Storytelling for Week 3: The Source of Hard Labor

"Grandma! I don't wanna work on the farm today!" Declion complained loudly as he sprawled out on the floor preparing for a temper tantrum.

"Declion, your mother sent you to visit your grandpa and I this summer so that you could help us out on the farm. A little hard work and elbow grease will be good for a young man lie you," grandma replied gently as grandmothers do.

"But I don't know how to do anything on a farm. I don't know how to drive a tractor or feed a herd of cattle. I don't want to help!" Declion complained even louder.

"Declion, let me tell you a story about the man you were named after. There once was huge flood that swallowed up the entire earth because the gods Jupiter and Neptune were angry at the world. The were only two survivors from the flood and their names were Deucalion and Pyrrha. They were devastated by their desolation and begged the goddess, Themis, for her help in restoring the human race. They were told by Themis that they had to, "...throw behind [them] the bones of [their] great mother."

"They had to do WHAT?" Declion asked with wide eyes.

"Haha. Patience, grandson. You will see what they meant in a moment," grandma chuckled.

"Deuclion and Pyrrha were just as confused by Themis's statement as you are. Eventually they discovered the true meaning behind Themis's demand and cast behind them the bones of their mother in the form of stones from their mother earth. The stones they threw then turned into people. 'So the toughness of our race, our ability to endure hard labour, and the proof we give of the source from which we are sprung,' grandma said slowly as the story came to an end.

"So you see my sweet grandson, you are created from the stones of the earth and have it in your bones to do the tasks I assign you on the farm," grandma said with a smile.

(From resilient stones to a resilient race. Web source: Flickr)

Authors note: For this storytelling assignment, I decided to not change anything about the actual story of Deuclion and Pyrrha, but instead to create another story around it with a lesson. I thought that this would be best accomplished by having a sweet grandmother convince her grandson that he is capable of working hard because he came from the stones of the earth.

Bibliography: "Deuclion and Pyrrha" by Tony Kline from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Websource: Un-Textbook

Week 3 Reading Diary: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4)

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Deucalion and Pyrrha: Jupiter (Zeus) and Neptune (Poseidon) cause a flood that turns all land to sea. Deucalion and Pyrrha survived the flood and Jupiter saw their innocence and had Neptune calm the floods. Deucalion is saddened when he discovers that he and his wife are the only two humans left and he then questions her loyalty to him by asking her what she would have done had she been the only one saved from the floods. The first part of this story reminded me of Noah, but now it's starting to sound more like Adam and Eve. When the goddess told them to throw the bones of their mother behind them, they believe those bones to refer to the stones of the earth. I really like that parallel. When the threw the rocks behind them, they turned into people. "So the toughness of our race, our ability to endure hard labour, and the proof we give of the source from which we are sprung." This would make a great storytelling post by using a son visiting his grandparents and complaining about having to work hard on their farm. The Grandmother can tell this story to her grandson.

Lo: Lo was a woman of beauty enough to catch the eye of Jupiter. She ran from him and he caught and raped her. Juno, Jupiter's wife looked for him and when she found him, he had just turned Lo into a cow to hide her identity. Since Jupiter is known for being unfaithful, Juno had an idea that the cow was a really a woman. So Juno asked for the cow as a gift. Lo flees to her family for help upon learning of her new form. In the end, she returns to her natural form.

Phaethon and the Sun: Phaethon was son of the Sun, although he was not claimed. He had to ask him mother forcefully if he truly was the son of the Sun. Phaethon goes to the Sun gods temple to seek him and is welcomed by his father. Phaethon asks for his father's chariot - uh oh. His father warns of the dangers of riding the chariot.

Phaethon's Ride: Phaethon let his quest to be high and mighty cloud his judgement. As I had assumed the task of controlling the horses was too much for him and he dropped the reins from fear. Classic example of a child not heading a parents warning and having to learn a life lesson themselves (although it's a but more complicated in this case!). The earth caught fire as a result and Earth was confused by why she was being punished.

The Death of Phaethon: I love the way the author wrote this phrase, "...his right hand threw it from eye-level at the charioteer, removing him, at the same moment, from the chariot and from life, extinguishing fire with fierce fire." Phaethon's sisters spent so much time grieving over him that they turned to trees. Sometimes when a life is ended, we must learn how to move on so that we are not forever stuck in our grief. The Sun god mourns his loss and blames Jupiter.

Callisto: Go figure that Jupiter against allows his lust to control him and falls in love with and rapes the nymph, Callisto. Jupiter had impregnated her and she was shunned by the goddess, Diana for her lack of purity. Instead of placing the blame on Jupiter, Juno punishes Callisto by turning her into a bear. Jupiter made Callisto and her son, Arcas into constellations, "the Great and Little Bear."

