Reading Notes: Russian Folk Tales Unit, Part B

(Old Russian Graveyard near Dutch Harbor, Alaska (Nov. 15, 2007), posted to Flickr by user Sonya (Creative Commons License), no changes made)

The Headless Princess concerns a sort of dullahan-like creature attempting to blend into human society, even the father of the headless girl dodges her supernatural nature by paying the priest's son who imprisoned her instead of killing her as compensation.

Considering dullahans, living corpses, demons, warlocks and other sorts of things live close to humanity in this world, one has to wonder how they manage to stay hidden...

A lot of the creatures, like vampires and zombies, can be born from human transformation. To be human, yet not truly human... How would someone live in a world where you are treated lesser because of that?

As The Two Corpses demonstrates with the two undead figures arguing over who gets to eat the soldier on the grounds of whose property he was on first,, their conversations seem very normal to their eyes, but rather strange when compared to socially-accepted norms. I like this humorous bit of conduct. What other norms are accepted by monsters and not humans?

There seem to be a fair bit of demonic goings-on in this half of the unit. It seems very easy in this storybook for the worlds of demons and mortals to intersect, and for its residents to traverse between them.

The Two Friends demonstrate the potential cruel mistress known as time, telling us through the a loss of 300 years that letting time run out of your control in ignorance without taking chances will bring pain to yourself and those around you.

It also must be an indescribable feeling to watch history fly by without being able to die of old age.

Graveyards are quite a recurring set-piece in this half of the unit, such as in The Coffin-Lid and The Two Friends. The common purpose seem to show the crucial interplay between the worlds of the living and dead in the development of the plot.

Bibliography

Mythology & Foklore Russian Folk Tales Unit, stories taken from Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston

Reading Notes: Russian Folk Tales Unit, Part A

(Leshy (1906) by Н. Н. Брут, Magazine taken from Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain Tag))

The Dead Mother sets up mystery through a seemingly contradictory set of events, culminating in a supernatural reveal at the end with the titular dead mother. This kind of mystery could be applied to other occult phenomena, like possession or sudden memory loss.

The Bad Wife introduces and interesting antagonistic force: a wife who only interprets the opposite of what her husband says to and asks of her. With such devotion to this personality, one has to wonder if it's all an act.

However, if true, I wonder if a relationship could ever bloom under such a relationship?

The imp in this story demonstrates powers of possession, causing people to act outside of accepted norms and beyond their personalities. How much of this is the imp's work is not totally clear; if he's drawing out inhibitions or imprinting his own personality.

Frugality and greed seem to be common themes in this half of the unit, especially apparent in The Treasure, The Three Copecks, and The Miser.

What is the world like below the lake in The Water Snake? Is it a mirror image of ours? Just where everyone else is different in form?

The Leshy is an interesting being: it apparently leads travelers astray, capable of taking any form in order to accomplish this. Not only that, but apparently those he abducts lose their memories in the time they spend next to the Leshy.

Does the Leshy even remember why it is the way it is?

According to The Metamorphosis of the Dnieper, the Volga, and the Dvina, apparently becoming a river was an acceptable career choice in the old days. Did any other natural forces start this way?

What if a figure like the pike in Emilian the Fool offered something greater than good luck in exchange for sparing his life?

Bibliography


Mythology & Foklore Russian Folk Tales Unit, stories taken from Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston

Reading Notes: Andernsen Fairy Tales Unit, Part B

(Little Mermaid (1937) by Ivan Bilibin, taken from Wikimedia Commons)

Vivid descriptions by the five mermaid sisters. A fascination with a world they delight in observing, yet cannot take part in due to their nature as sea creatures.

Not only that, trying to partake in it appears to hurt more than it helps, as our little mermaid ends up with more sorrows than comforts after saving a life whom she cannot stand beside on dry land.

Now that's interesting, mermaids live around 300 years, yet their souls degrade into dust after death. Contrasting, while humans live a much shorter life period, their souls persist from the body when they die.

Little mermaid forbidden from even thinking of being something other than what she already is due to social customs. Sounds very similar to how people assign a label to something, and become uncomfortable when notions or elements of subjects labeled go beyond the comfort zone.

