Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part B

(Oni pelted by beans by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

This could be because I've been on a kick for the Ace Attorney series of visual novels, but the background of The Goblin of Adachigahara sounds like a wonderful set up for a murder mystery with a rather monstrous twist in the form of the goblin itself.

The previous idea also sounds like a good idea to combine traditional crime investigation and supernatural belief values into a ideologically scrambled narrative as the case progresses, possibly in the form of a priest like the one in the story and a traditional investigator. My only concern with this idea is my ability in writing mysteries, as there are many variables to take into account.

Just the mention of the title of The Ogre of Rashomon reminds me of the convention known as the Rashomon effect, derived from Akira Kurosawa's film Rashomon. The term refers to one event given contradictory accounts of how the event actually played out. A story revolving around the ogre and the knight with something akin to a Rashomon effect would be interesting!

The Story of Princess Hase displays a heroine that shows strength can come from the character of one's conduct and not from strength alone, as depicted by Hase shouldering the hatred of her stepmother and utilization of poetry to stop a flood in the river Tatsuta through extraordinary power of some kind.

The stepmother is another interesting character. Is there merit in exploring motivation behind her dislike of her stepdaughter? There is also the role of Kadota in his assisting Hase with survival in the mountains. Questions of loyalty seem to be a theme in some of the works here.

What if Princess Hase were dispatched with this power to attend to a demonic threat somewhere? Is there another supernatural figure in this collection of stories we can implement for some intriguing interactions? The Dragon King? Kintaro?

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Japanese Fairy Tales Unit, original stories by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales, Part A

(Kintarō Referees a Match between a Rooster and a Tengu by Totoya Hokkei (Early 19th Century), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

The threat of the giant centipede in My Lord Bag of Rice attracts me greatly as a device for setting up a supernatural conflict. The question is who is fighting it? Will it go down in the same manner as in the source story? Is it one part of a larger threat?

Let's not leave out the Dragon King. He could still be playing a role in the world we can create, maybe as the one who commissions a warrior to go and destroy the centipede?

Kintaro is a character with a fascinating background, having been raised in the wilderness by a single parent, with animals for friends, and strength far beyond the standards of ordinary men. What if there were some supernatural force responsible for parts of his story, like his parentage and living circumstances?

Lord Raiko's Four Braves, taken from the strongest among his soldiers, sound like perfect inspiration for a team of special operations individuals dealing with supernatural threats in the world. One of Kintaro's orders as part of them is to slay a cannibalistic monster, even.

Hidesato, the protagonist of My Lord Bag of Rice could also be part of this faction, with the Dragon King taking the place of Lord Raiko. Perhaps reading further into this unit will even find evidence in Princess Hase's tale to incorporate it.

The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die follows a protagonist who confronts the realities of death as part of the human condition and the weariness of eternal life. I feel it is a message not terribly explored often and very interesting. I would love to link this back to some ideas I jotted down in my previous reading notes about death, such as the battleground of dead soldiers and the ability of foxes to grant the supernatural power of interacting and seeing dead spirits.

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Japanese Fairy Tales Unit, original stories by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Week 6 Story: The Black Seamstress

(Adult Female Black Widow taken from Wikimedia Commons) 

Far in the mountains, there existed an isolated, nearly unremarkable village; because of the treacherous cliffs and rivers, exporting goods to trade with other villages was difficult, and the lack of revenue certainly didn’t help with importing new goods or refining tools to make new exports. Despite this, they maintained a small, tightly-knit community.

The one remarkable, haunting thing about this village: rumor of a monster dwelling in a cave past the forests near the village. For this reason, none dared to go into the forest.

One hot summer day, a group of young boys were playing ball near the woodlands beside the village, while one boy sat and read. Eventually, one boy kicked the ball so hard it flew deep into the trees.

“Aww…” one boy exclaimed. “Now how’re we getting it back?”

“Are you crazy?!” His friend shouted. “Who’d be dumb enough to go?”

The two didn’t want to get in trouble, but then one boy had an idea.