Semele: Again, Jupiter could not stay faithful, and sought companionship with another women, whom he again impregnated. Juno believes that she will be frowned upon by others if she does not punish Semele for baring Jupiter's child. Semele ended up punishing herself for wishing for something that was too great for her to handle in the midst of greed.

Echo: Echo lost her ability to speak normally because she used to be the one who kept Venus occupied while the other nymphs ran off after a time with Jupiter. When Juno became aware of this, she took Echo's ability to speak normally away and can now only repeat the last words of someone else. The way the author played on Narcissus's words and Echo's repeating phrases was fun to read.

Narcissus: Narcissus become thirsty and, "While he desires to quench his thirst, a different thirst is created." Narcissus discovers himself and is disheartened when that love he seeks cannot be obtained. Echo is sad for Narcissus's pain mirroring the same feelings someone in modern day has when the one they love does not want them and they only wish that person happiness. Narcissus turns into a flower.

Pyramus and Thisbe: The more you cannot have something, the more you want it. The two lovers planned to meet in secret. Pyramus comes to the meeting spot at thinks that Thisbe is dead, so he kills himself from guilt and depression. Of course, Thisbe find Pyramus this way and kills herself out of love as well.

Mars and Venus: Venus and Mars were having an affair, so her husband - being the craftsman he is - devised a contraption that caught them in their unfaithful act. The husband. Vulcan puts the couple on display as punishment.

Perseus and Andromeda:  Perseus turned Altas into Mount Atlas using Medusa's head after being refused hospitality. Perseus rescues Andromeda and demands her hand from her parents as reward.

Perseus and Medusa: Perseus is faced by a dangerous sea serpent, which he eventually defeats. He then frees and marries Andromeda. Perseus tells of how he defeated Medusa and how her head now adorns the shield belonging to Athena.

Google Search-by-Image Tech Tip

The image that I picked for this assignment is the Iguaza Falls, which look incredibly beautiful! Take a look;

(Iguazu Falls: Wikipedia)

Famous Last Words: Week 2

For this weeks Famous Last Words post, I would like to reflect on my week overall. With school getting into the swing of things and life and work also in full gear, this past week was quite busy! Each day I wake up at 6:45 a.m., get myself ready for the day and sit and sip on a cup of coffee for at least ten minutes of quite calm reflection time before really starting my day. I then bike two miles from my apartment to campus and - depending on the day - go to class or go to the library to catch up on some work. If it is a Tuesday or Thursday where I don't have class until 10:30, I usually use the time between 8-10 to work on medical school secondary applications, which I am extremely happy to have finally finished this past week! After class, I have just enough time to bike back home, change into work clothes, cram a sandwich down, and then jump into my car and head to work. Once at work, I spend the next 6 hours of the day caring for patients at the physical therapy clinic I have been working at for the past almost two years. When the last patient leaves the clinic, I head home, eat dinner around 8:30 p.m. and then get a couple hours of studying/homework in before going to bed and starting all over again. So ya, this will be my life for this semester and most likely the next. It should be very busy, but also hopefully enlightening time in my life where a lot is going on and changing. Outside of the normal weekly activities, this week was especially exciting because I actually got to scrub in and be very up close and personal during a operation that surgeon I have been following was performing. Before that, I had to watch from a least a 5 foot distance, which makes it a little more difficult to see everything going on in the surgery.

(Morning Cup of Joe: Wikipedia)

Week 2 Essay: The Power of Love

This week I read the story about Cupid and Psyche. I did not know anything about the background of the story before reading, so it was kind of fun to enter into it blind. I was surprised to discover that this story, like many other, dealt with the idea of forbidden love. Cupid was fully aware that his marriage to Psyche would be entirely against his mother’s wishes, but he chose to trust Psyche not to uncover his identity so that he could keep her as his. Just like most other forbidden love stories, this one also ended with the couple’s love being exposed and – in this particular case – literally tested. It is very interesting how easily love can be torn apart in life and yet it seems to always have a way of coming back together in the end. Even when Psyche had once again let her human nature get in the way of being with Cupid by opening the box Venus sent her to obtain, Cupid chose to forgive her faults and take her back into his arms. Whereas the young woman and her betrothed in the beginning of the story were separated by an external force, Cupid and Psyche were separated by Psyche's doubt and curiosity. There are so many factors that can play a role in ending a relationship, both stories and life, that it is inspiring to see an elderly couple walking down the street after fifty-plus years together. Sometimes love is challenged and strained from society and other obligations. Self-doubt, curiosity, envy, and anger all certainly contribute to the darker side of human nature. Also, work commitments and the stress of making it through the daily struggles of everyday life, can have a huge impact on your relationship, but when love can overcome all of those negative aspects, it is a pretty spectacular thing.

