Week 7 Essay: Racism is Culture

Before I get bombarded with hatred and people thinking I'm some close-minded redneck, I want to make it clear that I do NOT condone racism. I think the thought of finding someone as less of a person just because of their background or skin color is completely wrong, and quite frankly, just awful.

However, with that said, my entire essay revolves around the importance of these stories. As some other people have expressed, Song of the South was a classic viewing back in my childhood. I remember the classic songs like "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and the fantastic cartoons revolving around Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear. The character of Uncle Remus is a great, Uncle Tom's Cabin-type grandfather figure. In fact, every time I've been to Disney World, I always make it a habit to ride Splash Mountain, as it is themed around these characters and stories.

Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby

As most people might know now, Song of the South has been banned, apparently for its "racist view of African Americans". I do not understand this. I get that there are some stereotypical attributes applied to certain characters, but this stems from the source material. These Brer Rabbit stories are told stylistically in the vein of 1800s African American dialect. A common example would be when someone is talking, the words following the statement are "sez Brer Rabbit, sezee". This can make the reading confusing, but it so perfectly captures the culture of the individuals telling the stories.

The morals and the concept of outwitting the bad guys transcends African myth and folklore and can be applied universally. However, I think it is incredibly important to keep that intact, despite whatever political correctness suggests, because this is history, this is culture, and this is what can help unlock the mysteries of various societies that we may not know a whole lot about.

The Brer Rabbit Collection

Week 7 Storybook: Hunting Wabbits

Elmer Fudd tiptoed quietly through the forest in his big hat and his hunting rifle. He was incredibly careful not to make a sound. Anytime he heard some noise, he would shh whoever made the noise and tell them to be vewy, vewy quiet as he was hunting wabbits. He was after one particular "wabbit", in fact, as he had been tricked by the rabbit before. The rabbit was named Bugs Bunny, and he was a very tricky rabbit and always made poor Elmer Fudd look like a fool. What had Elmer Fudd done to Bugs? He just wanted to feed his family some delicious rabbit wabbit.

Bugs was a family man, and he had quite a big one. He had several children and he loved each and every one of them. He would occasionally see Elmer Fudd come creeping near his rabbit hole in hopes of stealing a little bunny, but Bugs was quite protective of them. Every time Elmer was around, Bugs would find a way to trick him into some big blunder and Elmer would lay low for awhile. Quite frankly, Bugs was getting kind of tired of it. He was about to go outside for a quick view of the surrounding area - it had been some time since Elmer had last attempted to turn him and his family into dinner - when he heard someone yelling outside.

"Hewp!! Huwwy! Someone hewp me!!"

Bugs peeked out of his hole. It was Elmer Fudd.

"Hewp me, wabbit! Some hunters awe after me!!"

Bugs let him into the hole and brought him over to a chest. "Hop in here, Elmer!" So Elmer did as he was told. "Those hunters will never find you in here!" Bugs then ran over to the fireplace and placed a kettle of tea above it.

Elmer popped his head out of the chest. "What awe you doing, mistew wabbit?"

"I'm getting you a nice cup of tea. You must be thirsty after all that running!"

Elmer closed the chest. Bugs came over and poked some holes into the chest.

"What awe you doing now, mistew wabbit?"

"I'm poking holes in this so you an breathe, Elmer!"

Elmer was really starting to think that he had misjudged the rabbit. He was an alright guy. Maybe after this, they could become close friends! However, about that moment, he began to feel the scalding water. "YOWWWW!!!!" He screamed and he leapt out of the chest and clambered up the hole as fast as he could. He ran away, hoping that the hunters that had been chasing him might find him.

Bugs followed him up the hole and watched as he ran away screaming. He looked back and winked. Then he went back into his chair and began to take a nap. "Finally, some peace."

Brer Rabbit?

