Week 2 Reading Overview

When I looked through the different units offered in this course, I was excited about many. One of which is the Cupid and Psyche unit. One of my friends took a class about love in literature, and she ranted to me about how amazing the myth of Eros and Psyche is. I am excited to read a version of the tale and see why my friend liked it so much. I also know some of the myths featured in Ovid II, such as the myth of Hades and Persephone. I'm filled to the brim with inspiration for ways I can retell it. I am also looking forward to the King Arthur unit because the stories of Camelot and Excalibur have been with me since childhood. Another group of stories I am familiar with is the Grimm fairy tale collection. I'm happy to have a chance to retell some of these classics.

Some units aren't very familiar to me. Arabian Nights and Beowulf were both featured in my English literature class, but we only read excerpts. The Monkey King is not a story I am familiar with, but I know stories based off of it. Any anime fan knows about the Dragon Ball series. However, many may not know that Dragon Ball has roots from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, sometimes called The Monkey King. Dragon Ball's protagonist Son Goku is even named after the Monkey King's original Chinese name, Sun Wukong.

I am also curious about the Native American units that featured trickster-heroes Raven and Coyote. I've always been a fan of the "trickster" deities in mythology. Godly figures such as Prometheus, Loki, and Hermes have been more enjoyable to read about due to their dual nature in mythology. Traditionally, worshippers portray tricksters, to some degree, as the bad guy to discourage wild behavior, but in more modern views, they are convenient scapegoats for their pantheon. The image below is Loki's depiction is one manuscript, which shows the more malign aspect of Loki's character by appearance.

Loki from Norse mythology
Image from the 18th-Century Icelandic manuscript SÁM 66, written by Jakob Sigurðsson.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

One myth this showcases this is the myth about the fortification of Asgard. In it, giant smith says he will build Asgard a defensive wall in return for the Sun, the Moon, and the goddess Freya's hand in marriage. The gods object to his terms, but when Loki thinks of a plan to get the wall without paying the smith, the gods agree to it. However, when things don't work out according to plan, the gods blame Loki. They rebuke Loki's trickster nature but go with it when it is convenient. The two-faced nature of the other gods eclipses Loki's trickster character because Loki is honest about his duplicity. This human-like theme in trickster-featured myths is more enjoyable to me compared to a good versus evil story. Because of this, I am excited to see a portrayal depict a trickster with heroic traits.

Outside of this course, a couple of stories I think everyone should know are the Japanese fairy tale of Princess Kaguya and the Cinderella-esque Russian Tale The Feather of Finist the Falcon.

My Reading Overview Plan of the Semester:

Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4.

Week 3: Cupid and Psyche
Week 4: Ovid II

Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6.

Week 5: Arabian Nights
Week 6: Turkish Fairy Tales

Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.]

Week 7: The Monkey King
Week 9: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki)

Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11.

Week 10: British North America
Week 11: Alaska

Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13.

Week 12: King Arthur
Week 13: Beowulf

Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15.

Week 14: Brothers Grimm (Hunt)
Week 15: Brothers Grimm (Crane)