Storybook Styles Brainstorm - Weather Gods

Topic – My storybook will be about the different weather gods. A few that I’m considering including are Thor from Norse mythology, Indra from Hindu, Tawhirimatea from Maori mythology, Thunderbird from Native America, Tlaloc from Aztec, and Iris from Greek mythology. I am looking into more goddesses as well, but it appears as though most weather deities are male. Who exactly I choose to be in my story will depend on which style I choose to go with. Most that I have looked into so far are thunder gods. However there are many other weather gods, including wind, rain, and like Iris, rainbows. So many it’s hard to narrow it down.
 


Bibliography – At the moment I only have links to the Wikipedia pages for each deity.

1. Thor – Norse god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing and fertility.
2. Indra – the Hindu god of rain and thunderstorms.
3. Tawhirimatea - the Maori god of weather, including thunder and lightning, wind, clouds, and storms.
4. Thunderbird - a legendary creature in certain Native American history and culture. It is considered a supernatural bird of power and strength. Associated with thunder, lightning and rainfall.
5. Tlaloc – Aztec supreme god of the rains, he was by extension a god of fertility and water.
6. Iris - is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. She is also known as one of the goddesses of the sea and the sky.

Tlaloc

Possible Styles






Weather festival - I thought this would be an interesting way to go. There could be a weather festival; the National Weather Center in Norman has a festival every year. I could have guest speakers and it could be the different weather gods telling a story about themselves.

Bedtime story during thunderstorm – I was thinking I could have a little kid at bedtime and they were frightened by the thunder and lightning. The kid’s mom or dad comes in and starts telling stories about the different thunder gods to help calm the kid.

Object as storyteller – Many of the weather gods throughout history have wielded some sort of weapon, most have a hammer or axe. I thought I could tell the stories from the weapon’s point of view.

BFF or SO as storyteller – I could tell the story from the point of view of someone close to the god such as a best friend or significant other.

Time Machine – I could do the story as someone who has a time machine and is traveling through time to meet with the different gods of weather. They could be someone who is doing a project for a presentation (think Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure). Actually I think that may be an interesting way to go, I need to rewatch that movie.

Thunderbird

Week 3, Storytelling: Gemma and the Water Fairy

Gemma and the Water Fairy

There once was a beautiful, young lady named Gemma, who was in love with a boy named Leonard. Neither of them had much money. They talked of getting married, but were trying very hard to save up money first. Most days they went on walks in the woods, just enjoying each other’s company. Leonard once gave Gemma a necklace as a token of his love and a promise that one day they would be married. It wasn’t an expensive necklace. Leonard had found a pretty pink stone and polished it himself. He fastened it to a blue ribbon and gave it to Gemma. She wore it all the time. She never took it off. 

Still Pond, Isabella Plantation, London

One warm, summer day Gemma had gone into the woods and decided to go swimming in the crystal blue pond the she frequently visited. She loved this small pond and went swimming here often. She stripped down to her underclothes and slipped into the cool, refreshing water. When she finished her swim, she got dressed and it was then that she realized her necklace was missing. She searched all around the rock where she had laid her clothing, but it was nowhere to be found. She realized the horrible truth that her necklace was in the pond. It must have slipped off while she was swimming.

Water Fairy

Gemma sat at the edge of the pond and cried. She knew that it was gone forever. Hearing her distress, a water fairy appeared and asked the lady what had caused her tears. Gemma told the water fairy about her lost necklace. The water fairy dove into the pond and quickly resurfaced holding a gold necklace with a large, heart-shaped diamond. It was the most beautiful necklace that Gemma had ever seen.

“Is this your necklace?” the fairy asked.

“No, it is not my necklace,” Gemma responded.

The fairy laid the necklace at Gemma feet and returned to the water. She emerged again and this time had a necklace of silver with a bright green emerald.

“Is this your necklace?” the fairy asked again.

“No, that is not my necklace either. My necklace is a simple pink stone hanging from a blue ribbon.”

The fairy once again laid the necklace at Gemma’s feet and returned to the water. This time the fairy returned with the correct necklace. She was so happy and thanked the water fairy for retrieving it for her.

The fairy said to her, “You could have easily said that the other necklaces were yours, but you didn’t. I admire your honesty and as a reward, I offer you the other two necklaces as well. Go and be happy with your fiance. I wish you two the best.”

Gemma happily returned home and when she saw Leonard later that day, she told him of her experience with the water fairy and showed him the necklaces. They decided that they should sell the necklaces, for they were very expensive, and then they would have enough money to get married and start their lives together.

That next day the young couple went into town to sell the necklaces. They were so excited that they started telling everyone they came upon of their good fortune. Several people saw the story as an opportunity to make some quick money. Each one set out for the pond in the woods. They hid their own necklaces in the tall grass and pretended they had lost them. They wept and each time the water fairy appeared. To each person that came to the edge of the pond and cried, the water fairy appeared with the golden necklace and each time the person would claim that the necklace was indeed theirs. The fairy, noting their dishonesty, did not give them the necklace. Instead she caused the water to rise up in a giant wave and crash upon the person on the shore, washing them into the pond. The dishonest people would have to drag themselves out of the water and return home dripping wet. When the dishonest people returned and looked for their necklace that they had hidden, it was nowhere to be found. 

Couple Holding Hands

Gemma and Leonard were soon married. A few years later they had a couple of kids. They taught their children the importance of honesty, and how honesty can be rewarded in unexpected ways.




Author's note: This story is from the fable Mercury and the Woodman. I enjoyed this fable a lot. I didn't stray much from the original story in the style it was written. The fable is about a woodman whose axe slid out of his hand and into a pond while he was working. He was distressed as this was his way of earning a living and he couldn't afford to buy a new one. Mercury heard his cries and brought him a gold axe and then a silver one, each time the woodman replied it wasn't his. Mercury rewarded him for his honesty by giving him both the golden axe and the silver one in addition to his plain wooden one. Mercury also punished those who came to the pond and lied to him in an effort to get the golden or silver axes.

I thought it would be a little different twist to make it about a girl who lost the necklace that her love had given her. In the original story, Mercury hit the liars over the head with the axe and they ran away. I couldn't do that with the necklaces, so I had the fairy cause a wave which pulled the liars into the water.


Bibliography: Aesop for Children (Winter), Mercury and the Woodman, translator unknown.

Week 3, Reading Diary: Aesop (Winter) continued

Aesop (Winter) continued - More of my favorite readings from Aesop (Winter).

The Cat, the Cock, and the Young Mouse –

The Cat, the Cock, and the Young Mouse

I enjoyed this story very much. It reminds me of how people are so quick to judge another on looks alone. Some of the scariest looking people are some of the kindest and most caring. Some of the prettiest people are ugly on the inside and will take advantage of you in a heartbeat. 


The Goatherd and the Wild Goats –

Goatherd and the Wild Goats

I really liked the theme of this story. Many times in life your friends will come and go. New people will not want to stick around if they see you have been treating your old friends poorly. 

 

Mercury and the Woodman -

Mercury and the Woodman

Again I really liked the theme of this story. Dishonesty comes at a price, and honesty has its own rewards. Do not think you can be rewarded by dishonesty in the same way that an honest person was.