Author's Note
I took one of my favorite Brer Rabbit stories, The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf, and I turned it into a Looney Tunes cartoon. The entire time I was reading the story, this is what I had in my mind. The connection I thought was almost seamless, and I hope everyone enjoys reading it and can see the connection just as easily as I can.

Week 7 Reading Diary: Brer Rabbit

I love these stories! As I've read on a lot of other people's blogs, I really enjoy reading stories based off of movies and TV shows I used to watch. These classic cartoons are popping into my head as I read them and it is a wonderful bit of nostalgia for me. I think my favorite story so far, from the first section, has to either be The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story or The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf. I love both of them almost equally. I'm quite a big fan of these stories, even though they are quite formulaic, because I love to watch the dumb bad guy (who thinks he's rather smart and cunning) be outwitted by the good guy, whose nonchalance makes me find it even funnier.

The language is a bit difficult to pick up, and I kept trying to read it aloud to help it make more sense. I hate to say it, but reading the stories aloud made me feel almost racist. I know these stories have a place and everything, but the culture I've grown up in has made it seem like this isn't okay. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I may try to do my essay on it later in the week and expand on what I'm really trying to say. Because, like most things, it makes sense in my head...just not when I read it back.

One things, I can't believe I forgot to mention yesterday is the fact that most every animal is "Mr. So-and-so". I find that really interesting, and I'm not entirely sure why, but it makes the story that much more entertaining. Not just because of the personification of the animals, but more so because of the attitude, respect and reverence given to them by these titles. I think it's really cool to read about Mr. Fox or Mr. Wolf or Mr. Rabbit. I kind of like almost as much as I like the "Brer" titles. I think the term "Brer", here, has a ton of cultural significance to it, and it helps give the characters life.

I think my favorite story from the second half is Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear, just because I love the classic formula that I mentioned before. I actually had a colleague in my Feature Screenwriting class with Dr. Andy Horton read a Disney-fied Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and Brer Bear story for a script assignment that we had to do involving a children's book. Hearing him describe his story came flooding back to me as I reading this as well as the other stories in this collection. I think having a collection of Uncle Remus stories is a fantastic thing to possess.

Week 6 Essay: Battle Without Honor or Humanity

Where does Japanese mythology fall into with the other mythologies that have been studied throughout the semester so far? Well, that is a very interesting question. Thanks so much for asking. Here is the deal with Japanese mythology: there are multiple gods and everything, but they aren't that important. The focus of the mythology is on the heroes of that time. It appeals to a sense of "the gods will bless you if you are a stand-up individual, and if you don't believe me, here's a story to prove it" as a mentality. So there are gods, and they are responsible for creation and the weather and other things of that sort, but they are just there. It's not like it is "The Young and the Restless - Mt. Olympus Edition", because these deities are not simply above the world, they are of the world, and are only there to assist warriors of a pure heart.

This brings me to the real crux of what Japanese mythology is all about - the hero. Especially in the collections of stories available to read for this class, it all focuses on what the heroic warrior can do for other people. He goes on many adventures and he helps out those in need because he has the skill and the means to be of assistance. The gods are intermingled into the stories, but they are either the ones in need, or they are there to help out the hero because he is so virtuous. This, of course, is the key to everything. Virtue, honor, and integrity line each Japanese story to the point that good things happen to those with these qualities, and bad things happen to those who would undermine such gallantries.

It seems as though the battle of good and evil relies solely on the mindset of the individual and destiny is what you make it. The outcome of the hero will always be good if he desires to do good with what is given to him, and vice versa for whomever is obsessed with self-preservation or some other selfish desire. Because of this, there can probably be many comparisons made to other heroic folktales such as Robin Hood, as the semester progresses and the mindset of overly-dramatic gods begins to be abandoned.

The Balances of Good and Evil

Author's Note
This week I read the section on Japanese Mythology, and I loved it a lot! Great reads all throughout and I would recommend it to anyone. Again, the main focus of the reading was on the hero, Yamato, and I wanted to reflect that in my essay and how the focus had shifted from prior readings.

