Brynlee's Thoughts on Mythology and Folklore

Dante's Divine Comedy  translated by Tony Kline There were banners for the king of Hell. I looked to the front of the stage to see if I could see him. My master kept walking towards the front till I could see him. Lucifer. It was then my master told me I must gather the courage to face him. I lost all sense, there was nothing but fear inside of me. I walked closer. He had three people in displayed in his head. There was Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. He was chewing a sinner in his mouth, savoring the taste. I looked at the poor sinners in his head. They looked defeated. I knew what I had to do. In order to leave Hell, I had to climb Satan. This is a depiction of Satan. Source:  Wikipedia

Dante's Divine Comedy  translated by Tony Kline We had now reached the six, seventh, eighth, and ninth levels of Hell. The city burned red as if on fire. For I found out the eternal flames of Hell burned here. As we entered the city, hundreds of angels fell towards us. They were angry with us. They could not understand why  I was here because I was still alive. My master asked to speak with them in private, leaving me alone in Hell. I begged him not to leave me. I was sure that would be the end of me. He turned to go in and the angels shut the gate in his face. He walked back angered but knew he would win in the end.  This is a depiction of the City of Dis which hold the final levels of Hell. Source:  Fandom

Dante's Divine Comedy  translated by Tony Kline On cante four, my master and I heard a calling. We were far from it but it was gradually getting closer. I heard them call out and was confused by their wording.  "Who are these people I asked?"  "They are those honored in your lifetime. They have been granted a good graces because of their works. There is Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan. They are the greats and you are among them" my master said to me. I couldn't believe it. They looked at me as though I was one of them. I thought it couldn't be true. We stayed with them for the night. The looks of admiration never stopped. I didn't believe I should be among them.  We continued on our journey until we came across a castle surrounded 7 times. It was here I recognized many leaders. There was Caesar and Tarquin. I could not believe my eyes. I let my eyes wander. I gazed slightly higher and saw the great philosophers. There was Aristotle sitting high above ...

   Beth Gellert  by Joseph Jacobs The Prince had a beloved dog. He was a ferocious hunter but a kind cuddly soul. Whenever they went out he would be the fastest and most deadly, but when they returned he would treat those of the family with such care and kindness. One day, the Prince was going on a hunt. He called for all of the animals but never saw his beloved. He stormed in the castle after about five minutes of waiting. As he was going he ran into his beloved dog. The dog had blood dripping from his mouth. The Prince went immediately to the worst conclusion. He had a baby and this dog had killed it. He sprinted to the nursery and found it in disarray. There was blood everywhere and no sound anywhere. The baby did not respond to his calls. Out of anger he turned and killed the beloved dog. He could not believe that he would do something to his child. However, as the dog lay dead, the baby began to coo. He ran to gather his baby. As soon as he turned the corner, he saw ...

Shepard of Myddvai  by Joseph Jacobs There once was a man. He led his flock to the lake up in the top of the mountains. One day, he saw three beautiful maidens. He attempted to woo her. He gave her bread and she sang him a song. She sang of his overcooked bread, giggled, and ran into the lake. The next day he was determined to try again. He brought her another loaf of bread and she and her sisters sang him a different song. She sang of his undercooked bread, giggled, and ran into the lake. He was determined to have her. On the third day, he found bread floating in the lake. He gave it to her and she rejoiced. She agreed to be his wife as long as he did not strike her three times. He did not see this being an issue so he agreed. Time went on and they had three children. He had never come against her demand. One day, they were running behind and he told her to go grab the horses and he will go and grab her gloves. When he returned she was not with the horses and he patted her with he...

 The Piqued Buffalo Wife by Blackfoot Stories This story tells a tale of a family torn apart. It begins with the birth of a child. He was born from a buffalo and therefore every night he would turn back into a calf. But, since his father was a human, every day he was a child. During the days he would run and play with the tribe's children and learn their games. Every night he would depart and spend the night in the field with his mother. One day his curiosity got the best of him. He had to know who his father was. He went to the chief and asked him to help him find his dad. The chief called for the eldest men of the tribe and asked him to identify his dad. He could not find his father among the group. The chief then sent out for the age group underneath. He could not identify his father from this group either. Finally, he called for the unmarried men. The child quickly was able to identify his father! His father wanted to meet his mother. He took him to the field. There his mother...

  the Turtle and the Man  by Richard Edward Dennett (1898). One day a turtle and a man moved into an uninhabited town. They built it there from scratch. But, when they were done they realized they had no food. The turtle decided to build a large trap with the man. Then, they decided that it was too big. So, they split it in half. But, the turtle's half was better because the next day there was an antelope waiting in his, while the man's was empty. The turtle celebrated his win. In all the commotion, an ox came out of the woods. He asked what the commotion was. The turtle explained and asked if he could help him carrying it to his house. Once at his house, he told the ox to go get some water and he would cut up his share. While the ox was gone, the turtle hid all of it in his house and refused to leave regardless of the ox demanding his share. The ox, then, set out on a revenge course. He was going to destroy his trap. But, he was quickly ensnared and died. Then, the turtle did...

