South Park Strikes Again...

As I was waiting for my rehearsal to begin tonight I decided to watch a little South Park and wouldn't you know; it related to class again. In this episode the boys create their own gang of super-heros (ties back to older episodes) and this time BP has drilled into the Gulf causing an oil spill. To stop the leak they decide to drill again but drill into the underworld releasing Cthulhu. Who is a beast who has come to send the boys into eternal oblivion. His followers have a chant which ends with, "That is not dead which eternal lie." This relates to Kenny's (Mysterion) superpower, which if you have seen the show know, he cannot die. Each superhero creates his own story there is Tupperware, Human Kite, Coon, and the rest of the gang and they even attempt to join with the prominent superhero, Hindsight who has 20/20 hindsight because of an experiment gone wrong when a poisonous spider enters the machine he created to give the Newsman hindsight.

South Park has numerous references to mythology in this episode (Coon 2: Hindsight and Mysterion Rises) you can watch on www.southparkstudios.com and I will add more later when I get time.

Creating my own myth

This morning I was volunteering with kids at Eagle Mount and I was tying one girl's ice skates; another volunteer says to the girl, "You have a great smile, where did it come from?" She responded, "I dooooon't know" and I figured what better time than now to create my own story?
I started off by basing the myth off of one I heard in Escramble a movie by Volcom Entertainment; in the movie Gigi Ruf explains how the earth came to be in Austrian mythology. I started, "Well a smile originated when an eye corn rolled down the cheek of a young girl, not so different than yourself." While in Austrian myth the eye corn falls off the chin of the man and slowly forms into the world. A tear drop then falls off the mans face onto a mountain creating snow. But anyway...I continued, "as it rolled down her cheek she thought of the beauty she saw in the world arching her cheeks as the corn rolled across shaping her mouth into a smile." While this is not a great mythological story compared to Ovid's numerous stories it was one that reminded me of how myth is in our daily lives and if we play with the idea of myth it becomes fun. Especially when working with kids because their imaginations are much more fantastical than ours (or at least mine) and I think it is important to show them through stories; something they are interested in. Being an atheist I tend to steer clear of religion when working with children and this is where myth is able to capture their attention because I am able to put meaning in objects that do not necessarily have any.
Anyway this was a great class and as Corrin's blog states many of our classmates taught me just as much as Dr. Sexson. Blogging is a great way for us to share our thoughts, especially for students who do not speak up in class but have great ideas. So thank you 'mates and I look forward to having class with you in the future.

A few photos that make me smile:

Hebgen Lake

"The Wall" in Hampton, NH

View of the Bridgers from a road to the Crazies.

First day of presentations

After reading Melody's blog, I have to agree I was a bit skeptical but after having Dr. Sexson before I knew everyone would formulate their own ideas. Especially with a book like, Henderson the Rain King that allows the reader to give birth to numerous ideas. James the Rat decided to write about unicorns and Dustin went in-depth on Eliade and other topics that went over my head. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the class writes on because I am sure few will overlap.

Revolutionary Traditions

Gregg Hayward lived in Zambia the central, landlocked part of Africa from 2005 until early 2007 but left because of a sickness he contracted. Our conversation started because upon reading Henderson the Rain King I immediately thought of him and similar experiences he must have had during his time in the small village, Mwanasasa which was about 15 miles West of Mansa. Gregg stressed the importance of tradition in the village but also the impact America and Western civilization has had on the people. His description of the people in the village was, “An MTV crazed teenager, met peasant farmer, with hardcore Christian beliefs” and this was because Zambia is believed (by the tribes) to have originally been 100 tribes who were forced to integrate by the Christian missionaries during the 1840’s; the tribes who practiced polygamy and had witch doctors then became radicalized because their lose of religion. The tribes now fight as Native Americans do between a struggling past to create a new future.

