Final Post

5 top things about Mythology:

• Myths are passed downt hrough the oral tradition, they were never oriogionally written down.
• Myths arw magical and often contain fantastcial and unimaguinable explanations of creation, life, death, etc.
• Myths can answers the questions in life "WHY?" and "HOW?.
• Myths can often be difficult to undertsnd, but often contaian d deep moral or and important life lesson
• Many myths from different cultures often contain the same characters just with different cultrual variations

 5 top things about Fairytales:

• Fairytales can be described as being "a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands" (Dictionary) 
• Some Fairytales are dark and grim and not appropriate for children
• Fairytales can be referenced in commercials, music, literature, and design
• Many Fairytales have been re-written and modified over time 
• Disney has widely popularized fairytales. Their animated fairytales have made large profits

Unit 4 #2l

The four Cinderella stories I will be comparing and contrasting are Yeh-Shen, the Egyptian Cinderella, Ashley Pelt, and the Baba Yaga. I do have to say i was confused about the Baba Yaga, I was really able to see how it was connected to any of the other "Cinderella" stories. I had trouble making any connections with the other stories I read. Anyways, one of the first similarities i observed was that all the "Cinderellas" in the stories were orphaned, and they lived with a stepparent who seemed to be jealous of this child for their own children's sake. Another common theme I noticed was all the "Cinderellas wishing to go to some kind of event that they were originally not allowed to go to. For Yen, its the Spring Festival. For Rhodopis, it's Pharaohs court. For Ashley, it's and extravagant party. They all get dressed up for these events, and are glorified for their beauty by the fellow party goers, their look cause jealousy and men fall in love with them. In classic Cinderella fashion, they all leave in a hurry, leaving behind some token that will later be used for their suitors to discover them again. Yen leaves so her stepmother and sisters would not recognize her, leaving behind her gold slipper, which was later given to the King. The king finds discovers her because she is the only one who fits in the shoe, and they marry and leave happily ever after. Rhodopis never seemed to actually attend the court, but when she was cleaning her rose gold slippers one day, the God Horus came down form the sky and took one of her slippers. He then gave the slipper to Pharaoh, who took this as a sign, set out to find the owner of the shoe, in this case Rhodopis. She fit the shoe, they got married and lived happily ever after.  In Ashley Pelt, she falls in love with the prince at the party, and on her way out as she rushes, drops a silk slipper. When the prince comes to her door looking for the owner of the shoe, he does not see her. Eventually he finds her tending to the cows, and they get married and live happily ever after.

My Cinderella Story

once upon a time, there was a girl named Lana. She was a downtown New Yorker who lived in a a small and cramped two-bed, one bath apartment in pretty much the opposite of posh are of the lower East Side. She shared the pad with her step mother, a low paid front desk worker at  a hospital, and her son, a abusive drug user, who was never confronted by his mother, even though she new exactly what he was up to. You see, Lana's dad had married this woman, and they had a good life as he made decent pay at his job. Two years after the marriage, he died of a heart attack, and her step mom spent all of his money on unneeded things, and they weren't able to pay the rent on their nice apartment, so they had to move to Lana's current residence. Her step mom wasn't very nice to her, and the brother was never around. Lana attended a posh private school on the Upper East Side on 5th & 67th. She was only able to attend it because she was on a full academic and athletic scholarship. Everyday she subway ed their, but would walk a little ways home so she could stop by her favorite vintage, designer boutique to talk to Marissa, one of her moms old friends who was the manger at the store. Before Lana's mom left her family, her and Marissa were best friends, and Lana would always visit the store with her mom and admire upon the racks and rows of vintage treasures.