Why does the Sea Witch live in such a decrepit place, made out of bones and laden with gray sand? And how is she so perceptive to the little mermaid's request? It's said the little mermaid feared her ever since she was a child. Is there some implied history between the kingdom and the Sea Witch?

Well, she decided to accept the Sea Witch's help quite quickly. Imagine if you were caught between two worlds. Both with their own wonders and tragedies. Which would you choose? What would you be prepared to give up? Can you even make such a decision in the first place?

What if it were not the mermaid who made the decision to transcend the border between the worlds of land and sea? What if it were the prince who paid the price to go below the waves?

The idea of exploring the boundaries between forms and the world around them is an interesting idea. What form could a person take that drastically affects perceptions in the world around them?

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore: Andersen Fairy Tales Unit, stories written by Hans Christian Andersen

Reading Notes: Andersen Fairy Tales Unit, Part A

(Illustration of The Little Match-Seller from Fairy tales and stories (1900) by Hans Christian Andersen, Illustrated by Hans Tegner, taken from Wikimedia Commons)

The Princess and the Pea enforces vague tests about how a princess should behave, failing to realize that someone could just as easily fake their reaction. Not to mention there is conduct for how a princess should behave.

I suppose the message to be learned from The Emperor's New Suit is that the clothes make the man...

The Brave Tin Soldier yearns for something he cannot have due to his existence, and thus must brave incredible odds to achieve his dreams after falling out of a windowsill, separated from the paper ballerina doll he loves. This theme intrigues me.

Another theme: as long as you have a wish in your heart, and seek and pursue it with unyielding conviction, you will most certainly find peace. Even if that peace is bittersweet, as in the case of the Tin Soldier and Paper Ballerina...

The Wicked Prince is a vivid and fantastical tale about an abusive, deluded ruler who tries to play God. Two ideas sparked in my mind from this: What would you do if you were granted the power of a god? And what is left for a king after his subjects have abandoned his kingdom?

The floating ship is a magnificent sight for how short-lived and gaudy it is. It also brings to mind the Greek mythology figure Icarus, who flew too high pursuing the sun, causing his wings to burn up.

The Little Match-Seller, in which when a star falls, it is a apparently a sign that someone is dying. For some reason I've had the stars on my mind while reading this.

Stars and earth actually go well with this sense of division in The Wicked Prince and The Brave Tin Soldier. The earth cannot reach the star because of how cold it is to be unable to sustain life, as well as the natural bounds of gravity. The stars cannot reach the earth because of their heat, and objects capable of doing so burn up in the atmosphere...

A tragic sight: the little girl dying in the freezing cold on the last night of the year, while she accepts her fate peacefully upon seeing her grandmother, knowing her suffering would end.

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore: Andersen Fairy Tales Unit, stories written by Hans Christian Andersen

Reading Notes: Faerie Queen - Britomart Unit, Part B

(The joust between the Lord of the Tournament and the Knight of the Red Rose (dated 1840) by Hodgson, taken from Wikimedia Commons)

Personifications of emotions conjured by some magical force. A vivid idea, and a part of me can't help but wonder if they reflect the person who steps into the room, in this case: Britomart.

No explanation is given for them. Disappointing. Perhaps this is something to write about?

The Kingdom of Evil is an underground settlement, seemingly war-torn from ages long past and containing a great source of history within its walls. What happened to this kingdom?

A demon that could speak nothing but lies? I could write a story around that.

Mistaken identities are indeed a running element in these stories. Friendships being formed in the backdrop of opposing forces or viewpoints comes to mind when I see this.

Especially apparent between the climactic duel between Artegall, disguised as the Savage Knight, and the disguised Britomart.

Brainstorm! You know what mistaken identities reminds me of? The disparity in MMORPGs between a player's character and the player itself, leading to a slew of strange developments in real life, growing even stranger should that knowledge be made public...

What if the circumstances or world of Britomart's journey were an MMORPG?

All of a sudden that modernization idea sounds all the more tempting!

