Russia Reading Notes Part B

One night a man rode into a village and asked a man if he could stay in his cottage. The man told him to come in if he didn't fear death. The people inside the cottage were all crying, and the man asked why. The master of the house told him that in the village at night a witch comes around and causes death. She picks a house and the next morning everyone inside is dead. Tonight she is visiting their house. That night everyone went to sleep except for the traveling man. The witch put her arm in the cottage, and the man cut it off with his sword. The witch fled. The man hid the arm under his cloak. The next morning the man told the master that he can show him death if he wants. They gather everyone and go around looking for her, but they can't find her. They go home and they see that the house masters daughter is missing an arm. They drown the witch.

A man had three sons. When he was about to die he told his sons wives to watch over his body for one night each. He ordered that no cross was put on him. The first night the man sat up in his coffin and asked the first wife if she was there. Terrified, she told him she was. He asked again and she told him the same thing. He asked one more time and then he strangled her. He did the same thing with the second wife. The third wife was smarter. She waited for him to ask her the third time and as he lunged at her she put a cross on him. He died and when she looked in the coffin there was tons of money.

A warlock

Bibliography:

Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).

Reading Notes Russia Part A

A husband and wife lived in a village, and all of their neighbors envied them. The mother had a baby, but she died during birth. The father didn't know how to take care of the baby so he hired an old woman. During the day the baby wouldn't eat and he would cry nonstop. However, at night the baby was silent. The old woman decided to stay up one night to see what was happening. At midnight someone opened the door and went to the babies cradle. She told the father about this and he decides to see for himself. The next night the figure comes in again and when it gets to the cradle then shine a light on it. It's the dead mother. She immediately leaves silently. They go up to the cradle and the baby is dead.

An old couple lived in poverty. One winter the wife died in the winter. Everyone was poor so no one would help him dig a grave for his wife. Even the pope wouldn't help because he didn't have money. The old man decides to do it himself. While he is digging he finds a pot full of gold. He returns in the hope and gives him gold to bury his wife. The old man invited the pope to his home, and the pope asked him how he got the money. He thinks that he robbed someone. The man tells him how he found it. The pope is greedy and devises a plan to steal the money. He kills a goat and has the wife sew the skin on him. He goes to the man's house at night. He knocks on the window and tells the man he's the devil. He tells him to give him the gold. The man obliges. The pope goes back home and tells his wife to cut the skin off, but she can't. The goat skin had merged with the man.

The devil the man was impersonating. Source

Bibliography:

Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston (1887).

Reading Notes Dante's Inferno Part B

At the top of the broken gully, the infamy of Crete, the Minotaur, conceived on Pasiphaë, in the wooden cow, lay stretched out. When he saw Dante and the guide he gnashed at himself. The guide said, "Perhaps you think we are someone else. We are just passing through to see the punishments."

The Minotaur became enraged. Virgil told Dante, "Run to the passage while he is in a fury. It is time for your descent."

They made their way downwards. In the first ring they saw centaurs racing one behind another. WHen the centaurs saw them they stood still. Three elected leaders came up and asked why they were there. The guide responded that they will talk to Chiron. Chiron noticed that Dante is alive. The guide explained the situation. Chiron turned to Nessuss and said, "Turn and guide them. If another crew meets you then keep them off."

They followed their new guide along the crimson boiling. He said "These are tyrants who indulged in blood, and rapine. Here they lament their offenses, done without mercy."

As they kept walking the blood grew shallower and shallower. In the second ring the harpies made their nest. They had broad wings, and human necks and faces, clawed feet, and large feathered bellies. They made mournful cries in that strange wood.

They left the third ring and the guide told Dante, "'Follow me. Be careful not to place your feet on the burning sand. Always keep back close to the wood."

They reached a stopping point and the guide said, "There is a deserted island in the middle of the sea, named Crete, under whose king Saturn, the world was pure. Their course falls from rock to rock into this valley. They form Acheron, Styx and Phlegethon. They go down to where there is no further fall and form Cocytus. You will see what kind of lake that is, so I will not describe it to you here."

 

A Racing Centaur

Bibliography
Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002). 

Reading Notes Dante's Inferno Part A

Dante found himself in the middle of a dark wood. It was very harsh and frightening. He couldn't quite say how he got there. He was almost in a sleep-like state. He was fearful. When he was returning from the depths someone appeared. Dante cried out "Have pity on me!"

