Week 3: Famous Last Words--JFK

"No, you certainly can't."

 So this weekend was a little more laid back than the past couple of crazy, 15 mile-a-day, multiple train, traveling 3-day weekends.  Welllll. . . Kinda.

Friday morning we went as a class to Castiglion Fibocchi, a small town a short bus-ride from Arezzo.  There we visited a shop that creates all sorts of masks and fancy costumes for their town's annual Carnevale.  We got to see the starting materials, works in progress, as well as finished products.  Rows of costumes and shelf upon shelf of mask dazzled the eye, all stuffed in a small and seemingly inconspicuous little shop.  The fact that OUA students and staff got to try on the elaborate masks and dresses only made the experience that much more memorable.

Some students were supposed to dress up and participate in the Carnevale itself on Sunday, but unfortunately inclement weather resulted in the Carnevale being postponed.  So many embarrassing photo opportunities, lost!  Haha.

After an afternoon of freezing rain and then some beautiful snow, we ended up playing a heated game of Pairs--a highly simplistic but extremely competitive card game, at least in our version.  And where, oh where, has our cutting card gone?  Oh where, oh where, could it be?  Lol.

Even later on that same Friday, we attended the karaoke party at MyWay, singing along to Britney Spears and Ke$ha and Avril Lavigne while dancing terribly along the wall.  So, yeah, that happened.

Then, Saturday, we woke up early for a day trip to Orvieto.  Beautiful Orvieto!!  First we rushed up to the Duomo to buy tickets for the Underground Cave Tours.  We wandered the picturesque streets, not caring about the persistent, drizzling rain.  We explored various Etruscan wells--one was even opened just for us, thanks to an adorably sweet, old Italian man.  Lots of friendly cats were found and petted and photographed, the local dishes of pigeon and wild boar were tasted, and we dined in a restaurant suitably above our class, haha.

There were definitely two distinct highlights to our trip, however.  One was having the Duomo doors literally shut and barred in our faces when we wished to go in.  Granted, mass was about to begin, but still, you could hear the heavy wood beams being shifted to lock us out.  It would have been insanely offensive if it weren't so hysterical, haha.

Then, when we headed down to the train station (using the funicular), our train ended up being delayed about 2 hours.  2 hours.  We sat, wet and cold, in a train station for hours, just watching the delay on our train creep up 5 minutes at a time.  Another funny and yet depressing situation.

In any case, we made it back to Arezzo safe and sound, though much later than planned.  Yesterday Arezzo had its monthly antique fair, which was very intriguing and a ton of fun to walk around.  Didn't buy anything this time, but maybe next time.  Now I just have to survive a week of classes and a permit of stay appointment, then it is off to Venice for Carnevale!!!

Buona giornata!



Image Information.
Personal photo of Darah Lueck and cat with Umbrian countryside.  Jan. 31, 2015.
Personal photo of Bill Pritchard and Dr. Kenney at Castiglion Fibocchi.  Jan. 30, 2015.
Personal photo of Carnevale mask at Castiglion Fibocchi.  Jan. 30, 2015.
Personal photo of L'Duomo di Orvieto.  Jan. 31, 2015.
Personal photo of a street in Orvieto.  Jan. 31, 2015.
Personal photo of Umbrian countryside from caves of Orvieto.  Jan. 31, 2015.

Week 3: Mythological Creatures--Hairy Styles

Topic.  My Storybook will be about mythological creatures from various cultures and eras of history.  As of right now, I am thinking of writing stories about:  the griffin, the chimaera, the dragon, the kasha, and the konaki-jijii.  Some of these I may tell a tale about their origin, other's about a classic mythological tale, or maybe even just craft my own stories using common elements and descriptions of these creatures.  Of course, these are simply my current ideas, and this may change since there are so many supernatural creatures to choose from.

Bibliography.
The Mythology of the Griffin, Gods and Monsters.
Chimaera Mythology, Gods and Monsters.
Kasha (folklore), Wikipedia.
Konaki-Jiji, Warriors of Myth.


Possible Styles.

Animals as Storytellers.  Seeing as my Storybook will be about mythological creatures and I love the first person, it would be fun and relatively easy to invent stories from the perspectives of the animals themselves.  This would also allow for a lot of creative characterization and would be especially fun with the three-headed chimaera.  So yeah, this would be both an interesting and a logical style for me.