This entire journey was set off by destiny, because Merlin's mirror had foretold that Britomart would be brought to happiness by Artegall. As a cynically humorous food for thought, real life doesn't exactly have to play by destiny, nor does destiny have to take no for an answer.

The House of Care is an interesting chapter; we're introduced to the house of a blacksmith and his six assistants intensely focused on their work. Each assistant is more towering than the last, their hammers scaling up in size as well. No explanation is given for them, and they don't play much of a role, so I can't help but wonder what their stories are.

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Faerie Queen - Britomart Unit, stories taken from Stories from the Faerie Queene by Mary Macleod

Reading Notes: Faerie Queen - Britomart Unit, Part A

(Britomart by Walter Crane (1845-1915), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

This is likely my mind coming off of seeing Your Name recently, but the image of a possible lover Britomart sees sees in Merlin's mirror brings to mind the compelling tragedy of wishful lovers separated by an uncontrollable force.

Again with the lady knight characters. It would be pleasing if I could do a follow-up story to Maiden Steel, but let's consider original options as well.

What if love were not guiding Britomart's quest, but another emotion? Revenge? Fear? Grief?

Arthur and Guyon are hardly in these stories, gone not even halfway into the second chapter.

Britomart's pursuit of Artegall seems a bit rash. Though she hears of his greatness from others, she still rushes off to pursue someone she has never met nor has any personal connection to.

A modernization of this could be enticing. I have a mental picture of Britomart as a street fighter rather than a knight, after seeing her duel with the six knights.

After Britomart looked into the mirror, shew grew ill, pale, and lost a great measure of her positive emotions. It's almost as if the mirror placed a curse upon her. For further matter, with no method to track Artegall and an uncertain future, it begs the question if the end of the quest is worth the means, or if the end exists at all.

If the end exists, then what if Artegall is not at all what Britomart had hoped for? What would she do?

Britomart's Quest describes the entire country being disturbed by war. A country like that is hardly safe for anyone who is not armed. What sort of chaos lies outside of the safety of the towns and cities?

And of course there's mention of a dragon here. Always gotta have one in Celtic tales, eh?

Mysterious tower... What lies within? Granted it might be revealed in the next half of the reading, but making my own outcome is fun as well.

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Faerie Queen - Britomart Unit, stories taken from Stories from the Faerie Queene by Mary Macleod

Reading Notes: Mabinogion Unit, Part B

(Buffoon playing a lute by Frans Hals (1582/1583-1666), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

Bards are highly revered in Taliesin's stories, honored for their linguistic capabilities, wide range of knowledge, and responsibilities as chroniclers of the kingdoms' endeavors.

Yet Taliesin has three accounts of bards, singing praises of true bards, and disappointment and scorn for the bards of Maelgwn's court, all with little to no basis to back it up.

What's worse, even if Taliesin claims corruption from other bards' singing, he does nothing to distinguish his singing from theirs. I honestly believe that Taliesin is just blowing hot air.

Are there other occupations that seem innocuous, but actually have a valuable role in a kingdom's structure. Servants like maids and butlers seem to be one, as are blacksmiths.

Elphin's wife exchanges places with a maid to prove his innocence by the difference in their ring fingers. Once again showing the exchange in roles plot device that I find interesting.

To be able to tell the future through song is a powerful boon indeed. What if songs sang could rather make certain events true rather than predict them?

While it was tyrannical of Maelgwn to imprison Elphin so quickly, Elphin was also a rather rude guest by boasting the superiority of his wife and bard.

A story centered on Maelgwn would be a welcome interpretation on the events of Taliesin's tales.

Taliesin's prediction of what is to befall Maelgwn sounds contradictory and vague. Who's to say he is not merely making all this shit up?

What's more, there is hardly any event after Taliesin's prose to indicate or prove his supposed powers of foresight.

A comedic take on this kind of character could make for good entertainment, displaying the danger and foolishness in trusting psychic powers.

There is an implied cycle of reincarnation and many lives lived in Taliesin's Reply. A bard or some other's spirit carried throughout time to do work for others speaks of some kind of epic quality.