Week 6 Storybook: A Stiff Drink

Thomas stood in the corner with an empty cup in his hand. The music was loud and the people were trying to compete, and no one said a word to him. This was the kind of stuff he was used to, but that didn't mean he liked it any more. He had actually just decided to leave when he spotted someone out of the corner of his eye. It was the girl from his Psych class. He couldn't remember her name, but she sat just a few seats away from her and thought she might be fun to talk to.

He began to walk toward her, but before he took two steps, a guy was walking over with a shirt that said, "Soccer moms are easy". He came bowling over, and Thomas could tell she was uninterested. She would avert her eyes and didn't seem to respond well to his advances. Thomas thought he might seize his chance. He walked over and tapped the guy on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir. I see you don't have a drink. Want me to get you one?" Thomas asked.

What'll It Be?

 

The guy shrugged him off, so Thomas took initiative and grabbed him off. Every time the guy ran out of beer, Thomas would go get him a refill. This happened several more times. On the 8th time, the alcohol was starting to show effects. The guy took a step forward and crashed to the ground. He had passed out completely. Thomas stepped over his body and approached the girl.

"I'm sorry about him. Would you like to go someplace else and talk?"

She nodded and grabbed the arm he extended out to her. They walked out and left all of the music and people behind. They went out to an IHOP and shared a cup of coffee and some Never-Ending Pancakes. They talked well into the morning, and when it was time to leave, she gave him her phone number. Thomas would later recall it as one of the best nights he ever had.

Author's Note
I took my storybook from the story, The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi. This story follows a man who kills an 8-headed snake by getting it all liquored up and cutting off its heads. I didn't want to have 8 snake-like jerks, so I just did the one and have it take him 8 drinks to collapse instead. The good guy still gets the girl, so I say it all works out.

Week 6 Reading Diary: Japanese Mythology

Gross. Brothers and sisters marrying each other. That's right - Japanese myth spawned from incest. George R.R. Martin would be proud. Izanagi and Izanami are the siblings. God of the Air and Goddess of the Clouds, respectively. Together, they will manipulate the world as they see it and desire it. I won't even attempt to spell their kids' names.

Various gods and goddesses are born and created to have various roles in the world's workings. There is a god of water and the moon and etc. The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi may be the coolest title ever for anything. It has eight heads and eight tails. That's a lot of snake. Of course, because this is Japanese mythology, I'm pretty dang sure this is more accurately a dragon. Anyway, Susa-no-wo tempts it with alcohol and then kills it by using this ridiculously large sword.

Admittadly, the rest of the stories are kind of boring until you get to the adventures involving Yamato, like the Rescue of the Princess. This story has to be inspiration for an Akira Kurosawa film. It's such a similar story. Very good read, and full of fun adventure.

As the readings continue, it seems the highlight of everything is Yamato and his adventures. And I really enjoyed yet another story involving a dragon. I really love this character. He is unlike any other character I've read so far and I think it has to do with the virtue and honour he contains. Regardless of the reason, Yamato makes for a great mythic character that I absolutely love to read and hope to dive a little deeper into.

Japanese mythology has become a staple of my myth study, and I look forward to what else I might be able to uncover throughout the course of this class.

Week 5 Essay: Mythology Repeats Itself

There is a ton of information out there regarding The Voyages of Sindbad and its correlation to The Odyssey and the stories surrounding Odysseus' adventures as he travels homeward. This essay only has the room and focus for a few instances, but I think these may be the most common, and therefore, I wish to make them known to everyone. Knowing and understanding how various cultural mythologies intersect or borrow from each other is a very important aspect of understanding the importance of mythology in and of itself.