Inanimate Object as Narrator.  This would just be awesome for providing a unique perspective in all of my stories.  Perhaps my object could be a rock or a mountain, or some geological feature that has seen all of these creatures come and go across time and space.  Or perhaps the object will be something that each creature has possessed at some point in time, and so has experienced parts of their tales in this way.  In any case, this could be a very creative and fascinating approach to first person storytelling.

Traveler as Narrator.  Seeing as many of these creatures are from different cultures/regions of the world, I could easily have a traveler recounting tales of his travels.  He could also be detailing his trip as it occurs; either method would work.  This would again give me an outside perspective, but still include the personal first-person narration that I so love.

Quests and Mysteries.  Since my topic is in its very essence supernatural, quests and mysteries would be another logical but creative style choice.  This would also allow me to tie all of these creatures together, possibly with the addition of some outside character.  I could add in a lot of suspense and mystery, and have a ton of fun with it--possibly even add in some horror.  So, yeah, this would be an awesome style to use. . .

P.S.  I apologize for my terrible, terrible pun in the title of this post.  It just had to be done. . .


Image Information.  Harry Styles, by Angyloves1d.  DeviantArt.
Chimaera, Moglig Svamp, 2014.  Sketchport.

Week 3: Essay--Vengeance and Fidelity: The Persona of Juno

[This week’s essay topic is going to be less serious than last week’s—a vengeful wife rather than incest.  And not just a vengeful wife, but a vengeful goddess.  Let’s get to it!]

I have often found it interesting that the Greek Hera and the Roman Juno can be different versions of the same entity and yet at the same time have completely different reputations.  Whereas Hera is seen as the goddess of the hearth, the mother of all, and a kindly matron, Juno comes across as more vengeful and vindictive.  While she has many of the same characteristics of Hera, she transforms into a crueler mistress because of the different emphases found in Roman culture.  The stories in Ovid’s Metamorphoses,books 1-4, show this change in personality in many stories.

Take, for instance, the story of Io; here Jupiter rapes Io, but in trying to conceal his actions from Juno he actually attracts her attention.  Juno, being rightfully suspicious, comes down and asks Jupiter for a gift—Io—who Jupiter had turned into a white heifer.  Knowing the identity of the cow, Juno keeps Io imprisoned for a long period of time, treating her cruelly because of Jupiter’s dalliance.  It is only upon Jupiter’s urging and begging that Io be set free that Juno finally relents and ends her vengeful tirade.

Not too much later, Ovid tells the story of Semele, another girl who ends up in a relationship with Jupiter.  Here Juno turns Semele’s curiosity against her, urging Semele to ask Jupiter for one gift—to see his true form.  Juno does this while in the guise of an elderly woman, seemingly advising Semele to be wary of her lover’s deception.  But, in fact, Juno knows that if Semele is to see Jupiter’s true form, the mortal Semele will be destroyed.  Thus her play is simply another vindictive act to get back at Jupiter for his various affairs.

No longer is Juno a warm, comforting, matron of the house.  No longer is she simply someone to ask for advice in times of domestic troubles.  Instead, she is this figure with an additional side, a vengeful, harsh, and cruel side; and above all she is a faithful wife who works tirelessly to ensure her husband’s fidelity, punishing him and others whenever Jupiter may stray.

Image Info.  Jupiter and Juno, painting by Annibale Carracci.  Wikipedia.

Week 3: Storytelling--Shrouded Reflection

It often amazes me how quickly one's life may change course, and how dramatically.  In one instant, I was simply a young girl fetching water from my father's stream, then in the next I was a snowy heifer imprisoned under Argus's watchful eyes.  I am Io, and this is my story.

It all began when my father sent me to the stream along the back of our land for fresh water.  Suddenly a man's booming voice echoed over the fields around me, claiming to be mighty Jupiter.  Already promised to another, regardless of whether my pursuer truly was a god, I sprinted away through the woods, leaving the pail of water spilled across the grass behind me.

