Pacific Northwest: Styles Brainstorm

Topic: My Storybook will be about the myths and legends of the Pacific Northwest. My goal is to find four different stories from four different tribes that lived in the region. One story that I would like to include is Falls of the Willamette. Another story that I would be interested in working with would be The Memaloose Islands. I chose these to to start with because they appeal to different aspects of life in the region, and I would like for my Storybook to hit a variety of topics in the lives of different tribes. I don’t think finding material online should be a problem, since just the UN-Textbook offers plenty of material.

Bibliography:

1. Falls of the Willamette, from Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon, by Katharine Berry Judson (1910).
2. The Memaloose Islands, from Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon, by Katharine Berry Judson (1910).

Possible Styles:

Storytelling from the animals’ point of view: Native American tales typically rely heavily on animals and nature, so it would make sense that a legend about salmon could be retold by the salmon, for example. Another way to incorporate animals would be to take an eagle and tell it from the point of view of him sitting on a high perch and observing the goings-on below.

The point of view of those not native to the land: Native American stories sometimes talk about the presence and actions of the white man, or just someone not native to the land, so it would be interesting to tell the story from that point of view. Since those that aren’t native aren’t usually as familiar with the landscape and customs, it would present a different perspective on already developed stories.

The Sun/Moon: The Sun and moon see everything during their respective times, so this could be good in terms of detail and things that maybe were supposed to be kept a secret. This could also be used to contrast good versus evil in stories. For example, the good parts of a story could be told by the sun, whereas the bad or evil parts of the story could be told by the moon.

Spirits of people or animals: The spiritual life is a very important element in Native American legends, so it’s important to not overlook that aspect when retelling the tales. Telling the story from the angle of a ghost would be one way to acknowledge this important storytelling element.

(Memaloose Island)

Essay: Recurring Motifs in Women Saints

One of the main themes of the unit was women forgoing marriage in order to live a Godly life as virgins. These women saints were so anguished over the prospect of losing their virginity that they would alter their appearances in order to join monasteries.

One example of this motif is the story of Saint Pelagien. In this story, Margaret, a woman of noble birth, is forced to marry a man she does not love. The prospect of her losing her virginity causes her to change her appearance and enter a monastery as a man, Pelagien. Similarly, Saint Eugenia also dressed up as a man and went to a monastery to become a servant of the Lord.

(Saint Eugenia)

Both of these stories have another recurring motif: perceived adultery. Saint Pelagien is accused of impregnating a woman while he is overseeing the nunnery. Saint Eugenia is also accused of adultery while embracing the life of a monk. Saint Eugenia's story has a different ending than the story of Saint Pelagien, because the former manages to convert someone before her death, whereas Pelagien dies in his prison cell.

Another interesting recurring motif is dragons. In two of the legends, dragons play an important role in helping solidify the holiness of the women that defeat them. The legend of Saint Margaret tells of how a dragon appears in Margaret's prison cell and swallows her, but she makes the sign of the cross and defeats the dragon. The dragon in Saint Martha has become famous and was even named the Tarasque. The legend describes this woodland dwelling dragon as a Leviathan, and one that would eat men and destroy the land. Martha uses holy water and the sign of the cross in order to subdue the creature, and afterwards the people slay him. Both dragons seem to show that the cross is holy enough to defeat anything.

(Saint Martha and the Tarasque)

Storytelling Week 3: Saint Pelagien

Pelagien appeared at the abbey late one stormy, cold night. He seemed terrified and helpless, yet he was certain that becoming a monk was what he must do. His clothing hung on him loosely, and his hair looked like it had been cut off by some sort of blunt ax. I, being the abbot, examined him and decided that this place would be the perfect safe haven for a young, helpless soul like him.

(Abbot sharing his story about Pelagien)

His time at the abbey was extremely fruitful. Pelagien was eager to learn and please the Lord in all that he did and became somewhat of a role model for the younger monks at the abbey. In all of our interactions, I never did learn about this young man’s past, even though I was curious. All I knew from the very beginning was that he had escaped from a compromising situation, and that was all he ever said about it.

His countenance drastically improved over the course of his time at the abbey. When Pelagien came to me, I was afraid he would keel over at the slightest hint of a breeze. As time went on, he gained a healthy and even otherworldly glow that I could only attribute to his heart being filled with the great love of the Lord.

