On the Verge of Lunacy

Most of the studies on folklore focus on European literature. But just as rich are Asian tales of deities, monsters and heroes. Let’s take a look at some of these. The most well-known are the Epic of Gilgamesh which has two versions in Sumerian and Akkadian; Mahabharata by Veda Vyasa; the Persian epic Shahnameh by Ferdowsi; and Ramayana by Valmiki. Ramayana has different versions in the region including the Burmese version Yama Zatdaw, the Malay Hikayat Seri Rama, the Javanese Kakawin Ramayana and the Cambodian version Reamker. To document all the epics of Asia would fill a book. I’ve picked some examples from each country below. The Book of Dede Korkut is an epic of the Oghuz Turks or Turkomans. It is made up of twelve legends. The first story is about Boghach Khan, while the twelfth narrates the rebellion of the Outer Oghuz. Dede Korkut is supposed to be the narrator of these tales. The Epic of King Gesar , is the epic cycle of the culture hero Gesar of the k...

The Golden Bough was first published in two volumes in 1890. It is a must-read for those interested in comparative mythology and the study of religion. Sir James George Frazer attempted to explain the succession of the priests of Diana in Nemi known as the King of the Wood. The succession is unusual for its violence. The priest who represented Virbius (or Hippolytus) must stand vigilant lest someone attack him and take his place. To understand this problem better, the author delved into the history of magic, examined ritual and mythology and cited various beliefs and practices from across the world that were similar in function. He first examined the principles of magic; tree worship; the different taboos particularly those taboos involving the nobles; religious ceremonies; the fertility cults, etc. The King of the Wood at Nemi was "probably regarded as an incarnation of a tree-spirit/spirit of vegetation and is endowed with the magical powers to make trees bear...

There are plenty of adaptations of Oda Nobunaga's life. The themes are usually explorations of Nobunaga's character either as a hero or a villain. Not surprising as Nobunaga's visions and actions can be viewed in many different ways. In Nobunaga the Fool, he has a reputation of being impulsive and brash. Set in two fictional worlds named Eastern and Western planets, Nobunaga the Fool included famous names in world history who battled for peace by controlling lost technology known as sacred treasures. In the Western planet, the heretical Jeanne Kaguya d'Arc saw visions of a savior-king who will put a stop to the endless wars. She and Leonardo da Vinci journeyed to the Eastern planet to find this man. Jeanne possessed a regalia, a powerful amulet that is used to operate a giant war armor. Jeanne met Nobunaga and decided to stay with the member of the Oda clan as Ranmaru. Jeanne needed to be sure that Nobunaga was the man she saw in her visions. Nobunaga howev...

Published in 1936, the book is divided into three parts. The first is about traditions wherein the author FitzRoy Somerset, 4th Baron Raglan discusses the differences and the validity of written accounts. There are accounts written at the time by persons present at the events they describe; accounts by eyewitnesses but not written down yet; archaeological evidences; accounts obtained from actors or spectators shortly after the event; and accounts obtained by questioning people what happened at the time before or those obtained at second or third hand. He then proceeds to cite examples in legends and myths such as Robin Hood, the Norse Sagas, King Arthur, Hengist and Horsa, Cuchulainn, and the Tale of Troy. The second part discusses what myths are about. According to Lord Raglan, most myths "are about gods, heroes, goddesses and heroines because they are accounts of the royal ritual... [r]itual religions aim to secure the well-being of the community by the due perf...

Set in a different Bakumatsu era in Japan, a loud Sakamoto Ryouma wants to be recognized as a rock star. The shogunate and most of the people however have not heard this kind of music. The sounds created by Ryouma's electric guitar, given by Yoshida Shoin, is strange to people's ears. The Japanese are used to listening to Heaven's Song, which the shogunate uses to control the unsuspecting populace. The current top idols are the Shinsengumi led by Hijikata Toshizou and Okita Souji. Anyone who sings or creates songs besides Heaven's Song will be punished. Ryouma wants to change this and he keeps trying to show people his own brand of music. In one of his impromptu performances, he meets Takasugi Shinsaku who plays bass guitar and Katsura Kogorou, a drummer. Together, they form a band to spread rock music in Japan and to fight for freedom. Sakamoto Ryouma From left: Takasugi Shinsaku, Sakamoto Ryouma and Katsura Kogorou Hijikata Toshiizou (left) ...

