Myth-Folklore 2019

For this week's extra credit reading, I read Japanese Mythology, Part A. The story I will be writing my notes over is the story of The Miraculous Mirror in Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917). The Miraculous Mirror: Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess, is busy weaving the "dark web of Doom" when her brother, Susanoo, the Japanese storm god, frightens her and causes her to run off and hide in a cave. The people and gods of the earth miss her rays of light and warmth and desire her to come back and let everyone experience the sun again. However, Amaterasu remains in her cave. One god fashions a mirror and the goddess Uzume dances about and makes noise until Amaterasu emerges from her cave. The mirror is right in front of her and Uzume exclaims about a beautiful goddess that everyone loves. Seeing her own reflection, Amaterasu assumes she is looking at her rival and emerges, at which point Taji-Karao rolls a huge b...

The Celestial Herald reporting on... Sun Wu Kung: Troublemaker or Hero? Details emerged just this week that the ape king Sun Wu Kung has achieved immortality for himself and his fellow apes--will he ever run out of luck? Readers will remember how Sun Wu Kung, born from a rock, became king of his fellow apes after stumbling upon the heavenly cave. One of these apes, a witness to Sun's discovery, stated "He just dove right through the waterfall, landing in the cave behind it! None of us knew this cave existed before Sun discovered it. He was unanimously voted king of the apes that very day--long live King Sun Wu Kung!" After rising to the position of king, Sun decided that immortality was the way to go and set out to look for the key to eternal life. Failing to learn the secret among humans, he turned to the one and only Discerner, who became his master and taught him several rather useful tricks, like leaping 18,000 miles in one bound and transforming 72 ti...

 For this week's reading, I chose the story of  The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung , as told in  The Chinese Fairy Book , edited by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921). In one part of the readings, Sun is put in charge of the Queen-Mother of the West's peach orchard. One of the three rows of peaches grants people immortality--thus these peaches are very valuable and must be well-protected. As expected, Sun proves to be a less-than-dedicated peach watcher and is discovered by some fairies lounging near a peach, transformed into a worm. From these fairies, he learns about a great feast the Queen-Mother is hosting, one to which Sun is not invited. After enchanting the fairies and forcing them to stay put, Sun tricks the Bare-Foot God into going to the wrong location for the feast while Sun slips into the feast after transforming himself into the deceived god. At the feast, he puts the servers in charge of the wine asleep and drinks a ton of it. He then wander...

 For this week's reading, I chose the story of The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung , as told in The Chinese Fairy Book , edited by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921). Sun Wu Kung is born from a rock, from an egg of stone. He is a stone ape, nourished in the rock by earth, heaven, sun, and moon. He grows up in peace and happiness, playing all day, every day, until he comes across a waterfall and passes through it, discovering a heavenly cave. The other apes make Sun Wu Kung their king due to his discovery. After several hundred years pass, Sun Wu Kung desires immortality and so travels on the sea, coming across a fisherman. The ape learns the ways of man, but does not find the secret to immortality among them, so he sets off again, coming across a singing man who directs him to the saint called the Discerner who proceeds to give the ape his name, Sun Wu Kung. Sun proves to be a difficult student of his new master, but is perceptive. After his master asks him which wa...