The figure replied, "I am not a man, but I once was. I was a poet. Why do you not climb the delightful mountain that is the cause of all joy?"

Dante answered, "Are you Virgil? Save me from here."

Virgil responded, "You must go another road if you wish to escape this savage place. No man can cross her path."

Finally Virgil said, "I think its best if you follow me. I will guide and lead you through here."

There were words on the gate to hell that Dante couldn't understand. Virgil told him it, "Here, all uncertainty must be left behind; all cowardice must be dead. We have come to the place where I told you that you would see the sad people who have lost the good of the intellect."

Sighs, complaints, and groans filled the air. Dante asked Virgil who was doing all the crying and what race they were. Virgil responded, "This is the miserable mode in which those exist who lived without praise, without blame. Heaven drove them out to maintain its beauty, and deep Hell does not accept them lest the evil have glory over them."

Then Dante asked what makes them groan so deeply. Virgil answered, "They have no hope of death, and their darkened life is so mean that they are envious of every other fate."

Dante looked back and saw a quickly moving banner. There was a line of people behind it. Then he looked onwards to the bank of the river, and he saw people. He asked Virgil who they were. Virgil told him he will know when they get to Acheron.

Spooky forest from Unsplash

Bibliography
Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002).

Extra Credit Reading Beowulf Pt B

Beowulf lay still on the couch. A fog was creeping up outside. After some time there was a rustling in the trees. A deep grunt of a pig could be heard. The fog parted and a shadow loomed. Grendel stood at the entrance of the keep while Beowulf and the Earls slept soundly. He began to try and get the door open.

Grendel cast a spell to make those who were sleeping sleep even harder. Eventually Grendel got through the door of the keep. Beowulf came out of his dream spell and he saw Grendel. After Grendel devoured Hondscio he tuned his eyes to Beowulf. Beowulf, who was stung with loathing, leaped from the bed.

They fought silently in the fog filled hall. Beowulf gained the upper hand and flew at Grendel. He twisted Grendel's arm, and Grendel fell to the floor. Grendel oozed a slimy sap that smelled like vinegar and sickened Beowulf. Beowulf called on the strength of the Gods and he ripped off Grendel's arm.

Then the spell wore off on the rest of the Earls. Grendel ran out the door into the fog. The next morning men hoisted Grendel's arm from the ceiling. Men came from all around to view this trophy.

The king and queen thanked Beowulf. They had a feast that lasted for days. A messenger came and interrupted the celebration. He told them that Lord Aescher was dead. He said that he was murdered by some new fiend. Grendel's arm was missing.

Wealhtheow told Beowulf "this must be the work of Grendel's mother. Your work here is not done."

Beowulf told his men to come because they have a new monster to fight. Black Unferth stepped forward and told Beowulf that he was sorry for ever doubting him. He gave Beowulf his magic sword.

Photo by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash

Bibliography
The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs, with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Reading Notes Looking Glass Part B

Alice's first thought was that she must have been dreaming about the Lion and the Unicorn and those queer Anglo-Saxon Messengers. At this moment her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shouting of 'Ahoy! Ahoy! Check!' and a Knight dressed in crimson armor came galloping down upon her, brandishing a great club. Just as he reached her, the horse stopped suddenly: 'You're my prisoner!' the Knight cried, as he tumbled off his horse.

Then the white knight shows up and he says the same thing and tries to take Alice as his prisoner. They began banging away at each other with such fury that Alice got behind a tree to be out of the way of the blows.

Alice asks the knight about his body. The Knight looked surprised at the question. :What does it matter where my body happens to be?" he said. "My mind goes on working all the same. In fact, the more head downwards I am, the more I keep inventing new things."

Alice has a golden crown on her head. She was not surprised at finding the Red Queen and the White Queen sitting by her. She would have liked very much to ask them how they came there, but she feared it would not be quite civil. However, there would be no harm, she thought, in asking if the game was over

The White Knight. Source

Bibliography
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).

Reading Notes Looking Glass Part A

The glass was beginning to melt away like a mist. Alice was through the glass and had jumped lightly down into the looking glass room. There was a fire in the fireplace. The pictures on the wall seemed to be alive.

