Reading Diary B: Celtic Fairy Tales

The second half of the Celtic Fairy Tales unit was just as entertaining as the first section was!  There were less chapters, or sections I guess they would be called, but they were still very entertaining.

The story that stood out to me the most was Beth Gellert.  This section was much sadder than the other components of this unit.  About a Prince who has a favorite hunting dog named Gellert.  Gellert misses a hunt one day but when the Prince returns he finds Gellert covered in blood.  His mind wanders to his small child and he fears for the worst.  The babies nursery is bathed in blood with the crib overturned, the Prince assumes the worst and kills Gellert in his rage.  As Gellert died the baby cries out and the Prince discovers a wolf, dead in the room.  Gellert had missed the hunt because he was protecting the baby and had killed the wolf. 

I thought that this story was really well written because it makes the reader relatively involved in a very short amount of storytelling.   

The Baby saved by Gellert
Image from the UnTextbook

Reading Diary A: Celtic Fairy Tales

This week I have selected the Celtic Fairy Tales Unit for my reading selection.  I decided to read this unit based on the unit description.  Also, I have consistently been reading fairy tale selections throughout the course of the semester and comparing the different fairy tales is rather interesting.  Each culture can be observed through the fairy tales and the means by which the stories are told.

The first half of this reading unit was a really fun unit.  There was actually a story that I recognized from elementary school in it.  The Field of Boliauns.  I was read this story in elementary school on St. Patrick’s day a long time ago.  The premise of the story is a young man finds a leprechaun and captures him.  He forces the leprechaun to lead him to his gold.  When they arrive at the location he needs a shovel, so he ties his scarf to the location and goes to fetch the shovel.  However, when e returns he can’t find his scarf and he spends the remainder of his time digging up an entire field hoping to find the gold.

The story about Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree was also a really good story.  The story was the Celtic version of Snow White.  They are basically the same story, but it was cool to see how the different aspects were constructed for this version. 

Leprechaun
Image from Wikipedia

Essay: Native American Stories

This week we continued to read stories from the Native American unit.  I read the Indian FairyTales unit this unit which I thought was particularly interesting.  These past two weeks reading from the native American selections has been an intriguing reading experience.  I thought that the way the two units could clearly relate to one another was particularly interesting.

American Indians were very different across various tribes.  Their ways of life, travel, housing, social structure, and other means of societial measure differed in vast ways.  However, one observable phenomenon across all tribes is the respect they show for nature and life. 

In my two Native American story units I could observe a clear correlation between the storytelling and nature.  The animals, the seasons, crops, plants, and all aspects of nature were present in every single section of my units.  It was clear that the stories being told relied on the aspect of nature and life surrounding the indians as a medium to pass on knowledge and tell stories.  The emphasis on life around them is an example of the reverence they paid to the natural world and the elements.

I think that this kind of respect is something that could be shown on a greater level in our society.  We rarely tell stories that directly incorporate or emphasize the natural world around us.  The only modern story I can think of that really ties in the Earth is the Lorax by Dr. Suess.  In the Lorax Dr. Suess actually talks about how if we don’t start to care about the world around us we could end up in quite the predicament.  I think we have gotten so used to just having the world, having trees, having air that we take it for granted.  However, if we don’t start to take responsibility and care for the world we live in?  Things could drastically change for the worst.  

The Lorax
By: Dr. Suess
Image from Wikipedia 

Storytelling Post: Indian Fairy Tales Units

Once there was a boy living out free in the woods with his sister.  The brother and sister were free to roam around the wilderness as it pleased them.  Being so free and unattached the brother and sister had many splendid adventures together.  They went all around the country side and had collected a great number of tokens to commemorate their adventures. 

One of the boy’s most treasured tokens was his fur coat that his sister made for him from the pelts of the white rabbits.  The boy would wear the coat to remember how they had traveled far and long to reach the land of the white rabbits.  He recalled how the bounded through the snow and darted so quickly through the fresh powder that you could hardly keep track of them.  He would reflect fondly on how his sister taught him to set a snare to catch the rabbits. They had been able to make him a full coat to keep him warm against the sharp winter winds as they traveled back home.

