Possible Styles for Storybook

For my storybook I have decided to write about the avatars of Vishnu. For my storybook I am going to use the avatars Rama, Vamana, Parashrama, and Mohini. From reading the legends on Wikipedia and doing some additional searches, these seemed to interest me the most. I wanted to add a strong female character in my storybook and Mohini is the perfect choice for that strong female character. I am going to include my character from my first storybook in the myths and folklore class. I am excited to have a demigod and the avatars of Vishnu work together to save the world.

I am definitely have the story of Rama and Ravana in my storybook. Since we have already read Ramayana, I plan on having the battle between Rama and Ravana be a story in my storybook. I hope to have some of the side characters in Ramayana, such as Hanuman. Also I would like to use the story of Mohini, the enchantress, where she is able to trick the demon into turning himself into ash. The story of Vamana could possible be used in my storybook. Vamana is able to defeat a king by tricking him. The last story I could possible use is the story of Parashrama. He kills the evil king who killed his father.

Mohini and Bhasmasura- Source

Quest, Mysteries, and Adventures- This is a really easy choice for my storybook because my storybook is going to center around the adventures of the avatars of Vishnu. I really like the idea of having modern day avatars go through similar adventures that their older selves went through but with a modern twist.

Mentor, “Sage”, as Narrator-I think it would be really cool to have my original character be a mentor to the modern day avatars. Being on these adventures would allow my original character to write these stories down, as to be a guide for future avatars that may not know exactly what they need to do to save the world.

Magical Books and Manuscripts- I really like the idea of having the avatars try and find the Book of Vishnu. If they are able to acquire these manuscripts they will be able to learn the secrets of how their past selves defeated their mortal enemies. This idea is very similar to the quest and adventures style.

Time Travel- Since I am a huge sci-fi nerd it would be really fun to have a storybook involving time travel. I would love to have a storybook similar to the storyline of Doctor Who. It would be cool to be able to time travel to when the original avatars were committing all these great feats! The Doctor always needs a companion so why not have a few who wanted to travel back and see the avatars first hand?

Bibliography

Story for Rama. Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic.

Story for Vamana- Online Source

Story for Parashrama- Online Source

Story for Mohini- Online Source

Storytelling Week 3- From Vali's point of view

“ I have done it! I have slain the mighty demon,” said Vali. “ I am the mightiest being in all the land! Nothing can stand in my way! I can finally return home! I have missed my family very much. It will be good to see my brother’s face again.” Vali traveled day and night until he finally reached the entrance to where he had chased the great demon, Mayavi, underground. To Vali surprise the entranced had been blocked! Vali yelled, “ how could my own brother betray me!? I have never wronged him in anyway! I shall annihilate him from this very existence!” Vali burst through the entrance with the anger of a raging bull. Nothing could stop him from having his revenge on his brother.

Vali arrived back at his city in no time. He burst through the doors of his palace and yelled, “brother come fight me for my throne! If you think that a punny rock could stop me from returning you are sadly mistaken!” Vali brother, Sugreeva, arrived in the throne room ecstatic to see his long lost brother. Vali saw his brother and proceed to grab him and throw him around the room. He had no problem overpowering Sugreeva. Nothing Sugreeva said made a difference to Vali. Vali was in a bloodlust rage, and the only thing that would satisfy it was killing his brother. “How could you Sugreeva? I trusted you! You tried to deny me returning to my throne, now I will end your life,” said Vali. Sugreeva was able to slip out of Vali’s grasp just at the last second, and Sugreeva began to run.

Vali raced after Sugreeva shouting, “no matter where you go brother I will find you! I will chase you to the end of time if that is what it takes for me to get my revenge! You shall have no peace in this life as long as I am alive.” Sugreeva knew of one place that he would be safe. It was upon Mt. Matanga that Sugreeva was able to find escape his brother. Vali knew better than to come upon this mountain for it would spell certain doom for him. “You will come down from that mountain one day brother, and upon that day I will kill you for your treachery!”

Author’s Note-I can really relate this part of the story in The Ramayana about Vali and his brother Sugreeva. I think the reason I relate to it is because I have a brother and there has been a few times that we have gotten into an argument from a misunderstanding. I think all siblings at some point have had this happen to them. I think that it is a common topic in many literatures for siblings to fight.  I decided to tell this story from Vali view. I thought that it would be interesting to see how it felt to be on the other side. Since it is just assumed that Vali is such a bad person I wanted to write so that he had a voice since in the story we don’t hear his side. I had a tough time making this story flow really well because I wasn’t sure on how I wanted Vali to be perceived. He is a very easy person to not like because of what Sugreeva told in the stories. I kept up with the story in the fact that Sugreeva was never able to tell Vali what had really happened, but Vali jumped to conclusion without allowing Sugreeva the opportunity to explain himself.

Mighty Vali. Source

Bibliography

Story retold on pgs. 92-94.

Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic.