“Hey, Hiro,” one boy called out to the boy under the tree. “Can you go get the ball?”

Hiro closed his book and stood up in shock. “No way! What about the monster?”

“What’s the matter? Too chicken?” One boy sneered.

 “It’s ‘cause he’s got no one at home to teach him better!” His friend joined in.

Hiro stomped and steamed. “I’ll show you!”

Hiro dashed off into the forest, carefully searching, until he eventually found the ball! Once he saw it front of a cave, however, his face paled.

Slowly, he squeaked and stepped over to the ball, but before he could pick it up, a gleaming yellow gaze appeared in the cave.

Startled, Hiro made a mad dash through the trees, screaming wildly, so wildly that he did not see a river he tripped into. Hiro frantically splashed, trying to escape, but to no avail. The next moments were a blur. All Hiro felt was a tug and saw the shape of a head before he lost consciousness.

When Hiro awoke, he appeared to be in someone’s house, dressed in an elaborate robe, one of the finest he ever saw. Nonetheless, he was confused and frightened.

A door then opened, and a woman’s head of long, dark hair popped in, carrying fresh tea in her hands.

“Oh, you’re awake. Care for some tea?”

Hiro would have answered, but stopped as the woman walked in, revealing her legs. All eight of them, to be precise, black as night. And upon closer inspection, her fingernails appeared sharp as needles.

Noticing Hiro frozen in fear, the woman immediately knelt to the floor and put on a desperate face.

“Please, don’t be afraid! My name is Ayako, and you’re safe here! I fished you out of the river!”

Ayako showed Hiro his wet clothes drying from across the room as proof.

“I’m…Hiro… If those are my clothes…then…what's this?” Hiro gestured to the robe he wore currently.

Ayako beamed at this. “Oh! I made that! Do you like it?”

Ayako explained that she could not venture into the village; every time she tried, someone would run at the sight of her legs. To fill the gap, she spun and dyed silk robes.

“But enough about me. Tell me about yourself! What are you doing out in the woods all alone? Your parents must be worried.”

Once those words left Ayako’s mouth, tears filled Hiro’s eyes.

“I…don’t have parents. I’m an…orphan…”

Understanding his loneliness, Ayako quickly wrapped her arms carefully around Hiro. “Hiro, I’m sorry… Why don’t you stay with me? That way, neither of us will be lonely!”

Despite her frightful appearance, Hiro felt a motherly aura emanating from the spider-woman. Tearing up with happiness, he buried his head into her embrace.

The two continued to live together, sharing the same table and warm bed, like mother and son.

One day, Hiro suggested to Ayako they could sell he robes to help Ayako get closer to the village folk. Ayako felt uneasy, but placed trust in her friend.

Ayako spun the clothing, and Hiro went into town to sell them, referring to their creator as “The Black Seamstress”. The townsfolk were amazed at the resilient texture, vibrant colors, and intricate patterns that they were eager to meet who crafted them.

At request of the townsfolk, Hiro and Ayako went into town together with their latest fabrics, but the populace went into a hysteric uproar, with shouts of “monster” and “demon” crowding the air.

Suddenly, the raucous ravings sent one merchant’s horse galloping away madly into the rapid river. Acting quickly, Ayako worked her fingers and spun a rope of silk to ensnare the steed. She propped against a tree and pulled with all the strength her legs would allow, but the tree creaked, and it seemed she would be swept away as well.

Ayako’s mind flashed to Hiro, for she thought this to be the end, until the boy in question wrapped his arms around one of Ayako’s legs and pulled. Awestruck by the valiant hearts of the boy and spider-woman, the men of the village lined up behind the two and formed a chain. With a mighty heave, the horse erupted out of the rapids and onto dry land unharmed!

The town sprang into shouting again, but this time they sang praises for Ayako’s courage, and welcomed the eight-legged seamstress with open arms, knowing her to be a kind soul.

Many of the townsfolk apologized to Ayako for their rudeness, and asked if they could export Ayako’s fabrics, knowing that they could help the village, even offering a sizable portion of sales to her in exchange. Ayako accepted wholeheartedly.

