Wikipedia Trails

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Mayan Pot
Ceremonial pot

Wikipedia Trails Week 11 From Xibalba to Mayan ceramics

Xibalba

Xibalba - Wikipedia

Roughly translated as “place of fear,” it is the name given to the underworld in K’iche’ Maya mythology. The underworld was ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. Traditionally the entrance was thought to be in the vicinity of Coban, Guatemala. However, cave systems in nearby Belize have also been referred to as the entrance to Xibalba. The Milky Way is viewed as the road to Xibalba in some Maya areas. Described in the Popol Vuh as a court below the surface of the Earth. It has twelve gods or powerful rulers known as the Lords of Xibalba. The structure of Xibalba was of a large place with five or six houses that served as the first test of Xibalba and the Xibalban ballcourt. It is believed to have been a great city.

Maya Hero Twins - Wikipedia

The main characters in the K’iche’ document called Popol Vuh. The twins are called Hunahpu and Xbalanque, complementary forces - life and death, sky and earth, day and night, sun and moon. The myth in the Popol Vuh says that the twins were ballplayers and from the seed of their dead father, who was sacrificed in the Underworld. To avenge their father, they defeated the lords of the Underworld in a ballgame. They eventually were transformed into the sun and moon, signaling the beginning of a new age

Popol Vuh

Popol Vuh - Wikipedia

The Popol Vuh is a creation narrative telling the history and mythology of the K’iche’ people prior to the arrival of the Spanish people in the region of Guatemala. Its stories were preserved through oral tradition until it was recorded in 1550. It is believed to be the 18th century Dominican friar Francisco Ximenez made a copy of the original text in Spanish. The title is translated as “Book of the Community” or “Book of the People.” The book includes the Mayan creation myth, including the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

Mayan ceramics

Maya ceramics - Wikipedia

Produced in the Pre-Columbian Maya culture of Mesoamerica. They have varying shapes and purposes. Used in daily life were bowls, plates, cylinders. The decoration upon the vessels ranged from monochrome to polychrome slip paint depicting scenes, supernatural figures, storytelling, and simply reflecting the contents of the vessel. They were often given as gifts, which explains how they are found in various regions and also used in religious ceremonies.

Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset: Sal Kahn Elicits Curiosity

Growth Mindset & Feedback

Sal Khan
TED talks

Sal Khan interviews Carol Dweck Mindset Kit | Sal Khan interview with Carol Dweck

I have grown up using Khan Academy as a reference, supplement, and complement to my existing classwork, especially during high school. Sal Khan’s now legendary voice has echoed in my head through hours of Chemistry homework. Without a doubt, his simplicity in explaining difficult topics and ability to work through grueling problems saved me on homework and tests more times than I can count.

I did not realize that he purposefully utilized growth mindset statements within his mathematics videos. Although I have watched the beginning video with Carol Dweck and I did read the three articles criticising growth mindset, and its subsequent grouping with grit, I am curious to see how it would be fully implemented into an educational setting. I am in complete agreement with the shift in focus on praise and love the “not yet” approach to failure and can see its application in mathematics, I want to learn more about its implementation in terms of curriculum and age related outcomes. I recently sat in on a few middle school classes as a class assignment. I was amazed how disconnected, unengaged, and disrespectful the students were toward, not only the teacher, but learning itself and wonder if somehow the positive affirmations given to students regarding their academic abilities is flawed. Very thought provoking content...I am beyond curious.

Learning Challenge: The Time You Have

Learning by H.E.A.R.T, week 9

The Time You Have (In Jelly Beans)The Time You Have (In Jelly Beans)

Jelly
Beans

Perspective. This video provides an interesting look at life and time through the paradox of a jelly bean. One bean equates to one day. Being that I just made dinner and feed my dogs, showered and did some homework, I feel satisfied, but I certainly took up some of my precious time. However, I also walked outside on this beautiful summer day, I noticed the green grass sprouting, the buds forming on the trees, and the awakening of spring...more time. I guess the beautiful thing about time is that it is ours - or is it? So many things we do out of necessity, so in realizing the small amount of time that is optional is scary, humbling, wonderful. Not one word emcompasses my reaction to the video. In fact, my reaction is quite mixed.  I think about the things that make me feel alive, satisfied, and make me smile. Those are the things that I am going to do with my jelly beans.