Alice heard the Red King and Red Queen go past. A white pawn began screaming at the table behind Alice. The White Queen screamed "Oh my! My precious child!" Alice picked up the queen and set her on the table next to the pawn. Next Alice picked the king up more slowly and gently than she did the queen. She dusted all the ash off of him too.

The king takes out a notebook and begins writing a memo. Alice took his pencil and wrote "THE WHITE KNIGHT IS SLIDING DOWN THE POKER. HE BALANCES VERY BADLY" in his notebook.

There was a book lying near Alice on the table, and while she sat watching the White King she turned over the leaves to find some part that she could read. She told herself "it's all in some language I don't know. She realized she had to hold the book to a mirror because she was in the loking glass world. It was a poem about the Jabberwocky.

Alice realized she needed to hurry. She thought to herself "if I don't make haste I shall have to go back through the Looking-glass before I've seen what the rest of the house is like! Let's have a look at the garden first!" She was out of the room in a moment, and ran down stairs.

She wandered on until she came across two little fat men. One of them had "DUM"embroidered on his collar, and the other "DEE." Alice asks them what the best way to get out of the woods is. Alice didn't want to hurt either of the boys feelings so she shook both of their hands at the same time.

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Source

Bibliography
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (1871).

Reading Notes King Arthur Part B

Galahad comes across two knights. He asked the knights what brought them there. The knights replied that there is a shield that no one can put on his neck without it killing him in three days. They hear mass and then a monk leads them to an altar with a shield behind it. The monk said "this shield can be hung around no knights neck unless he be the worthiest knight in the world."

King Bagdemagus bared the shield even though he knew he wasn't worthy. He told Galahad to wait there to see what happens to him. Bagdemagus rode two miles before he ran into a strange knight who injured him with a spear. The knight took the shield and gave it to his squire. He told his squire to give the shield to Sir Galahad.

The squire asks Bagdemagus if he is wounded. Bagdemagus said he is and that he will "hardly escape from death." The squire brought him to a monastery and treated his wounds. Then the squire went to Galahad and told him that he is the one who has to bare the shied. Galahad bares the shield and they head out to the White Knight.

Galahad returns to the monks. They have him investigate a tomb that is making strange noises. Galahad opens the tomb and smoke comes out. A foul figure appears and told Galahad that he sees so many angels around him that he won't dare to touch him. The monks and Galahad removed a body from the tomb because it wasn't a true christian.

The sick knight arose and saw Lancelot at his feet with his eyes shut. "I marvel greatly at this sleeping Knight," he said to his squire, "that he had no power to wake when the Holy Vessel was brought hither."

The Shield from Wikipedia

Bibliography:
King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902). 

Reading Notes King Arthur Part A

King Uther died and there was no king. Every knight in the kingdom wanted the crown for himself. The country was in bad shape without a king. Merlin and counsel decided all the lords and gentlemen should meet in London on Christmas Day. There was a sword in a stone. "Whoso pulleth out this sword is by right of birth the king of England" was written on the stone.

No one could pull the sword from the stone. Two knights were chosen to keep guard over the sword. The counsel decided that on New Years Day a tournament should be held. Any knight who wanted could try to remove the sword.

Sir Ector brought his son Kay and his foster son Arthur. Kay asked Arthur to return home and grab his sword because he forgot it. Arthur goes to get it, but the door is locked. Arthur doesn't know what to do so he decides he will grab the stone in the courtyard and give it to his brother. He grabbed the handle of the sword and drew it out easily. He delivered it to Kay.

Kay told his father he was now the rightful king becasue he had the sword in his possession. Ector made Kay swear where he got the sword from, and Kay told him his brother brought it to him. Ector then tells Arthur that he is the rightful king. He tells Arthur to put the sword back so there can be a witness this time. Kay and Ector try to remove the sword, but they cannot. Arthur tries and removes the sword as easily as he did the first time.

Ector and Kay kneel. Arthur asks "Why do you, my father and brother, kneel to me?"

Ector tells Arthur that he is not really his father. Ector told Arthur "You are the son of Uther Pendragon, and you were brought to me when you were born by Merlin himself, who promised that when the time came I should know from whom you sprang."

The sword in the stone from Pixabay

Bibliography:
King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902).

