few and certainly leave the meaning of the rhymes open to interpretation. In this storybook, the author weaves in background information and other details about the nursery rhyme characters that we grew up with. She explores what happened in their lives after they were portrayed in Mother Goose's collection. I especially liked the diary layout of the storybook; I felt it added a more personal feel to see it from the characters' own points of view.

Week 1: Un-Textbook

Un-Textbook selections

Week 2: For my first unit, I am very interested in delving deeper into Homer's Odyssey. My freshman English class in high school was an introductory course into classical literature and one of our reading assignments was excerpts from the Odyssey. In learning more about this piece of literature, I hope to also know a bit more about the background of Greek epic poetry in general.

Week 3: I would love to read the King James Version of the Gospel of Mark. In the past, I have read this book of the Bible in other translations but have never attempted to read it in this particular version. Different translations have varying connotations, and it will be interesting to see how the language in the KJV affects the account of Jesus's life.

Week 4: For the next unit, I would like to take a look at Arabian Nights. There's an interesting story here: I played the violin in symphony orchestra in high school, and one of the pieces that we played was the ballet Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. Our conductor told us the background of the piece and ever since, I've been fascinated and have wanted to learn more. I would love to get a chance to read the literature that inspired the music.

Week 5: After 1,001 Nights, it would make sense to follow it up with another frametale, Tales of a Parrot. It will intriguing to see the parallels between the two forms of storytelling.

Week 6: My parents are Chinese immigrants and I grew up with Asian cartoons. One of these was a series about the life of the Monkey King. Again, this is a piece of literature that I would like to explore further due to a past experience with it. It will be fun to revisit the characters in these tales to whom I was introduced in childhood.

Week 7: In addition to the Monkey King, I would love to read Chinese Fairy Tales. My parents occasionally would read me traditional bedtime stories and I am curious to see if any of the tales that they told me are familiar.

Week 1 Storytelling: The Frogs and Their King

The Frogs and Their King

Once upon a time, a group of frogs happened across a small marsh. They decided that this was as good a place to live as any and settled down. For a while, the frogs lived their days in peace and contentment. They slowly built the community and lived life together. Neighbors helped neighbors and everyone enjoyed each other's company.

Gradually, however, the frogs started seeking a change in their routines. Up until this point, all they had had to do for entertainment was catch flies on their tongues and croak at the sky. Even playing leapfrog in the reeds was getting tiring. They had heard stories of the majesty of lions and this filled them with the desire to have a ruler like that. They dreamed of having elaborate parades for a king who could properly govern them and provide their lives with structure. So, they went to Jupiter to request a king.

Jupiter looked down at the colony of frogs with pity. He knew that they meant well, but that they had little foresight. He could tell that if the frogs truly had a ruler, their little community would be ruined. To still assuage them, Jupiter sent down a giant log from the sky and it landed right in the middle of the marsh. 

Upon hearing the enormous splash, the frogs emerged from their homes to see what had interrupted their peaceful day. They saw the log and were fearful: surely they should be wary of something that made so grand and so formidable an entrance. At the same time, though, they were thankful to Jupiter for bringing them a ruler who could bring order to their lives.

For days, the frogs hid inside their homes lest they anger their new king. Only occasionally did they peer outside to observe what Their Majesty was doing. After several weeks of doing this, the frogs realized that nobody had ever seen the log move. They gathered up their courage and went outside. Some of the younger frogs apprehensively approached their leader and one bravely poked the log with a stick. Still the log did not move.

It was at this point that the frogs recognized their king not as the terrifying, harsh patriarch that they once thought it was, but as a peaceful giant. In the following days, the frogs took advantage of the log's gentle nature: the younger frogs played games on it and the elders of the colony held conferences within its private chambers. 

An elder in the frog colony calling a meeting to order.

Eventually, the frogs were again discontent with their lax government. "This is just like having no king at all," some of them quipped. When Jupiter heard their cries again, he wished to teach them a lesson once and for all. 

To do this, he called a crane to take over for the log. When the crane arrived at the marsh, the frogs were taken aback--this was not the type of ruler they had asked for. They finally realized their blunder when the crane began to eat all the frogs in the colony.

"Never again will we ask for change if we don't know that things will get better," they cried.

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Author's Note: This is a retelling of the fable "The Frogs Who Wished for a King," found in the compilation book Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). The original story is a short account of a foolish group of frogs who originally live happily, but gradually become dismayed due to their dissatisfaction and need for more. My story follows the original very closely, with a few extra details and background.

Bibliography:
Aesop for Children by Aesop, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). Web source: Project Gutenberg.

Week 1: My Favorite Place

I am, and will always be, a Pure Michigan kid at heart.

I was born and raised in this pleasant peninsula. I grew up in the Detroit area, known for its beautiful skyline:

The skyline of Detroit at night. Source: Wikipedia.

Detroiters take pride in having four major sports teams: the Tigers (baseball), Pistons (basketball), Lions (football), and Red Wings (hockey).

Ford Field and Comerica Park, home of the Lions and 

the Tigers, respectively. Source: Wikipedia.

Detroit has been dubbed 'Hockeytown' by the Red Wings. Source: Wikipedia.

Residents lovingly call Detroit the Motor City. Each year, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the best place to go to see classic cars, and the North American International Auto Show is perfect to see the latest in automotive technology. Past, present, and future car enthusiasts can enjoy it all in one city.

A line-up of classic cars at the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Photo by Hemmings Daily.

Photo of a Lamborghini Aventador at the North American International

Auto Show in Detroit. Source: Flickr.

Finally, the arts district of Detroit is varied and exciting. Detroit is Motown, where greats like Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, The Jackson 5, and many more artists began their musical careers.

The Motown Museum, home of Hitsville, U.S.A. Source: Wikipedia.

Detroit is also home to the beautiful Max Fisher Theater, also known as Orchestra Hall, as well as the Detroit Opera House, both of which host regular performances of the world-famous Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

 Above: The Max M. Fisher Music Hall, where the DSO

rehearses and performs. Source: Wikipedia.

Below: The Detroit Opera House overlooking Grand Circus Park.

Source: Wikipedia.

Detroit is a beautiful and vibrant city. Whatever your interests, Detroit is a lovely place to visit!

The Spirit of Detroit statue in Downtown Detroit. Source: Wikipedia.

Mythology and Folklore Fall '14

This is my first blog post for MLLL 3043, Mythology and Folklore.