Gazelle Marries  by  Richard Edward Dennett (1898). There once was a man who had two wives. Each was pregnant and gave birth at the same time. They were beautiful beyond anything the town had ever seen. But, since their father had an abundance of money, he decided that it would not be present that won their hand in marriage but the first man to learn their true names. One day, an antelope came and tried to bargain for their hands in marriage. The father told them his proposition and the antelope fled in search of their names. Shortly after, a prince showed up for the same purpose and received the same proposition. He returned to town and was frantic in search of their names. However, his dog stayed behind. He heard the father yell to his daughters and ran to find his master. But, on the long trail, he was hungry. After winning a battle with a cat, he completely forgot the names. So, he ran back. This time their father instructed them to feed the dog but without water he became...

 Labors of Yamato: The Dragon Yamato had just returned from retrieving the sacred sword. He was overwhelmed with feelings from the quest, but the strongest were those for his one true love. Her love and loyalty had gotten him through the worst of it. But, before he could go see her, he had to make a stop. There was a sorceress that had been against him the whole time. He had to go and punish her for treachery and treason against the throne. As he was crossing the river to get to her, a siren called to him. This siren was intriguing for just enough time to pull him in. She sank to the bottom of the river and he felt a cold embrace of a serpent. He was struggling and fighting. But, once again, his love came through. He heard his lady's voice call unto him. He pulled on it and she came into his vision and grasped him. There, she pulled him up. But, when he got onto solid ground, she was no where to be found. This was worrisome. As he went into town, he noticed everything was in disarr...

  Eight Forked Serpent of Koshi   by  E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917). One day, our hero was walking along the river. He noticed a chopstick floating downstream. He knew that where there were chopsticks, there had to be people so he headed up the stream. The river lead him into the forest. There he met an older man, he had a long gray beard and looked very weary. He asked him what he knew of the village and the man explained that he and his family were the only ones there. He asked him why he looked so weary and so beaten down. The man explained how each year that he and his family had been there, a giant beast had come and slain one of his daughters. He had one left and was worried for her safety. Our hero then asked him to describe the monster. He painted a vivid picture of the serpent's beady red eyes and the blood that coated the body. He described the eight heads of the serpent that were accompanied by the eight prong like tails. This did not scare our hero. He...

  Sindbad  by Andrew Lang Sindbad had promised himself that he would stay put. But, he began itching to be on the sea again. He set out once more. This time, however, it was a boat that he bought himself. He went and invited all of the merchants he liked. There were many nations represented on that boat. On the next good breeze day, they set out. The wind helped the sails but did not help the motion sickness. The water was very choppy but they made it. The came across this island. It appeared to be uninhibited. The merchants climbed ashore and found a giant egg. The egg was bigger than the merchants were tall. But, that did not stop them from hacking up the bird inside and using it for a meal. Sindbad announced that they should get moving because the parents were sure to show up soon. With screeching behind them, they ran. When their vessel was in sight, they jumped on and were setting sail. Until, they noticed two shadows. Both birds were holding huge rocks. The first launche...

Sindbad  by Andrew Lang  Sindbad had inherited a lot of money. He quickly blew through it on everything imaginable, whether it was a necessary purchase or not. He squandered it recklessly. Soon he realized that he was running out of money. So, he sold his house belongings and set sail. He was aboard a ship to live the merchants life, selling items along the coast. One night, the boat had pulled up on a shore. They were all ready to be on the island and off the boat. So, they lit a fire. The fire awoke the creature beneath them, for it was not an island but a sleeping whale. The whale responded to the heat negatively and dove straight to the bottom of the ocean. Many jumped overboard to avoid the painful death. But, Sindbad grabbed a piece of wood and held on. He gripped the wood all throughout the night and ended up on an island. After regaining his strength and full consciousness, he went in search of food. There he met an old man. The man said that he was there on a task fro...

 Osiris by Donald A Mackenzie Ra had ascended to the heavens. He could no longer stand to be on the Earth because of age and of time. But, there was a birth. He was magnificent among the savages. He was wise and brilliant and would do amazing things. Osiris was born in a time of darkness. Many people lived in disarray. They were murdering and living lawlessly. But, he restored order. He created good and binding laws. Then, he taught them how to be a functional society. He, along with his consort Iris, taught them how to survive. Then, he went on to teach other nations. He did not gain followers through conquering, but through justice, peace, and wise teachings. But, his brother, Set, was not happy for his successes. He was jealous and had evil in his heart. While Osiris was gone, he decided to stir a rebellion. He gained up to 70 followers. Upon the return of Osiris, they threw a feast. Set arrived with a golden chest that were the king's exact dimensions. After the night and the ...