(Cupid and Psyche, Web source: Wikipedia)

Storytelling Week 2: No Girl is Good Enough for my Baby Boy!

"Mom! I'm home!" Cupid shouted at he walked in the door.

"Oh, honey! It's so good to see y- Oh my goodness! What on earth happened to your shoulder?" Cupid's mother, Venus, exclaimed.

Cupid's shoulder was wrapped tightly with thick white bandages and held in a sling.

He hung his head and sighed before replying, "well, Psyche and I got into a bit of an argument and I accidentally bumped into the cabinet. I apparently managed to hit it just hard enough to knock off a candle that had been lit all day and the hot wax spilled all over my shoulder. Since I was so angry with Psyche, I didn't let her help me and the wound got worse."

"That's awful my sweet son! I warned you not to marry a worthless and cruel woman like Psyche!" Venus said hotly.

"No, no, mother. It wasn't anyone's fault. We just had a slight misunderstanding!" Cupid claimed.

"Fine. Fine. Go get some sleep and rest that injured arm of yours," Venus demanded.

Ever Since Cupid and Psyche secretly got married against Venus's wishes, she had held a grudge against Psyche. She was determined to think that Psyche was only after Cupid's vast inheritance and had no real life skills for herself.

*Knock knock knock*

"Who on earth could that be?" Venus wondered.

As she opened the door, a scowl instantly took over her face. Standing on Venus's front porch was Psyche begging to come in a see her husband.

"How dare you show up at my home after causing my poor son so much pain!" Venus snarled at Psyche.

"I'm so sorry, Venus! I never meant for Cupid to get hurt. I just got a little heated at him because he never wants to spend any time with me during the day! I just sit at home alone with absolutely nothing to do!" Psyche pleaded. "Please. May I see him?"

"Until you can prove to me that you are a woman deserving of my son's love, you may not see Cupid! If you can successfully complete three tasks that I give you, than I will leave you and Cupid alone and you two can live a happy life together without fear of my interference," Venus told Psyche coldly.

(Cupid and Psyche from Wikimedia Commons)

Authors Note: For this week's storytelling assignment, I chose to take a spin off of four of the chapters from the Cupid and Psyche Unit. In the story, Cupid and Psyche are a married couple and Cupid only comes to see Psyche at night when she cannot see him. When Psyche decides one night to ignite a lamp and finally see her husband's face, she is drawn to his handsomeness and accidentally burns his shoulder with the lamp as she kisses him. I decided to switch this story around a bit and make it a little more modern and have the burn that causes Cupid to go to his mother, Venus's, home to come from a candle burn. Also like in the story, Venus holds much hatred for Psyche. In the original version, Venus is thrilled to see Psyche arrive at her doorstep so that she can torture her with impossible tasks. In my version, I have Venus angry at Psyche for showing up, but she still gives the opportunity of winning her favor by completing tasks that would have also been difficult to achieve.

Bibliography: "Cupid and Psyche" translation by Tony Kline. Website: Un-Textbook

Reading Diary Week Two: Cupid and Pysche

Apuleius: The Captive Woman: Begins with Lucius speaking in first person. I found his line, "Even to an ass like me, she seemed a girl to cover," to be hilariously ironic. I was surprised at the robbers kindness towards the girl they kidnapped. They seemed to have no intention of harm towards her. I was even more surprised by the old woman's snappiness towards the young woman (although it was quite warranted from all her crying.)

Her Dream: The young woman begs forgiveness and explains that she was so upset because she was kidnapped on her wedding day. The poor young woman envisioned one of the robbers killing her finance as he looked for her.

Psyche's Beauty: Psyche, of course, was the most beautiful of the three sisters and was a princess. She was the most idealistic version of the perfect woman; beauty beyond compare (except maybe to Venus), a "virgin flower," and gazed upon by all. Venous, mother of Cupid, was obviously not a fan of being forgotten because of a new face. Venus begged her son to make Psyche fall desperately in love with a worthless man.

The Oracle of Apollo: Psyche's beauty surprisingly was only adored and not sought after by men wishing to make her their wife. Her father went to Apollo for an oracle reading of his daughter's future and was incredibly disturbed by what he heard. I had not been expected this twist in the story. The phrase "...living corpse was led," really created a powerful image of the situation.

