Reading Diary A: Blackfoot Stories

Myth-Foklore Native American Reading Unit: Blackfoot Stories

(Grey Wolf)

READING A:

1. Two Fast Runners

• I do not like talking animal myths. (You'll never see me write a story with them, unless it is a shape-shifter or the Cheshire Cat!)
• I learned what dew-claws are.

2. The Wolf Man

• Main character hates their home situation, thinks running away to be alone will be better
• Talking animals again... I'm just going to reimagine the wolves as werewolves!
• Story idea: someone gets trapped or lost, and werewolves come to save them. 
• An old blind wolf had powers, he had the ability to heal
• A man has a wolf head and hands. (Reimagine him as an actual werewolf, not this strange animal-human combination.)
• I'm just not sure that the wives deserved to die? Reminds me of those Chinese Fairy Tales that ended with harsh punishments.

3. The Dog And The Root Digger

• Napi or "Old Man" is a creator figure and a trickster figure in one--interesting.
• A raven as a trickster figure

4. The Camp Of The Ghosts

• One's true love is dead and so they set out to find that loved one. Story idea: the loved one has gone to the Underworld or Hell, and so they have to find their loved one that has met an untimely end.
• Prophetic dreams
• When trying to find loved one, they may set them free, but the live one who is still looking will be stuck there in "Ghost Country" (or the Underworld or Hell.)
• He cannot open his eyes. Reminds me of the myth of Eurydice. 
• When he threatens his wife, she disappears. A sad ending, but it seemed to fit it.
• This was a very complex myth. I feel like there was too much. The 1700 Word Count should have been down to 1000. I think cleaning that myth up would help.

5. The Buffalo Stone

• A stone of great power
• Suddenly hearing beautiful singing--"teach others this song"
• A stone sticking out of a tree.
• A summoning stone!

6. How The Thunder Pipe Came

• Personifying thunder as a person. Obviously making me think of my favorite Norse God, Thor! I could imagine his roars as thunders, and the strike of his mighty hammer!
• The man's wife has disapeared
• Every enemy has an Achilles' heel!
• There are a lot of medicine pipes in these myths. I'm not exactly sure what those are, but they seem to be quite sought after as they are the reward at the end of these quests.

7. Cold Maker's Medicine

• A figure that makes it winter, makes everything cold. He wears all white, has white hair, and rides a white horse. Reminds me of the Norse Goddess of Winter, Skadi.
• The ground was covered in bones of those this person has trapped and killed--creepy!

8. The Rolling Rock

• The trickster asking for help, but when they help they get hurt or killed.

9. Bear and Bullberries

• Using a horn as a disguise to appear scarier looking than he actually is.
• Almost dying when trying to get something. In this case, it was almost drowning to get berries (for nourishment, or survival, the most basic needs of any character.)

10. The Theft From The Sun

• Leggings with magic power. Makes me think of modern leggings--what if those were imbued with magic in an Urban Fantasy setting!
• Punishment for stealing: the thing that is stolen gets destroyed. That is a just ending that is quite fair!
• This was a good and straightforward myth.