A traditional rendering of Vali from Wikipedia

Reading Diary B: Week 3- Rama and Ravana

• I really enjoyed seeing Hanuman destroying all of Lanka after Ravana tried to kill him. Also it was really good to see that Ravana brother saved Hanuman from being killed.
• It was interesting to see just how honorable Rama is. He accepts his enemy’s brother for asylum even though all his generals think that he shouldn’t.
• The part about building the bridge was interesting. I thought it showed Rama’s determination to save Sita. Since he was willing to destroy the sea if it didn’t help them in their journey. It was funny to see that even a little squirrel was rolling pebbles to help fill the sea.
• I was shocked to see that Rama didn’t try to kill Ravana when he was injured and without a  weapon. It shows his true character. Also I can’t believe that he offered to spare Ravana if he restored Sita to him.
• The battle between Ravana and Rama was great. It was back and forth trying to counter each others attacks. I loved that Rama had just as many special arrows as Ravana. Also I loved that even when Ravana used all his arms, Rama was able to counter.

Also I am glad that in the end Rama and Sita were reunited.

Rama and Sita. Source

Reading Diary A: Week 3- Rama and Sugreeva

Pages 89-130

• I found it interesting that Vali didn’t even try to find out why it was he was entombed. He just assumed that his brother Sugreeva wanted the throne. It seems odd that he would jump to conclusions like that because they seemed quite close before the whole ordeal.
• I liked how Rama justified his actions to Vali. In the end I was glad to see Vali recognized his wrongdoings.
• Rama really seems to be struggling with that fact he let Shita get captured. During this time his thoughts are very dark. I think he would have given up if it hadn’t been for Lakshmana. Lakshmana is a good at reaching Rama in this dark time. He is able to give Rama hope.
• If Tara hadn’t been smart, I think that Lakshmana would have destroyed the town. She is quick and leveled headed. I also like that she speaks her mind.
• It is funny that Sugreeva wanted nothing but to serve Rama, but he couldn’t resist the pleasures in the world. In the end I was glad to see that he was able to admit his mistake to Rama and that he swore off of alcohol.
• Hanuman is very loyal to Rama. He takes every detail about Shita to heart. He wants to serve Rama well.
• I am glad to see that Hanuman is able to reach his potential when he is able to grow so that he can cross the ocean to find Shita.

Rama waiting to strike. Source

Possible Storybook Topics

Possible Choice-For my storybook this year I am really interested in looking more into the the avatars of the gods! In the myths and folklore class I did a storybook on demigods, half Greek god. half human. For this class I would really like to try and bridge my previous storybook with this new one. I would really like to try and include Rama in this storybook because he is the main character of the book we are currently reading and because of this I would have plenty of material to help construct my own story with. 

Research so far: If I decided to not use Rama, I would be interested in using the avatar, Vamana, he is half dwarf and being the fantasy reader I am this sounds great. I did some research on Wikipedia about Vamana. He came into the world to make the King Mahabali remember his place. He was a very benevolent king, but he had become too pompous. If I decided to use Vamana I would probably have to make the king a much darker character to add to the drama of the story.

Possible idea-I have would be to write my storybook about Hanuman. Hanuman was the monkey god. He was also one of the most devout followers of Rama. I think it would be fun to write a storybook involving a monkey god! Since he is also involved in Ramayana I would have plenty of material to pick from to help with ideas for my storybook. 

Research- On Wikipedia it seems that Hanuman has the ability to shapeshift. This ability could make for a really awesome attribute to my story. He is also one of the immortals of Hinduism. I think he would be an excellent character to write a storybook about.

Possible idea- I also think it would be fun to do a powerfully female character for my storybook. It seems like most of the epics revolve around men, but I would like to see a women become the central figure. I think Shita would be a great choice for this. She is the wife of Rama.

Research- Since she is in Ramayana there would be ample information I could use for the storybook. I have done some research about her on Wikipedia. After everything she had to endure in her life, she would be an excellent choice.

Possible idea- I would like to have a storybook involving the Rakshasas. They are the demons that the gods and humans fight. It would be fun to have a storybook involving them because there are already great epics involving a hero that must slay them. 

Research- One specific one that would be enjoyable to have in my storybook would be Ravanna. He is the main rakshasas in the book Ramayana. So it would be fun to have Ravanna be ruler of the world, and have some young hero realize his destiny, and have the battle to save the world.

Ravanna doing battle. Source.

Indian Epics Overview

I am really looking forward to starting this class! I have never had a class on Indian culture or history so this will be a great opportunity to learn about it. I think it will be interesting to read the same story written by two different people because of their different backgrounds. I am excited to see how their different lives will affect their stories. Also I really liked hearing the Indian music. I have never really heard before, but the song that was in the overview was really entertaining! I have read some epic literature before The Game of Thrones. I absolutely love these books! They are amazing works of literature. One topic that I am really interested in learning about are avatars. When I took the Myths and Folklore class I wrote a storybook on demigods, and for this class I would like to try and incorporate avatars in my storybook.

