Mythology & Folklore

I would like to explore ghost stories from around the world. Specifically, I would like to explore what makes  a ghost. Whether it is unresolved issues on the part of the deceased, burial rites forgone, etc. I want to look at the attitude of the peoples toward the process of getting to the afterlife through looking at occasions of the failures to do so.  I found some interesting articles that will definitely help with my research:  https://www.ancient.eu/ghost/ https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/historical-ghost-stories https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/10/24/358555307/the-creepiest-ghost-and-monster-stories-from-around-the-world I hope to create a fun site with a creepy vibe. Personally, I want to improve my creative, descriptive story telling, so I will try to make the stories as chilly as possible.  Creeeeppppyy Source: Pixabay

A Cardinal Fights the Wind The tiny bird waited, trembling within the tenuous shelter of the trees larger branches, for the air around her to calm. She knew this storm was too powerful; she knew the safe thing would be to wait through the storm. Still, every fiber of her being itched with need—her babies were waiting, hungry and scared—she had no choice but to be brave and fight this wind. The cruel wind. Source:  Flickr As she struggled, sometimes being carried backwards a greater distance than she had traveled, she noticed the terrible wails around her. The wind was howling. The wind! The very thing that stood in her way, fighting her and beating her more and more with each stroke of her wings, had the gall to whine and complain. How brazen it was! She with her simple purpose had to battle to every inch, but she did so in silence. How dare the wind put up such a fuss! But she would be strong! She would hold fast to her the small meal in her beak and bring i...

Apparently, I mess up last week. Rather than doing Aesop's Jacobs Part A & B, I did Part A of Aesops, and then moved on to Adam and Eve, which I was supposed to do this week. No worries; I shall do more Aesops this week. And since I was very much not excited by Jacob's translation of Aesop's, I decided to take a look at Winters. I hope this was ok. Success! I really enjoyed Winters' versions of the fables. It included a little more detail, description, and maybe a little poetic license. I also thought the morals were better written and therefore more relatable. I particularly enjoyed the Oxen and the Wheels. Even though animals don't talk and so it should not be too much of a stretch of the imagination to personify the wheels, it still through an extra layer of fun into the story. I can also relate strongly to the moral of "they complain most who suffer least" through my years in the workplace. I may try to retell this story with an office spin. ...