Gregg, as Henderson went to Africa with solutions to problems tribes did not even know they had. He had to restructure his plan on how to help solve Africa’s problems; he did this by asking questions and learning the answers through the tribe. The times when we ask questions and are able to learn from our students, we (as teachers) are able to teach the best. The tribes were more Westernized than he had ever dreamed of and this became evident as he set-up meetings with peasant farmers. When he went to visit the peasant farmers they would be wearing a three-piece suit and have a cell phone hanging from their neck to show (s)he was worth Gregg’s time because they were prosperous enough to afford these material goods. A cell phone is a sign of status and even if a person can not afford to have minutes on the phone they will still wear one. The differences between cultures became more evident as Gregg learned the traditions of the native Mwanasasaneese.
Banachimbusa (Bana is a reference to women and chimbusa for respected elder) has to do with the coming of age for a girl. When a girl feels she has reached her “coming of age” period, which can happen at any age, she goes to a respected woman of the community and together they go into the wilderness for three days. Over the three day period, the girl explains to the elder everything she would be responsible for whether it is how to cook the traditional dish of ubwali or how to care for children. The elder is viewed as the keeper of tradition who is supposed to teach the girl the traditional practices a wife is expected to fulfill not only for her husband but the tribe as well. Women are looked to as prominent members of the community because their role as child bearer, horticulturist, and cook. After three days there is a large ceremony that takes place involving the entire village much like the ceremony that takes place when Henderson becomes Sungo-Rain King. Although the Mwanasasaneese do not wear traditional dress when celebrating. Gregg told me, “Instead of using grasses to make a dress, they may use plastic bags to form a dress around their waste to represent the changing of times.” He then described the ceremony to a Bat Mitzvah with traditional dancing and various religious celebrations. Gregg described the dance as something that was, “sexually provocative and would probably be rated a PG-13 or light R by the movie guild. It is supposed to be the girls coming out party and ensures that the village men know she is now available for marriage.”
Marriage is one of the most traditional aspects for Zambians and is taken wholeheartedly, even today after some traditions have become lenient. When a man becomes interested in marrying a woman he needs to take the decision serious, he must contemplate if she will be a good wife, cook, would be faithful, and if she meets the mans standards he will seek an “in-between.” This “in-between” is a good friend who goes to the family of the woman and offers to pay the family, for instance: three goats and be willing to farm five hectares a year, for five years. The father will then decide to accept the offer or renegotiate; if he rejects the offer, the interested man can attempt to show his positive qualities but more often then not, this fails. If the father accepts the three goat and five year farming of five hectares, the couple will get married and the new husband will live within the family for five years. This is believed to strengthen the foundations of the newly weds relationship by giving birth to a relationship between the husband and the wife’s family because they will be dependent on her family for the years to come. Family is an important aspect for Zambians because as Gregg stated, “There were only five people over 60 years old; 15 over 45; 25 over 20; and 150 from zero years of age to 20.” Many of the children from zero to 20 will die from HIV or tuberculosis so it is important children learn their basic necessities at a young age because their parents and siblings may not be around long enough to teach them. These necessities are polar opposites from Americans and Gregg explained this to me by telling me about a five year old he knew during his time in Zambia. The young boy was able to name every tree or plant in the forest but could not add, write his name, or anything American schools deem necessary for a child to know.
Tradition is something Zambians hold close to their heart but they have been forced to up-date practices because of the HIV and AIDS epidemics. When a Zambian man dies his wife must be sexually cleansed. In the past, this was done by the husband’s brother who would sleep with the widow and while this seems grotesque to us today, it is seen by Zambians as a core-strength of the family. It ensured the widow was brought into the family and given security: financially or emotionally. When I asked if this was similar to the father walking his daughter down the aisle in a Catholic marriage ceremony, Gregg responded, “Yes, but obviously to a different degree. It is similar because they are literally giving the widow away again and this could not be done any other way.” They have recently changed this ritual by having the woman wear a bracelet with a single white bead, signifying her husband’s death and her purity. The widow wears this bracelet until it becomes tethered and falls off. This is seen as her rebirth, and she is made available for marriage or a relationship again.
Zambians are hand-to-mouth peasant farmers and dependent on each season to bring them crops which they eat throughout the season as they harvest until the next crop is available. When a peasant farmer dies there is a spiritual gathering between the entire community the night they die. Everyone in the village camps outside the deceased's house, women go inside to wail and cry-out for anywhere between 24 to 48 hours. Gregg described this as, “one of the most breathtaking sounds I have ever heard. The women put so much energy into this act they will actually pass out from being so tired.” They do this while men and children are outside cooking and preparing for the end of the wailing session. Gregg emphasized that if you were biking by a wailing ceremony you must stop and pay your respects to the deceased. Even if you did not know them you would go up to the men, ask about the farmer who died, and if you were able to, you would leave some money for the family, thanking them as you left. Gregg said, “They view this as an intense emotional experience where they release all their feelings so they are able to move on. It brings the community together to mourn and celebrate the passing of a peasant farmer.” This also allows the village to mourn quickly and return to the fields to ensure they will have food in the coming months. They do not waste anytime because while honoring the death of a friend is important the harvest season is short and uncertain. If they were to prolong the ceremony as Americans do by having a wake and then a funeral a week later they would not be doing the individual honor and would be risking their nourishment in the near future.

