Epics of India

"Written by God, Moses, or a Series of Patriarchal Males, depending on whom you ask" After watching  Sita Sings The Blues  and discovering the genius of Nina Paley's work, I began researching her background and how she has been influenced in her artistic pursuits. I was excited to discover that she has another animated film out called  Seder Masochism. " Seder?" I thought. "As in... Passover?"  I am Jewish and have grown up celebrating Passover, honoring the many unique traditions of the holiday (including the four glasses of wine, an element of the seder mentioned in the film. A tradition I  definitely  appreciate). Watching the trailer for  Seder Masochism  was another tempting taste of Paley's uniquely absurd and vibrant animation, and I knew I would have to watch the whole thing at some point. I decided to wait until now (the actual holiday of Passover) to watch the film, to make the viewing experience more personable and fun! I'v...

Yoga... -Hindu or Indian, secular or religious? -These are Euro-American terms, so who cares! -Indians are "expected to force fit Indian thoughts, like a twisted yogic asana" -Hindu: YES, because Hindu texts continually refer to this word -Krishna and Shiva are both referred to as yogeshwara, meaning lord of yoga -Indian: YES, because yoga originated in the Indian subcontinent -Thrived in various schools of thought, including Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism -Fun fact: "zen" in Japanese Buddhism can be traced to "dhyana" (profound meditation) -Religious: YES, because it refers to the idea of God -Speaks to the union of the individual soul with the cosmic soul -Secular: YES, because divine ideals are a very small component of Yoga Sutra -A tool to "uncrumple the mind" -The eight practices: social disengagement (yama), personal discipline (niyama), postures (asana), breath (pranayama), sensory isolation (pratyahara), awareness (dh...

"Greetings one and all! This is  Dating Deities , and I'm your host, Kamadeva, resident Goddess of Love. We have a great show for you today, so let's welcome our eligible Goddess, Aadya, to the stage."  Aadya floated across the stage in a long gown bejeweled with precious stones. She sat down gingerly on the gold chair on the right end of the stage, looking out over the audience with the demeanor of a queen gazing upon her subjects. Kamadeva the host walked over to her.  "Aadya, welcome. Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and what kind of man you're looking for?" "I am the primal Goddess, and my essence permeates all of creation. I am looking for a man who can match my power but respect me as the supreme Earth Mother." Kamadeva said, "Wonderful! Now let us meet the eligible male Gods." The darkened left side of the stage suddenly lit up, and Aadya's choices were bathed in light. Kamadeva...

-Rural cultures valued fertility     -Fertility rooted in women -Urban cultures valued obedience     -Obedience enforced by men Yang - dragon in the sky Yin - the phoenix, regenerating from its own ashes Patriarchal societies... -Link men with culture -Link women with nature The domination of women; men begin to "domesticate" women -A female monster being defeated by a male God in a Mesopotamian epic -Zeus raping nymphs -The first Japanese man and woman create the earth together and go around a pillar from opposite ends, intending to copulate when they meet     -The woman speaks first in their interaction and demon children are born     -One the second go around, the man speaks first and normal children are born In cities... Battle of power ---> desire to be king ---> competition between men ---> youth seeking to overthrow elders ---> elders constantly suspicious of youth -Women are the trophies of this rivalry P...

Important Figures Gaia: Earth mother in greek mythology Cronus: Kills his father in order to be born, then eats his children to prevent them from doing the same thing he did to his father Zeus: The only child of Cronus saved by Gaia, kills his father and "declares himself father of Gods of men" Theme in Mythologies Around the World A primal female deity is at first adored, and then "brutally sidelined" by a male deity Sedna -Inuit story -Sedna marries a seagull; unhappy, she asks her father to take her home in his boat -A flock of seagulls attacks -Sedna's father throws him overboard to save himself -As she tries to climb back, he cuts off her fingers -He then also cuts off her arms -As she sinks into the ocean, her dismembered limbs turn into the creatures of the sea: fish, seals, whales, ect. -Those who wish to hunt the children of Sedna must appease her through the "soothing words of Shamans" Aadya -From tantric Hindu tradition -...