Thus, the reputation of The Black Seamstress spread far and wide. In time, Ayako gathered enough money to adopt Hiro, and the two became a proper family. Though the townsfolk did not disclose her true identity out of fear someone else might do her harm, the two were content.

A family not bound by blood, but by silk.

Author's Note

The inspiration for this story stems from The Girl with the Horse’s Head or the Silkworm Goddess. A girl sends a horse to look for her father on the promise that she will marry the horse, but upon fulfilling the request, the horse could not be rewarded due to his status as an animal preventing him from marrying her, upon which he is slain when he lashes out in anger. Eventually, the girl becomes wrapped in the horse's hide, turning into a silk cocoon and being given the duty of overseeing the growth of silkworms.

But when I think "silk," I think "spiders," and so I decided to take the otherness of the horse and the destiny of the girl to become a famous silk-spinner, shift the setting from Chinese to Japanese, and write a story about overcoming differences to pursue true happiness around the jorogumo. The jorogumo is a kind of yokai (Japanese demon) often depicted as taking the form of a spider capable of transforming into a woman, or taking on characteristics of both, such as the torso of woman and the lower half of a spider.

I had an insane amount of fun constructing the principal characters for this story, as I am a big fan of giving demons a pacifistic or human image or element. There wasn't much thought outside of getting a youthful sound for choosing Hiro's name, but I chose Ayako's name to reflect her as a person, with character meanings including "color" and "fabric design." There's so much more I wanted to write with these characters, but alas 500-1000 word limit. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

As a fun little thing, apparently there exists a variation on a tale where a a lumberjack is drowned by a jorogumo by becoming ensnared in her threads, in which a tree stump is snagged in place. This tale supposedly marks a worship around waterfalls in Sendai where the jorogumo is seen as a goddess protecting people from drowning. I decided to incorporate this into the story, as well as rekindle the significance of the horse as the trigger for achieving success related to silk.

Bibliography

The Girl with the Horse’s Head or the Silkworm Goddess from the Chinese Fairy Tales Unit, taken from R. Wilhelm's The Chinese Fairy Book

Wikipedia research on the Jorogumo

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part B

(The Fogong Temple Wooden Pagoda of Ying county, Shanxi province, China (山西应县佛宫寺释迦木塔) by Gisling, uploaded to Wikimedia Commons on October 2007)

The talking silver foxes are bringers of misfortune, often playing tricks on the townspeople of the story and having the power to bring misfortune, such as weak monetary gain when one is slain for his pelt.

Among that, there are other powers foxes can grant through their fire. Examples from Fox-Fire include immortality, invisibility, calling the souls back of those fallen ill, being able to see ghosts and devils, and interacting with the spirit world. Between the two fox tales, if there is a cautionary tale I can tell with a fox moving the plot along, that would be great.

Does the fox necessarily have to be evil, though?

In Night on the Battlefield, a merchant stops to rest in an inn, but finds himself caught up in the company of numerous soldiers who are revealed to already be dead the next morning. A story centered around the land of the dead sounds neat, possibly set on an abandoned battlefield rather than an inn.

Could also intertwine that idea with the ability of fox fire to grant people to see and interact with departed spirits.

The two ogres in the tales "The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away" and "The Flying Ogre" intrigue me. What if these two were connected? There could be a backstory we can develop and a narrative weaved around that?

The tiger and dragon in The Three Evils are elements I find interesting. A visit to TV Tropes shows the trope of the Tiger and Dragon, referring to two polar opposites of power and intelligence: ever at odds, yet together they bring balance. Duality is the name of the game.

Yang Gui Fe features a split ring and the promise of eternal love between the living and departed. This is great potential for a story focused on the relationship between the living and dead.

Bibliography

Chinese Fairy Tales, stories taken from Wilhelm's Chinese Fairy Book

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A

(Bamboo, Plum Blossoms and Moon by Gao Qipei (1672–1734), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

The tale of Yang Oerlang is about how the world became more inhabitable due to smashing nine out of ten suns in the sky with immense strength. How about a parallel story involving the moon? In a world where the darkness is uninhabitable, how did the moon gain its light?