Note: This is my extended review of the Heneral Luna film. This was originally part of my essay for an MA in Literature class which I also posted in this blog. I could not cover everything I needed to say about the film because the essay had a limit. Photos are screenshots from the film taken from various sources. Heneral Luna is a 2015 historical biopic film which covers the beginning of the second phase of the Philippine Revolution until Luna's assassination on June 5, 1899. Antonio Luna at this period in history was the Supreme Chief of the Army under the First Philippine Republic. The story is told from the point of view of the fictional character, the young journalist Joven Hernando, who is shown interviewing Luna at the start of the film. At the outset, Luna's position in the dirty politics of Emilio Aguinaldo's cabinet is clear. He proposed to attack the American forces while they are still weak. He opposed the idea of Felipe Buencamino and Pedro Patern...

Note: This is my final paper for Adv. Literary Theory and Criticism, one of my classes in MA in Literature.  October 2015. I'm posting this here as a backup in case I lose my copy and I need a guide in the future. Literature is the soul of a civilization. It is the collection of dreams, ideas and experiences of a people. It is what separates us from animals. It is an examination of our aspirations, happiness, fears and sadness, ideas and opinions. As a student of literature, I have learned that to get the most out of a poem, short story, novel, play or film, I must go beyond simple reading and observation. To do this however, I have to answer first the question "how do we fully appreciate a literary piece?" This essay is divided into four sections, namely; what is literature for me; the literary theories and criticism; Heneral Luna: a film review using the poststructuralist approach; and what makes a good literature? In the first part, I will recall my experiences a...

Full title: Sumerian Mythology A Study of Spiritual and Literary Achievement in the 3rd Millennium B.C. This book perhaps is the most comprehensive and well-organized study on Sumerian religion I have read so far. The author himself has done studies over the years of this previously unknown peoples. He also contributed in the identification, decipherment, translation and analysis of fragments of ancient literary works. The book first introduces the author's intended projectst. Then the book proceeds to list the researches that have been done so far about the Sumerians. This volume is mostly concerns mythology and is divided into different categories. The author provides summaries and analyses of the origin myths, the organization of the universe according to the Sumerians, the creation of man, the myths of Kur and others. The author's writing style is reader-friendly. Students and even casual readers will find this book helpful and entertaining. The reade...

*Note: My review will not include multiplayer This PS3 Exclusive Edition includes the DLC Benedict Arnold Assassin's Creed III is the direct sequel of Assassin's Creed Revelations following Desmond Miles's discovery of the present location of the Grand Temple of Those Who Came Before. Desmond is accompanied by his father William and old buddies Rebecca and Shaun. They gain access to the temple using the Apple of Eden. When one of the power sources partly activated the temple, Juno began communicating with Desmond, showing him the history of her people and the threat they sought to contain. She reveals that the incoming second disaster will happen on December 21, 2012. Desmond and companions have to find the other power sources to activate the rest of the temple. Desmond also has to locate the key to open the inner confines of the temple. To do this, he has to relive the memories of ancestor Haytham Kenway, then later Haytham's son, Ratonhnhaké:ton or Conno...

*Note: I do not claim ownership of any of the images used in this review When Yukimura Chizuru's father stopped sending her letters, Chizuru feared something bad had happened to the old man. Yukimura Kōdō is a medical doctor who practices Western medicine. He went to Kyoto a while back and promised his daughter he'd write everyday. Chizuru decided to look for her father, but she does not know where to start and soon she got lost. Not soon after dark, she witnessed an attack by unusual men. These men seemed demonic in their intent to kill. Not satisfied with their victims, they turned to Chizuru. Hijikata Toshizou Before they got the chance to finish her, a group of men came to her rescue. But it seems that the rescuers are suspicious of her presence in the crime scene. What's more, they seem to be hiding something from her. She definitely witnessed something she was not supposed to. Chizuru found herself entangled in the schemes, secrets and battles of ...