Essay for Week 11: Canterbury Tale Analysis

Canterbury Tale Analysis

(The Canterbury Tales: Source)

This week I read the Canterbury Tales! I absolutely loved this unit! Probably even more so than the Native American Units the past two weeks. The idea of medieval times is fascinating to me and I love the morals that were present throughout all the stories I read! Everyone that deserved to be punished was justly reprimanded to the degree of their offense. For example, in The Story of the Summoner and The Revelers the evil summoner gets his just deserts by giving himself to the devil and the revelers are found by death because of their immense material greed!  These were really good stories. I didn’t have least favorite stories! I think I got a little agitated with the length of a few of them because of the tangents that some of them took. I don’t quite understand the purpose for all the tangents. They made sense in The Cock, The Hen, and The Fox, but not in others. The notes were perfect for the introduction to these stories, no additional information is needed! I really just wanted to enjoy all the readings for this class, and this unit definitely contributed to that! I think a lot of Americans are really exposed to British tales throughout their childhood so this unit was kind of a flashback for me. It’s just the tradition of American culture to see into the history of the state that birthed this one. I didn’t necessarily learn new things in this unit, I just saw the reinforcement of morals that I already have. Examples include, don’t disrespect women, do not let material wealth get the best of you, don’t think you can overcome death, etc. I just loved every story I read this week! By far my favorite unit, please don’t change anything with this one!

Storytelling for Week 11: What Women Really Want

What Women Really Want

(The Favored Knight of the Kingdom: Source)

Once upon a time in a land far far away from here, there lived a King and Queen and their most favored knight. This knight was the royal couple's favorite because of his ability to uphold every knightly responsibility without fail until the fateful day when he disrespected one of the kingdom's fair maidens.

As the law told at this time, the knight who disrespected a maiden was immediately sentenced to death and no one would speak of his existence again. This punishment proved to be a problem for the King and Queen because of the accused knight's favored status in the kingdom.

The King was reluctantly ready to end the life pf his favorite knight, but the Queen begged and begged for her husband to spare him. The king fell to his wife's request and gave her the power to decide whether the knight lived or died, leaving the King out of the equation.

The knight gratefully visited the Queen and knelt before her as she spoke to him in a strictly disappointed tone, "Sir knight, you have not escaped the grasp of death just yet. I will allow you to live if, upon one year's time, you return and tell me the truest desire of all women." The knight, reveling in his life's span of an additional year eagerly accepted the task and set off immediately to fulfill his Queen's request.

All over the world the knight searched for the next year. He never found a definitive answer though. Some women said riches while other said security or happiness. Not one answer held true for more than any of the others. In sadness, the knight was forced to return to the kingdom with his head lowered as he thought about the noose that was awaiting him.

Upon reaching the outskirts of the kingdom's walls, the knight came across an old hunchbacked women sitting along the tree line. "Old maiden," cooed the knight, "May I trouble you with the burdens of my heart and mind?" The old woman nodded in agreement for she was of a kind hearted nature and wanted to help the knight. "I am on my way to my death for I have failed to uncover the desire of all women at the request of my Queen." The old woman pondered the knight's statement for a moment and with her ages of wisdom decided that she knew exactly how to help him. "I will tell you the desire of any women's heart to save your life as long as you do the very first thing that I ask of you." The knight, of course, agreed for his life was on the line and the old woman whispered the secret in his ear and he was off to the Queen's court.

After the Queen received the knight into her throne room, the knight proudly told her of the discovery he had made, "Dear Queen, the utmost desire of any woman on this earth is to have complete power over their husband." The Queen sat back in her throne with a smirk on her face, not able to deny this fact, and allowed the knight to keep his life.

The knight was overjoyed that the wisdom of the old lady had saved his life and just as he was turning to enjoy his freedom, he saw the old maiden in the doorway. "Dear Mother," the knight exclaimed, "You have saved me from the noose! Please tell me what it is that you desire of me. The very first thing." The old woman's mouth gave way to a toothless smile as she said, "Take me as your wife."

The knight stopped in his foot steps as he realized he had to keep his word to this old woman. "Please madame, do not do this. Choose another request, take all my riches, my house! But please do not take my freedom."

"You must marry this elder woman, sir knight," declared the Queen from her perch, "If you made a promise to her, you must keep your word, lest I decide to take your life once and for all for, yet again, disrespecting a maiden of this kingdom."

(The Queen that held power over her husband and the favored knight: Source)

At this, the knight reluctantly took the old woman to be his wife and was respectful to her for the rest of their years together.

Author's Note: This story is from the Canterbury Tales Unit and is based off of The Unknown Bride Tale. I really like this story because of the king and queen aspect, those always get to me! In the original story, the old woman turns out to be a beautiful maiden that had taught the knight a lesson before she revealed her true self after their marriage. I liked it that way in the original, but I really didn't like the fact that the knight had disrespected a woman in the kingdom in the first place, managed to have his life spared twice by the King and Queen, and still didn't mention being sorry for whatever it was he had done to the woman. I felt that he needed to be punished for a while longer by just marrying the old woman against his will. The old woman got to live with his fortune for the rest of her days, so it worked out for her!