There is also the tale of The Lady of the Moon which tells of a castle on the surface of the moon, an archer's housewife who became immortal and flew up there. Combining these stories into one sounds like a plausible idea. Coincidentally, it contains an archer who also shoots nine suns out of the sky so that only one remains.

I like the element of the horse wanting to marry a human girl in the tale of The Girl with the Horse's Head or the Silkworm Goddess, and felt disappointed it wasn't expanded upon in the story. I could spin a tale around this element. I'd love to incorporate elements of spiders into this, too.

The race in Why Cat and Dog are Enemies stirs up memories of the fantastical race trope I've become so fond of. So I could to build a story around a wacky race between a cat-themed racer and a dog-themed racer!

Specifically, I had memories of the cancelled video game Donkey Kong Racing's trailer, which would have used mounted animals as vehicles. I find this aspect to be appealing for an action-packed race. Different animals could have distinct advantages in some part of the race that others might not have, such as the dog's incredible swimming form or the cat's nimble athleticism.

A role reversal of The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck looks appealing to me as well, where the princess is the fortunate one and the beggar is unlucky. Or perhaps some other alteration? Like playing with the sign of dragons as fortunate creatures?

Bibliography

Chinese Fairy Tales, stories taken from Wilhelm's Chinese Fairy Book

Week 5 Story: Purushartas of Man and Beast

Sunlight broke through spotty clouds one afternoon in Prayag, citizens taking the opportunity to relish in the natural shade from harsh rays and relax in the green expanses and flowing rivers and lakes.

On this day, underneath a large, twisted tree, two friends sit - accomplices in a war scaling massively in lands fought across and in the battles themselves.

The first appeared clothed as royalty, though closer inspection revealed the materials were fashioned from tree bark. His skin seemed otherworldly with its blue hue, but his face radiated years of experience.

The second was undoubtedly dressed in the garb of human royalty, but his form begged to differ; his his tusked face and rugged form appeared not unlike a wild animal, yet he conducted himself with the rites and routines of man.

"A fine spot, Rama," the beastly man said. "Even more so with such fierce sun. How did you happen upon it?"

"One of many sights from my exile, Vibhishana," Rama responded. "The locale was so lovely we had to stop for a spell; Lakshmana, myself, and...Sita..."

Vibhishana frowned. Rama's wife always proved a touchy subject. Forced into exile by a world doubting her purity and faithfulness to her husband under grounds of housing with the demonic king Ravana - also Vibhishana's brother - and returned to the earth to prove contrary, any mention of her sent the valiant hero into self-deprecation and sorrow.

Frankly, it troubled Vibhishana; for his friend's health and the people around him.

Sunlight broke through spotty clouds one afternoon in Prayag, citizens taking the opportunity to relish in the natural shade from harsh rays and relax in the green expanses and flowing rivers and lakes.

On this day, underneath a large, twisted tree, two friends sit - accomplices in a war scaling massively in lands fought across and in the battles themselves.

The first appeared clothed as royalty, though closer inspection revealed the materials were fashioned from tree bark. His skin seemed otherworldly with its blue hue, but his face radiated years of experience.

The second was undoubtedly dressed in the garb of human royalty, but his form begged to differ; his his tusked face and rugged form appeared not unlike a wild animal, yet he conducted himself with the rites and routines of man.

"A fine spot, Rama," the beastly man said. "Even more so with such fierce sun. How did you happen upon it?"

"One of many sights from my exile, Vibhishana," Rama responded. "The locale was so lovely we had to stop for a spell; Lakshmana, myself, and...Sita..."

Vibhishana frowned. Rama's wife always proved a touchy subject. Forced into exile by a world doubting her purity and faithfulness to her husband under grounds of housing with the demonic king Ravana - also Vibhishana's brother - and returned to the earth to prove contrary, any mention of her sent the valiant hero into self-deprecation and sorrow.