Fog began to roll out over the earth around me, obscuring my vision and hampering my flight.  Branches appeared seemingly out of nowhere, ripping my garments and skin.  My foot caught on an unseen root, and I was sent sprawling onto the unyielding forest floor.  It was then that Jupiter caught up with me and defiled me, claiming all the while that he cared deeply for me, his most beautiful lover.

At this point, a numbness began to consume me, a numbness as chilled and enshrouding as Jupiter's rolling fog.  I had shamed myself, my father, my family.  I was no longer pure, could no longer belong to another.  But how could I have prevented the actions of a god?

Wracked with guilt and shame, I did not realize the approach of vengeful Juno until she was nearly upon us.  But Jupiter had noted her coming and with a look of panic gestured at me wildly.  Where before there was numbness, there was now an unnatural tingling sensation, and I looked down at my hands and legs to see them elongating, changing shape.  A light coat of snowy fur coated my body, and my feet and hands quickly shifted into cloven hooves of midnight black.  I fell to all fours, and my back began to bow under the weight of my shifting form.  My nose began to stretch away from my face, ears grew taller, and horns sprouted from my head.

I started to cry out for aid, for mercy, but all that emerged was the desperate lowing of a cow.  Shocked, I tried again, only to hear another mournful low.  Unable to accept what was happening, I stood silent as Juno and Jupiter dueled with words above me.

Before I could fully realize my new plight, Juno was tying a rope around me.  With each pull of her hand, the noose tightened around my neck and another low escaped me.  She dragged me onward mercilessly, giving me no time to catch my bearings.  Then, suddenly, a giant of a man with a hundred eyes loomed over me, his figure shrouding me in shadow.  Juno thrust my lead into his hands and disappeared in a burst of fury.

For weeks and months I would graze on bitter herbs under the light of Apollo, drinking muddied waters to slake my thirst.  Under the blackness of night, I would lie on the cold, punishing dirt, gazing at the stars praying for release.  No sound escaped my throat, for the lowing that would have emerged frightened me almost as much as my imprisonment.  And I could not look into any clear waters for fear of facing the reflection of my new and terrible reality.

Eventually, after encountering and subsequently being driven away from my dear father, Jupiter took mercy on me and sent Mercury to kill my jailer.  Juno found Argus slain, and enraged she drove me through the world more harshly than ever before.  When finally I could travel no further, I stumbled to my knees on the banks of the Nile.  I know not what happened then in the heavens, but suddenly all of my supplications were acknowledged and my body began to take on its original form.  Rough hair left my body, the horns disappeared, my mouth and nose shrank back.  My obsidian hooves vanished, replaced by delicate hands and slender feet.

Slowly I drew myself up onto two feet, looking at the reflection of my pale human figure in the Nile with wonder.  Turning my face skyward and raising my arms to the heaven, I spoke aloud in my own tongue for the first time in months, whispering tentatively to whatever god was listening. . .  Words are powerless to express my gratitude--yet I humbly thank you!





Author's Note.  I decided to retell the story of Io from Io's perspective.  I love looking at stories in the first person perspective, and I thought that in this myth Ovid focuses more on Jupiter and Juno than on the helpless victim of Io.  I wanted to express her plight, her vulnerability, her guilt and imprisonment, and her gratefulness regarding the end of her trials.  So hopefully that all shows through.  In this story, Jupiter sees Io out and about and becomes infatuated with her to the point that he rapes her.  Juno sees all of the mysterious fog Jupiter summons and becomes suspicious.  When Jupiter is about to be caught, he transforms Io into a shining white cow, who Juno asks for as a gift to throw Jupiter off guard.  Jupiter stupidly gives in, and poor Io lives under Juno and Argus's rule for a long while before she gets a semi-happy ever after.  I didn't make any big changes other than the perspective, which of course influences the amount of info available to the character and thus the reader (since Io is not at all omniscient).  Hope you enjoyed the story; ciao!

Image Information.  Photo of girl reflected.  Found on Ria-perspective.blogspot.it.

Bibliography.  "Io" from Ovid's Metamorphoses.  Translated by Tony Kline (2000).  Web Source:  Poetry in Translation.

Week 3: Reading Diary--Ovid's Metamorphoses, Installment 4!

From Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 1-4, we reach the conclusion of this segment of enthralling Greco-Roman mythology in this week's second installment!  Let's get to it!!