Bibliography: Tappan, Eva, The Chaucer Storybook: The Unknown Bride, 1908.

Week 11 Reading Diary: Canterbury Tales

Canterbury Tales

The Wife of the Bath's Tale: The Unknown Bride

Aw! What a cute ending! So weird that the knight had to marry the really old woman, but then so happy when she turned out to be one of the young and beautiful women that had been dancing in the forest! I wonder what it was that the knight had done to disrespect a woman...that makes me curious still. Here is the link to the other half of the story.

The Friar's Tale: The Story of the Summoner

Wow. The summoner was more evil and terrible than the Satan himself! That's so detrimental to my faith in humanity...torturing that old woman was so cruel. Serves the summoner right to go to hell! Here's the other part of the story.

The Pardoner's Tale: The Revelers

Ha! Good story. I love these. Even more so than the Native American ones. These horrible people in the stories all get what they deserve. The riches of the world will turn a man to a greedy heathen "before anyone can walk a mile". Here are the last two parts of the story: 2 and 3.

The Cock, the Hen, and the Fox

Yay! The cock survived! That fox was really smart. But the cock was smarter. I think the only reason the cock survived was because he wanted to believe the dream he had had and he also was not cocky...haha punny! He wasn't full of himself, other people were describing his greatness, not he. This was a good story. I don't know why there needed to be such an introduction to the old woman that owned him, but that's okay! That was just a tangent. Dreams do mean things and I've always thought that, this story just backs up my beliefs! Here are the links to the other 3 parts of the story: 2, 3, 4.

Essay for Week 10: Bestiality

Bestiality

(The product of a human and animal reproduction. Source)

This week's reading unit that I chose was Native American Marriage Tales. This unit proved to be very interesting and far-fetched in the ways of comprehending the origins of their creation. I did not enjoy this week's reading as much as I did last weeks. I do love Native American stories, but only the ones that have some tangible base in explaining something like why Loons have red eyes.

The issue I had with this week's Native American stories was the reoccurring motif of bestiality. This practice was woven into every story I read. I do not understand why some of the stories accepted bestiality like The Piqued-Buffalo Wife while others denied the practice like The Dog-Husband. The tribesman married a buffalo and it was accepted but the dog had children with a tribe daughter and the girl was left for dead.

Last week's reading was fun and had a connection to explaining certain phenomenon throughout the land. It seemed as though this was the way that Native Americans comforted themselves in knowing the ways of the world. It was innocent. The bestiality of this week's readings though, were unsettling and weird.

I cannot for the life of me figure out what phenomenon reproduction with an animal explains in the real world of Native Americans. The fact that these ideas occurred through the stories makes me wonder if Native Americans practiced bestiality at any point in history. That might explain the acceptance of the act in some stories but not in others. Maybe it was a progression of the culture that accepted bestiality in earlier times. Upon European culture being introduced to the land, maybe the evolution of this acceptance turned to disdain which would explain the inconsistency in the stories.

Another explanation could simply be that accepted practices of other things, not just bestiality, might have varied from tribe to tribe. Just as cannibalism was not seen really outside of the Karankawas. Each tribe believes differently. The interesting thing about this though, is the fact that reproduction with an animal was a concept in every tribe whether they condoned it or not.I just don't think bestiality is a good thing...like many other people of the U.S. I'm sure.

Whatever the reason for this motif, it made for very interesting stories to read this week! I can't say it was my favorite, but I can say it was definitely a page-turner unit. Everyone has to step outside their comfort zone at some point!

Storytelling for Week 10: Canine Kids

Canine Kids

(The Five Puppies! Source)

I used to live in a village with my family and our tribe. We had a sufficient little tent that kept us warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There weren't children of my own age that lived in my tribe for my parents were older in age upon conceiving me. So my sole companion was my dog best friend.

We did everything together, day in and day out. He would always sleep at the foot of my bed to keep me company and my feet warm. I never should have allowed him to sleep in the bed with me for he ruined my future. Little did I know until the day my belly grew out that my dog best friend turned into a human at night and lied with me with I slept. I was pregnant with my canine's children.

Father, in a rage, killed my dog while mother held me back. My family was ashamed of me and hated me because of my condition. They told the entire tribe and decided to leave me to die in the embers of my people's old village.

Hearing my sobs of sadness, Crow happened to stop by to see what the trouble was. I told her all that had happened and she took pity on me and nursed me until I had my children: four boy pups and one female. Crow took her leave to tend to her family once the kids were born and I was left to raise my five non-human offspring.

I learned to take very good care of them and they grew so quickly to the point where I needed to leave the house to search for food everyday to keep up with their hungry stomachs. One day as I left the house, I heard giggling and playing from behind the door I had just closed. I opened it as quickly as possible only to see my offspring huddled by the fire. I closed the door again. More giggling. I knew something was a miss.