IMAGE of jelly beans

Reading notes: Crash Course Myth: Mythical Places

Cave
Cave

Crash Course Myth: Mythical Places

Video 1: Mythical Caves and Gardens

The video presented an interesting perspective on setting. Too often the focus is on characters and the symbolic value of setting is forgotten or completely overlooked. This video explored the meaningful settings of gardens and caves. In terms of the origin of humanity, three stories were discussed: The Garden of Eden, a Zuni myth, and Plato’s Cave. The latter two reflect caves as physically dark and denote ignorance and infancy. Emergence, in these examples, to the surface is equivalent to enlightenment or growth. However, in the Garden of Eden, the story begins with perfection and that perfection is degraded by human actions. From Eden, humanslive in the current world as punishment and seek to re enter paradise. Whereas, the other two stories, humanity is living in paradise.

Video 2: Mythical Mountains

Considered mysterious and dangerous, mountains are the perfect setting for myth. Especially considering that they reach toward the sky making them a perfect home to the gods. Mountains in myth are the homes of monster, gods, and treasure. Two stories are discussed in this video; one from China and one from Japan. In the first video, the mountain is a setting for treasure. The video is about Ko-li and the 10,000 Treasure Mountain. The honest and hard working Ko-li struggles to find food for his mother and himself. Upon seeing an old man with a gray beard, he gives him food and carries him back up the mountain to his home. The grateful man rewards Ko-li with earrings from his beautiful daughter. One gold, to enter the door of the mountain full of 10,000 treasure and one silver, to exit the mountain. Ko-li, not being greedy, takes a white stone grinder from the mountain. It produces corn and he shares it with his village. The king finds out and sends his official to take the magic grinder, but when the official touches it, it crumbles. Next, Ko-li takes a yellow stone mortar which produces white rice. The same thing occurs with the official. Last, Ko-li takes a hoe which makes giant corn stalks appear. This time, the official takes Ko-li. Ko-li tells the king about the gold earring and before he can finish, the king takes the gold earring to the mountain. He gets in, but without the silver earring cannot get out. Ko-li returns to the old man and apologizes for losing the gold earring; he is so impressed with Ko-li’s honesty, that he gives his daughter in marriage to Ko-li. In the second story the mountains take on a kami and fight each other to see which is taller. The story shows that elements of the natural world can represent gods, too.  

Video 3: Tree Myths

I hadn’t really given a lot of thought to tree in myths. This video presented several examples of how trees embody not only the whole of humanity, but since they live longer than humans are excellent examples of longevity and a retreat for humanity. Aside from the well known Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, the Norse, Yggdrasil and the Indian, Aswatha are both tree myth stories. Trees in myth also often symbolize personal transformation. The story of Daphne and Apollo is told as well as a story from Viet Nam telling the story of Lung, Tun, and Tao and how their story is woven into what is now a traditional wedding tradition in that culture.

Video 4: Cities of Myth

Cities in mythology can be real, fictional, and metaphorical. Cities are tricky because they are not of the natural world - manmade. Examples of cities in myth: El Dorado, Troy, Jericho, Jerusalem, Sodom & Gomorrah, and Rome. The video discussed two stories on the founding on Rome including the story of Romulus and Remus and how Rome became populated with women. Many stories involving cities are origin stories and many gloss over terribly violent actions that led to their founding through myth.

Famous Last Words

Famous Last Words: Stomach bug & Riddles

Stomach Bug
stomach-bugs

This was a very hectic week. Sketchbook check in art therapy class for 63 sketches for the semester. Needless to say, I was a little beyond and played catch up, but did get them all complete. Goal: stay on top of sketches for the rest of the semester. I did complete the head project and wrote the artist notes for my studio project which is due after Spring break.  I am looking forward to the week off and intend on getting ahead in this class as well as beginning my book for my final presentation in Capstone class. It is hard to believe the semester is winding down.