Extra Credit Reading Beowulf: Part A

Long ago in the north of what is now known as Europe there was a kingdom called Geatsland. Its ruler was a man named Hygelac. The men who lived in Geatsland were famous for their bravery. The Geats were a warlike nation. Hygelac and his warriors were fighting in battles for most of the year.

The caves along the coasts of Geatsland were inhabited by evil monsters. Huge serpents devoured fishermen when they could catch them by surprise. The forests were filled with loathsome beasts. It was not safe to travel in them after dark. However, the monsters of the sea and the forest kept to themselves. They rarely left their lairs.

Beowulf was Hygelac's nephew. He was the son of the king's sister. When he was young Beowulf went to live with his uncle to learn the arts of war and how to handle ships. As the years passed he became more sullen in his strength. His companions dubbed him "the silent." When he reached his manhood and was admitted to the king's circle a feast was thrown for him. At the feast Beowulf sat in gloomy silence. His strength was great, but he had nothing to use it on. He longed for adventure. 

Hygelac signaled and all the voices in the hall died down. He told everyone that someone had come a long way to sing a wondrous song for them. That person is the Wanderer. The Wanderer came forward with his harp. He sat down on a stool, threw back his cloak, and struck the strings of the harp. His voice was like the crying of birds, but there was a sweetness to it. He sang about a monster that had terrorized a neighboring kingdom. The monster was part bird part animal, and it was called Grendel.

The monster Grendel

Bibliography
The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs, with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Reading Notes B: Cherokee

The Possum and the Terrapin went out together to hunt persimmons and found a tree full of ripe fruit. The Possum climbed it and was throwing down the persimmons to the Terrapin when a wolf came up and began to snap. The Possum waited his chance, and at last managed to throw down a large one. It lodged in the wolf's throat as he jumped up at it and choked him to death.

After a while he came to a house and was invited to have some gruel. He sat down beside the jar and dipped up the gruel with one of the wolf's ears as a spoon. Soon the news went around, that the Terrapin had killed the Wolf and was using his ears for spoons. The wolves came together and took Terrapin prisoner. They agreed to boil Terrapin in a pot.

They brought in a pot, but the Terrapin only laughed at it and said that if they put him into that thing he would kick it all to pieces. They said they would burn him in the fire, but the Terrapin laughed again and said he would put it out.

Then they decided to throw him into the deepest hole in the river and drown him. The Terrapin begged and prayed them not to do that, but they paid no attention, and dragged him over to the river and threw him in. That was just what the Terrapin had been waiting for all the time, and he dived under the water and came up on the other side and got away.

Once the animals challenged the birds to a great ballplay, and the birds accepted. The captain of the animals was the Bear, who was so strong and heavy that he could pull down anyone who got in his way. The birds had the Eagle for their captain.

 

Photo by Luca Ambrosi on Unsplash

Bibliography
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900). 

Read Notes Part A Cherokee

The Earth is a great island floating in a sea. It is suspended at the four cardinal points by a cord hanging down from the sky vault.

When all was water the animals were above. One day they wondered what was below the water, so the son of the Beaver, Water Beetle, volunteered to go down and check. He couldn't find a firm place so it kept diving down deeper and deeper. It got to the bottom of the sea, and it came back up with mud. The mud began to spread until it became the land we call the Earth.

The land was fastened to the sky, but no one remembers who did it. At first the Earth was very soft and wet. Birds were sent out to see if the land was dry. At last it was time. They sent out the great buzzard. He flew all over the Earth, but it was still soft. He came to the land we now know as Cherokee Country. He was extremely tired. His wings flapped and wherever they struck the earth there was a valley, and where they turned up again there was a mountain. Cherokee country remains full of mountains to this day.

When the earth was dry and the animals came down, it was still dark, so they got the sun and set it in a track to go every day. There is another world under this, and it is like ours in everything except that the seasons are different. The streams that come down from the mountains are the trails by which we reach this underworld, and the springs at their heads are the doorways by which we enter

When the animals and plants were first made they were told to watch and keep awake for seven nights.

A buzzard

Bibliography
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).

Reading Notes B: Apache

An old woman gave her boy a present so he might become a medicine man. One day the woman said to the boy, "I am hungry. Do you have any food?"