First of all, a key component of both mythologies is the central character. There is little difference between Odysseus from Homer's classic poem, and Sindbad the Sailor. They both rely on their wit to get them out of the inevitable sticky situations...which is rather common for both adventurers. As previously hinted, both characters are technically sailors - though I guess that's kind of debatable with Odysseus. Both have a difficult time with getting older and settling down from the lifestyle they are both used to, as well. Again, many similarities.

On their adventures, they run into similar obstacles. Particularly in Sindbad's third voyage, where he goes to a land filled with giants. These giants, in some instances, have only one eye, and they have a taste for humans. If that isn't comparable to Poseidon's son, the Cyclops, I don't know what is. Also, after escaping the giants, Sindbad and his crew run into a giant snake. This is a little less noticeable, but there is a sea creature that Odysseus must avoid that is made up of several snake heads - similar to that of a Hydra from the stories of Heracles.

Now, again, there are plenty of differances in these stories to make them their own, but if I were a betting man, I would bet on the theory that Sherizade took a couple of ideas from Homer. These, of course, are just my thoughts.

The Sindbad I Grew Up With

 

Author's Note

The story I read this week was The Voyages of Sindbad. Specifically, the Third Voyage. When I was reading this, I couldn't help but think it was the story of Odysseus. The similarities were ridiculous. Now, I hope this essay helps others who read it make some connections of their own.

Week 5 Storytelling: A Pirate's Life for Me

Johnny Longbeard had an ironic name. Johnny was a clean-shaven guy, but the name resonated better than Johnny Nobeard or Johnny Peachfuzz. Plus, when you're a pirate, a name that seems at least mildly threatening is better than being the laughing stock of every port you visit. Johnny Longbeard was no laughing stock.

Some Other Pirate...Johnny Longbeard Isn't Prone to Photos

He and his crew were actually just returning from a recent voyage when they were hearing intriguing stories of an island filled with giant creatures that had tons of gold hidden in their caverns, if anyone was brave enough to seek it out.

This story interested Johnny Longbeard, and he asked to hear more of these giants and this island. However, as time went on, the story seemed less appealing. From the sound of things, the giants were a little too fond of eating people. It's not to say that Johnny was scared. Johnny wasn't scared of anything, but these creatures just sounded a little too much to handle.

"What about all that gold?" one of his crewmen asked. Johnny Longbeard looked him in the eye, pondered a moment, and said, "There are easier, safer ways to get rich. Going to this island sounds too much like a real job."

Author's Note
I love these Sindbad stories and I like how he is basically a pirate...but a hero. Like Jack Sparrow. I wanted to take Sindbad, and make him more American. What's more American than being too lazy to get rich underhanded?

The stories came from The Voyages of Sindbad.

Week 5 Reading Diary: The Voyages of Sindbad

This week, it is time to journey the seven seas...with seven journeys...on seven seas...yes. Sindbad's travels have always been really cool. Plus, as the introduction to the series of stories suggests, I have always thought there was a correlation between Sindbad and Odysseus. Both characters have an arrogant nature about them and are fond of sailing to seek out adventures.

My favorite story regarding Sindbad, so far at least, is his third voyage. This is the island he visits where he is first dealing with the giant bird known as a "roc". However, the roc isn't even the least of his worries, as this island is full of tons of large creatures that make for an interesting adventure. Of course, he eventually comes upon some giants that are not unlike the Cyclops in The Odyssey...I'm just saying. Anyway, this is probably my favorite of the voyages up to this point.

The last voyage is also pretty entertaining. I love how every single voyage starts with Sindbad saying he's never going to travel the seas again, but...and then he's off on another high-seas adventure. This last one starts a little differently to me, it seems. He goes on this trip as a favor for the friend he made in the last voyage.

The best part of this story? The elephants. I love me some elephants. These tales are so exotic and fun that I can't help but love them. If anyone actually reads this diary, please take the time to read these stories. They are absolutely fantastic.

Comment Wall

This is a place to post comments over the blog in general. If you have comments over a specific story, you are welcome to comment here or on that specific post. It's up to you!