After some time, we at the abbey felt that Pelagien could be trusted with more responsibilities. For this reason, he became the master of the neighboring nunnery. It came as a surprise that he initially refused the duty so strongly since he was always eager to do more of the Lord’s work. Eventually, though, he consented and began to partake in all of the duties bestowed upon him. His work prospered, and the nunnery became even holier.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that Pelagien had committed one of the gravest sins. There was a virgin who had committed adultery and her resulting pregnancy could no longer be hidden under layers of loose clothing. Since Pelagien was constantly around this woman and knew her, we all assumed that he was the father of the child. It was with sadness and anger at the assumed betrayal that we imprisoned Pelagien for his deed. We placed him within a dark pit that was hewn out of a rock. Pelagien handled the accusation with somber silence.

The monk sent to look after Pelagien was a stern man, and it wasn’t long before he began to report to me that Pelagien had become nothing but a mere shadow of what he once was. Regardless, the suffering man still possessed an otherworldly light that emanated from him at all times.

Soon after his imprisonment, Pelagien passed on. He left behind his emaciated body and a letter for me and my fellow monks that truly shocked all of the members of the religious community. In the letter, we discovered that Pelagien wasn’t a man, but a devout woman of the faith, Margaret. Imagine my horror when I discovered that I took part in murdering an innocent human being. All of us at the abbey and the nunnery felt so awful that we made sure to honor her dying wish of being buried among the honorable virgins. To this day, I remember Pelagien with great awe.

(Saint Pelagien)

Author's Note: This story was based on the legend of Saint Pelagien, who is a woman that disguises herself as a man in order to become a monk. The saint, whose real name is Margaret, was desperate to get out of a marriage, which is why she went through all of the trouble of disguising herself and going to an abbey. I chose to tell this story from the point of view of the abbot of the monastery because I thought it would offer a different perspective on the story. I wanted to drive home that those from the monastery and nunnery venerated the saint and regretted their actions. I thought it was important to not make light of the fact that an innocent woman died for her pure actions. It was somewhat difficult to make this story long enough at first, but then I realized that there was so much I could describe, and that made the writing much easier. The nice thing about the stories in this unit is that they are relatively free of too many details, allowing for a lot of freedom with descriptions and details. 
This story is found in The Golden Legend edited by S. F. Ellis (1900). Web source: Golden Legend: Saint Pelagien.

Reading Diary B: Women Saints of the Golden Legend

The second set of women saints in this unit had even more incredible stories than the first set, it seemed. My favorite from this unit would have to be Saint Martha. Her story involves a dragon, which automatically makes it really intense. It states that she directly interacted with Jesus, which I think makes her the only woman saint to do so in this unit. This, in turn, adds a slightly different air to her tale. I've never seen Da Vinci Code, but want to after reading this story in order to see how her legend was used.

(Saint Martha slaying the dragon)

Another legend that I particularly enjoyed was the one of Saint Barbara. Her story is similar to one in the first half of the unit, but this story involves her helping in the building of her tower, which I thought was interesting. She seemed to lead a very busy life with how much she was doing for the people, namely purifying water to cleanse the masses. One detail I really liked was when she explained the purpose for having three windows instead of two. That small detail changed the course of her life, and I thought it was intriguing that something so insignificant could lead to so many life-altering changes in her life. The ending of this story was also neat, with her father being burned to ash by a flame sent down from Heaven and all. Overall, this story could rival modern action movies with how much took place in one little legend.

(Saint Barbara overseeing tower building)

Reading Diary A: Women Saints of the Golden Legend

This unit was interesting and challenging at the same time. The word usage was the most difficult aspect to grasp, but after the first two stories, the reading became much easier. There were some words in the stories that aren't used anymore, which I thought added a unique touch to each tale. For example, the word "impetre" in the legend Saint Mary of Egypt means to seek or beseech, and that is one word that I had never heard before. This unit definitely provides a learning experience.

In terms of favorite legends, basically the more outrageous the legend was, the more I enjoyed it. One of my favorites was Saint Margaret. In one version of the legend about her, she gets swallowed by a dragon but escapes by making the symbol of the cross. I thought that was the perfect material for a legend and made the saint seem even more legit.

(Saint Margaret)

Another legend I really enjoyed reading was the legend of Saint Christine. The amount of suffering that Saint Christine went through in the legend is incredible. As if having to the hatred of her loved ones wasn't enough, they were also trying to torture and kill her. Yet through all of her trials, she didn't give up her beliefs and stayed strong until the very end. This tale of perseverance through hardship is immensely inspiring. If Saint Christine could be beaten, set on fire, and strung with serpents, then I can suffer through my homework and workout regimen. 

(Saint Christine)