Ganesha with his consorts. Image Source

I chose this picture because I have seen Ganesha image before. I don't know a lot about Ganesha, but I am excited to find out more information about Ganesha.

Storybook Favorite

The first storybook I chose was “The Herculean Hanuman.” I picked this storybook because of the word herculean. I have always had a love for Greek mythology, and this story book had herculean on the title, which made me think of the Greek demigod Hercules. I really liked the introduction. The author did a great job at laying the groundwork for a great story. A reason I really liked this story was because it gives the gods a very personal demeanor. I really liked this fact. It makes the gods seem like they really care about humanity. Also when I looked at who the author was it turned out to be a guy I went to high school with.

The second storybook I read was “ The Four Elements.” I chose to read this storybook because I was interested in reading about how the four elements fit into this class. I really like how the author presented their thesis for their story. The way they took the approach to relate how each element relates to each of the gods death and births. Also I really liked how the author has a really passion for what they are writing. The way they write makes me really want to keep on reading their storybook.

For my final storybook I read “RateMyRishi.com.”  I picked to read this storybook because of the title. I was not disappointed with this storybook. It was so well written! The author has done a great job making this storybook entertaining. I loved the design of the storybook. Especially at the end of introduction with the links to follow the website on twitter and like them on facebook. The stories also sound very interesting. I like the idea of having everyone being able to review their teachers. I definitely would read the rest of this storybook.

From the storybook RateMyRishi.com

Introduction

First hunt of the break. (Image information: Personal photo)

Well hello all, my name is Shane Holloway, and I am a junior at OU. I am majoring in chemical engineering with minors in Spanish and chemistry. I am from a small town in the Northeast corner of Oklahoma called Pryor. I have been told I have a country accent. When I graduate I would love to get a job working for pharmaceutical company helping develop cures for many diseases. I am a manager for the OU baseball team. I have done that since I was a freshmen at OU. I hope to one day travel to every Spanish speaking country! I just love the thought of seeing everything that is in the world! I am a huge nerd! I love to read, play video games. I own a Kindle Fire so if I am not studying or working you can bet I am reading on there. I am a huge fan of Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Castle. I also love sports. I played baseball all through high school. I am a big New York Yankees fan. I actually grew up next door to a former baseball player. He and his wife would watch me for my parent when I was little. My parents say they would come pick me up and I would be in all of his old Yankees gear and he would let me wear his World Series rings. One of my favorite series is the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. Also I am a avid hunter and fisherman. It is one of my favorite things to do. During winter break I go duck hunting with all of my best friends. Since we all go to different schools this is a special time for us. This is one of my favorite things about coming home for winter break is getting to see those guys and my family.

Storytelling Week 1- The Championship

On the eve of the championship baseball game, our player was practicing by himself. Many of his friends had come to give him advice during the week on what he needed to do to be prepared for the game at the end of the week. The player had many friends from other schools who came to give him advice on what to do. Many of his friends said to take 100 extra swings before the game. Others would say he needed to take so many ground balls for practice.  Some told him to get plenty hours of sleep. Others said he needed to eat healthy so he would be well fed for the game. Our player took all these things into consideration. He wanted to be the best player for his team so that they would have a great chance to win the championship game.

He took over 100 extra swings. He took extra ground balls. He made sure he ate well, and that he got plenty of sleep. The player listened to all the advice he had been given except for one person’s advice. The person’s advice he didn’t listen to was the advice of a player from a rival high school. The player from the rival high school had told him that he didn’t need to take any extra swings. He didn’t need to take any extra ground balls. He didn’t need to get any extra hours of sleep. Also he didn’t need to eat well. He told our player that he was already so good that he didn’t need to do anything. The rival wanted to sabotage our player because our player and his team had beat the rival’s team out of the game before. Our player knew that he didn’t need to listen to his rival. His rival was trying to hurt him and his team. Our player decided he wasn’t going to listen to his rival, he was going to listen to his friends and family who all wanted him and his team to succeed. The moral of this story is that you need to be wary of the advice of some people because their motives may not always be pure.

Author’s Note: For this story I change the setting and the characters quite a bit. In the original fable, the Greek god Zeus is getting married. All the animals bring gifts. A snake brings a gift in his mouth. Zeus said he wouldn’t accept his gift because he didn’t trust the snake. The moral of the original fable is favors of wicked people are frightening. I made the setting a modern scene of taking place on Olympus. Instead of a wedding of the gods, I made my story about a championship baseball game. Also I changed the characters from Zeus and animals to real people.


Bibliography: Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura Gibbs. Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002. Link to the story.

Field of Dreams. 

My favorite places

These are a few pictures of some of my favorite places. I am a big hunter and fishermen so I absolutely love the outdoors.

                                                              Going to be a great hunt!

Let's catch some fish!

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