It is through the attempts of small villages like Mwanasasa to instill traditions in the youth that they continue to live prosperous lives but it is because of the youth they exclude traditions that cause the tribe harm. Gregg told me about billboards in Lusaka that had a picture of a baby with the caption, “Will NOT cure HIV” and how hard he worked to spread the word that condoms would help stop the spread of AIDS something Christian Missionaries told tribal members was not true. The tribes work hard to keep their traditional beliefs but realize some must go and this is done through the up-dating of past traditions, such as the deceased husband’s brother sleeping with the widow now being performed by the simple action of wearing a bracelet. This is different but still helps the widow stay connected to the family and have a safe place to go when she needs food or help raising a child. Gregg like Henderson teaches us how the American ideals are not always perfect but they allow us through knowledge to help cultures revolve. When Americans are able to relate to traditions and and not remove the beliefs from the tribe that we as a country improve as well as assisting in the improvement of the country in need. Traditions are never ending in change constantly creating a new beginning showing the never ending cycles encountered throughout life.

All photos courtesy of Gregg Hayward:

A funeral gathering for a local member of the tribe.

Four to a bike!

Ba Patrick trying to get cell service on an ant hill near the school.

Zam holding a soccer ball made of condoms and plastic bags.

Wire Cars; hip toys for young children.

Alcmena

                                       Alcmena being seduced by Jove

Alcmena's story takes place in Book IX, page 299 in Ovid's Metamorphoses and the story is rather simple. Alcmena is born into the world world (parents are Elctryon and Anaxo) and she marries the King of Thebes. Everything is going well and they have an heir to the throne; but Jove being the cruel god he is comes down to earth and seduces/impregnates her. This stops the King of Thebes from ever sleeping with Alcmena again because he fears  Jove's jealousy and relationships cannot last without the sexual ingredient. 

Everything is going fine in her pregnancy until she reaches the ninth month and starts having contractions. They are extremely painful for her since female mortals are not equipped correctly to give birth to a god. She is brought to the heavens and calls on Luncina (mid-wife) who is cut-off and instructed by Juno to pro-long the birth. She does this by sitting down, crossing her legs, inter-weaving her fingers, and saying a chant that closes the birth-canal.  Alcmena, "longs to die from pain; my words would move the hardest of stones to tears. Around me the Theban woman also pleaded, prayed: they tried to give me the strength to meet this test. Now one of my attendants was Galanthis" (p.300) is called upon by Alcmena. Galanthis surprises everyone by declaring Hercules has been born and Lucina more so than anyone else jumps out of her seat, uncrossing her legs, unweaving her fingers, and stopping the chant; opening the birth canal and out plops Hercules (for real this time). Galanthis's punishment for betraying the gods is being transformed into a weasel but because she was loyal to Alcmena she keeps her as a side-kick for the rest of her days. Alcmena was also the last mortal woman that Jove seduces so something must have had an impact on his feelings :(