The boy told her to come back tomorrow and she won't be hungry. The next day the son made a corral close to the river. He gathered men and they killed antelope. Then they did the same thing the next day. After that if the son whistled the antelope would come in to the corral. Eventually the woman said, "that is enough. My wrists ache."

The woman asked her son for the gift back, but he told her he already gave it to the supernatural. The woman cursed him. The son left and he came across a place called Sticks Swim Around. He set up his home there. People came after him, but they could not find him. Two years later men came to his home. They were at war with another tribe. They heard a voice that said, "you must be my people.

They replied, "yes we are."

Then he dropped them a buffalo with its head and back to them. They wanted to leave to attack the warring tribe, but the man said to go in a day becasue they aren't aware of their presence. He told the men, "you'll surround them at noon. Bring me the all black horse. The one with no white spots."

He continued, "If at any time you are in need, make smoke for me. My home is by Sheep Horn Mountain. If you want anything blow smoke towards that place."

The next day the people went in daylight and surrounded the other tribe at noon just like the man said. They saw the black horse with no white and kept it with them. They came by the mans home and the horse took off towards the lake.

 

Photo by Michelle Tresemer on Unsplash

Bibliography
Jicarilla Apache Texts edited by Pliny Earle Goddard (1911) = New York: Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. VIII.

Reading Notes Part A: Apache

In the beginning it began in the underworld. They made a mountain that kept on growing. Then reeds grew. When the reeds got to the top four girls twisted them so they stopped growing. A messenger goes up and discovers the twisted reeds. He tells the people what has happened. He goes back up and sees that there is much water. Then Beaver goes up and see that the water is receding. Beaver doesn't return so they send Badger up. So badger goes up and he see Beaver building a dam so people will have something to quench their thirst when they get up there. Finally the people use all four of the ladders they had to ascend, but they leave and old man and woman behind.

Raven divined to see if people would die. The old couple gave the people lice in their heads and their beds so they wouldn't be able to sleep.

Father tells four children to sit by the fire. He asks them "Why did you come to see me?"

The children responded "We want something to play with."

The father made them the hoop and pole game but tells them to not move to the north. Of course the children don't listen and they head to the north. Owl sees the children and says to quickly put them in the pot to cook. Owl's wife chops them up, puts them in a pot, pours water on them, and sets them over a fire to boil. However, the boys just sit at the bottom telling stories. Owl says "you are something bad. You are using supernatural powers."

The boys continue to tell stories and jump out of the pot again. Owl asks "why do you come here and practice magic?

He gives them the hoop and the pole back. The boys return to their father and he tells them "I told you so."

 Photo by Brian Kraus on Unsplash

 

Bibliography
Jicarilla Apache Texts edited by Pliny Earle Goddard (1911) = New York: Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. VIII.

Reading Notes: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung B

Hoping that a promotion and a rank amongst the gods will make him more manageable, the Jade Emperor invites the Monkey King to Heaven. The monkey believes he will receive an honorable place as one of the gods but is instead made the Protector of the Horses to watch over the stables, the lowest job in heaven. He rebels and proclaims himself The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal and sets the Cloud Horses free in vengeance.

The Heavens are forced to recognize his title; however, they again try to put him off as the guardian of the Heavenly Peach Garden. When he finds that he is excluded from a royal banquet that includes every other important god and goddess, his indignation turns to open defiance. He steals and consumes Xi Wangmu's Peaches of immortality, Laozi's pills of longevity, and the Jade Emperor's royal wine, then escapes back to his kingdom in preparation for his rebellion.

The Monkey King later single-handedly defeats the Army of Heaven's 100,000 celestial warriors, all 28 constellations, four heavenly kings, and Nezha, and proves himself equal to the best of Heaven's generals, Erlang Shen. Eventually, through the teamwork of Taoist and Buddhist forces, including the efforts from some of the greatest deities, and then finally by the Bodhisattva of mercy, Guanyin, Sun Wukong is captured.

After several failed attempts at execution, Sun Wukong is locked into Laozi's eight-way trigram Crucible to be distilled into an elixir (so that Laozi could regain his pills of longevity) by samadhi fires. After 49 days, however, when the cauldron is opened, the Monkey King jumps out, having survived by hiding in a corner in which there was no fire and is now able to recognize evil with huoyan-jīnjīng  (lit. "golden-gaze fiery-eyes"), an eye condition that also gives him a weakness to smoke, and proceeds to destroy the crucible, following Heaven's remaining forces.

