Story Lab

This week for the story lab assignment I watched the two TED talk videos. I thought the videos were really insightful and thought-provoking.

The first woman was a great storyteller and orator. I think I could listen to her talk for hours on end. I thought she did a great job at making her speech funny at times to. I had never given much thought to the characters I know. I grew up in the western world so it was something I never had to worry about. I thought it was particularly funny when she brought up how badly she wanted to try ginger beer.

The second video was also super informative. I thought it was really cool how she was a psychology professor at OU. It was surprising to hear how much people consumer Harry Potter, but it made sense. I was surprised how attached people felt to fictional characters, but I also wasn't that surprised. Bridge to Terrabithia is still the most emotionally scarring I have ever seen. That death hit me harder than any other fictional death. I didn't know kids could die at that point in my life.

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).