This week in this class, I finished the Native American unit. I absolutely loved all the origin stories. They are my absolute FAVORITE! I also enjoy when animals are the main characters of the story. The focus on living in harmony with nature including flowers, animals, and weather was a common theme and very interesting to read.

I also started the Nursery Rhyme unit. I really anticipated rereading stories from my childhood, however I was shocked by how few of the nursery rhymes I felt any level of familiarity. I also was struck by how violent the content was. My favorite section, thus far, has been the riddles. Oftentimes on trips, my family will embark on riddle challenges, although I found some new material in this unit, many of the references were obviously very dated and referenced people and items that were unfamiliar. They were still fun to read and guess the answer.

Lastly, althoughtI have avoided the flu; I did subcomb to the 36 hour stomach bug beginning Tuesday night. Not fun! Luckly, I was able to drag myself to class, just didn’t have a lot of stamina and was greenish enough that two of my professors sent me home. After rest and fluids, I am much better and ready for Spring break.

Reading A, The Nursery Rhyme Book

Week 12 Myth-Folklore Unit: Nursery Rhymes

The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang, illustrated by L Leslie Brooke (1897)

Nursery Rhyme
Favorites

Nursery Rhymes: Tales

I am shocked at how few of the tales that I have actually ever heard in this unit. With the exception of Simple Simon and Little Jack Horner, they are all new to me. I am, however, struck by how violent in nature they are. A quick Wikipedia search conveys that I am not the only one who noticed the violence and death. Wikipedia notes that in the late 19th century there was a movement to clean up nursery rhymes for a younger audience. The major concerns were focused on violence and crime in the rhymes. Considered all out bowdlerisation, Psychoanalysts such as Bruno Bettelheim criticized the revidsonism movement, arguing that it weakened a rhymes usefulness and that revised rhymes “may not perform the functions of catharsis for children, or allow them to imaginatively deal with violence and danger.” Late 20th century revisionism is associated with the idea of political correctness. Nursery rhyme - Wikipedia As a so called “snowflake,” I can hear the outcry……..The illustrations in this unit are amazing!

Nursery Rhymes: Games

The sweet nursery rhyme song about Queen Anne -

QUEEN ANNE, Queen Anne, you sit in the sun,

As fair as a lily, as white as a wand.

I send you three letters, and pray read one;

You must read one, if you can’t read all;

So pray, Miss or Master, throw up the ball

was a singing game. According to the book Games, Rhymes, and Wordplay of London Children by N.G.N. Kelsey, the game was played by one person acting as the “Queen Anne,” that person throws the ball over his/her shoulder in the crowd of children behind him/her. If the ball was caught, the thrower, “Queen Anne,” was out. If not, the “Queen Anne” must guess who picked up the ball. The most recent version is sung simply “Queenie, Queenie.” Queen Anne singing game

My favorite grouping from Reading A was the Riddles section. My favorite riddle was -

OLD mother Twitchett had but one eye,

And a long tail which she let fly;

And every time she went over a gap,

She left a bit of her tail in a trap.

(A needle and thread.)

I searched for who Old mother Twitchett was, but came up with nothing. Nonetheless, the riddle is difficult and once you know the answer; it immediately makes sense.

Crash Course Myth: Epics and Heroes, week 11

The Holy Grail
History

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest written stories in the world. It is an excellent illustration of the Hero’s Journey which was explained in one of the earlier videos that I watched. The story is believed to be 4,000 years old and has deep historical value. It is believed to be a product called syncretism, which is when two religious traditions combine over time. This episode focuses on a story written around 1200 BCE. The story highlights Gilgamesh how himself fits into the hero’s journey. The story is a fascinating one with many successes and failures by Gilgamesh. Ultimately, he fails in reaching immortality but succeeds in identifying his human limitations. He is able to live freely and becomes a better person and for these things he is considered a hero.

