The Once and Future Blog

When the great spear of Hector ran through the other side of the body of Patroclus, a great quiet fell amongst the Trojans and the Greeks. The beautiful man, once believed to have been beloved by mortals and divine, bore the arms of the legendary Achilles - though the form of a legend cannot grant the spirit of one. The heat of the summer weighed down on the warriors, intermixed with the realization that this man's death could change the tide of the war entirely. As the two champions gave their final shouts to one another, the soul of the Greek hero succumbed to his wounds and descended to the underworld. The Greeks and the Trojans Fighting over the Body of Patroclus When the shock of the blow left the plain, the range of fighting shifted from an assault to a focused charge for the body of Patroclus. As Hector chased down the chariot for spoils, he abandoned his front line for a greed he could not fulfill. For a man of so loved as Patroclus by Achilles, the Trojans knew the ...

There are few emotions more powerful and despairing to a human than loss. To lose a loved one can move someone to absolute melancholy, and to lose the one closest to you in the world can be the end of what you know. This idea is one of the central pieces of the Iliad - Achilles' loss of his beloved Patroclus makes for a turning point in the war, leading directly to the deaths of several champions on either side, a great war for the retrieval of the body, and leads directly to the death of the Trojan's mightiest warrior, Hector. Thanks to Agamemnon's scorning of Achilles, the beloved men of people on either side of the war fall too soon, and the possible materialization of the prophecy that Achilles shall fall within the hour of Hector bears down upon the Greek morale. The legendary slaying of Patroclus and the utter disregard for honor or mercy Achilles shows creates a perfect example for a tale of personal vengeance, displaying one of the lowest parts of the human conditio...

I've already said it once or twice, so I'll say it one last time: Most of these old Western myths are really sexist. While obvious exceptions exist, ones that show much of society (like epics) often end up back in displaying women as property, and nothing quite underlines that as the beginning of the Iliad, which is just that: a war over a woman, acted like a war over property. Beyond that, what stood out the most to me was the argument of Agamemnon and Achilles, and Achilles' retreat from combat, followed by Agamemnon's rebuke. I'm aware of where this particular argument ends (Achilles' rage), but this stands as obvious jumping point as the construction for a revenge story, leading into the death of his "dear friend" Patroclus. The way Patroclus is swayed to fight for the Greeks, bearing Achilles' armor, leading into his hubris and eventual death to Hector. This creates the perfect means to have Achilles return to the fight, to rise and strike a...

Topic 1: Heroic Legends My personal favorite myths and legends have always been stories of great people. King Arthur (and Merlin!), Heracles, Cuchulain, and Finn mac Cumhaill are a few of my favorites, just to start a list of them. I think by focusing on one central character, you can craft a narrative that anyone can either appreciate or resonate with. As well, the Hero's Journey is one of the oldest story archetypes - and it's survived for a reason. Sir Galahad Is Brought To The Court Of King Arthur Topic 2: Vengeance Another one of the oldest stories in human history is the story of revenge. While not the most wholesome usually, these stories offer incredible insight into not only how man deals with their emotions, but also offers a way to intricately explore the human experience. Additionally, this offers the most interesting and possibly unique means of storytelling, especially if I use a little bit of smoke and mirrors to make it look innocent at first. Topic ...

Much of my thoughts around feedback come almost entirely from feedback in the Magic Judge program. The culture of feedback that has developed in it has impressed very heavily onto me, as elaborated on at first on my Growth Mindset article. How to Get Past Negativity Bias in Order to Hardwire Positive Experiences I think this article has a good idea and plan, but the actual implementation leaves something to be lacking. For some, it could lead to not just associating good experiences with bad, but bad with good. Over-association of positive stimuli can lead its connection to negative stimuli. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the article, but the idea of "think and connect" seems to minimize the impact that negative emotions can have, almost like a "don't be sad" sort of message. Why rejection hurts so much — and what to do about it Taking negative feedback and rejection is difficult. To be told you aren't good enough, aren't the right candidate, or ...

Pygmalion, from a very young age, was shown to be an artist of extreme talent. Even as a toddler playing in the mud, his creations were no mere child's play, but lifelike parodies of nature. When he grew older, he was apprenticed to a master sculptor, and quickly outgrew and outmatched students more than a decade his senior. By the time he had become a man, his master had nothing more to teach him, and Pygmalion struck out on his own.  As a young man, Pygmalion was requested by nobles and kings alike to carve their likeness into marble, securing their eternity in the history of the world. He was paid handsomely, and he surrounded himself with his work. Soon, it became rare to see Pygmalion outside of his workshop or the palace of some vain noble on the island. His workshop was littered with creations cut and scrapped, in search of something he couldn't grasp. Each time he tried, he felt closer, but no amount of work could bring him to the paragon he desired. Pygmalion  ...

There are a nearly uncountable number of mythological stories and fables in the world, many more famous than others. Some archetypes of story are common around the world, including great tales of heroism, creation, transformation, trickery, and moral justice. Several of these archetypes were displayed amongst the anthology, but the two that particularly caught my attention was the story of Pygmalion and that of the jackal trickster. The story of Pygmalion is framed in an almost pathetic nature, of one so dedicated to their craft that they fall physically in love with their creation - perhaps due to a combination of "disillusionment" with the "eligible scene" of possible lovers as well as his own craft's true beauty. Despite this, he has his wits about it, showing embarrassment at the festival of Venus, yet his wish is still granted due to the profound depth of his love. The Brahman, the jackal, and the tiger. Originally from  this book  but taken from the ...

Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4. Week 3: Homer's Iliad Week 4: Ovid's Metamorphoses III Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6. Week 5: Ramayana Week 6: Turkish Fairy Tales Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.] Week 7: Japanese Mythology Week 9: Chinese Fairy Tales Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11. Week 10: The Song of Hiawatha Week 11: Alaskan Legends Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13. Week 12: King Arthur Week 13: Faerie Queen - Britomart Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15. Week 14: Lang's European Fairy Tales II Week 15: Dante's Inferno Heroic tales are a favorite of mine. This statue of  Arash Kamangir  exemplifies the idea of a mythical hero to me: grand action, and grand sacrifice. While I'm not choosing the Persian tales, Arash will forever be a favorite of mine. Personally, its hard to pi...

As far as I can tell with the assignments and class structure, the schedule I set at the beginning will fit will. If things go wrong, I have plenty of time at the end of the week (if I'm not travelling) to make up for it as well. As far as time management in general, this semester (my last, naturally) is the result of trial and error in my college career, after learning about how best I work. I have important facts about myself, such as that I prefer to work in marathons rather than sprints, have been implemented with my schedule, hopefully better organizing my time for my last and most important semester. As for time management strategies in general, I have a hard time convincing myself to do something or try something, even things I want to do, so I usually just have to find how I best work and try to work around that. My schedule is rarely consistent, and wild at best, so strategies discussed in ones such as  How To Build a Realistic Study Plan  have dubious effects at best...

I've always been connected to technology, from playing with computers when I was young to working in IT up to now. I've been using the internet since before elementary school, and like many my age, I'm the family tech guy. Overall, this course doesn't have too much new to me, other than website design. I'm excited to be able to tell a story with a website, which should enable some unique opportunities. An actual photo of how my family sees me. Source:  Know Your Meme

“Greek Myths,” by Derek Fiechter. Sourced from  this blog post . This class will certainly be interesting, in regards to the reading and the writing. I love creative writing, especially related to fantasy and mythology. I can see myself doing "In Medias Res" style of stories often, just to show off conceptual worlds or worldbuilding. Compared to online classes I've done before, this is not only more interesting, but better suited to the already busy schedule I have set for myself for my last semester. For the extra credit, I'm most interested at the Wikipedia Trails and the extra commenting, since I'm already one who goes deep into Wikipedia, and I'd like to see what others are up to in their work.

I used to be a very stuck up and self-important person. We're talking a very  stuck up person. When I was hit with negative feedback, my response was a combination of defensive statements, counterarguments, projection, and, eventually, lock-down. "So what changed?" you might ask. Well, it was a lot of hard learning. A few years ago, my friends decided to come together and air their grievances against me, all at once, no softening of blows. Hearing one of them would have been enough to sour my mood, but four at once was too much for the walls I had built. To make a long story short, I ruined those friendships, and it hurt me a lot, so I started therapy to better understand my own emotions and how to not be a bad friend. Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove in: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Photo from  AV Club   The other major change happened much more subtly. As a judge for Magic the Gathering, one thing we pride ourselves on i...

The first thing post people say after I tell them my major is some variant of "Why?". "Why would you do that to yourself?" is a common one I get. My major being Mathematics. The other most common thing I get is "Ew, I hate math." It's always nice and peachy to be told by someone you just met that they hate your entire field. Despite the multiple all-nighters, mind-meltingly difficult concepts, and multiple nearly failed classes, I still love my degree and math as a whole. The sheer beauty and connectedness of it all is unique and intricate, almost like getting to see the hidden truths of the universe. Of course, some days, it can be like trying to use a brick to turn a screw, but I try not to think too hard about those. Enough about math, more about me! I'm Gage Robelen, in my last semester of college here at OU, and a tremendous nerd for most things. I'm from Moore, Oklahoma, I'm 20 years old, and I can turn my feet around backwards. My i...

The first storybook that caught my attention was, well, the first one:  The Adventures of Merlin . Straightforward and honest, the title was simple but excellent. The eponymous character has been a favorite of mine since I was a small child, and it's obvious that the author had a similar feeling. The introduction uses a promising and foreshadowing style that makes me want to read the stories despite my already in-depth knowledge of the Arthurian myth. The sleek design combined with evocative imagery relevant to the tale enhance this, which did lead me to check out more of the story. I think I'll come back around and finish it when I have the time. Brocéliande Forest in Brittany, France. Banner photo of Adventures of Merlin.  Flickr   The second storybook I took a look at was  A Punishment of Tengu . I realized a bit into this one that the author was actually a good friend of mine who took the course! I chose this one before knowing that, out of my own love of Ja...

Despite my usual decision paralysis when confronted with any prompt that includes "favorite" in it, my favorite place is a pretty easy choice - Ireland. I studied abroad there in Summer 2017, and I wouldn't hesitate to be a romantic and say I left my heart there. It's hard to pick a single place there, so I'll pick a few places in the country.  The first (sorted by when I visited them) is particularly relevant to our class - the Hill of Tara. Said to the be the seat of the High Kings of Ireland in the legendary days of the country. On it is the Lia Fáil, that is, the Stone of Destiny. Legend has it that when one grasps the stone, if it roars out for all Ireland to hear, one would be known as the rightful High King. I tried, and was not crowned, unfortunately. The Hill of Tara, with a Druid ceremony taking place on it. Photo by me! Next would be a small stone circle and (what is thought to be) the remnants of some houses from the druidic days. Pardon my ...

Forgive the generic title - just a test post to make sire everything is working around here. I've updated my user profile to have some updated stuff if you're curious about the type of person that I am. Until next time, Bom dia!