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Mabinogion Pwyll & Taliesin Unit, translation by Lady Charlotte Guest

Reading Notes: Mabinogion Unit, Part A

(Portrait of Jeanne D'Arc by Andrew C.P. Haggard (1854-1923), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

The first story arc spans Pwyll Goes Hunting and In the Stead of Arawn, where both Pwyll and Arawn pose as each other (whether by magic or disguise is up to interpretation) and perform each other's duties for a year. I'm immediately reminded of body swap premises, which promise many comedic opportunities, especially when the two swappers are so radically different, be it in body or personality.

Or what if it weren't a story about two patriarchs, but two monarchs instead? Or a class swap between royalty and peasant?

I couldn't help but wonder if something could've gone even worse during the horseback chases in Pwyll and the Wondrous Lady. Of course, my mind turned to another fantastical creature: that of the horse variety.

Rhiannon, a badass  renegade princess refusing any attempts at arranged marriage. She just reminds me that I need to write more female protagonists.

Not to mention I've always loved the image of a lady knight. The role reversal image of a prince finding salvation in a literal iron maiden is quite an interesting one. Coupled with the idea of royalty's arranged marriage troubles, I see a new take on an old plot.

The cannibalistic plan to implicate Rhiannon for her son's disappearance is quite a visceral image. One could only imagine the suffering she went through that the story does not tell us.

A terrifying thought emerged to me: what if Rhiannon were never proved innocent? What if she held a deep vengeance within her due to being wronged? And what if that vengeance never died, even when she did?

Pwyll and Rhiannon's plot to humble and overcome Gwawl is insanely elaborate and shows great trust between the two characters. Can we take any of the previous ideas we have up above and combine them with this kind of premise as well?

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Mabinogion Pwyll & Taliesin Unit, translation by Lady Charlotte Guest

Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales, Part B

(Gazelle in the savannah, uploaded to Pixabay by user chillervirus)

One thing I've wondered while reading this is the possibility of the animals' capability of human speech. It's not given much thought or consideration in the stories themselves, but I think questions posed related to this could make for interesting humor!

Offspring between species is an idea that caught my eye in The Dog-Husband. A story from such a child's point-of-view would make a compelling story.

The previous story goes one step further as the woman decides to teach the pups she gave birth to how to behave and act more human, including teaching them how to hunt.

With the thought of upbringing and the divide between the worlds of man and animal in mind, a story about separated siblings, one raised as a human and one raised as an animal, sounds like an enticing idea.

A secret society of anthropomorphic animals (The Youth Who Joined the Deer) sounds nice, but I feel as if I've already run that concept before in The Cravin' Raven. The image of a deer as a graceful being, like a dancer, is a vivid image, however.

But a character development stemming from a hunter living amongst animals and coming to a new understanding of nature sounds intriguing.

The Youth Who Joined the Deer also proposes some young deer wanting to be slain for the sake of others which is a very interesting detail considering the food chain philosophy of the wilderness! The bones restore the ones they belong to to life when dropped into a river.

The Girl and the Turkeys, a.k.a. Cinderella and her Feathered Godmother.

And a not so happily-ever-after.

The True Bride brings about the notion of an animal raising human children, in the form of the dog Spióola.

Consider what species of animals that this set of readings did not include a story to focus on. Are there any that would make good subjects?

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Native American Marriage Tales Unit, stories take from Tales of North American Indians by Stith Thompson

Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales, Part A

(Bull Buffalo by George Catlin (1796-1872), taken from Wikimedia Commons)

Before formally picking up ideas from the reading, I think I should preface by saying I have not done much of a love story this semester, so maybe this reading will change that?

No one appears to question the ethics of interspecies romance in these stories. Perhaps that could make for an interesting conflict.

Let it be known that we can also tackle the elements of polygamy and tragedy in love stories, as evident in the story of Bear-Woman and Deer-Woman.

The animals and anthropomorphic or otherwise in these stories are more of the realistic species, but what if we could write a story around a mythological species? A phoenix could be a cool idea.

There's a dynamic present in some stories of a division between the world of man and beast. An interesting conflict that can be explored through the nature of humans, the nature of animals, or the natures of both.

Sometimes the above divide is written with character roles in mind, like hunters.