One day a school, she overheard the popular rich girls talking about the next big soiree coming up, Saturday night to be exact, the masquerade ball. It was a very exclusive event held by Blair, the queen bee of the school, but there were ways you could get in, even if you didn't have a invitation. Lana new she wouldn't get an invitation, for she new all to well that she wasn't very popular and didn't have any friends. She was pretty though, she just didn't show it. Lana rushed to the boutique that afternoon to tell Marissa about the party. Marissa told Lana that she should stop by an hour before the party to Marissa could help her with her hair- little did Lana know she would help with more than that

The day of the party arrived, and Lana was trying to figure out what to wear to the ball as she browsed though her dresser. She settled upon a simple black dress, nothing special, and a pair of black flats. As she ran out the door, her stepmother told her she needed to be back by her midnight curfew, about the only rule she actually enforced. When she arrived at the boutique, she found that Marissa had stayed open late just so she surprise Lana by letting her choose any outfit from the store to were to the ball. She settled upon a vintage, of course, off the shoulder, pale pink lace mini dress, Ellie Saab, circa 1993, and a towering pair of gold, crystal encrusted Louboutins whose previous owner had never worn. She had her hair curled into voluminous waves, and her makeup dawn flawlessly-Marissa seemed to be and expert at it .Marissa added another surprise on top, and had rented a town car to take Lana to the ball. But just before she left, Marissa gave her a white mask to wear, for it was required for the ball.

Lana was able to get into the ball, and right as she walked through the door, all eyes were on her. No one knew who she was, but they wanted to. She danced the night away, and made sure not to mention her name. As she talked to one boy, she felt something special. His name was Eric, and he was one of the most popular guys in school. They talked for along time, and he forgot to ever ask her name. She looked down at the dainty gold watch she was wearing on her wrist, and realized it was 11:40 already!! She had to go or else she would not make her curfew and her stepmother would be mad, so she started to tell Eric she needed to go. He asked for her number, so she quickly wrote it down on a napkin and ran to the town car that would take her home.

That Monday at school, there was rumors going around that Eric had met this "mystery girl" and no one had no idea who they were, for they we rent on the guest list. Eric had come up with a plan the night before while he dreamed of the mystery girl in the bedroom of his penthouse that he would try to call the number in all of his classes to see if any phones rang. Three classed had gone by that day, no ringing phones. But in his history class , one he shared with Lana, he decided to give it one last shot and typed the digits. Lana's phone rang, and he looked surprised, for he had never even noticed that she was in his class before. They talked after the bell rang and she told him everything about that night. He was so surprised it was her, for no he had never noticed  her at school before, yet he seemed to have fallen in love with her in one night.

They dated all throughout college and high school, and eventually got married. Lana never had to see her stempmom and brother anymore, and they lived happily ever after.

Unit 4 #5

The dictionary describes fairy tales a being "a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands", and i don't have a hard time disagreeing with that. I always think of them as being whimsical, sometimes spooky, and full of unrealistic events and stories. When i was little, my mom didn't read me a ton of fairy tales, I was more of a movie watcher. I was the quote-on-quote "stereotypical" five year old girl who loved Disney princesses. I remember how much i loved Snow White. My mom said I would cry when she wouldn't let me wear my Snow White dress to school in kindergarten. When I was in eighth grade, we actually read some fairy tales that were in our literature book as part of a unit. I can't exactly remember all the ones we read, but I do remember enjoying them. 

Unit 4 #3

In todays world, there are many examples of fairytales all around us. Below are a couple of instances of what I mean:

1. This Capital One credit commercial references the tale of Princess and the Frog
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDMQuAIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DlFn4cxy05HA&ei=K5NwUaaAPM-34AOZ64DQBg&usg=AFQjCNEbM_1vfmdYBBU9myMKo8XrMCKTbA&bvm=bv.45373924,d.dmg

2. This is a neat example of fairytales have mad their mark todays fashion world. Prominent french shoe designer Christian Louboutin designed these Cinderella inspired "Glass" slippers costing around $1,500 a pair

 