7.  Semele-  Oh, jealous, vindictive, and violent Juno!  Tricking poor Semele into asking to see Jupiter's true form and thus leading Semele to be consumed by Jupiter's fire.  I also kind of feel bad for Jupiter, as he strikes down his lover unwillingly--until I remember that he had an affair with Semele, and really I should feel bad for Jupiter rather than the adulterous couple. . .

(Echo and Narcissus, painting by John William Waterhouse, 1903.  Wikipedia.)

8-9.  Echo and Narcissus-  Poor Echo.  Lost her voice 'cause she helped her friends have affairs with Jupiter behind Juno's back.  (I mean, really, can you blame Juno for her wrath here?)  And the worst part is that Echo is clever, and Narcissus is just an arrogant, selfish jerk.  He deserves what's coming to him.  Though wasting away as you stare at yourself can't be the worst end, if Narcissus really is as beautiful/handsome as they come.  And this is definitely a twist on the whole unrequited love story, when the person who cannot return the love is yourself.  Plus, there are many worse fates than being turned into a pretty yellow flower.

(Pyramus and Thisbe, painting by Pierre Gautherot, 1799.  Wikimedia.)

10.  Pyramus and Thisbe-  Thisbe, Thisbe, wherefore art thou Thisbe!  Oh, the tales of star-crossed lovers committing suicide in the night!  Here we have another tale of forbidden love, this time aided by a crack in the wall and ended by a playful but bloody lion.  And of course in Romeo and Juliet you don't have a fountain of blood turning the fruit of a mulberry tree red, but Shakespeare can't have all the romance, now can he?

11.  Mars and Venus-  I guess there is definitely humor in finding two gods bound together shamefully in bed, but then you think of poor Vulcan who must have been heartbroken and this is a much less amusing tale. . .

12 -13.  Perseus (Andromeda and Medusa)-  I never really understood everybody's fascination with Perseus.  He's kind of an a** if you know what I mean.  He just assumes things are his, kills any "monster" or enemy in his way, and leaves a trail of "allies" and lovers behind him.  Sometimes I feel like cheering against Perseus, even though I know how the stories end.

I'm running a little short on time, so ciao!!

Week 3: Reading Diary--Ovid's Metamorphoses I

Since I enjoy reading Ovid's mythology so much, I decided to go back to the beginning of the Metamorphoses and read some of the earlier tales (from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books 1-4).  Let's review some more Greco-Roman stories!!

 (Deucalion and Pyrrha Praying, oil painting by Tintoretto, c. 1542.  Wikimedia.)

1.  Deucalion and Pyrrha-  Here we have the quintessential flood story that can be found throughout various mythologies and religious histories.  (Which in itself raises all sorts of questions, but there is not enough room in this post to expand on my fascination.)  I translated this story from the Latin last semester, and there is simply so much meaning and depth and various double meanings enclosed in the text, as well as this overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and desperation.  And here you have a great example of the uncertainty and vague meanings of prophecies/directions given by gods.  A great story, indeed.

2.  Io-  Here we see one of many stories revolving around Jupiter's dalliances and Juno's revenge, leading to the unfortunate demise of an unlucky, beautiful, young girl.  You almost feel bad for Jupiter's dilemma, but not really.  He's basically a lustful idiot who gets caught red-handed.  (There is also an interesting etiological anecdote here about the creation of the peacock's tail which I really love.)

(The Fall of Phaeton, painting by Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1604.  Wikipedia.)

3-5.  Phaethon- This is basically the tale of a reckless and bold young boy who decides he is indestructible and wants to drive Phoebus' chariot of the sun--which of course results in Phaethon's death and nearly results in the destruction of the earth and the heavens.  Boys and their toys. . .

6.  Callisto-  Here we have another story of Jupiter's transgressions.  This time the girl he rapes is one who was a companion of Diana--possibly my favorite Roman goddess.  Meanwhile, I often wonder how the Romans could have any respect for a god who employs various trickeries to cheat on his wife and rape innocent women.  And then of course you have Juno, who is rightfully outraged but always takes it out on the women instead of Jupiter.  Oh, antiquity!


I leave you here, and will continue on later tonight/tomorrow with more depressing tales missing the happily-ever-after element we are so fond of!

Buongiorno!