It was a quiet night in the home of the Dawsons when a clash of metal suddenly rang out and shattered the serene silence. … It all began with  the neglect of the forks and knives. They had been feeling quite resentful being shut up all day in the dusty draw where the Dawsons kept them. The family hardly ever ate with these utensils, and they were growing rusty lying around in their dark little corner of the kitchen. The spoons, however, were utilized almost daily, and were kept in pristine condition in the prime kitchen cabinet. They were polished every morning by the little boy in the family, and scrubbed clean each night by his older sister. The Dawsons ate everything with spoons; they scooped their cereal in the little well, they ladled their veggies in the smooth groove, and they shoveled their macaroni in the concave depression. Each meal was graced by the presence of the spoons. The Dawsons liked spoons so much that everywhere they traveled, they bro...

"Jesus certainly broke bread with his hands" -An excuse I will now use at any point I wish to toss aside silverware and propriety and go at food with my hands -In one of her shows, Oprah made a comment about how Indians "still eat with [their] hands"      -For real, Oprah? That's pretty culturally insensitive  -Long before cutlery in Europe there were chopsticks in China      -The oldest ones were dated to 1000 BC and were made of bronze -In the Middle Ages in Europe, food was eaten on stale bread called "trenchers"      -Knives were used to impress rather than out of necessity  -The fork introduced in France by Catherine de Medici      -Also known as the "split spoon"      -Forks became snobby and aristocratic under her -Cutlery associated with imperialism, eating by hand associated with natives -Cold climate = hand coverings = cutlery necessary, warm climate = cutlery not ne...

-The female form is celebrated in Hindu temples -Carvings on the wall explore many aspects of the female body -Female figures are depicted in a wide variety of ways      -This includes both erotic and non-erotic positions and behaviors      -Dancing, stretching, mediating, bearing swords, exposing themselves, fondling their breasts, ect. "Who amongst these women could be a lesbian – a woman who desires another woman erotically and emotionally?" -This quote fascinated me, because I have never really considered homosexual relations might appear in ancient texts -Because many ancient societies were patriarchal, women often get left out of narratives about the past; what other dimensions of female sexuality might there have been?       -And how can  relics from the past reveal this to us, if we look closely enough? 4 Reasons why the question of lesbianism in these depictions of female figures might scare people: -Homophobia -Pur...

Mr. and Mrs. Otter lived a quiet life in Huckleberry Lake, surrounded by clear blue waters and tall riverbanks covered with wildflowers. The calm of the lake had recently been disturbed by an uncharacteristic amount of squabbling, however. Mr. and Mrs. Otter having some marriage difficulties, and there were nights when the water never ceased rippling as they bickered back and forth. Mrs. Otter had decided that enough was enough, and asked her friend Patricia the hermit crab, who lived along the riverbank, what to do. "Well, when Albert and I were going through an especially crabby phase, we went to see Rudy the wolf. He's the top therapist in our ecosystem, 8 years running!" Mrs. Otter had made an appointment with Rudy wolf that very day. She combed her fur, gathered her purse and Mr. Otter, and set out on the trek to Rudy’s office. Rudy worked out of a hollowed tree in the forest that surrounded Huckleberry Lake. When Mr. and Mrs. Otter arrived, Mrs. Ot...

The Lion in Bad Company -A wolf tricks a young lion into letting him come back and live in the lion's den -The lion is flattered by the wolf and earns his trust -The wolf convinces the lion to kill ponies for horse meat -The lion's father is wise and warns his son that the ponies belong to the King, and that the thefts will not go unnoticed -The lion has developed an ego, and, encouraged by the wolf, disregards his father and continues to seek horse meat -The horses are moved by the King to try and protect them, but the lion is persistent -Ultimately, the King sends an archer, who slays the lion -The wolf is unharmed and returns quietly to his old life Wolves -The wolf characters in the Jataka tales are almost always painted as tricksters -While the wolf is clever and often gets others into trouble, he himself typically remains unharmed Beauty and Brownie -Mother and Father deer send their children, Beauty and Brownie, out of the forest during the corn ripening s...