3. My last example of fairytales in todays world is in a song that I'm sure was every teenage girls at some point- Taylors Swifts Love Story. With lyrics like "You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess" and "It's a love story baby just say yes" its hard for this song not to remind you of some old Disney princess movie you used to love when you were little. Even the scenery in the music video reminds me of something in a fairytale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xg3vE8Ie_E

Unit 2 #5

In many of the creation myths i have red over the past week, i've found similarities, yet uniqueness within them. Many details within the myths are subjective to the myths country of origin, yet there is still the whole archetypal hero scenario going on. There's the creator(s), who is driven to change the world, they just wear different "cultural clothes". In the myths, light seemed to always be absent, and was a large factor in what need to be created. These myths reflect moral and cultural values from the country were they originated.

My Creation Myth

The deep, black, darkness clouds had hung over the future area called "Maryland" since the earths creation. Birds were the only creatures living on the earth, the strongest and most important of them being the seagulls. One day, the day that would change the world forever, a the largest flock of seagulls ever assembled  took of over the deep, murky waters of the Chesapeake bay. As the seagulls flew over the murky waters, the winds created by their strongly flapping wings drove the clouds away and light was finally shone on the and and water. Drifting feathers from the flock fell to the ground, and plants and all other animals were created from these stray plumes. That is how animals, plants, and the sunlight to maintain them, came into being in Maryland. How humans were created is a whole other story. 

unit 2, #3

The Egyptian creation myth I read was of Hermopolis. In the story, the primeval waters are represented by eight gods. The male gods are represented by frogs and the females by snakes. When they clash, the pyramidal mound is formed, and then the sun emerges form it. I've read other myths where gods clash, producing natural disasters or happenings, so i guess its a common theme in mythology. Another similarity this creation myth has to others is that it focusses on nature of the universe before the creation of the world. 

The Hindu/Indian creation myth i read was of Rig-Veda, one of the most sacred texts of Indian creation myth. It tells the stories of Pursha, the creator of the basic elements of the world. When he was sacrificed, his body parts became the basic elements of the earth. His mind was the moon, his eye the sun, his breath the wind, etc. This theme of body parts becoming the element is similar to the slavic myth i read which i will talk about in the next paragraph. 

The Slavic creation myth i read was of Rod and the Golden Egg. When the father of all mankind, Rod, breaks out of the golden egg, the darkness is imediatley broken through. He gets right away to seperating the oceans and seas from the skies, he separates light from darkness, truth from deceit. He divides the world into three parts, including one for the gods I'm assuming could be called "Heaven". This theme of creating a "Heaven", or simply a place for the gods is a common myth if found throughout a couple of the creation myths i read. Also, in the myth, the sun is created from Rod's face-a detail similar to that of the Hindu myth above, where elements are created from the gods bodies. 

The Chinese creation myth i read was of the the Yin and Yang. Before the Dao began to grow in the myth, dark limpidity and mysterious quiescence filled the earth.Creatures came into being and shapes were formed when the Dao began to grow. Heaven was formed, a similarity to other myths, and Earth became fixed within, another common theme in creation myths.Heaven is said to takes it body form the Yang, and Earth took its body from the Yang. When the Yin and Yang came together, all kinds of things were brought to being. In this creation myth, there is a theme of unison and harmony bringing things together. 

The Native American myth i read was of Grandfather Buzzard . The wind form the flapping of the buzzards wings creates the valleys and mountains, thats why the Cherokee say there land is mountainous. The animals needed light, a theme ever so common in all the creation myths i've read where light is needed, so they pull the sun out from behind the rainbow. I found a striking similarity to the Adam & Eve story from the bible in the next part of the myth. The creator told the plants and animals to stay awake for seven days and nights. Only a few obeyed, the owls and mountain lions, and they were rewarded with the ability to see in the dark. This is similar to the bible story because those who disobeyed weren't rewarded with greatness, (Adam & Eve ), and those who did obey the creator, ( God ), were rewarded. 

