Myth and Folklore

I am going to try my hand at combining two of my topics, relating letters to the gods about the sun and moon... Story #1: A Letter to Allah I will base this story off of a tale in which a hodja believes that the moon has fallen into a well. The hodja writes to Allah asking how he can save the moon from its watery fate, and proceeds to describe all the methods he has thus far employed. A bucket cannot scoop up the silvery puddle and a hook cannot pierce its rippled surface. The hodja asks Allah what he needs to gather the moon from inside the well and return it to the sky, but soon begins to wonder whether Allah has let the moon fall for a reason. https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type1335a.html#hodja Story #2: A Letter to The Sun and Moon Gods of the Blackfoot Tribe This tale will be based on the legend of Star Boy (nicknamed Poia), born of Feather-Woman and Morning Star. His mother was banished from the sky for digging up a forbidden turnip, and passed away from unhappiness soon af...

How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk  By Adam Grant -The "feedback sandwich" - positive, negative, positive -Positive feedback can "fall on deaf ears" because the person is waiting for the negative -They might see positive feedback as "softening the blow" of what is to come (the negative) -By starting and ending with positive feedback, criticisms may be lost -19 words can help improve feedback reception by 40% - “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.” -Level the playing field; you're not on a pedestal -Ask if someone wants feedback rather than giving it immediately -Dialogue versus monologue Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise? By Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman -Managers feel it's their job to give negative feedback, with positive feedback being optional -People do not like to give negative feedback -Positive feedback actually makes a greater impact ...

"Well, this doesn't bode well for the empowerment of women in the coming centuries." Sarah sat huddled in the corner of a dark wooden box being pulled along by two donkeys. She and her husband Abraham were fleeing to Egypt, and as one of the original patriarchs of Judaism, Abraham's beliefs about women were deeply entrenched in the emerging pattern of patriarchal norms. Sarah made a mental note to talk to God later about how this was unfolding.  Back in the present situation, Sarah bemoaned her husband's need to conceal her in a box. Abraham feared that when the Egyptians gazed upon her beauty, she would be snatched away for the king's harem. This was problematic for two reasons: firstly, because anyone who tried to mess with Sarah, be it a peasant or a king, would find themselves in for a fierce battle. She would not be dragged anywhere without a fight. The neighbors joked that her spirit was like Moses’ burning bush – endlessly fiery. Secondly, be...

The Fairy Frog -Hanina bestows his son with a dying wish: to buy the first thing offered to him at the market before the Passover feast -Hanina's parents pass away side by side, and the traditional seven days of mourning commence -The item offered to him at the market is a silver casket worth a thousand gold pieces -The casket is opened on Passover and a frog hops out -The frog grows massive over the ensuing weeks -Hanina and his wife grow poor and destitute in trying to keep up with feeding the frog -Finally, the frog speaks to the couple and offers to grant their desires -The wife asks for food, Hanina for knowledge ("the lore of men") -The frog writes down the laws and seventy languages on strips of paper -When Hanina swallows them, he becomes acquainted with everything -Learns the "language of the beasts and the birds" -Then Hanina and wis wife are taken by the frog to the forest -Birds and insects come in droves with precious je...

The Giant of the Flood -Noah gathers the animals for the ark -The men and women of the world are left behind      -"All ye that lie down shall enter and be saved from the deluge that is about to destroy the world" -Noah realizes he must find a unicorn -The giant Og offers to bring him one in return for salvation -Noah refuses, but Og outsmarts him by hopping on the back of the unicorn      -Noah has tied the ark so the massive unicorn may swim alongside -The giant is massive and fears death by starvation      -He could once "drink water from the clouds and toast fish at the sun" -Noah feeds the giant in exchange for his servitude to the Israelites later on -Og helps Noah plant seeds around the world once the flood subsides -Plants the grape vine      -Og slaughters four animals to honor the plant: goat, lion, pig, monkey      -His declarations after the slaughter of each represent the stages of dru...