A monkey king parade float

Bibliography:
The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Week 9 Part A: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung

On a mountain, a monkey befriends various animals, and joins a group of other monkeys. After playing, the monkeys regularly bathe in a stream.

One day, they decide to seek the stream's source, and climb the mountain to a waterfall. They declare that whoever goes through the waterfall, finds the stream's source, and comes out again will become their king. The stone monkey volunteers and jumps into the waterfall.

He finds a large iron bridge over rushing water, across which is a cave. He persuades the other monkeys to jump in also, and they make it into their home. Sun Wu Kung then reminds them of their prior declaration, so they declare him their king. He takes the throne and calls himself Handsome Monkey King.

The Monkey King establishes himself as a powerful and influential demon. In search of a weapon, he travels to the oceans and acquires the Golden-banded staff, the stabilizer of the Four Seas and a treasure of the dragon-king of the Eastern Seas. The Monkey King is the only creature strong enough to wield the staff-like weapon. It can change its size, elongate, fly and attack opponents according to its master's will. It is very heavy. When not wielding the weapon, the Monkey King shrinks it down to the size of a sewing needle and tucks it behind his ear.

In addition to taking the magical staff, the Monkey King defeats the Dragon King's henchmen and forces him to hand over a golden chain mail shirt, a phoenix-feather cap, and cloud-walking boots. The cap was one of the treasures of the dragon kings. Traditionally it is depicted as a metal circlet with two striped feathers attached to the front. Upon his return to the mountain, he demonstrates the new weapon to his followers and draws the attention of other beastly powers, who seek to ally with him.

A monkey king figurine

Bibliography:
The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology Part B

One day Yamato begins to grow weary of his princess's devotion. He has no more battles to fight and is unsure if she needs him. Because of this he begins to yearn for the mysterious siren. He wanders to the Isle of Enoshima to try and find her.

He follows a haunting melody to get there. Eventually the melody leads him down the side of a jagged cliff. At the bottom he finds a grotto that glowed with an emerald light. He can still hear the haunting voice, and he begins to see shadows of celestial girls on the wall so he swims to the mouth of the cave. However, he begins to hesitate because he has been warned about grottoes before. They are often a trap that unsuspecting victims get lured into. He gives it some thought, and then he hears the voice again so he decides to keep following it.

Once he reaches the cave he comes across a monstrous dragon. Yamato was afraid of nothing so he pushed on past the dragon. As he ventures further in he comes to a grand entrance. The floor of the entrance was covered with gold sand and white pebbles.The gate of the entrance was made with diamond and encrusted with jade.

He enters and he encounters the siren he has been searching for. She is playing a melody on her lute. She tells Yamato that she is Benten, the Goddess of deathless love. There are lesser siren there swimming around and singing that haunting song. Yamato has come all this way to ask the siren for her love so he does. The siren says he can have her love, but it is not going to be easy. She tells him that if he wants love he has to defy death. She tells him he has sail to Horaizon and get the golden apple of immortal youth.

A golden apple

Bibliography:
Romance of Old Japan by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).

Week 7 Reading Notes A: Japanese Mythology

One day Susa-no-wo saw an omen and journeyed far into the forest to learn more. He came across a man with a gray bear and an old woman who was crying. Between them was a fair maiden.

"Who are you? Gods or Mortals?" asked Susa.

The man responds, "I am the foot-stroke elder. This is my wife the hand-stroke elder, and this is our daughter, the fair princess."

"Why are you crying?" Susa asks.

"We lost eight daughter to the eight forked serpent. He devoured them. This is our last daughter." The man says.

Susa asks what the serpent looks like, and the man tells him that it has red eyes, a blood-inflamed body, eight heads, and eight forked tails. He says its back is overgrown with firs, cedars, and pines, and it cools over eight valleys and mountains.

Susa says he will say the serpent if he can have their daughter's hand in marriage, and her father obliges. The father tells Susa that he is the brother of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, and a descendant of Yamato. Susa transforms the daughter into a comb, puts it in his hair, and goes to slay the serpent.

Susa fashioned a rampart of logs where he hung eight goodly doors, and he set up a vat filled to the brim with sake next to them. Then he waits. The serpent shows up and laps up all the liquor. This is all a part of Susa's plan, and the serpent gets tired and falls asleep.