But keep it classy, San Diego.

Week 4 Essay: Why Ancient Egypt is so Important

This unit was a very fun and exciting read. I love Ancient Egypt. I think it is one of the coolest and most interesting times in history, as well as empires of the world. The mythology they had was so different from everything else that was going on in the world, and yet, it was so similar to things going on in other mythologies. The story of the two brothers felt so much like Cain and Abel from the Bible, as well as The Wax Crocodile is seemingly similar to Joseph being tempted by the wife of Pottifer, but with a different outcome.

Regardless, the one issue I have with this unit is that it is not long enough. There is so much more to what is going on and the mythology is so full of so many gods and stories that one little unit discussing only a small handful of tales is simply not going to cut it. I enjoyed the reading greatly, but I want more. I want a lot more. Of course, I have the capabilities to go off and read some more stories from this mythology at my convenience, but the mythology of Ancient Egypt is already so glossed over in most historical accounts and classes, that I hate to see it receive similar treatment here.

To make a long story short - there should be much more Ancient Egypt mythology in this class. Like Greek mythology, it has comedy, tragedy, and gives explanation to the world and especially the mindsets of those living in this area at the time of one of the greatest empires in history. Egypt was always much more than just the pyramids.

Egypt

The stories.

Week 4 Storytelling: The Lustful Jaws

"I have a hunger."

She sat on her patio and sipped on a cup of coffee, much like every morning. The only difference was her husband's new gardener - Lucas - was out in the yard, trimming the hedges. Lucas was a young man, hardly 17, but he was good with his hands and he knew how to clean the place up. This was quite an impressive feat in the light of her husband's large estate.

Her husband made it big in the Stock Market a few years ago and has simply lived off the profits ever since. Of course, with the kind of money he was bringing in, he changed some. He wasn't quite as fun as he once was. He was rather concerned with keeping tabs on his money. To be honest, he seemed to do little outside of counting the money he was organizing into various funds.

"I have a need."

Lucas was paid well by her husband, too. With the money he was making, he could to go to college and beyond. He would tell them all the time about his desires of becoming a physician. How cute. She was more interested in what he could do for her. This is why she had skipped out on playing tennis today. She had other plans in mind.

"I have a desire."

She walked up to Lucas. "Would you like to take a break and come get a drink?" Lucas wiped is brow, rose from the crouch he was in, and followed her into the house and into the kitchen. This was too easy. She had him in a matter of minutes. Only when the sounds of wheels on gravel came in through the bedroom window did she think about what to do when her husband came home.

"Our Little Secret"

"Quick! Go back to the yard! I'll stall my husband." She ran down the stairs and into the foyer, just as her husband was walking in. "Hello, honey! What are you doing home so soon?" He shrugged his shoulders, clearly weary of a long day of staring at papers and numbers. She helped him out of his suit jacket and walked him into the living room. "You must be worn out. Let me make you a drink."

About this time, a thump came from above her husband's head. Lucas was making too much noise upstairs. Her husband got up and went to investigate. "No, honey! Don't go up there! It's not like - it's not what you - Lucas came on to me! He forced me into it!" Her husband turned to her, his face red, and then turned back to the stairs where Lucas was now standing, holding his pants up by his hands and only one arm through a shirt sleeve.

"I have a hunger."

Lucas was immediately fired. After yelling at him and literally throwing him out of the house, he huffed up the stairs and not a word came out of him for several hours. She got off scot free. It was sad to see Lucas go, and so young, but there would be other men she would come across. Not to worry. Blaming the whole thing on him was ingenious of her, she knew. Her husband was easy to work over.