Frankly, it troubled Vibhishana; for his friend's health and the people around him.

"I see..." Vibhishana did not want to press too far, however, Rama soon spoke up.

"Vibhishana? Was I...just...in my actions?"

"What mean you, friend?" Vibhishana asked, confused.

"Exile, the war, all of it; I drew so many lives into it, the lives of my brothers and wife even!"

"Rama, you let anxiety cloud your rationale," Vibhishana muttered gently. "All childhood years in pilgrimage with Lakshmana fostered no kind of loyalty? And Bharata, who lay a token of sandals for years on end, anticipating your right to lead alongside Satrughna; does that show no trust and love?

"Your brothers would follow you to hell, and one could say they did just that."

Rama remained silent until...

"And...Sita?"

Vibhishana sighed, "I cannot say for certain her motive, I can confirm for certain that her words left an impact on your people."

"Impact...?"

"Indeed. When she cast herself back to Mother Earth to prove her purity of heart, remember the faces of Kosala's populace you spoke of?

"Tears and pity adorned every one of them. If an entire city can weep at one woman's words, I see much potential to learn from mistakes and create a better world, so that Sita's fate dare not repeat. Of course, we cannot know for certain her motive, but considering her faith to you and purity, I find it wise to at least honor her wish instead of drowning in the sorrows of maybe."

Rama appeared more composed by his friend's words, though still in thought.

"I still feel I could have done more, though."

"Yet success lies ahead of you, Rama. Unlike myself."

Rama cocked his brow at this. "Why say that, Vibhishana?"

The sagely beast's eyes turned downcast, much like the sky.

"You possess courage, strength, years of experience, and the loyalty of your family to carry Kosala effectively.

"What of me, though? A mere adviser under my brother Ravana's rule who betrayed his family and kingdom?"

"But you were just in doing so," Rama countered. "You knew the risk to your kingdom's safety at the time, and let it guide you during war."

"And what of after?" Vibhishana said. "My brothers are dead, my sister Surpanakha remains bitter over Ravana's death, and many Rakshasas still hold on to their vicious inclinations!"

Rama replied slowly.

"True, your family may not help, but you do not fight alone. You wish to guide the Rakshasas on a path of man's virtue and purpose? Then you will have man's help from me and my brothers. Hanuman and his monkey brethren can also help, even if we must disturb their lazy routines."

"But...surely we can not expect to convince every Rakshasas..."

"Maybe, but I recall something Bharata once told me: when my exile was instated on request from his mother, he said he would have killed her, but he felt doing so would leave himself without my trust and love.

"True, living beings possess violent tendencies, but not mediating them would bring more chaos than never trying."

Rama places a hand on Vibhishana's shoulder and looks him dead in the eyes with a confident smile.

"And ever since childhood, you meditated in penance to keep your mind affixed to Brahma so that yo could maintain that mediation. If one Rakshasas can do that, then it stands to reason you won't be the last."

The two remained silent under the dwindling cloud cover until Vibhishana chuckled.

"Thank you, friend. I...apologize for my theatrics."

"Think nothing of it, friend. I also apologize for having to deal with my troubles."

After a period of soaking in the silence, Vibhishana spoke.

"Rama?"

"Yes?"

"Perhaps...my people could have learned something from Sita as well."

Rama smiled and uttered a small laugh. "Perhaps they could have."

"Indeed."

"However, there's no point in mulling over what-ifs now. All that remains are man and beast."

"Yes, both looking for the same in life, and both followed by the curses in life."

"And it is our duty to assist them."

"For their own sakes, and each other's."

"No time to waste then."

"Indeed."

The two stood up and bowed to each other.

"Peace be with you, Maharajah Rama."

"Peace be with you, King Vibhishana."

And with that, the patriarchs departed, the brilliant light of day surged through the banyan's branches, spreading upon where they once sat.

