Ottoman Empire

the first thing that i found of interest in the reading was the sheer size of the ottoman empire. I never learned about it in high school, so it is really surprising to me that such a large empire was left out of the curriculum. I can't help but wonder if there is some institutionalized islamophobia influencing our school systems. I had never even heard of the ottoman empire until my senior year, and even then it was only a passing reference. I think that an erasure like this just goes to show you how unreliable an education can be. It was extremely shocking to me considering the amount of influence the Ottomans had on the rest of the world even today. The advancements that were made in the fields of math and finance seem to large to me to be left out of the classroom, but they were. and that is very sad to me.

Dante's Muhammed

All in all, i found Dr. Frank's essay interesting. The idea that Dante placed Muhammed in the eighth circle of hell due to a misunderstanding was very odd to me. Would someone really do that to the prophet of a major religion without doing a little bit of fact checking? or could it be that the false information Dante had was taken as fact at the time? I look forward to the discussion today in class, i expect it will be very interesting.

The Decameron 2

The first story in the reading for today started by challenging the notion that "when a young woman places a white veil over her head...she no longer feels feminine desires..." I think this is very interesting because this is the first thing i can remember reading in this course that discusses the sexuality of nuns. The story of the nuns plays into the theme of sexuality and religion that we've been discussing. The notion that holiness does not equal chastity is new to me, and it is an interesting way to look at things. These stories effectively show that even though one might be a member of the clergy, it doesn't mean that they aren't a human with normal human sexual desires.

The Decameron 1

The major theme throughout the first story of The Decameron is religion. I think this theme speaks volumes about the Mediterranean and the various cultures within it. Since the region was the birthplace of the Abrahamic religions, i think that it contains some of the worlds most religious people. In the story, a man named Ser Cepparello gives a false confession on his deathbed. Even though the man lived a very sinful life, the priest who heard his final "confession", which made him out to be a very pious man, declared him a saint. This story is really funny to me because it just goes to show how our view of someone can change after they die. It reminds me of all of the stories we are told about the founding fathers in elementary school that sound more like myth than fact (i.e. george washington and the cherry tree, honest Abe).

The Book of Good Love Day 2

1. I found the whole "mountain girl" section to be very confusing. It seemed like the same story told four times in a row until i read it a second time. The archpriest asks each of the girls for shelter, and they each in turn tell him that he must give them a gift. He ends up having sex with them each time. I think that each of the mountain girls represents the positive things that can come from sex, because in return for the gifts the archbishop gives them, they give him food, shelter, and point him in the right direction.

2. I sort of interpret the battle between Lent and Carnal as the time when the speaker gave up sex for lent. I think that behind the confusing metaphors, there is this story. I believe that Lent represents the month of Lent, Carnal represents desire, and all of the food talked about represents the object of desire. This story says that eventually, all humans will give in to desire. If you look at that from the standpoint of humans-as-reflection-of-the-divine, you could say that nobody, even god, can resist temptation.

The Book of Good Love 1

1. The first prologue in The book of good love is a lengthy plee to god to be saved. The author lists the times that God has saved someone and begs the lord to save him as well. While the author keeps saying he is in prison, i can't help but wonder if the jail he is talking about is Love. The second prologue merely describes what happened leading up to the writing of the book.

2. The first fable in the book was quite humorous to me. It is a warning to the reader to not misinterpret the work, and thus the word of Love. The author goes even further after the story to assert to the reader that everything in this book means exactly what it says; that if you think something is wrong, it is right; and that if you are wise you will interpret it the right way, but if you're a fool you will only take away foolishness. I think this is a good point to make when writing a text about love that is supposedly from the mouth of love itself.

Troubadour / Trobairitz Poetry

I found the Troubadour selection to be quite beautiful. The lush imagery really stood out to me, especially in poem 20 by Jaufré Rudel. The poem is about a long-distance relationship of sorts. The poem is odd to me because it never talks about whether or not the poets "love far away" feels the same way about him, but still he longs to travel to be with her. I couldn't help but wonder what was keeping him from going to be with her? Why can't he make the pilgrimage?  could it be that she has refused him? This poem of unrequited love has a hopeful tone to it that contrasts with the  Trobairitz piece that i'm going to be talking about.

The first thing i noticed about the Trobairitz is that their poetry tended to be darker and sadder. While the Troubadour pieces sometimes dealt with sad topics, they always had a hint of optimism. In most of the  Trobairitz poems, there isn't really hope. This is most apparent with the Countess of Dia's second poem in which she laments an unrequited love. It is a very bitter poem, she even says "so bitter do i feel toward him, / whom i love more than anything." I think that the reason the  Trobairitz poems tend to be more bitter is because of the gender-dynamics of Islam. Men were probably the ones who choose their spouse, so if a man is refused by a potential mate, he can always try again, but a woman probably could not choose her husband, so if the object of her affection refused her, it would probably hold a lot more finality.