  The Tale of Two Brothers  by Donald A Mackenzie There once was two brothers. The oldest was Anpu and the youngest was Bata. Bata looked up to his older brother. He thought of him like a father. Anpu was married and owned a home, in which Bata lived with them. He would tend to the crops and the animals. Every morning he would wake and make bread for Anpu and eat his share in the fields. He was content with his life just to be with his brother. One day, as Anpu and Bata were preparing for the flood, he went inside the house to retrieve some seeds. He asked Anpu's wife where they would be. She directed him, because she was doing her hair. As he left, he was struggling a bit. She asked him what was wrong and he said that it was a lot of weight on one's shoulders. She agreed and then preceded to come onto him making comments about how strong he was and how she admired it every day. He rejected her saying that he thought of her as his mother, he could never do that to his brother....

My favorite story was " The Tasks of Psyche " by Apuleius. At the beginning she looked for help in other godly temples. Out of respect for their friend and family member, they said they could not help. With a bounty on her head, it was not long before she was brought to Venus. Venus thought she could break her. What feeble and easily breakable objects humans are! So, she designed tasks for her. All the while Cupid is recovering, unaware that under the same roof, his wife is going through trials. The first task seemed impossible. Venus poured and mixed spices and twigs together, anything small truly. Then, told Psyche to separate them. She knew this was impossible. But, an ant took pity on the poor soul. The ant gathered all of his ant friends and they sorted it for her. Venus knew she did not complete this herself and that made her more angry because that means someone or something is going against her. So, she tried again. Task two was to obtain fleece from the golden sheep ...

I read the story of " The Captive Woman " by Apuleius. This was a tale told through the lens of Lucius. At this point, Lucius is a donkey. He was transformed early in the books. He is now traveling with a band of robbers. They wait until nightfall to rob people. One night, after nightfall, the robbers departed. Lucius abandoned at the camp wandered around for the night. Until, they returned with no gold or jewelry. However, they had a young woman. By the way she was dressed, it was apparent that she was of a good family, a noble family. She wailed and whined about the pain and trauma that they were going to inflict on her. But, the robbers assured her that they only wanted her for the ransom her parents would pay to have her back. She was locked in a cave and cried until she fell asleep. Shortly after falling asleep, she is jolted awake by a nightmare. The woman attempts to find anything she can to end her life. She has not lived long but she cannot imagine living in the worl...

 Ovid's Metamorphoses  My favorite tale was Echo and Narcissus. This story starts out with a prophecy. Tiresias had knowledge of the future and gave faultless answers to those who consulted. When it came to Narcissus, it was said that he would survive as long as he did not discover himself. For a long while, no one knew what that meant so they continued along their lives like everything is normal. Flash forward a few years and there was a young nymph. She was cursed by Juno to only be able to say the last thing of another person's sentence. She would repeat the last word or words of every sentence. One day, she saw Narcissus. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was strong and beautiful. However, she cannot call out to him. He had a feeling though and stepped out of his group to call to her. She responds to his words and runs to him. She flings her arms around his neck. However, after seeing her he is disgusted and he throws her off. Out of shame she runs away to...

 Ovid's Metamorphoses My favorite tale of the stories told within the first two books of Ovid's Metamorphoses is the story of Phaethon and the Sun. This is a tale about the Sun god's son. All of his life he was told that his heritage was fake and was a lie. Because his mom was the only one who lived with him, they claimed he had no godly heritage. After an argument with his mom, he went to Helios's temple. This was the quickest way to discover if he had true heritage. At his father's temple, his father embraced him and told him to be proud of his heritage for there was no denying he was his son. His father told him that he wanted him to live his best life and if there was anyway he could aide in that he would! But, Phaethon wanted to drive the chariot. This was extremely dangerous for a god and increased exponentially in danger for a mortal. His father begged him for any other request. He went through the dangers that he would be facing and the process. Phaethon was...

 Story Source :  The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922).  In this story, we are taken along a journey of a mother. A mother who wanted nothing more than to provide for her children. It was hard when two of them were very greedy and one of them wanted nothing more than a simple rose. After a long day of shopping, the mother was headed home and got terribly lost. She could not believe she forgot her way home. She ran across this beautiful castle with a beautiful garden. A sudden realization hit the mother, she had forgotten about her youngest. However, the castle had flowers to spare. As she took the flowers, a beast appeared. For payment of the flowers, he was to take her youngest. This was a price too great for the mother to pay, but she could not bargain her way out of it. She went home immediately and told her daughter what she must do. The youngest was not distraught about this at all. She went in a hurry with her mother to the castle. There she met the beast. He infor...

Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4. Week 3: Ovid's Metamorphosis Week 4: Cupid and Psyche Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6. Week 5: Ancient Egypt Week 6: Sindbad Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.] Week 7: Japanese Mythology  Week 9: Congo Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11. Week 10: Inuit Week 11: Marriage Tales Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13. Week 12: Canterbury Tales  Week 13: Faerie Queene Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15. Week 14: Inferno  Week 15: Russian I am very excited for all of these units. Mythology has always been very intriguing to me because they were spread throughout so many countries and they have such strong similarities but they are not the same. I think that I am most excited for week 3 and 4 because I love Greek mythology. I enjoy learning about the gods and each of their offsp...