Rama and the Ramayana

This story is told in the Hindu tradition. King Rama is a hero king, an avatar of Vishnu, he is also great at archery, and oddly, he is blue. His story is told in the epic poem Ramayana and which was most likely originally told orally. Many, many different versions of the epic exist. The main characters the story told in the video are King Rama, his wife (Sita), his best friend (Enkidu). The many characters experience important actions that contribute to not only their journey, but King Rama’s. Who is really the hero of the Ramayana? Many of the characters follow a hero’s journey. In all, the character’s duty becomes a heroic imperative. Duty to family, friends, husband, wife, and self can be seen within the epic. This version is somewhat difficult to follow, it has demons, hermits, eagles, monkeys, magic bows, golden deer, flying chariot, a Monkey King, monsoon problems, vultures, titans, Son of the Wind monkey, signet ring, fire ordeal, preservation of Dharma, rebirth of dead monkeys, and crowning of Rama for 10,000 years. If following Dharma defines heroism, then not only Rama is a hero, but also Sita and other characters within the video.

Galahad, Perceval, and the Holy Grail

This video explores the quests of two warriors in search of the Holy Grail. The video examines how the quests of these men follow Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and at what point they depart from it, as well as how they combine the value of Christianity in the quests. The story of Perceval is told first. Perceval was not a very bright guy and his journey is not that of a common knight. His brothers and dad were knights and were killed, resulting in his mother shielding him and keeping him from ever desiring to be a knight. One day while walking in the woods, Perceval sees five glittering men in armor who he believes are angels with lances. He tells his mom what he saw and she discloses the whole story. Perceval’s story follows a Hero’s Journey but then departs from the structural monomyth to a story deep with religious undertones. He learns the truth about the Grail and himself.  Galahad’s story, on the other hand, is more “knightlike.” He is gorgeous and is a model of Christian virtue. He is marked for a special role - The Seat of Danger. He takes on the Grail quest. At the house of the maimed king, Jesus is inside and he explains the mystery and significance of the Grail. The quest is for self improvement and the Grail’s meaning.

Ma’ui, Oceania’s Hero

This video is about Ma’ui the demi-god hero of Oceania. Ma’ui stories are found throughout Oceania, particularly Hawaii and are noted by their focus on heroic deeds. He fights an eel, argues with the sun, and creates New Zealand. Unlike Herakles, whose deeds were assigned, Ma’ui deeds occurred throughout his life and give glimpses of his culture. Ma’ui’s seven deeds were 1). Fighting His Mom’s, 2). Raising the Sky, 3). Fishing for New Zealand, 4). Slow the Sun, 5). Winning Fire for Humanity, 6). Kuna Loa the Long Eel, 7). Immortality. Ma’ui fails during his last deed and dies. Ma’ui is a very interesting figure because he is clever, he is dumb, he succeeds and he fails. Just like in other mythology stories, elements of the stories reflect cultures and beliefs and since they are orally handed down, what keeps then alive and relevant tells much about cultures and people.

Lab, Week 14

Dothraki
GOT

TEDEd videos: Language

This set of eight short videos was not only thought provoking, but provided gentle refreshers in writing. The first video provided an excellent background on the evolution of language from one common language. It explained how linguists attempt to trace and group languages. The second video, I found fascinating. The video explained the evolution of the English language. From Old English to Old Norse language to French to elements of Latin, the English language has many influences and contributions. I found the challenge within the video to be spot on in terms of clearly showing how without pictures, words have history that influences how we speak and hear.

I also enjoyed the video on whether Elvish, Klingon, Dothraki and Na’ri are considered real languages. These Conlang - or constructed languages are indeed languages with the exception of Elvish. The video author believes that Elvish from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, was written more as a hobby and is somewhat made up. Its vocabulary has expanded as a result of fans and followers anticipating what may have evolved however, the is not spoken. This video was a great segway into the next video that covered where new words come from. I had no idea that over a 1,000 new words are added each year to the Oxford Dictionary. This is in addition to the already 170,000 words currently used in the English language.

Two videos served as excellent refreshers in usage - semicolon and apostrophes. The ever confusing semicolon was broken down in the video into two rules: use in lists and to connect clauses that are related. The video makes sense, but semicolon still seem a little confusing. Apostrophes are awesome! Key points to remember: possession, contraction, and with plurals. As someone with a “s” at the end of my name, I completely understand the disagreement over the use of apostrophe or ‘s at the end. It is nice to know that it is more a style issue and that the most important thing to remember is to choose one style and stick with it.