Interview with parents

Mom:

What is your understanding of myth?

·      A myth is a made up story, like fiction, from a very long time ago

How do you define myth?

·      A myth is a made up story, like fiction, from a very long time ago (she said that the same answers applied to both questions)

Do you remember any myths?

·      I remember the myth of Hercules 

What makes these myths memorable to you?

·      They were memorable because they were exciting, full of adventure and suspense 

Dad:

What is your understanding of myth?

·      Short story that has a moral or lesson to it, and usually involves fictional, unrealistic elements

How do you define myth?

·      Short story that has a moral or lesson to it, and usually involves fictional, unrealistic elements (he said that the same answers applied to both questions)

Do you remember any myths?

·      Beowulf, I read it in high school

What makes these myths memorable to you?

·      It was hard to understand and read, even though it was translated from some medieval language, it hard to follow

Essay

Throughout everything I have learned in class and on my own, I've been able to develop my own sense of what a myth really is. A myth is a really old tale, it cant just have been made up 10 years ago. Its something passed down in the oral tradition, and if its been written down, it hasn't been till recent years. I finds myth to not necessarily be fantasies, yet they are still somewhat magical. They help us to understand the human condition, help us to understand ourselves. They can answers the question "WHY?" and "HOW?'. I like the point made throughout some of the texts I've read and videos I've watched that characters within myths are repetitive, the just wear different "cultural clothes". The fact that mythology isn't religion, nut is is related and has ties to it is very interesting.

Campbell Mythos, part 1; My reaction

Campbell begins his says myth has four functions, mystical, image of world-cosmological, sociological, and ppsychological. He talks about how same "characters" appears in every cultures mythology-they just vary in characteristics. I noticed how he connected physcology with mythology, using ego, self, shadow.  It was nice having Susan Sarandon in the video to sum up and simplify everything that Joseph Campbell was talking about because he was really confusing and hard to follow. I agree with Sarandon's statement about "mythology beginning within us". Many of the themes and lessons that can be learned from mythology can be applicable to our lives.

Mythology in Modern Art

In modern art today, examples of mythology are still alive and well

Ravens, a source of evil  and il omens in myths, are depicted in Maxwell Dickson's painting, 'The Ravens'. Ravens appear in mythology of many different cultures. In Irish myths, they are a symbol of warfare. In Norse tales, ravens were often depicted flanking Odin, a very important Norse god.Ravens played a very important role in Native American Mythology.

This art instillation is very neat. Its a sculpture of the mythological creature Pegasus, made up of smart phones. Pegasus was a part of the Greek myths. He was a winged horse, born from Medusa after her head was chopped of. When he was born, he sprang forth with his twin, warrior brother Chrysaor, riding on his back.

Elephants are a very important animal in Indian mythology. When the gods and demons churned the seas to find the " elixir of life" that would make them immortal, nine jewels surfaced. One of the jewels was an elephants, making it considered to be precious, and causing it preserved and protected like the way jewels are supposed to be. Elephants also pop up in many other Indian myths. 

Devdutt Pattanaik: East vs. West -- the myths that mystify

I like how in the begining of the video, Pattanaik hooks the viewer in with an Indian myth, that then helps to flow into his definition of myth based on the concept of "THE" world vs "MY" world. "THE" world is objective, logical, universal, fact, and science. It answers the question "How?". "MY" world is subjective, emotional, personal, belief, and myth. It answers the question "Why?". His visual chart helped me to understand how myth is a fusion of stories, symbols, and rituals that all come together to shape a culture. I found his whole point about life repeating itself again and again very interesting. He makes a good point of how everyone views mythology differently.

Myth in the Library

I found the mythology section located in the non-fiction section, located near the religion section. I think they are located there because at one point, myths were considered true to some people. Some myths were also deemed to be religion at one point in time. Behind the librarians desk, Ms. Maxey keeps a pile of reserved mythology books.