The boy so loved to wear his coat that he wanted to pocket the sun.  If he could pocket the sun surely it wouldn’t be so warm, and then he could wear his coat all the time.  Then he would always think of the white rabbits, the snow and the snares, and he would always remember his good times with his sister.  So the young boy set out to capture and pocket the sun like they had once caught the rabbits.  He would catch the sun in a snare and pull it down to be pocketed. 

So finally the day came and the boy had made a rope long enough to reach the sun.  He threw it up with all his might, the winds carried it up to great heights and he had done it. The boy had snared the sun.  He pulled it down and set it in the pocket of his coat.  As the day went on however, he felt his coat get warmer and warmer, the sun was burning his coat and he had to act quickly.  The boy stripped off his coat and threw the sun back into the sky, however the sun caught on his coat and his coat went up as high as the sun was.  The heat from the sun burnt the threads connecting the furs together and they floated off separately to decorate the sky.  This is how the sky came to have clouds as white as rabbits. 

Authors Note:  This week I really struggled with a storytelling post idea.  Finally I just hammered this out on the premise that it was based on my favorite story from the unit.  The original story was about a boy and his sister.  The sister makes the boy a coat out of birds that he had killed all on his own, the boy wanted to snare the sun to keep his coat from shrinking.  However, in the original story the boy never got the sun because the animals thwarted his plans.  The original post told how the mouse came to be so small.  Initially the mouse was the largest of all animals which is why he could cut the rope.  As he was cutting the rope he lowly burned away until he was the smallest of all animals.  

Image from Santa Banta

The Boy who Snared the Sun 

Book American Indian Fairy Tales 

Author W.T. Larned

Year 1921

Reading Diary B: Indian Fairy Tales

This morning I finished reading the Indian Fairy Tales unit for Week 10.  So far this class continues to be exactly what I hoped to get out of it.  A new and interesting view at various cultures around the world.  I think that reading all these stories and seeing all the different themes and story telling devices lets us know a lot about the cultural values of the various places.

Something I found really interesting about the native american stories units was that the really personify the elements of nature and the animals.  The stories had a heavy emphasis on man and animals living side by side in tandem.  The emphasis of the symbiotic relationship was a good indication of their outlook on how they value the natural elements and the wild side of nature.

In the second half of the unit I really thought the story about the boy who snared the sun was a good one.  The story was a really unique look on how the mouse became so small even though it seemed like that wasn't the point of the story. The story was particularly playful and refreshing.  

Field Mouse
Image from Pinterest

Reading Diary A: Indian Fairy Tales

Hurray for the week after spring break!  I decided to read the Indian Fairy Tales unit.  My selecting process was fairly random this week.  I usually have luck with my random selections for this class. Which has continued once again in this week with this unit. 

So far I really like this unit.  As opposed to my unit from the previous week where the stories are relatively unconnected and individual, this week my story has a more interconnected collection of stories.  The stories are mainly connected through the scope of a story teller.  Therefore the stories I'm reading are somewhat of a story within a story. 

So far my favorite part of the story has been a section about a man who fought a cold front.  Shin-ge-bis fools the North Wind.  This section of the story was interesting to me because the man believes he can fight off the North wind and he actually succeeds.  I think this story is intriguing because it shows how the native americans used to personify nature and the changing of the seasons.  I think this concept speaks volumes about their culture and outlook on life and nature.  

The North Wind
Image from the UnTextbook 

Storytelling Eskimo Folk Tales

Book Eskimo Folk Tales

Author Knud Rasmussen

Year 1921

Once upon a time in a land not so far away a young woman longed to be a mother.  The young woman lived in the woods all by her lonesome with no one to keep her company.  She ran out everyday to collect food, water, to hunt, and to search for someone to keep her company.  The woman watched the animal families run about and every spring she watched as the various animals became mothers, and she envied them for their children. 

One spring the young woman ran out to hunt for the day and she encountered a small wolf pup.  The pup was small in size, so small that he was likely the runt of the litter left out to die on his own.  The young woman scooped up the pup and took him in for herself.  She decided then and there that she would raise the pup on her own, that he would keep her company and she would no longer be alone.