Story Lab, Week 12

Harry Potter
Young Potter

Story Lab: Style

The eight videos within the story lab module of style are as varied as the types of styles in writing. Exploring “Orwellian” and “Kafkaesque” to nominalization to poetic repetition, this video series covered  a lot. However, the video that was most interesting to me was the video “What Makes a Hero?” by Matthew Winkler. Since watching the Crash Course mythology videos, I have been enthralled with Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey.” Since embarking on this class, I can attest to how often this structure is used in mythology. However, I am amazed by how often this structure is utilized in modern writing and movies. The video in this series mentioned a few characters or heroes - Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo. Certainly, many Disney movies utilize this structure. The video did an excellent job explaining the Hero’s Journey in terms of time. The journey begins with the Status Quo then moves to the character having a Call to Adventure. On the adventure the character seeks Assistance from someone else - often someone older. Next, the character has a Departure and undergoes many Trials. He/She has an Approach or big ordeal and faces a Crisis - sometimes facing death or dying, but being reborn. Next, a Treasure is claimed - sometimes a special power or item. The Result takes many forms such as the monster chasing or bowing down to the character. However, the hero Returns to the ordinary world and his/her New Life but as a changed person. The Resolution occurs and the story aligns. In the end, the hero returns to Status Quo, but nothing is ever quite the same. I like the completeness, neatness, and how the hero makes a full circle.

Story Lab, Week 10

Mermaids
animal planet

I found some incredible information while researching potential stories for my storybook. The Ten Labors of Herazle, the name of my story, mimics The Ten Labors of Hercules, only my hero’s labors all occur with sea monsters or beings within the sea or water. My research found several stories of Melusina. Melusina stories have roots in Albania, France, Luxembourg, and Germany. One involved the fairy Pressina and the king who had three daughters together, one named Melusina. Melusina fell in love and had an odd condition for her husband - he must not look upon her on a Saturday. Of course, he did and found that from the waist down she was a serpent, with silvery scales, tipped with white. He sent her away and she hovered about the Fountain of Thirst forever. Melusina (Melusine, Mélusine)

On the same website, were some excellent articles on “Water Spirit Legends.” These legends are from England, Scotland, Germany, Ireland, and Russa. The stories include a water demon, the origin story of how Holy Lake got its name, the story of Lorelei, a story about the water-man and his water-wife who tempt and drown anyone who baths and whose deaths involve nixes, and lastly, a Water Snake. Water Spirit Legends 1

The Njugl is a legend from the Shetland Islands. It resembles a horse and sometimes has a head like a human. Appearing tame and docile, if ridden it runs to the nearest source of water and drowns its rider. The legend is connected to bluish flame and causing things to break especially water mills. The Njugl.

The website Man, Myth and Magic Man, Myth and Magic also has some potential in terms of a blog archive that has “Creatures of the Deep: Sea Serpents” - Part One & Two and “Creatures From the Deep: Mermaids” - Part One & Two. I would love to add a mermaid story to my storybook, perhaps my hero, Herazale, may find love and marry a mermaid.

Growth Mindset, Week 9

Reading Under a Tree
School Boy Reading

Growth Mindset

Michael Wesch. The Sleeper The Sleeper - YouTube

A very powerful video exposing the faults in forming judgements of others as well as a major problem in the educational system - the expectation that all students should fit the same mold. As a student watching this video, I am in awe of the humanity of this teacher. I find it interesting to follow his emotions and actions regarding the sleeping student - curiosity, anger, acceptance, outreach, transformation, and resolution. In the end, the teacher and the student are both transformed in a positive way.

My favorite scene is where the teacher throws out all semblance of a classroom and engages the student as a human and seeks to explore what is meaningful to the student. I am not a traditional learner, partially due to a medical diagnosis and partially due to what I consider a misidentification of my best learning style. I struggled early in school, compensated and persevere through high school, and have experienced some struggles in college. Time helps, as well as your finding passion within a major and experiencing upper division classes that require thought rather than rote memorization. I applaud this teacher, I love the video and just the acknowledgement may be the catalyst to signal a change...even if it is just one student at a time.

IMAGE of student reading under a tree