                                                         Galanthis

Henderson

"Well, I stood up on that one. This strange, many-figured, calcareous white stone was under my feet. That stone, too, was a world away of its own, or more than a single world, world within world, in a dreaming series" (Bellow, 197).
A few weeks ago we talked about living in a world within a world and in this section of the book Bellow shows us the world Henderson lives within. He came from a life where he lived the everyday hustle and bustle a person expects living in NYC. He constantly heard "I want, I want" but once he has lived amongst the Wairiri people for a short period the voices does not come as often.
On page 233 King Dahfu says, "Now, Mr. Henderson, I am convinced you are a man of wide and spacious imagination, and that also you need.... You particularly need." Henderson responds that his voice comes as, "I want, I want" and we are able to understand the changes he has experienced. He no longer feels the stress he used to and his world has changed because he now sees his through new eyes. Thus creating a new world within his world; this is something that comes with a change in living situations. The world a person sees has everything to do with not only a person's financial status but where they live geographically. The beauty a person sees in the world varies, for me personally I loved the ocean my entire life growing up and since I started surfing I never thought I would leave it...then I came to Montana. The mountains have changed my "world within world" perspective, I now see life as well as death in the mountains in a way I could have never thought possible; but is one similar to what I used to see in the ocean. The way the ocean changes in tides can cause significant amounts of death to animals and crustaceans that are dependent on the amount of water left in the tide-pools. Just as a sudden winter drops feet of snow can change the patterns of Snow and Canadian Geese which Bozeman has seen a recent jump in because of the cold weather and snow conditions. There are now several thousand in a field by my house showing us how dependent they are on the "world within world" they experience daily in a world that we learned in class we experience fall/winter because Persephone at food while living (dying?) in the underworld.

Connections

My roommate shot a deer on Thursday and yesterday was my first time skinning an animal ever; it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact it even drove me to want to get a rifle so I will be able to provide for myself with meat for next winter. I have saved the skin from the deer and plan on turning the fur into a nice pair of mittens because I assume they have evolved through their thousands of years on earth to have a fairly well Gore-Tex outer-layer.
As we skinned the animal together I felt as though I was part of the kill as I used a knife to cut into his hind-quarters and slowly pealed the fur off the back like a t-shirt. This is how Logan explained how to remove the coat and at first it truly disgusted me but I realized this animal had given his life so we would be able to eat throughout the winter. I felt it was essential to utilize every piece of the animal because other than the fact I am rather poor at the moment, I also believe it is important to use each part of the animal just as natives did. This brought me back to Henderson the Rain King and how all the remote tribes he visits are connected to the land and animals surrounding them because without them they would not exist. This also relates to another story my roommates told me from when they went hunting in a undisclosed spot where a group of North Dakotans had shot a cow elk and let it wander off and die without searching for it. This is disrespectful decision to the elk because they killed an animal that dozens if not hundreds of people would have loved to kill themselves so they could provide for their family through the winter. Instead these NorDak's just let the animal die in pain instead of doing what Logan had to do and slit the animals throat because the animal was wheezing and slowly passing away. This is probably the strongest connection a person can have to the animal because as he went to cut into the throat the animal just stared him in the eyes until their was no longer a pulse.

                         Thought this photo was pretty funny; NOT Logan
Too often these days people throw out old clothes and other possessions that have lost value instead of passing them along to people who are less fortunate. Everything has a value and can be utilized in a way that is still effective, hell you can use tendons from the deer to make your own bow and the bone to make arrows (I have another friend working on this right now) and this I believe is the first step to stopping waste.