Myth and Folklore

There once was a little girl named Maya who lived with her family at the edge of the wood. The forest surrounding the cottage they called home was lush and extended as far as the eye could see. Maya loved weaving through the trees and wandering between the twists and turns of the brambles. But although she felt at home in the forest, she always wished for a playmate to explore with her. There were no other children for miles.  One day Maya decided to create her own playmate. She gathered sticks and leaves, and grasses and mud, and slowly layered the elements of the earth together to create the image of a young girl. She stacked the sticks as sturdy bones, wove the leaves and grasses together as delicate tendons and muscles, and smoothed the mud over the exterior. She found two shiny black pebbles that she pressed gently into the mud for eyes, laid a soft bed of moss for hair. Maya adored her new friend. She sat with the earthen girl for hours beneath the trees in the forest, t

Origin Stories: The Moon -Two versions: the moon in the moon and the hare in the moon The Man: -The man in the moon was originally a blacksmith -Goes through a series of wishing to be something else (a stone, a stone-cutter, the sun, and finally the moon) -Decides being a blacksmith is ultimately the best option, but it is too late; the man is destined to remain in the moon The hare: -The buddha was born as a hare -Has three friends: monkey, jackal, and otter -Decrees that alms must be given to the poor -Each animal comes upon food in a different way, on a continuum of morality -The hare has no food to give -Decides to offer himself as food  -A brahmin seeks to test his sincerity, and builds a fire to roast the hare -The hare jumps on, but is unaffected by the flames The Three Roses -A seemingly more grotesque version of the more familiar tale of Beauty and the Beast -A mother picks three roses for her daughter, but pays dearly when the owner

Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4 Week 3: Bible Women Week 4: Jewish Fairy Tales Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6 Week 5:  Arabian Nights Week 6: Turkish Fairy Tales Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9 Week 7: Filipino Popular Tales Week 9: Folktales of Bengal Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11 Week 10: Apache Tales Week 11: Myths of the Cherokee Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13 Week 12: Alice in Wonderland  Week 13: Faerie Queen Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15. Week 14: Czech Folktales Week 15: Italian Popular Tales *For the master list, please visit the  The UnTextbook Comments: I grew up on folk tales and fairy tales. I always loved the idea that each story was associated with a moral or deeper meaning of some kind, and that the stories were often narrated by animals. Hearing a story from a the point of view of

3 Steps to Recapture Time The first step described in this article centers around the activities that should take place in the first fifteen minutes of the day. I agree with the author that it is important to set the tone of the day by taking time to think about what you want to accomplish and how you will get there. I also like that she includes time to meditate/relax in order to focus and center yourself. Another step described likens humans to plants, and includes the idea that we should "prune" ourselves in order to eliminate unnecessary clutter in our lives. This includes relationships and responsibilities that prevent us from being able to grow. The Myth of "Too Busy" The title of this article instantly caught my eye; I hear the phrase "too busy" quite often, and I am almost never convinced that people are truly "too busy." The author of this articles dissects this concept and replaces it with a more accurate one: "prioritizin

I really enjoyed using the blogger platform last semester for Indian Epics. The site is easy to navigate and makes blogging a breeze! I enjoyed playing around with formatting and customizing my blog. Although I never used pinterest last semester specifically for the Indian Epics course, I use pinterest in my personal life quite frequently. I use it mainly as an online recipe folder to pin recipes I find on the internet, and I have separate boards for various different kinds of dishes (my favorite, of course, being my dessert board). I hadn't thought about using the site to pin other kinds of pages until I re-read the technology overview for this class and realized I could also use it to save stories and articles that I want to read! I will certainly give this a try this semester. I want to experiment with a wider variety of technological platforms and expand my capabilities as an online blogger during my time in Myth and Folklore. Source: The Blue Diamond Gallery

Reading and writing are two of my favorite activities, and therefore Indian Epics last semester did not seem so much like a class, but rather an opportunity to explore a new pantheon of literature (the amazing collection of Indian stories!) and delve into my own storytelling abilities by writing tales based on the readings. Taking notes was a little tedious for me, simply because I would get caught up in the readings and forget to jot down ideas along the way. However, the notes ended up being very helpful to compartmentalize the sections of the readings that stood out to me, and I was then able to generate my own ideas and use them as the basis for my stories. I am very excited for another semester of reading and writing and to dive into the world of myth and folklore! Source: pixabay

Why Sprout Is My Favorite Professor at Hogwarts This video by John Spencer was a beautiful reminder that being different is not a bad thing; individuality is one of the beautiful parts of the human experience. Even though we may feel like the "outcast" at times (in Spencer's case, the "nerd," a trope I can relate to in my own life) we all have special qualities that deserve to be recognized and celebrated, and sometimes it just takes us a little while to find the right moment to shine. I love the comparison of Spencer's life to that of Neville Longbottom's, the lovable but awkward boy in the Harry Potter series. Neville's inner light was first recognized and appreciated by Professor Sprout, and Spencer relates the idea that a good teacher can change the life of a student by understanding and believing in their potential.  3 tips to boost your confidence I find when I feel confident in myself and my abilities I tend to engage more robustly with the

Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Joni and I am from Rockville, Maryland. I originally came to the University of Oklahoma for the ballet program, pursuing a degree in Ballet Performance. My journey began as a six year-old armed with a lot of energy and small pair of pink ballet slippers. I quickly fell in love with the language of the body and have explored a wide range of styles and movement techniques over the years, including ballet, contemporary, modern, flamenco, and tap. I believe that dancers are the visual storytellers of the world and that there is incredible power in speaking through the body. One of the best parts about being involved in the fine arts department at OU is getting to perform; if you've never ventured to the theatre on the North Oval, I highly recommend seeing a show there! During my sophomore year I decided to tackle a second major in International Studies, concentrating on the Middle East. I have taken an array of interesting courses focusing on

Tales on a Train If the title, "Alexa, How do I Get to Canterbury?" doesn't grab your attention, then there may not be a title anywhere that does. I was instantly intrigued and had to click to see what this storybook was all about. The homepage features a vivid image of a train and offers brief insight into the contents of the storybook, which centers around a storytelling competition. What is truly unique about this storybook, however, is the format of the stories themselves; they are written as long poems, complete with flowing rhyme schemes. This was a very unique choice, and allows readers to enjoy a different storytelling experience. Ghost Stories of OU The idea behind this storybook is so clever! I love that the author has taken a place we are all familiar with and transformed it through a ghoulish lens. The introduction does a great job of setting up the spooky stories to come, and the picture of campus at night is a wonderful visual to help evoke a spooky fe

This summer I embarked on an exciting adventure to visit the Greek island of Crete. A good friend of mine has a family house on the island, and I spent a week roaming with her under the Mediterranean sun. We swam in crystal blue water, walked along pink sand beaches, ate our fill of delicious Greek food, wandered the streets of Chania, and generally enjoyed a wonderful visit together. My favorite experience during the trip was conquering the Samaria Gorge, the longest gorge in Europe. For close to six hours, Sophie and I hiked from the top of the gorge down and along its base; the entire distance stretches 16 kilometers. It was magical to be surrounded by the natural beauty of the gorge and to discover the secrets of the landscape with every twist and turn along the path. Sophie and I at the bottom of the Samaria Gorge. Personal photo. Views of the Samaria Gorge. Personal photos.

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