Week 10 Storytelling: The Greatest of Them All

"Welcome heroes and heroines to the "Greatest of Them All Showcase." Tonight our showcase begins with a bow. A bow is a significant weapon in many cultures, but tonight it is the star item of our showcase! If you know heroes, then you know who I am calling onto the stage tonight. Great Odysseus and Rama come to the stage."

The crowd went wild. These are two of the greatest heroes of all time and they were about to go head to head in this epic show case.

*The stage dims*

"So Rama let's start with you. Tell us your story."
"Let me start off by saying it's an honor to be here Steve. My story begins with a girl."

*The crowd laughs*

"I know don't all great stories begin with a girl" Rama laughed. "Now let's see, yes, I saw this beautiful woman and wanted to be with her. Viswamithra wanted me and my brother to see the bow of Janaka. This bow was very large and was from Shiva. In order for me to marry his daughter, I had to string and shoot this bow."
"So, Rama, why do you deserve to be considered greater than Odysseus?"
"Because I didn't just string the bow. I broke it in two."

*Audience cheers loudly"

"Thank you, Rama, you may return to your seat."
"Odysseus, join me at the front of the stage. Now tell us your story."
"Thanks for having me, Steve. I came home from the Trojan War to find a lot of suitors going after me wife."

*Audience gasps*

"I know. So I was dressed as a beggar. There was a competition to string my personal bow and shoot it through twelve ax heads in a row. I'm not sure if you have ever shot a bow through and ax head before, but it is difficult. I not only shot the bow and shot it through twelve ax heads, but I also killed all the suitors. "

*Audience cheers loudly*

"Thank you Odysseus and thank you Rama. Well, audience, now it is time for you to take a vote. Who do you think is the greater of these two heroes with a bow. Who will be crowned the greatest of them all!"

*Audience looks down and begins writing*

"Find out after this commercial break if the hero of Ancient Greek Epics or the hero of Indian Epics will win this showcase."

Author's Note:
I read Buck's Ramayana  this week. When I was originally coming up with an idea for a storybook I wanted to combine heroes from Ancient Greek Epics with Indian Epic heroes. Instead I went with a Portfolio. I wanted to play a tribute to that original idea I had though. I wanted to but Odysseus and Rama against each other. They are both very similar and very different. One of the ways they are similar is seen in the bow, so I wanted to make a play on that story. I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you enjoy it.

Bibliography:
Ramayana by William Buck. 2000.

Pictures:
Rama
Odysseus

Reading Diary B: Buck's Ramayana

Again I love reading the Ramayana again, especially in this perspective. In this reading I'm really trying to focus on stories I might have overlooked in the first two times I focused on the Ramayana. I like the story of the one mom using her promises of the king to prevent Rama from being the successor. Her servant is the one convincing her to do this. I think I could right a story about the little devil living on your shoulder and making you do things you don't want to. Our the Kenny Chesney song "Demons" would be a great tie in here.

Banishing Rama

The language of the animal story was interesting I'm not sure if it was in the other stores of the Ramayana that I have read, but if it has been I didn't think it was that important. It is definitely an interesting story that I could work with.

Then again the death of Rama's dad is incredibly sad. In a weird way it reminds me of the story of Oedipus Rex. I don't know maybe I could make a tie in with that story.

Ramayana Reading Guide

Reading Diary A: Buck's Ramayana

It is so nice to be reading the Ramayana again. I have really enjoyed working with this story this semester and I am excited to continue to explore it in Buck's version. I like the opening address, I think it is a good way to introduce the Ramayana. I think this could be a good storytelling technique. I think it is funny that Sauti has just finished telling the Mahabharata, and will now talk about the Ramayana, which we have read both.

I like the way the story begins with Balmiki having to go help Sita. I think about the movie I watched where the poet teaches Rama's boys about him and the boys sing essentially a nursery rhyme about him. Now the story of Rama begins.

I find origen stories and stories that have long beginnings boring so this part of the book was hard to read.

Let's see I like the story of Ahalya. I liked it the first time I read the Ramayana. I think this is a good foreshadowing of all the good Rama is going to do.

My favorite part of this reading was, no surprise, when Rama marries Sita. Rama and the bow story reminds me of Odysseus when he returns to his home and the suitors are there. I could maybe write a story comparing those two.

Bow of Shiva

Reading Guide: Ramayana Reading Guide