Susa draws his sword and cuts the serpent up into 1000 pieces. When he cuts open the serpents tail he discovers a miraculous sword, the Kushanagi. He brings the sword to heaven. Then he transforms the comb back into a girl, and they marry and live happily ever after.

Susa slaying the serpent

Bibliography:
Romance of Old Japan by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).

Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha Part B

Sid is preparing to leave. He instructs Chandaka to bring him his horse because he is on the road to deliverance.

His horse carries him a great distance when they arrive at a secluded wood. Sid gives Chan a necklace to give to the king. He tells Chan to tell his father to believe in him. Sid says "tell him that I seek a place among the gods." Chan pleads with Sid. He says if you must cause the kingdom this much grief can you not make me be the bearer of bad news? "Please don't forsake us Sid."

Sid stays silent then says that they must go their own ways. He tries to comfort Chan by telling him that even if he didn't leave death would separate them one day anyway. Then Sid takes Chan's swords and cuts off his hair in one swipe of the blade. A hunter appears and Sid asks to trade his fancy robes for the hunters reddish garments. The hunter agrees and Sid sets out on his path to hermitage.

Gopa awoke in the middle of the night, and she cannot find her prince. The more she looks the more frantic she becomes. She cries out to him, but never gets a response. She wakes the maidens and has them search for Sid, but they too cannot find him. His companions hopelessly try to console her. The king finds out what has happened and he has the gates to the city shut. He has the whole kingdom searched, but also comes up empty-handed.

Finally Chan returns with Sid's jewelry. He tells the horseman looking for Sid that no one could convince him to come back. Chan tells the king what has happened to his son. Mahaprajapti saw the jewels and took them. She threw them into a pool in the garden. Sid's horse returns to the stables and dies of sadness.

A secluded part of the woods. Source

Bibliography

The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold. https://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-life-of-buddha.html

Reading Notes Part A: The Life of Buddha

There once was a queen named Maya. One night in a dream an elephant entered her womb. She does not know what this means, but she knows it means something great. The king comes and they find out their son will be born a buddha.

When it is time to give birth the queen goes to a flower meadow. The world sang when the prince was born. She named him Siddhartha.

There was a great hermit named Asita. He says the baby has the mark of omnipotence. Asita begins to weep, but he tells the king not to be distressed. He says Sid will have the perfect understanding of the world set free.

After the birth of the prince the kingdom was doing great. However, after seven days Maya ascends to heaven. The prince is then put into the care of Maya's sister. She takes Sid to the temple of the gods. The king led him to the statues of the gods. The statues came to life, and the gods fell at the feet of Sid.

A famous wise man, Visvamitra, becomes Sid's teacher. However Vis tells Sid there is nothing he can teach him. Sid goes to a tree and meditates. Some passerby see him and notice that he has the mark of omnipotent. They say he will certainly become brilliant. They see Sid meditating under a tree whose shadow does not move. He awakes and tells the king that they must stop working in the fields.

One day the king thinks to himself, "Sid must never suspect the evil there is in the world." He has Sid go into the town on a golden chariot. The gods get jealous of Sid and place and old man in the road. Sid sees this and learns that someday youth will leave him. Sid no longer has any joy in his heart.

Next the gods place a sick man in the road. Sid learns about illness, and he returns to the palace wrapped in painful thoughts. The king decides that he will let Sid go out once more. This time the gods put a corpse in the road and Sid learns about death.

Udayin assmebles beautiful maiden in an attempt to improve the state Sid is in, but at first the maidens are afraid of Sid. Udayin gets rid of their fears, and the maidens start doing extravagant, over-the-top things to win Sid's heart. Sid is still unhappy; death is still on his mind. Gopa waits naked for Sid. In a dream she sees the Earth shake. This is good because it means that the gods will bow before her one day.

Sid can no longer find peace. A monk approaches Sid, and Sid decides the life of a monk is for him. The king tells him to give up on this idea. Sid tells his father to promise him. "Promise me that my life will not end in death, that sickness will not impair my health, that age will not follow my youth, that misfortune will not destroy my prosperity." His father tells him he cannot.

A statue of a young Buddha. Source 

Bibliography

The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold. https://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-life-of-buddha.html