Mythology & Folklore

( IMAGINE Graphic Created with Canva ) I chose the word "imagine" as a base for my acronym because I wanted some last minute motivation going into the end of the semester. The words I chose for the letters in imagine are all positive verbs that are meant to be read as commands. Innovate, motivate, achieve, grow, inspire, nurture, and exceed are all inspiring verbs meant to help motivate people to be the best at what ever they have set out to do. 

I had no idea this feature existed! I will definitely be using Google timer next semester. I find that breaking my studying/homework/writing time into small segments (45 minutes usually) with short breaks in between helps to keep me from getting burned out and tired. I usually use the timer feature of my phone but I like that I can have the Google timer running in another tab on my browser so it is right there where I am working. Google timer is great! ( Alice in Wonderland White Rabbit Created with Giphy )

Well, it is 12:31 AM and the final assignments for this class are due in roughly 12 hours. So in true Erika fashion, I am doing everything at the last minute! I can't really use this post to plan for next week so I am going to use it as more of a reflection. The readings for this week were super fun and I loved getting to learn about Russian fairy tales mostly because of their connection to the Polish folktales used in The Witcher video game and book series that I am a huge nerd for. As for my writing this week I actually really like the storytelling post I wrote this week and I am kinda bummed that it probably won't be read by anyone since this is the end of the semester. But at least I know that it was good. I also revised a creative non-fiction piece for my creative writing class that I am very excited about. For next week, I won't be doing anything for this class since it is over. I also don't have any traditional finals, just 4 papers due on the same day. Oh, joy.

( Susa-No-Wo the Serpent from MrPsMythopedia) "The Labors of Yamato - The Dragon" reminiscent of the labors of Hercules from Greek myth Hydra chose this unit because I have a novel idea in the works rooted in East Asian mythology begins with Yamato descending Mt. Fujiyama with the Sacred Sword realizes that Benten the sorcerous did not love him and was using him to retrieve the sacred sword  before he could return home to Tacibana the one who loved him he had to confront Benten  he goes to their meeting place and sees Benten's golden scales beneath the jade-green water he dives after the siren (Benten) and is swallowed by a giant wave he sinks like a stone he sinks and feels himself being "enveloped in the folds of a loathly serpent" Benten sings her siren song that says she will hold him forever he can only be saved by a beautiful goddess that loves him more than Benten Tacibana in the depths, he begins to hear Tacibana whose hair

( Leshen from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt) I watch as she wanders through the wood. It is obvious that she is lost and I so wish that I could help! But what can I do? I am the spirit of the wood I know every stone, tree, and creature. I could tell her she is wandering too far from her village. I could tell her the wood is a dangerous place after sunset. I could tell her what monsters lurk in the dark. But alas, in her eyes I am the monster that lurks in the dark. Her people tell stories of my monstrous nature. I am their Leshen. To the humans of the village on the outskirts of my wood, I am a demon creature that feeds on children and kidnaps maidens. If only they knew I am the only thing stopping the real demons from invading their precious home. I am the protector spirit of this forest. I am flesh and bone, wood and earth. My monstrous size is daunting but I am, at my center, a gentle creature. I serve the natural world around me and protect both the wood and village from harm.

"The Soldier and the Vampire" a soldier goes to his native village on furlough stops at his friend the miller's house to visit drinks into the late evening - the sun had set the miller begs him to stay the night so that he does not run into trouble on the way to the village in the dark the soldier refuses and asks why the miller is so worried the miller tells him a great warlock has died and comes back to life after sundown and wreaks havoc the soldier leaves anyway on the way to the village, he sees the warlock near a fire at the foot of his grave sewing boots the soldier stops and asks the warlock what he is doing the warlock asks the soldier why he has come the soldier says to see what he is doing the warlock then invites him to a wedding in the village when they arrive at the wedding the warlock revels and is merry after a while, the warlock becomes angry and chases everyone away he then draws blood into vials from the bride and groom's palms

(Leshen from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt) "The Leshy" I liked this story the most out of this unit because I recognized the Leshy creature's relation to the Leshen monster in The Witcher video game and book series.  A leshy or leshen is a humanoid creature that has both animal and plant-like qualities and is usually male animal-like qualities can include antlers like a deer or hooves like a goat tree-like qualities can include horns made from tree branches and leaves attached to the hair or skin of the creature.  in this story, a priests daughter goes missing in the woods for 3 years a huntsman and his dog are wandering through the woods and come upon a leshy sitting on a fallen log the leshy looks both old and young and the huntsman notes this in his mind but does not say it out loud the leshy reads his mind and answers that he is old and calls himself the father of the devil the huntsman shoots the leshy in the gut but he does not die immediately drag

"Seven-Headed Serpent" a modern Greek tale reminiscent of Greek mythology Hydra (multi-headed dragon) Minotaur (sending young people to be eaten) a king sets out on an adventure finds a land inhabited by animals also, rivers flowing with precious stones kills the lions resting near these rivers push inland and come to a talking lake the lake warns them that their king will soon awake and instructs the men to take off their clothes and lay it on a path so that the king may walk on a soft surface the men do so because the lake claims it will save their lives the king awakes and exists his castle with an entourage of animals, walks on the soft surface, demands to know where the clothes came from the men came forward and told their story the king (seven-headed serpent) said that they must send 24 youths from their homeland every year for him to eat as a punishment for daring to set foot on his land men return to their land and bring youths as promised for year