(A banyan tree in Honolulu, Hawaii, upload to Pixabay by user DebraJean)

Author's Note:

The Ramayana is a tale of one of Vishnu's avatars, Rama, covering the events his life, his exile, and the war against the demon king Ravana. Vibhishana is the younger brother of Ravana, who  sees the danger Ravana kidnapping Rama's wife Sita poses to the kingdom, and eventually joins Rama against his own brother. Further Wikipedia research reveals that he meditated on the name of the Lord, and was granted a boon by Brahma, on which he requested to leave his mind pure before the Lord and to receive the holy sight of Vishnu.

This story is sort of an aftermath of everything in the Ramayana, including Sita's Sorrows, where Sita returns to Mother Earth to prove her faithfulness and purity to her husband. I wanted to deliver the duality of humans and demons here, using the events of the Ramayana and exploring the characters of Rama and Vibhishana, such as possible pressures of leadership,    their feelings on involving their families, and what they can learn from each other.

The banyan tree in the story refers to Akshayavat, a sacred tree in Hindu mythology that Rama, Lakshmana and Sita rested under, and I felt it would be a fitting setting for the culture of the story and for the plot move along. The greatest problem writing this was intertwining the source story's events with the characters so that the characters are true to what we know about them in the source while also making the situation here more coherent. The title comes from the Purushartas in Hinduism, the objective of human life, which you can read more about in the bibliography. Considering the message of both humans and demons capable of good and evil and seeking the same things, I felt it was appropriate.

Bibliography

Ramayana, inspiration taken from Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913)

Wikipedia research on Akshayavat (and by extension, banyan), Hinduism, and Vibhishana

Reading Notes: Sindbad, Part B

("The Caravan" from "Sinbad's Seventh and Last Voyage" (1883) taken from Wikimedia Commons)

The fifth voyage is the first voyage Sindbad conducts on his own, useful plot point for giving a personality and background of new experience to a protagonist.

Other voyagers that join Sindbad on his voyages meet untimely ends due to bad luck or because of a lack of foresight for their environment and the consequences of their actions, such as breaking the Roc couple's egg. Could serve as supplementary material for a message of cool and evaluative composure in a new environment.

If I went the road of miniaturized people, is there a creature I can make more frightening that wouldn't normally come across that way at regular size?

Can we establish geography for societies that call back to Sindbad's happenings upon foreign countries? What if one society of people were living below the trees' roots, or another in a house across from a tree where another society lives?

What if Sindbad were a forager for food in his community instead of a merchant? It fits the world of the story I could write. He could also make a living off of this, still keeping the rags-to-riches element of the source story.

Maybe Sindbad could have a family, friend, or any motivation to move his character along through the plot?

Having Sindbad's actions recorded  like in the sixth and seventh voyages would make a decent ending to a story like this. Leaving his experience and new findings out in the wilderness for future foraging groups.

With the tendency for him to get shipwrecked, what if Sindbad met another famous folklore figure on one of his voyages, like Odysseus? How would that go down, I wonder?

Sindbad even overcomes a trial with a bow and arrow in his seventh and final voyage, much like how Odysseus does in his return home. The two could bond in their old age about fantastical journeys and the merits of life coming out of even hardships like theirs.

Bibliography

Mythology and Folklore's The Voyages of Sindbad Unit, stories taken from Andrew Lang's The Arabian Nights' Entertainments

Reading Notes: Sindbad, Part A

(The roc scene from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Trailer screencap from 1958) taken from Wikimedia Commons)

Scale seems to be a prevailing theme of Sindbad's adventures: a story of larger-than-life adventures of miracles. Is there a way we can play with the element of scale to create a unique setting?

As an example of scale, the second voyage in particular contains vivid depictions of wildlife with rhinoceroses, elephants, and a gigantic eagle, and some sprawling landscapes such as the valley of diamonds and Rohat's monstrous trees.

Scale and fantastic circumstances are also given a sense of danger that comes with adventure that is both exhilarating and immersive, such as the third voyage with the island of savages.

Taking into the elements of scale, dangerous adventure, and rising from nothing, what if we had a world that matched these feelings more realistically? What if we could miniaturize the Sindbad and the various crews he travels with and place them in a larger version of a familiar world, contending with larger versions of common animals and obstacles made out of  everyday objects and environments?

