Week 4 Reading Notes: Ramayana Part D

For the last part of this version of Ramayana, Part D, I will continue taking notes that I think will help me for the story.

Source: PDE Ramayana

It's interesting how even Rama performs sacrifices to gods, it shows how common it was back then. Also like the mention of his celestial weapons.

All the gods respect Rama so much they build him a bridge to attack Lanka.

I like how crafty Ravana keeps proving to be , if only that messenger wouldn't have come in and made Sita realize the battle was still going on. I can probably write a story where sita is fooled.

It is interesting how quickly they add new characters to the story, but it does make sense since it's an epic. It's kinda cheap how Indrajit could just make himself invincible.

Rama didn't seem too upset from his brother's death..

Garuda is a great guy.

That picture of Kumbhakarna from the blog is awesome, so I went and found another one here:

If Rama wouldn't have been there to stop Kumbhakarna, everyone would have died.

It is crazy how many celestial weapons both armies are using.

I like how even back then the Himalayas were renowned for their size and beauty.

It is a little silly that Hanuman actually picked up a mountain and set it on top of Lanka, although it is very creative!

I liked the cunning of Lakshmana to set up the ambush and kill Indajit.

I am actually feeling a little sorry for Ravana, since his most beloved son was slain.

So now that Lakshmana seems to have died for real, Rama seems distraught. But wow these Himalayan herbs are quite powerful.

I like the prose describing the weapons given to Rama from Indra.

The wise-man giving timely advice is a very common trope, but it works out in this epic.

These celestial weapons are really the key to everything in Ramayana, if you have some, you are unbeatable! I like how Rama was named king of Lanka, where at least he can rule.

It's been so long since Sita has even seen Rama, I wonder what will happen!

Wow that was an interesting decision Rama made to decide not to take back Sita. You can see how back when this epic was put together, the culture still put a great deal of value on a woman being "untainted". I like Sita's answer to all this though.

It is kind of ridiculous Sita had to have fire vouch for her.. and Rama wouldn't believe her on her own. I like the little narration Rama tells when they are flying to ayodha.

The reunion of brothers was a little touching to me, because I have two brothers.

I was really expecting the story to end with Rama's crowning, this Sita exile situation is a real twist I don't like how Rama still questions her purity, even after the fire said she was pure. What's up with that? Also, why is he so sad that she ascended into heaven, even though he exiled her for 16 years

The ending was nice, with Rama and his brothers returning to a heavenly state, even though I felt like Hanuman got a little slighted by not being allowed to join,

Storytelling Week 4: Sampati and Jatayu Spot Rama

My story doesn't really have a source story because I am completely making up an event that happens, but the characters would be pulled from PDE Ramayana.

This story takes place before Sampati loses his wings trying to shield his brother Jatayu from the sun, and before Rama was exiled.

Sampati and his brother Jatayu were young adult birds, and just now learning to hone their abilities and prowess in battle and in the air. Their father, the personification of the Sun's red glow, Aruna, instructed them to leave the nest and spend some time hunting and exploring to grow stronger.

Things were going well, with the two natural born hunters thriving out in the wild world, hunting whatever they pleased, and simply flying away if they ran into anything they couldn't handle. They ventured farther and farther from their nest until they came across a great jewel of a city, Ayodhya. They had never seen a city as large and spectacular as Ayodhya, and decided to fly closer to take a look.

As they got closer, they could see there was some type of commotion going on. In the city center, there was what looked like an archery exhibit going on. There was a great crowd of people, commoners and highborns alike, and their singular focus was on a young, handsome man with skin the color of the sea. The brothers decided to perch atop a guard tower to get a better view, their curiosity now piqued. They watched intently as he let loose seemingly impossible amount of arrows at the target roughly 100 meters away. The birds and the crowd alike were astounded by his accuracy, as the hundreds of arrows he fired all hit exactly where he intended; some arrows even hitting other arrows already lodged in the target, splitting them down the shaft.

The birds were in awe of this incredible display, and their first reaction was to fear this incredible warrior. But once the display was over, the brothers watched as Rama displayed his penchant for grace: talking joyously to everyone in the crowd alike, blessing babies, and generally being a humble guy. They heard the crowd mention his name, "Rama." Sampati spoke to his younger brother Jatayu, letting him know his feelings for this man,"Jatayu, we must be ready to fight for this young warrior when the time comes. With his power and gifts, no demon would be able to hold him. We must remember this day, and prepare. Let us return to the nest and speak to the others what we have learned."

Jatayu agreed with his older brother, and added, "I'll race you home, brother" and took off towards the sun.

Here is a picture of Sampati I like because it depicts him as being HUGE.

Author's note: After doing reading C of Ramayana, the story of Jatayu and Sampati really stood out to me because I always liked large, friendly, fierce mythical creatures, and the two brothers reminded me of the great eagles from Lord of The Rings that save the day at the end. So I decided to write more about them, and include this event that could have possibly happened, and give another reason for why Jatayu would have helped Rama in getting SIta back from Ravana.

Week 4 Reading EC Notes: Ramayana Part C

As always, I will continue to just write down things that I feel are interesting or something I could use/alter in a story.

From  Rama and the Monkeys by Geraldine Hodgson (1903)

I like the character of Hanuman, and how he was introduced into the story with a "heart overflowed with gladness." I could possibly change him from a monkey to some other creature. I really like this picture of Sugriva and Rama together because I think it personifies Sugriva's character by making him a humanoid monkey.

I thought it was interesting that Rama sneakily killed Vali, when he was an accomplished and honorable warrior that should have been able to take him head on. 

Rama showing that he is kind of whiny, because after all, it was his decision to honor the exile.

But then again, he has been without his wife for a long time.

Also, didn't know sita was raped, that is kind of dark for this epic. 

I really like the sampati Jatayu story, and how they flew too close to the sun.

I'm glad Sampati got his redemption, I could see myself writing a story about the bird brothers before Jatayu ran into Ravana and before Sampati's wings were burned.

The espionage mission Hanuman undertakes is entertaining. He really is a devoted follower, I could write more about his exploits.

Its kind of silly that Sita can just pray and the gods will answer her whims.

The twist where Ravan's own brother leaves him to join Rama is a nice touch. I could expand more on that in a story.