The Magical Palace: "Now her desire to gaze on all these beautiful things led her to examine every object closely." This phrase makes me wonder if the story is alluding to needing to look closer at her own beauty. Psyche was in a beautiful home that the "voices" claimed to be hers, although she still did not know who her future husband was.

The Mysterious Husband:  Psyche's new husband remained unknown to her even after making her his wife. I found it interesting that her husband was so determined to keep his identity hidden he was willing to fall prey to Psyche's pleasantly sly words.

The Jealousy of Psyche's Sisters: It's funny that Psyche had not only been tormented by the envy of Venus, but now also by her own sisters who were just recently mourning for her. The tide can turn so quickly.

Psyche's Husband Warns Her: The same two sisters that were just mourning their youngest sisters death were not plotting her murder. Psyche's husband tempts her with the promise of a divine child if she agrees not to pursue knowing his face. Psyche, in ignorance, begged to see her sisters again.

Fears and Doubts:  The sisters have not tried anything violent on their first visit back. The second day they remind Psyche of the oracle and it's words that she will marry a man that is horrid. The sisters try to scare her into discovering the face of her husband. The sisters convince Psyche to turn on a light while her husband is asleep just long enough to see him and then decapitate him. She now had to choose between Family and Love.

Psyche's Husband Revealed: "The rest of his body was smooth and gleaming, such that Venus had no regrets at having borne such a child." He must have been quite attractive for that statement to be true! Anther line that I really liked came from when Psyche pricked her finger with Cupids arrow and, "fell further in love with Love himself, so that now inflamed with desire for Desire, she leaned over Cupid." Venus wanted Cupids arrow to cause Psyche to fall in love with a worthless man, so it's interesting that it caused her to fall in love with Cupid himself. Cupid was displeased and hurt and threatened Psyche and her sisters.

Psyche's Despair: Psyche tried to kill herself because of her anguish at her husbands departure, which was a selfish thing for a pregnant woman to do. Psyche wound up at her sisters castle and recounted the story of discovering Cupid. Cupid had told Psyche when he left her that he would bed her sister. When Psyche told her sister this, instead of being horrified, the sister ran to the cliff and jumped with the failed expectation of being caught my Zaphyr. The other sisters story was the same.


Venus and the Goddess: Venus learns that Cupid is (was) seeing someone and that someone was Psyche. Obviously, she was very angry at this, which is funny since she was not one to talk about married life. I loved how Juno and  Ceres got onto Venus for being so blindly angry at her son.

Psyche's Prayer: Ceres, Venus's aunt, finds Psyche tidying up her temple (although Psyche did not know whose it was). Ceres warns her of Venus's wrath.Ceres turned Psyche away from her safety choosing her loyalty to Venus. Juno, Venus's aunt, did the same.

Venus and Mercury: Psyche finally stopped thinking about who could save her and starting thinking about how she could save herself. Her solution was surrender. Venus goes to Mercury (messenger god) to tell announce a reward for Psyche's discovery. Psyche shows up to Venus' home.

Venus and Psyche:  Venus wants to call Psyche's unborn child illegitimate because of her illegitimate wedding. Venus tortured Psyche. Then gave her a hard task, which ants helped her with.

Psyche's Next Task: Venus kept Psyche and Cupid separated. Psyche's next task was to get wool from golden sheep, which were very hot and crazed from the sun. Psyche waited till evening and then collected wool from the tree branches were it was stuck.

The Third Task: The most dangerous yet. Providence, Jupiter's eagle, assisted Psyche.

The Jar of Beauty: Venus sends Psyche to the underworld for yet another task of obtaining more beauty from Proserpine. Another helper given Psyche very complex instructions on how to get to the underworld and back without being stuck there. Once Psyche had come back to the mortal world, Envy started to creep its way into her and she decided to take a drop of "beauty" for herself.

The Sleep of the Dead: Wen she opened the jar, it was not beauty inside, but sleep. Cupid found her and "wiped away the sleep." Cupid goes to Jupiter for help against Venus, Jupiter only asks him for a woman of "outstanding beauty."

The Wedding Feast: Jupiter marries Cupid and Psyche even though he sees Cupid as a reckless and "hotheaded" boy. Jupiter also makes Psyche immortal.
Now we are back to the story with the old woman, young woman, and ass. Lucius gets hurt and the robbers want to toss him over a cliff.

The Escape:  Lucius tries to muster the courage to escape. When he tries, the old woman tried to stop him. Then out of nowhere, the young woman frees Lucius and climbs onto his back to win her own freedom as well. The "..princess fled her captors, riding on an ass." Such a funny image to leave off with.