Could utilize first-person perspective to sell a particular mindset, maybe one of greenhorn experience

Might want to change Sindbad's occupation from a merchant to something else that keeps consistent with the message of the stories, but makes sense within the setting.

Survival in the stories is dependent on quick wit, daring spirit, and a little bit of luck.

So far, the first and second voyages appeal the most to writing the kind of story I'm looking for, and I might have to combine story elements to make them work. But I could get more inspiration from the second half of the unit.

Sindbad prefaces his first story with a rags-to-riches premise that continues throughout his voyages. Between this and the theme of overcoming adversity, we can turn this into a good underdog story, I feel.

Bibliography

Mythology and Folklore's The Voyages of Sindbad Unit, stories taken from Andrew Lang's The Arabian Nights' Entertainments

Turns of Phrases: Feedback Focus

(Think outside of the box from Kaboompics//Karolina on Pexels)

STRATEGY 1 - READING OUT LOUD

This is a strategy I sometimes use more when I write stories so that the POV or description sounds right in my head, but I can see the merits in using this strategy for evaluating stories as well.

Reading a transcript out loud enforces closer reading of each sentence, firmly planting auditory information in your mind. Furthermore, slowly taking in the details and the structure of the words more easily registers a reading as a whole.

For this reason, I feel this technique can help a reader retain details of a story so that they do not have to flip-flop between the notepad and source to get necessary details for making an argument. I recall every detail about Why Dog and Cat are Enemies because I even so much as muttered the words to myself in audible tone and fantastical voice.

STRATEGY 2 - COPY AND DELETE

One by one, coherent thoughts are formed based on what you see, yet also one by one, you run the risk of forgetting what you attributed it to in the first place.

I would honestly consider this the worst of the three feedback techniques. While it pays to focus on one paragraph at a time for the sake of forming concrete ideas, those separate thoughts may not reflect your consumption of a story as a whole. Then, when you want to go back and find the paragraph you attribute it to, it's already gone.

When I use this strategy, it feels less like I'm experiencing the story, which after doing so I go back and skim it and then write my feedback or notes. This strategy has its uses for picking apart story structure, but if you're deleting what you're using as reference in the first place, I cannot recommend this strategy.

STRATEGY 3 - USING A TIMER

The second most useful strategy, in my opinion, though it may vary in usefulness depending on how long a reading lasts.

A self-imposed timer forces you to stay true to your own word that you'll work during the time period on a timer. You might not be able to read the story and get your feedback notes down in the same period, but if you have time to read the story again after finishing it, you might see details that you didn't catch before, or come up with new ways to think about the story's form and content (which I did with this modern day adaptation of the Adam and Eve story), and add those to your eventual feedback or reading notes.

I prefer self-regulating my time because I'm stubborn that way, and 10 to 20 minutes seems too short for the kind of work that goes into reviewing and presenting feedback, but it's not a bad strategy to try.

Week 4 Story Planning: Purushartas of Men and Demons

(A banyan tree in Honolulu, Hawaii, upload to Pixabay by user DebraJean)

The style I would like to approach with this story is one that I dub "After Happily Ever After," for lack of a dictionary term. This means that this story occurs after the dust has settled from the previous one and explores the lives of characters afterwards. In this case there are two principal characters: Rama and Vibhishana.

The two characters sit under a banyan tree one day, possibly in one of the jungles from the story) to discuss the state of the kingdoms of Kosala and Lanka, and eventually the conversation reaches the subjects like whether they are fit to lead their kingdoms, whether the lives involved in the war against Ravana were necessary, and the natures of humans and the Rakshasas. Both find some answers in each other, and come to terms so that they can move on.

Rama would display mild grief from Sita's departure from the world and himself feeling unfaithful, and guilt from involving his family in the war. However, he would still have confidence and wisdom to assuage Vibhishana's worries about changing the Rakshasas' image and coming to terms with the treason he had to commit.