Over the years the young woman, who was now a young mother became closer and closer to her newly fostered son.  The pup grew swift and strong.  She taught him the ways of the woods.  She taught the pup how to hunt as soon as he was able so that they might share the daily load of the work to be done.  The pup grew into a wolf, and as he grew so did his skills for hunting.  He began to go after bigger and bigger prey.  The woman was pleased with her sons efforts, and as he continued to hunt larger animals he too grew larger, the cycle was seemingly endless.

The young pup was no more and now the old woman had a full grown wolf with her.  She knew that he had to go out and be free to explore for himself.  For one day soon she would be gone.  She remembered how lonely she felt before finding her pup.  One night when the wolf came home from his hunt the woman told him that he must find someone else to hunt with and find a family on his own.  She explained that soon she would be gone from this world and that she would be walking amongst the stars.  The wolf obeyed, knowing his mother was wise and meant only to look out for him.  He ran out on his own in search of a family to provide for, still every now and then he howls towards the stars and the moon, knowing his mother is out there listening. 

Black Wolf Pup
Image from Wikipedia

Authors Note

This storytelling post is based on the Woman who had a Bear as a Foster Son. In the original story an old woman in a village is brought a bear cub and told to raise it as her own.  The bear grows big and strong and provides game for the whole village.  In the end of the story the bear is thought to have killed someone in a neighboring village and the mother must send him away for protection.  I made some changes to this story to see how it could be perceived through another perspective. 

Reading Diary B: Eskimo Stories

This week I read the Eskimo Stories unit for my first Native American story selection.  The first half of the reading was rather enjoyable, and so was the second half.  The second half was a little bit darker than the first half.  Most of the stories were teaching some kind of lesson.  Many of the stories were about the consequences of a certain behavior.  Stories about lying, killing, and deceitfulness were scattered throughout the second half of this unit making this segment much more cautionary than the first half.

I think the differences in the two halves of the reading are rather interesting.  Stories that are told more pleasure are always enjoyable and entertaining.  However, when you contrast those kinds of stories with lesson stories you can see clear differences.  Stories that are told to convey a moral or a lesson tend to be much more realistic.  I think as an adult the stories that convey lessons are much more enjoyable than I would have found them as a child.  The realistic aspect within a fantasy setting just makes the story seem like something you can connect more with.    

Igloo Village
From Travel Site

Reading Diary A: Eskimo Stories

This week I have selected the Eskimo Stories reading unit for my weekly reading.  I selected this unit because of the unit description.  Out of all of the potential units I thought that this one had a certain sort of unique draw to it that led me to decide to read it.

Thus far, I have really enjoyed this unit.  It is not my favorite unit that I have read for this class so far.  However, it is really unique and quite a nice change of pace to read.  The stories are all unconnected short stories from Eskimo culture.  The themes are somewhat similar throughout the various stories but there is no reoccurring character or plot.  I think this is somewhat refreshing as well.  The last several units I have read have all been longer stories so a nice break is a welcome change.

The stories have all managed to get a very well put together story told in a relatively short amount of time.  My favorite story in this unit so far was about a bear and its foster mother.  In this story an old woman in the village is given a bear cub who she raises as one of the tribe.  The bear lives peacefully among the villagers as their kin.  The bear even comes to hunt with the men and supports their way of life.  The story ends fairly sad because the woman is forced to send the bear away.  Even though the ending was sad I still liked this story best, I’m not too sure why, it just stood out to me.   

Polar Bear Cub
Taken from Blog

Commenting Review Week

I think the commenting section of this course is very important.  The fact that this course is an online format means that discussion is very important.  Since we aren't in a classroom setting comments are one of the only ways for us to connect with our classmates and bounce ideas off of one another.  I appreciate the comments section of this course because they work to stimulate conversation between the class as a whole.

The comments I write I usually try to include comments on all aspects of the post.  The writing, the ideas, the editing, the layout, and other aspects.  I try to keep my comments very positive because these posts are an expression of creativity.  The positive validation of the creative mind is very important, I would never want to criticize someone else's creativity.

In the same light the comments I have received are all very positive and are therefore very validating.   Positive comments help you to strive to continue to do well.  I think the comments are a good way to motivate individuals to do their assignments well.  The knowledge that your peers will be reading your work makes you take an extra sense of pride in your writing.