The Girl Monkey and the String of Pearls I found this story very endearing; I love how the monkeys are personified. Humans and animals often interact in the Jataka tales as if all living creatures are equals sharing the earth, which is an intriguing dynamic. And who knew monkeys could love pearls as much as a human? - The palace royalty go down to the lake for a swim -The Queen leaves her jewels with a servant in the garden -A girl monkey waits until the servant has fallen asleep and steals the pearls -The chief guard plays a trick to find out which monkey stole the pearls -Hangs strings of glass beads in the garden -All the girl monkeys rush to get to the beads except for the monkey with the pearls -In the end, her ego gets the best of her -As she brags to the other girl monkeys about her pearls being more beautiful than their glass beads, she reveals herself as the thief The Otters and the Wolf -The animals in the title initially led me to believe that the wolf would be...

“How about, The Bad-to-the Bone Babes?” Thataka scoffed and glanced over her shoulder. “Darling, have you looked in a mirror recently?” Soorpanaka rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She, Thataka, and Putana were busy painting the walls of the rented office where the three of them would soon be opening their new business. They had yet to decide on a name, however, and continued to brainstorm as they smeared a rusty red color along the walls. The idea began on a lazy Saturday afternoon when the three friends had gone tanning on the rim of Mount Valcron, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The sun’s rays were too weak to have any effect on their thick skin, but a splash of lava here and there achieved the sun-kissed equivalent of their strange hues. They had been discussing the unfair treatment of demonesses and reflecting on their own personal experiences. “It was one failed mission! And my brother Ravana refused send another female demon on a mission for nearly...

Gods Playing Tricks I found it amusing that the Gods, almost like children, enjoy putting one another to the test and playing tricks on one another. Brahma could have directly confronted Krishna or presented him with a challenge, but instead chose a more subtle and mischievous way to test him. -Brahma steals a group of cows and cow herders -He plays this trick in order to test Krishna's divinity -Krishna then also plays a trick -He creates exact copies of the cows and cow herders through his love -The villagers never suspect that anything has changed -Brahma is forced to acknowledge Krishna's divinity "Kindness is the Ultimate Strength" -Krishna declares her will ride the bull Hastin -Rather than being cruel and attempting to "tame" the beast, he uses kindness to gain the bull's trust -Krishna feeds Hastin sweet foods and plays the flute -Hastin becomes docile -Krishna rides Hastin into the village -The villagers are amazed -Krishna has s...

I really enjoyed the Epified video series on the Mahabharata, and so for this week's reading assignment I have chosen to watch the Epified video series that tells the story of Krishna. Durga -When Durga made her fiery appearance, I was immediately struck by the power and prestige of her character -Although there are many intriguing female characters in the Indian Epics, they are most often portrayed as wives, mothers, or sisters; very few women appear as individual entities as Durga does -A strong female character among a pantheon of women described as weak, helpless, and at the mercy of the male characters Demoness -I love words with traditional male connotations that have the "ess" added to them in order to feminize the subject -Here again the demoness proves the strength of female characters in the epics -Strong villains are not only male Story Idea: Wicked Women/Dangerous Dames/Beastly Belles of the Epics -Putana, Soorpanaka, and Thataka get...

A wretched sound echoed from Ghandhari's bathing quarters as she sat hunched over a basin, green slime emerging from her throat in sickening waves. Each morning she was wrenched awake by a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, and was held captive by the nausea for hours at a time. Her pregnancy had been extremely difficult, and the illness it caused showed no signs of letting up. The physical sickness had made her weak and stripped her body of its vitality. Her curves were replaced by bony protrusions, and her dewy complexion became dull and lifeless. Welts and bruises of rich burgundy and indigo hues covered her skin, and the slightest touch felt like fire.  These symptoms paled in comparison to the nightmares that haunted Ghandhari. She writhed in bed for hours as horrifying scenes flashed before her eyes, her sleep disturbed by demons and visions of  death.  Ghandhari had watched the wives of Pandu navigate pregnancy with grace. Kunti was mother to ...

