Emma Keith

This week, I worked on my planning post to get ready for the first post in my storybook, which will tell the story of Ixion. My retelling, an obituary penned by Hermes, would include some of Ixion’s backstory — that he’s one of the Lapiths; that he was a king.  "Ixion," by Jose Ribera. Source: Wikimedia Commons. I really want to dwell on his two major crimes in this story, his greatest offense being the murder of his father-in-law. Though his second crime is the one that gets him sent to Tartarus, I would have Hermes be most offended and horrified by this first crime, a terrible betrayal of family (apparently, Ixion is the first man to murder his kin).  When Ixion marries Dia, his father-in-law Eioneus steals Ixion's mares as payment. Ixion then has Eioneus for dinner and burns him alive. For this crime, Ixion is an outcast, rejected and un-forgiven by much of society. He’s finally purified and forgiven by Zeus, who takes mercy on him and hosts him at Olympu...

For this reading, I returned to the depths of the Congo to hear more tales about tricksters and African animals. The Turtle and the Man This story was interesting and quite dark, but also slightly confusing. I forgot the man was part of the story till the very end, and I wish he would have connected with the rest of the story somehow. Maybe in a retelling, I could have the leopard actually be the man in disguise, getting revenge on the tortoise for taking the best trap.  The Rabbit and the Antelope I enjoy the idea of this story and the continuance of the trickster theme that shows up in so many of these Congo stories. However, I think the ending wasn't terribly satisfying — the antelope just kills the rabbit and the story ends. Maybe, to get justice, the antelope makes the rabbit tend his fields or dig another well all by himself (maybe he digs another well and the antelope won't let him drink from it the whole time he digs). Nile crocodile. Courtesy of...

"Sunrise on the Congo River." Source: Wikipedia Commons. This week, I explored these dark and magical tales from the depths of the Congo. Some of these stories were quite disturbing, but I really enjoyed most of them. Here are a few of my favorites: How Gazelle Got Married This story is interesting and whimsical, but I wasn't quite satisfied by the ending. It seemed like there was no real rivalry between the antelope and the prince until the very end of the story, when it's told in one sentence. I'd like to retell this story so the antelope actually wins the promise the princesses' hands while the prince and his dog are distracted, then the prince and antelope go to war. The ending could even feature the princesses marrying someone else entirely while the antelope and prince feud. The Jealous  Wife   This tale is quite dark and sad, but I did think it was interesting. I generally liked the plot and characters despite the overall melanc...