Eventually, she walked up to the bedroom herself and walked in on her husband packing a suitcase. Was this really happening? No! It couldn't! What would she do? Where would she go? Then, she noticed the clothes were his. "Where are you going?" He did not respond. "Honey, what are you doing?" He said nothing. She sat on the bed, and watched him work for what felt like hours. Once he was all packed, he grabbed his suitcase, walked down the stairs and out the door - out of the house and her life forever. He left her the house and a lot of what came with that. She simply had to work a small job to make a little extra cash. Soon, she was even able to afford another gardener.

"I have a hunger."

Author's Note:
I took this story from The Wax Crocodile of Egyptian mythology. I wanted to do something a bit more modern with it and I didn't want there to be a physical crocodile present, so the crocodile become represented by the woman's sexual desire. The two "wrongdoers" of the story are devoured by these metaphorical jaws. Lucas is sent away and loses his chance at school and a better future, and while not much happens to the woman, she ultimately loses who she was before the story takes place, consumed by this desire. Since it was from her perspective, I couldn't show who she was before, so that's why I added the "I have a hunger" bit. Plus, it adds a little poetic feel to the story. Also, I really liked having only her being the one to talk. It seems like no one else's words were important to her, just as she and her husband are not named, because Lucas as a physical entity is all that matters to her, physically.

Also, never do a Google Image Search of simply the word "Lust". Friendly advice.

Week 4 - Reading Diary

Oh, yeah! You know what time it is? That's right, playas! It's Ancient Egypt mythology time! This stuff is fantastic - whacked out, full of betrayal, and clearly one of the most intriguing mythologies in history.

Ra - here is one of the coolest gods ever. First of all, the strength of this guy is based on the position of the sun. Crazy awesome. But wait, there's more! He spends most of his time taking new forms and walking the earth, so he's not only a god, but he also takes the classic role of "the wanderer". It's such a rich story.

The secret name of Ra is a fantastic story. I'm quite interested in this stuff. The gods of Egypt seem relatively Greek, but something seems to set them apart from the gods of Greek mythology, who always seem to be incredibly human - possibly to a fault. However, the Egyptian gods are above the human race, most assuredly.

I think my favorite story, so far, is that of the Wax Crocodile. Crocodiles in general are a fantastic creature and play a very interesting role in the Egyptian mythology. I still don't entirely understand what the story means, but that's part of the intrigue for me. I think there's so much going on, symbolically, that I need to reread it and see if there is anything else I might can discover in terms of hidden meaning.

The Two Brothers is a pretty awesome story. I thought for a minute it was going to be like Cain and Abel, but no. It ended up nice and different. I really like the younger brother, Bata, but the elder brother, Anpu, also seems to have many virtuous qualities. For instance, Anpu travels for three years looking for a way to revive Bata, and succeeds! It's pretty awesome!

Then Bata becomes a sacred bull - what? Anyway, he eventually becomes a Pharoah, I guess, as he rules for 30 years. An interesting twist is that, upon his death, his brother, Anpu, takes over and rules in his stead.

The Book of Thoth - is it imaginary? Is it just part of a cruel trick? Or does it actually mean something? Who knows? It sure makes for some excellent poetry, though. Wait! It does exist! And in it is all the power of the universe? How cool is that? If you can't tell, I'm still really enjoying this business. The Egyptians had some pretty great stories to tell, if I do say so myself. Which I do. Because I just did.

Also, King Rhampsinitus has ties to the Greek. I told you there were relations there.

Week 3 Essay: Come on in, the Water is Fine

Destruction by water is an interesting concept. Water generally implies a cleansing. However, I guess that makes sense here, as the idea is that God is cleansing or purifying the world through a flood - but this does lead to a destruction (more so an annihilation) of everyone and everything - except for Noah, his family, and lucky animal couples. So, while reading Ovid's Metamorpheses last week, there was a flood in that story as well, so I thought I would look at this story of Noah and compare it to not only the other flood story of Greek myth, but other stories from various mythologies.

