The Once and Future Blog

Following his triumph over the demonic Rakshasas, Rama was taken to the court of Janaka, wherein he was met with a great feast fit for the visit of a foreign royal. Rama, adorned in eloquent gilded armor, was abreast with Lakshmana as they entered the great hall of the Rajah. Their presence was immediately felt by all the in room, as though the very spirit of divinity flowed like smoke in the air. On entry, each ceremoniously disarmed themselves, and removed their helmets so that their radiant beauty could be taken in by all. Janaka, seated at a grand throne at the end of the table, rose to his feet in likewise respect. "Greetings, o anointed guests of my domain. Sit, and feast your hungry bodies to your delight in celebration of your victories." The lord gestured to a pair of seats at either side of his, labelled with the names of the young princes. As each seated themselves, they made merriment with the other guests as the feast swung into its peak tempo. Just before the f...

Today's reading comes from Turkish folktales. Turkey is an area of culture I've experienced very little of in my life, so I was excited to get to experience the way another culture views itself and its values. The first tale I found particularly interesting is Fear, a charming tale of (moderate antisemitism and) a young boy's journey to find the object of fear. To me, it almost reads like a continuing joke, as though someone is trying to keep you on the hook before a disappointing punchline. The boy goes through much tribulation, including making sweets in a graveyard, trespassing a robber camp, and fighting an ocean god, but what gets him is an unexpected sparrow in the soup. To me the moral of the story is that fear comes not from the setting, but from your expectations - surprise is scarier than suspense. The second tale I enjoyed was that of the Fish-Peri. It's a charming tale about how conveniently loving a magical fish woman will bring your monarch great gifts a...