Personal Photograph
LVI 2015

The photo I have chosen for this post is a photo that is inspiring to me personally.  In February I traveled to Las Vegas for several days to play in the Las Vegas Invitational.  A rugby tournament for 7s teams.  This tournament is the biggest rugby tournament in Northern America.  Playing in Las Vegas was an incredible experience for me and playing with and against women that far exceed my talents only helped to make me a better rugby player.  After playing in Las Vegas I felt more confident on and off the pitch.  My first league match after returning from playing the LVI I received the honor of being woman of the match, which I attribute to the things I learned at this tournament.  The team we played in this photo was from New Zealand, where rugby is played at one of the highest levels across the globe.  I got absolutely wrecked in this game, I got hit with a double tackle that I think I will forever see stars from.  However, it was a great match and these are some incredibly talented players.

Writing Review Week

My writing experience for this class so far has been relatively positive.  I think that the writing is creative and therefore its something I view as being enjoyable.  The writing isn’t taxing or something that requires hours of stress or worry.  Being creative with writing for this class is something that I think can be considered an outlet in a certain light.

My storybook project is the writing assignment that I am most looking forward to and most focused on for this course.  The topic I selected is not very widely known or written on therefore my stories are somewhat harder to find.  However, the stories I have found are very interesting and provide me with enough information that I can fill in the blanks freely.  With written stories few and far between I can be more creative in my storytelling for my project.  I plan on incorporating elements of stories I find and then expanding upon them with my own characters and ideas of how this fantasy realm could function. 

I think that writing stories for this course is easier when you think about how you could use a story as you are reading it.  Trying to come up with an idea and then making it fit into the story is significantly harder.  I think as I read the stories I am continuously thinking of things I could or would change and how the story would make me feel more connected.  Thinking of ways to make the story more modern, more understandable, more relatable, changing things you thought were poor, those are the kind of things that make the storytelling posts easier. 

Image from keep calm-o-matic

I selected this image because I just came from rugby practice before sitting down to write this post.  Therefore, I am on a fitness kick at the moment.

Reading Review Week

This class so far has been a really unique course experience in contrast with the rest of my classes taken at OU.  While the work load is on an essential day to day basis, the work is by no means strenuous or stressful.  I rather look forward to doing work and writing for this class.  I think this is because of two main things.  One: the materials for this class are interesting and different than the rest of my ordinary classes.  Two: the writing is more of a creative outlet, the writing assignments allow for expression and the ability to try new things without being penalized.  Essentially I have come to think of this class as a means of stress relief.  I can still accomplish academic goals and learn about new cultures and new writing techniques but the environment is completely stress free. 

The reading diaries have helped to keep me motivated and accountable.  While my reading diaries are not my best or most involved writings for this class they do help me with other components of the course.  They help to organize my thoughts about certain stories units or to note the various stories I want to write my storytelling piece on.  The reading diaries are a very effective way to make sure I am staying on top of my readings and taking them seriously.  I find the stories for this class very enjoyable, the reading diaries work to make sure that I still keep academics in mind while reading the various units that I select every week.

I read a lot for pleasure during the summer and breaks.  Since I take such a heavy course load I don’t have much time for leisure reading during the semesters.  It becomes much harder for me to justify reading endless novels for my personal satisfaction when I have an unyielding amount of research papers, journals, textbooks, and articles flooding in from all of my classes.  As a criminology major I encounter all kinds of interesting research in my classes.  However, once you have read one theory dissertation you have essentially read all of them on that theory and sometimes my classes become repetitive.  This is another element of this course that I really appreciate.  The readings are very similar to the kind of things that would interest me if I had the time to devote to personal reading. 

I love this course and think it is brilliantly designed. 

Quote from Buddha
Image taken from Quotespick.com 

I chose to use this image because I think this quote is extremely true.  I have gone through many changes. Personal changes.  Personal growth. Physical changes.  Weight loss.  Muscle gain.  Emotional strengthening.  I’ve become a senior in college.  I’ve become a rugby player.  I’ve become so many things because I put my mind to it.  Making the decision to be something is half the battle in my mind.