Other times it is by the behaviors or qualities of animals, such as the fox's odor in The Fox-Woman and the primal instincts of The Eagle and Whale Husbands. Because of the latter kind of story, we often see the animals in an antagonistic role. A sympathetic animal would be nice change of pace.

The Bear-Woman shows a blend of the worlds in a disastrous fashion by having a character transform into bear.

These stories also explain other natural phenomena like the British America Unit stories do, such as why the bulls and buffalo have short horns in Splinter-Foot-Girl.

As the the title implies, a marriage or marriage proposal is often at the center of every conflict in the stories. State of the family (The Piqued Buffalo-Wife) and implications of marriage (Splinter-Foot-Girl) are often at stake.

There is a sense of human as the dominant species be it in principle (The Piqued Buffalo-Wife) or quite literally (The Eagle and Whale Husbands).

Bibliography

Mythology & Folklore Native American Marriage Tales Unit, stories take from Tales of North American Indians by Stith Thompson

Reading Notes: British North America Unit, Part B

(An aurora over a winter forest, uploaded to Pixabay by user jooonaskaariainenn)

Another trend in these stories seems to be representing the forces of nature with the forms of animals themselves, e.g. the Thunder Bird in Turtle and Thunder, representing the threat of inclement weather.

This story also brought to mind the image of an island landscape situated on the back of a large turtle. I'm not certain if this could be used in a story, but it's an image that stuck out in my mind.

I have seen the prevalence of a raven creation deity in many of the premises for these units. Perhaps would make a good central plot device?

But, there is also the notion of a coyote creation deity in Coyote's Gifts. Dual deities concept, perhaps? I've loved this concept in the various Pokemon games. A conflict between two forces of nature would make a great fantasy situation.

Lots of attention is given to the sun and moon, how about we turn to the stars for a story? Perhaps we can explain the phenomenon of shooting stars through fantasy? I might have a story that explains how people wish on shooting stars for strength.

In that same vein, I also have an idea that involves the constellation of a bird and one of the Nazca Line arrangements of a bird in the ground. I envision it as some sort of tragic love story.

How about the cause of auroras in the night skies of arctic regions? Perhaps there is something up in the sky that is causing them to drop from the skies?

Rather than a story of what is responsible for a force of nature, how about a story of what is responsible for an animal's behavior? For instance: why are owls awake during the night and asleep during the day? Why do parrots repeat the words they hear?

Bibliography

Myth-Folklore British North America Unit, stories taken from Katherine Judson's Myths and Legends of British North America

Reading Notes: British North America Unit, Part A

(Common Raven in flight from user Copeterson, taken from Wikimedia Commons)

"Afraid of Nothing" in Beliefs: the creator of the world, but not a benevolent one, as indicated by reducing mountains that were once human-shaped to stasis. Also lives above the world, and her visits are accompanied by sickness and deaths on the inhabitants of the world below.

People lived beyond the sky in Creation of the World, I envision a race of human-like birds that would be fascinating for a story, though that might be attributed to all of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that I've been playing lately.

Different kinds of birds could also exist, separated on different planes like in the story - swans on one, ravens on another, etc.

Throughout these stories persists a theme of cooperation between species, such as in How the Earth was Formed, with Wisagatcak the crane spirit building earth out of moss stuck to a raft fetched by a wolf. Sounds like a good theme or message for a story to me!

The outcome of each story explains a natural phenomenon of the world we live in. I think this should be an outcome for my story, too. I can think of a concept related to the wind currents.

Raven and Moon Woman depicts Raven's theft of the moon, upon which it is delivered to man as the light in the night sky, the sun shining in midday, and the various stars. Of course, thievery brings the image of noble thieves to mind. Perhaps a bit of a morally gray story of different bird populations, the light of the night, and a thievery at the heart of it?

Creation of Light and Grizzly Bear and Coyote are both centered on changing the state of the skies to something more suitable for future generations' prosperity. Let's focus on something original, like the temperature of the air.

Bibliography

Myth-Folklore British North America Unit, stories taken from Katherine Judson's Myths and Legends of British North America

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

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

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

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)