Vibhishana could possess a strong sense of virtue and speak from contrasting his own family's faults to assure Rama that the involvement of his family was not a selfish act, and that he can move on and come to terms with Sita's departure. He could also display a sense of pressure due to new responsibilities as king and trying to civilize his culture.

The setting of the banyan tree comes from research of Akshayavat, a sacred fig tree that Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita are said to have rested under once.

The title (possibly working) comes from the Hinduism thought process of the four core goals of human life: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha (see bibliography for details).

Bibliography

Ramayana, inspiration taken from Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913)

Wikipedia research on Akshayavat (and by extension, banyan), and Hinduism 

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part B

(Vibhishana Meets Rama by Ramachandra Madhwa Mahishi (1916), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

Rakshasas are often depicted as monstrous, baneful, and negatively impulsive creatures, examples being Ravana, Surpanakha, and their siblings. Examples of actions include Surpanakha's lust for Rama, Machira's deception by transforming into a golden deer, and Ravana's kidnapping of Sita.

Exceptions to these depictions do exist, however. Kabandha is one such example, who requests his form and nature as a Rakshasas be burned away so that he arises again as a Gandharva, a heavenly being. In return, he tells Rama where Sita has been taken.

Vibhishana is yet another example. This younger brother of Ravana sees rationale in returning Sita to Rama, lest Ravana incite doom onto his kingdom. He is banished for assumed treason, crossing over to join Rama's forces in turn. Vibhishana is even crowned the new king of Lanka after his brother's death in the war against Rama.

A conversation between Rama and Vibhishana would make for an interesting story. Two princes, both exiles, each contending with personal issues surrounding the circumstances of the war, their banishment, the lives they involved in the struggle, and the natures of humans and demons. They would converse about these topics.

Could also take place after The Sorrows of Sita for extra conversation material.

Also provides a chance to wrap up loose ends with some other characters like Rama's brothers, Surpanakha, Hanuman, as well as the status of the two kingdoms.

Losing Sita gives us the first instnace of Rama showing grief in the Ramayana. Exploring Rama's emotions regarding events would be a good idea. Are there any regrets he has?

Sita possesses remarkable fortitude, able to reject Ravana's declarations of love several times and stand surrounded by demons without fear.

A very visceral war with much chaotic imagery, from weapons both mortal and magical to the incredible feats of strength demonstrated by the apes and Rakshasas.

Bibliography

Ramayana, inspiration taken from Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913)

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part A

(Sri Vishnu by Jadurani Dasi and Muralidhara Dasa posted to Flickr by user goblinbox)

Valmiki is the reciter of the stories in this unit, speaking in song and poetry. Perhaps I can find a good bardic rhythm structure to write lyrics for a retelling of the legend?

Rama and Lakshmana venture outside their home for the first time with Vishwamitra. Despite having some of the most sophisticated education, I'd like to think putting it into practice in a real life situation is another matter. Possibility to explore with the jungle Rakshashas?

Is there a dynamic we can explore with the four brothers? Wikipedia research shows that each play a role in cultivating the prosperity of their kingdom and each others lives. A good example is the pair of sandals Bharata places on the throne in place of the true ruler Rama, while he himself conducts governmental matters as an exile as well.

There is also the matter of Lakshmana, who stood beside his brother Rama in the thick and thin of the Rakshashas attack and the fourteen year exile.

One possible story idea is a story about how the four brothers comprise a whole unit that bring out the best of progress together. This will probably gain more evidence in the second set of reading notes.

Maybe incorporate the fact that the four brothers are reincarnations of Visnu into this kind of story too. Come to think of it, do the brothers even know they are reincarnations?

What form do the holy weapons Vishwamitra gives to Rama and Lakshmana take? They have no defined form from the text, so I like to imagine they take the form the brothers desire. Or that the holy spirits are the weapons themselves and act sort of like familiars, like in the vein of Stands from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3.

Expand the romance between Rama and Sita. Their prior engagement and their discussion of Rama's exile are good places to look for inspiration.

Bibliography

Ramayana, inspiration taken from Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913)