To start with the flood, in Greek myth, Zeus and Poseidon basically work together to drown the world, as Zeus' anger was kindled against the world. However, the difference between Zeus and God here, is that Zeus wants to destroy everyone and everything, while God saves two of every creature for repopulation. It is interesting to note that both show an anger towards humans at this point, but there is a hope for the future with the Jewish God.

Plato had a theory that involved a flood. There was supposedly a city - an island in some tales - called Atlantis. A great flood came and engulfed the city and the idea is that it is still in existence, either under the ocean, or somewhere out in the middle of it.

In fact, in most stories and myths, a flood plays a roll in the destruction of some world. In the Jewish and Christian texts, there is a sense of purification involved, but in the majority of the myths and folktales there is only destruction and anger. This makes for an interesting look at the different gods that people believe in and study.

That's a Lot of Water

Noah's Story

Week 3 Storytelling: Water, Water Everywhere

Need a boat built? I Noah guy. He is this crazy old Jewish guy who keeps telling everyone that the sky is falling. He's been saying this for a couple hundred years and the sky has yet to fall. Sounds like Chicken Little, right? Either way, he's been diligent at it ever since his God told him what to do. That's a long time to be building a boat. What's he building it for, you ask? Let me back up a little bit.

First of all, have you ever heard of rain? I haven't, and it sounds ridiculous. The sky turning into water and falling on us? Even more farfetched. Please give me something realistic for the end of the world, like a bunch of meteors wiping out all the dinosaurs or a massive stampede of unicorns. This rain and flood business is too far out there, and so is Noah.

Anyway, he's been proclaiming we're all gonna die and that he's been chosen by this God of his to repopulate the earth. Someone's got an ego. Anyway, for years he's been at it! He's getting kind of old, too. I mean, not as old as his grandfather, Methuselah, but still. He's no Spring Chicken Little, if you know what I mean. Regardless, he's pretty determined. Oh! I didn't even mention the best part! He plans to take two of every animal, and stick them on this boat so they can repopulate the earth, too! How weird is that? Also, what about some of those animals. If the lions don't eat the sheep, I'll be very surprised!

Plop! What's this? Something cold and wet just hit my head! Plop! What is going on here? This isn't happening! I have to get out of here! Head for high ground! Plop! Plop! Plop! This isn't gonna end well. Ooh...the sky looks like a waterfall...

Uh-oh.

Wait. Crap.

Author's Note:
I love the story of Noah. I think it is a great tale and does well as a sort of "This is so ridiculous but explains so much" kind of story. I really wanted to look at Noah's scoffers - see why they scoff and see what happens to them when Noah is proven right. It was a very fun little writing.

The Flood

Week 3 Reading Diary: The Legends of Noah

Well, here's a cool little story. Cain kills his brother Abel and the whole world goes to pot. Noah is the only spiritual guy on the planet - not an exaggeration. So, God tells him, "Build a huge boat, because I'm gonna make it rain." This is not to be confused with 'making it rain' - the art of earning dollars and tossing them in the air like a playa.

So Noah gets to work, and this is what makes him such a groovy cat, he works forever. He takes several years to make this boat out of gopher wood (what the heck is that?), all because some voice in the sky tells him to. He's that faithful. I mean, I've got faith and everything, but not like that. But then, what's even better, is that his family helps him out. They're all like, "Okay, Noah. We do what you feel is best." None of them had ever seen rain before! It's crazy! Plus, if you have seen the Bill Cosby routine on this, it is even better.

Anyway, God floods the earth and everything, but not before Noah and his family get two of every animal on this Ark. For 40 days and 40 nights, it rains like crazy. Then eventually, the Ark lands on ground, the dove comes back with a branch in its mouth, and they leave.

God makes a covenant with Noah and his family, and promises to never flood the whole earth again. Eventually, Noah gets crazy drunk and his kids have to cover his nakedness. Eventually, generations later (which passes through the tragically named, Nimrod), people attempt to make a tower that leads to Heaven. God doesn't like that and separates people by skin and language.