Week 6 Reading Diary A: Folklore of Loas

Reading diary for the unit: Folklore of Loas

A Child of the Woods

• First off, this reminded me of Native American stories that I read earlier
• I like how the woman grew in the jungle and she lost her anger while wandering through the forest
• It was interesting that she left the village she was adored at to go back to her own.

The Enchanted Mountain

• The lake sounds sort of like the fountain of youth in english folklore
• The place also reminds me sort of the Garden of Eden, especially the description of the fruit and the fact that hunters cannot take life from the animals
• Story idea: write a story as if you are the first hunter to discover this place, wonder over the beautifulness, exhilaration as you drink the water and feel younger, and frustration that you cannot kill the large fowl
• I like that the place is a reward for the tired hunter

The Spirit-Guarded Cave

• This journey seems long and hard and the emotions of the travelers are not discussed
• It seems foolish to me to leave your jewels in a cave but it was also a different time and travel isn't safe either
• I liked the ending, that the treasure stays hidden for all time

The Mountain Spirits and the Stone Mortars

• I like the theme of spirits in these stories
• The story was really short and seemed a little pointless

Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops

• This story was really weird
• I didn't like that the elephant wasn't brought up until the very end of the story!
• Story idea: the twelve maidens journey as they discover the bones until the mouth of the elephant

The Man in the Moon

• There seems to be the moral of the grass isn't always greener on the other side

The Origin of Lighting

• the element of reincarnation in this story is really cool and I like that the selfish wife doesn't get to go live in the sky

The Parrot and the Minor 

• The explanation for why parrots and minor birds can only echo what man says was really cool 

The Faithful Husband

• How did the nymph just set aside her wings?
• I like the sort of friendship the ape and Chow Soo Tome have made 
• Its really cool how large of a role that the animals play in these stories

The Faithful Wife

An Akha Woman, Laos Source: Wikipedia

I thought this image really helped picture the story when you see what the woman would have looked like as a noble, instead of a  slave. 

• The shame that the young boy felt for just the thought of marrying a salve is an interesting insight into the culture of Laos
• The young man seems very concerned with what others think of him marrying a slave, even after she has become noble
• Its sad that the man had to come to love his wife after she went to so much trouble for him