I decided to put my shawl over the handle of a shovel to make my figure appear to be digging for clams. I snuck around to the back door and peeked inside at my children whom, to my shock, were all human! Four little boys and one little girl! I flew the door open and scolded them for hiding this form from their mother. Raising human children is a lot more practical than raising canine kids.

From that day on, my children remained in their human form and I taught my boys how to hunt everything under the sun and sea. My daughter learned in the ways of the house and helping me and I did not allow her a dog as a friend. I learned that lesson the hard way.

My sons became so skilled at hunting that soon the beaches were covered with the whales they had harpooned and we were never hungry. Crow stopped by one night to see why there were so many carcases on the beach and I told her of my now human children and their capabilities. We fed Crow to her stomach's content and I told her to not tell my tribe of our prosperity for their abandonment was still freshly pained in my mind.

Crow agreed and flew home to her family which was also where my tribe had moved to. I came to learn that Crow disobeyed me and told my tribe of what she had found. I know this because my entire tribe came from across the bay the very next day to move back.

I had grown an independent woman in the strife and hard times caused by the dog and my family and tribe. I did not want them moving back here. I did not want their fake apologies now that they knew we were prospering. So I denied them. I told them to leave back to where they came from and never to speak with me again.

All I need is my children. We have everything we need and all the love we could ever want.

Author's Note: This story was based off of the Native American Marriage Unit with the story of The Dog-Husband. In the original version, the story is told from the third person view of a narrator. I chose to change the perspective to that of the young girl going through all this trouble! That only made sense to me to include her thoughts on this story. Also, at the end of the story the tribe returns and the woman accepts them back. I hated that. The tribe was just using her at this point! Not okay. So I had her deny their return in my version, serves them right!

Bibliography: Stith, Thompson, The Dog-Husband, Tales of the North American Indians, 1929.

Week 10 Reading Diary: Native American Marriage Tales

Native American Marriage Tales

The Piqued-Buffalo Wife

I've definitely read this story before...but I don't remember where or why. Maybe it was when I was first looking through the Un-textbook at the beginning of the semester! I liked this story then, too. It tells of how the creation of the Matoki occurred.

Splinter-Foot-Girl

There is already a theme of bestiality in these stories and it makes me uncomfortable. I wonder why this is a common and normal thing for Native Americans. I hope they didn't practice this back then..Also, she was born from a calf by thorns? And married a buffalo then a deer?
The rest of the story is weird too, on the next link: Splinter-Foot-Girl (Con't), and the next: Splinter-Foot-Girl (End).

The Eagle and Whale's Husband

This is so weird. The girls both said they wanted to marry an eagle and a whale, so why are they trying to escape them if they wished this? These stories are funnily unrealistic!

The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales

Welp. This explains why Killer-Whales are afraid of sharks! So weird that they live under the water and are demanding water to be fetched. And fire. It's like Spongebob.

The Bear Woman

Yeah...what? I have no idea how people come up with these stories! I definitely liked last week's stories better. They made more sense and didn't have bestiality. Here is the link for the other part of this story too: The Bear Woman (Con't)

The Youth Who Joined the Deer

Excuse me? Bestiality AND cannibalism? Why is this okay? I'm so confused with this entire story. And the human left his original family. That was rude and dishonorable. And I don't understand what phenomena this story explains...the boy turns into a deer...? The Youth Who Joined the Deer (Con't).

The Girl and the Turkeys

Talking turkeys. Yep, that's a new one! I don't really like this story much. This was my least favorite. I like it when the stories end well! This Cinderella-esque tale did not go as I hoped it would. The turkeys seem kinda like the dwarfs in Snow White too. That's why I noted it in here. Here is the last link: The Girl and the Turkeys (Cont).

Essay for Week 9: Assessing the British North American Unit

Assessing the British North America Unit

(Me and my friend Taylor posing with a local Native American tribe during Commencement 2013)

I just had to asses this week’s reading unit on British North America Native American stories! I love Native American stories so much. You’ll see that throughout all my comments on this week and next week’s readings. They are so full of life and have points or morals to every story they tell. Each character in these stories has a personified spirit where as they usually would not exist. They all have a personality and the stories generally explain a phenomenon of the world! Like why the Loon has red eyes or how the moon was created. My favorite stories were the creation stories in the beginning of the unit (Creation of the World, How the Earth Was Formed, and Creation of the Earth). I know my understanding of the creation of the world is a combination of evolution and Genesis, but I admire so much the imagination of the Native Americans. I didn’t have any least favorite stories. They all were so good! I did not need any extra background information. I had just enough knowledge and already knew a fair amount about Native American culture to read this week. I think I chose this unit because British North America seemed like a combination of American ideas and Native American ideas. I was wrong, it was just Native American, but that’s why I chose it! My goals in this class are to enjoy the readings and so this unit fit in perfectly! I had no complaints. I learned so much about how Native Americans explain things. There is a spiritual reason with a story behind literally everything in their surroundings. It was incredible to me. I also learned that they did not just interact with their surroundings, but also use it to explain their lives. Such a symbiotic relationship. This was my favorite reading week so far and I can’t say enough about its wonderfulness!