Pandu -Mistook a hermit couple for deer and shot arrows at them -Dying in the throws of passion, the man placed a curse on Pandu -Pandu would die in the embrace of his wives; he was therefore forced to become celibate Kunti -Was blessed with a mantra to invoke the Gods and bear their children -Yama's son: Yudhistira      -Blessed with virtue and patience -Vayu: Bhima     -As strong and as fast as the wind -Indra: Arjuna     -"Archer's eyes" Kunti is an essential character and a prime example of a strong woman in the Mahabharata. She bears three of the legendary Pandavas, and is the only parental figure left to raise them after Pandu and Madri perish. Madri -Does not wish to remain childless, and utilizes Kunti's mantra to invoke the Ashwinis -Had two sons: Nakula and Sahadeva Ghandari -Has a difficult initial pregnancy -Is haunted by nightmares of hellish creatures -Gives birth to a lump of "putrid flesh" -Lump of flesh cast awa...

This video series was an exciting visual re-telling of the Mahabharata! I loved that the images were drawn in real time as the story was being told, which made it a much more dynamic viewing experience. Introduction -Provides an excellent description of the overarching themes in the Mahabharata and makes it an easier text to approach -Breaks down the characters and dichotomies involved        -Kings and queens        -Heroes and villains -Alludes to the climactic finale: "A great all consuming war that swallowed the subcontinent" -I appreciate that there is an acknowledgement of the many storytellers who have penned their versions Narration -Hearing the story told with an accent from the region was a very different experience from how I read it in my head -I felt more integrated within the setting of the story through the voice of the narrator and its connection with the culture Karma -I love the idea that everything that happens i...

I am very satisfied with my progress in this class. Although there is a decent amount of work each week, I have fallen into a pretty steady routine in terms of how I address the different assignments. My timing has been somewhat sporadic, however, and although I have been consistent about  how  I complete the assignments, I have not been consistent about  when  I complete them. This has worked for me up until now, but I believe I could benefit from trying out a more concrete schedule.  I managed to do a decent amount of extra credit in the first few weeks before the semester started to really take off, and I feel more secure knowing that if I have to miss an assignment I have the extra credit to fall back on. It is nice to be in a class where the grade directly reflects the amount of work and effort you put in, and that there is always an option to dig deeper. I am proud of the stories I have written, and that I have pushed myself to explo...

I have taken several online classes at OU, and I have consistently found it difficult to connect with the other students and feel that I am participating and interacting with a group of humans. The commenting aspect of this class has been a great way to meet people and share ideas, which I really appreciate. I have enjoyed reading other people's introductions and gaining perspective on who my classmates are; it has also been interesting to observe how our different backgrounds may influence our writing.  The comments I have received have generally been very helpful; I have started to see patterns in how I write and what I need to work on thanks to the insight of other students. Some of the questions they have posed have caused me to consider new ways of approaching my writing and exploring ideas I might otherwise have overlooked.  I consider editing to be one of my stronger abilities, and I hope that other students have found my feedback helpful. I try to pose questio...

This course has been magical for me, because it is the first opportunity I have had since my junior year of high school to write creatively for a class. Growing up, writing was always one of my favorite pastimes, and I filled many notebooks with the musings of my young mind: I wrote stories, poems, and everything in between. Words were my escape, but they also helped to ground me. Since starting college, I have had very little time to write creatively on my own, and I am so happy to be able to reconnect with my love of creative writing through this class. Each week I have explored different styles of storytelling (from those filled with poetic imagery to those are based purely on ironic humor), and I am very happy with how many of the stories have turned out.  In order to make the most of the reading for this class, I would like to explore more of the extra credit options. It has been wonderful gaining a solid foundation of the Indian Epics through the Ramayana and the Mahabhara...