Caleb's Myth-Folklore Assignments

      I have decided that for my storybook I will go with my first idea, to create a comical creation myth. I liked the recommendation of writing a story in which the creator has to constantly correct their mistakes or completely restart. I can't get the image out of my head of a Zeus-like figure hunched over a typewriter furiously typing away and then ripping the page out to begin anew. I hope to convey that image in my story. The instrument of creation ( Pixabay )     One story I may rewrite or take inspiration from is the Popul Vuh . I like the constant dissatisfaction with their creation that the gods in this story have. The contents are a little rough for me. I doubt I'll write a tale in which every other being turns on and rips apart the first men. However, it serves as a good reference for why my creator(s) may be dissatisfied with their creations and what would be enough to cause a reset for them. Is man not beholden to the gods enough? Are they too smar...

 The first article I read was How to Provide Great Feedback When You’re Not In Charge . This article was a nice refresher on a practice that I already try very hard to use whenever I am asked to give someone advice. The major idea of the article was to phrase your criticisms and feedback in a way that invites growth instead of making the person feel insulted or lesser than. The best way to do this may be to give feedback on what they did well when commenting on what needs work.       I try to implement this strategy when I am giving feedback by using the compliment sandwich. Open up the review by complimenting the person's work and efforts on it. Then, offer up a piece of specific criticism in a specific and helpful way. Finally, close with another bit of praise about them or their work. If there is a lot of feedback, it can be helpful to alternate intermittently between praise and criticism. Giving feedback in this way not only softens the blow of criticism and...

A Sculpture of a man-like Golem ( Wikimedia Commons )     Once upon a time, there was a rabbi who lived all alone. He had nobody to help with the chores at home or tasks at the synagogue. He couldn't employ any of the townspeople because they all feared him.. They believed his experiments with chemistry was evil. They saw fire and strange shadows in his window at night and believed he was working with demons. They called him a wizard. Now, the Rabbi was no wizard. However, fed up with not having any help, he decided to take matters into his own hands. "If it's a wizard they want, it's a wizard they'll get," said the rabbi.  The rabbi built a large mechanical woman out of wood and metal. It had springs and hinges so that it could move. "Now I must power this creature." The rabbi wrote the Sacred Name of God on a slip of paper and placed it into the mechanical woman's mouth. His creation sprung to life and the rabbi put it to work to do chores.    ...

A Sculpture of a man-like Golem ( Wikimedia Commons )     The story that stuck out the most to me in section B of Jewish fairy tales was The Rabbi's Bogey-Man . Alternatively, you could use the name I will forever use in my head Jewish Frakenstein . I love the story of Frankenstein. The ideas of what humanity is and the questions of morality that Mary Shelly proposes in that story are great. Those same questions are asked in this short fairy tale.     The basic plot of The Rabbi's Bogey-Man  is as follows. A local rabbi is too smart for his own good. The other townspeople are afraid of him because he practices chemistry and they see it as him practicing witchcraft. The rabbi can't find any help because everyone is afraid of him. "Fine then. If it's a magician they want, it's a magician they'll get." he says. The rabbi then builds a woman and brings her to life with the secret name of God. It's great to start with but the rabbi quickly learns that i...

                    ( Etching by Hendrik Hondius )      My favorite story from Part A of the Jewish Fairy Tales was The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog . I love that of all the things that someone could have taken the time to explain they chose to explain why cats and dogs don't like each other. It was endearing and fun to read.      The basic plot of the story is pretty simple. The cat and the dog start out as friends. They're having a grand old time and everything is great. Then, winter comes around and suddenly food and warmth starts to get scarce. The cat decides that they would be better off if they separated because they could each hunt for their own food instead of sharing. The dog initially goes against this idea but gives in. The cat decides that it will go live in Adam's house and hunt mice. The cat then makes the dog swear to never cross paths with it again. The dog agrees and they separate. ...