The Jealous Uncle
-The culture in this story is more unfamiliar than I expected. The uncle is killing his nephews, but since he has power, not even the parents have done anything about it.
-It looks like the only one fighting for the kid is himself and he is going to outsmart the uncle.
-Even after multiple failed attempts on his life, no one is doing anything to stop Unnatural Uncle.
-Besides the magic eagle clothing, this is kind of like Moses.
-His brothers are killed, his parents disguise him, the girls who find him are daughters of a chief of a different tribe, he goes back and kills the evil chief (all similar to Moses).
Bluejay and His Companions
-This features a man who is very silent about being mistreated but takes his revenge very seriously.
-I see how this would fit Native American culture better than the first story.
-The main characters are all types of different animals but all act human and maybe also have human bodies?
-Story takes a turn from revenge to a journey with all the other characters.
-Bluejay, who had caused the troubles was now completing tasks that allowed everyone to survive.
-Everywhere they go, people are trying to kill them, which I guess is generally how the Native Americans treated each other for a very long time.
Dug From Ground
-This one is much more mystical
-Babies from the roots of plants and giant beanstalk trees with large acorns
-Boy is kind of like Hercules or Superman, is finding out who he really is and if he is an immortal
-He is very strong and travels to the edge of the world with somewhat ease.
-While he is somewhat accepted, he must prove himself time and time again. This may be a lesson that was valued by this group of indians.
-He beats all the other brothers (animals and forces of nature and such). These are about living and nature but still conquering it.
The Attack on the Giant Elk and the Great Eagle
-Story of monsters and man overcoming powerful nature
-Also they form the modern world and landscapes
-Also why animals look how they do
Lodge Boy and Thrown Away
-Ridiculously violent. The witch lady is basically an indian serial killer
-These stories are much more violent than the other units, but the Native Americans had many tribes that were warrior societies.
-This may be where stories about zombies and indian burial grounds come from
-The boys disobey everything their father says
-They literally do like 14 things they are explicitly told not to do.
-They kill all the bad things for the rest of their lives
The Son-In-Law Tests
-Once again, the chief is killing his son in laws and no one does anything about it.
-He will be outsmarted in this story though
-They cannot defy the wishes of the chief, but they can trick him
The Jealous Father
-Two wives, one son, son sleeps with other wife of no blood relation. This should be a cautionary tale against polygamy, but instead it points the blame on the dad
-These stories always have very creative weapons and supplies
-Also, this story is now also kind of a journey tale
-The heroes and/or villains often turn to a specific animal at the end of the story
Dirty Boy
-This is the first story in the unit where the Sun and Star, kind of gods, come down as humans without telling anyone.
-The dirty boy, sun, is going to win some wives using his archery skills
-This story is kind of like the story from the odyssey with the bow. He is even disguised as an ugly, sick, lame boy
-The girl is rewarded for being loyal to her sickly husband
Read the full stories here.
No comments:
Post a Comment