Arabic Poetry

1. My favorite thing about The Dove's Necklace was how the author defines love by showing the symptoms, and basically says that you can't really tell if you're in love because you don't notice the symptoms. I thought the poetry was very beautiful, especially the first selection.  I also enjoyed the author's observation that lovers will act wildly out of character. I don't know how many people i have seen enter a relationship and their personality completely changes. Usually if i say something about it they deny it not because it isn't true, but because they can't see it.

2. The theme of watching or looking is most prominent in the first poem in the selection. It introduces the idea of your eyes always being drawn to your beloved, almost as if your gaze is their property. later, on page 34, the eyes play a different role. This time, they mistake someone for your beloved. This also plays into the idea that your eyes, sight, and thought are completely consumed by another person.

Metamorphoses Day 2

The stories of Hermaphroditus and Arachne both begin with a woman at the loom. This is a theme that is repeated throughout the parts of Metamorphoses that i have read. This is keeping with the idea of textiles as feminine art. In the Hermaphroditus myth, it is the narrator who is weaving, while in the Arachne myth, it is the titular character who is famous for her ability. It is interesting to see how the theme resonates differently in each story. Another theme that the two stories have in common is pride. When Hermaphroditus refuses Salmacis, she is too proud to accept his refusal and she basically rapes him; and Pallas' pride causes her to turn Arachne into a spider.

Metamorphoses Day 1

4. The conversation between Narcissus and Echo is interesting to me because of the way Echo can still get her point across even though she can only repeat what Narcissus is saying. I think that it is definitely something a real echo can't do. It is just interesting to see such a cool explanation for where echoes come from.

5. Narcissus really falls in love with his reflection. This is problematic because Narcissus thinks that it is another person he sees in the reflection, but when he reaches out, he disturbs the water and the reflection goes away. The foundation for love in this story is wanting something you think you can't have. First with Echo and Narcissus and then Narcissus with himself, the person experiencing unrequited love grows more enamored with the other person the more they refuse them.

The Odyssey Day 2

1. I think Calypso and her island represent temptation. If he were to stay, Odysseus could have it all: wealth, immortality, and a beautiful wife. I think that Calypso's role in the text could be to show the unfairness of Penelope's situation. Penelope must remain faithful while her husband has been gone for a very long time. For all she knows, he could be dead or have taken another wife. In that way, i think Calypso's speech to the gods serves as a way for the audience to further sympathize with the two women, who are going through the pain of losing the same man. What sets Penelope and Calypso apart is how they deal with their being alone. Penelope remains faithful and simply waits for her husband to come home while Calypso kidnaps a man and keeps him for her lover. 


4. The Cyclops, Polyphemos, is the son of Poseidon, so in a way, the Cyclops represents the Gods. The starting point for Odysseus's trials is when he refuses to pray with Polyphemos. This story is important because it shows the origin of Poseidon's grudge against Odysseus, which is the reason for the trials Odysseus faces.

The Odyssey Day 1

1. The first thing that struck me about the prologue was the fact that the narrator calls on the Muses to help him tell the story. I think the poetic voice is trying to simply convey the story to us and he does so by channeling the Muses, which are the god-like sources for the arts.

4. I think we hear Telemachus's story first because it shows what is happening to Odysseus's house while he is gone. The fact that his wife has many suitors just waiting to take his place introduces an urgency to the story and Odysseus's reason for trying to get home in the first place. I think the son comes before the father to show the influence of Odysseus's absence.

Genesis Day 5

1. Joseph hiding his identity from his brothers was very interesting to me. The lie goes on for four chapters and as the suspense builds, you can't help but wonder whether Joseph is trying to get revenge or just scare his brothers. I really think that he was going to have them killed. In fact, Joseph doesn't forgive his brothers until Judah offers his life to save Benjamin's. 2. I think this story has a lot to say about jealousy. The brothers are so jealous of Joseph that they want to kill him! Their lives eventually fall into the hands of the very person they wanted dead. It just goes to show you that you should be careful who you piss off.

Genesis Day 4

1. The two firstborn sons raise a few problems. First, the parents probably feel that they have to choose a favorite because only one of them is going to go on and be the leader of the Jewish people. God furthers this confusion by telling their mother that she has "two nations" in her womb. Jacob seems to be the better choice because he is not described by how he looks like Esau, but by his actions. 2. I think Isaac is having problems. He can barely speak, let alone decide who is going to go on to be the leader of the Jewish people. It may have something to do with the fact that his father almost murdered him because God said so. 5. In my edition of Genesis, the title is "Jacob wrestles with God". This is an interesting concept. It suggests that Jacob is fighting to be recognized as the next father of the Hebrew people. I think this fight can be interpreted as a test for Jacob to see if he is worthy.

Genesis Day 3

1. I think that Abraham knew exactly what was going to happen when he went to Egypt. He was in the middle of a famine, so they were probably desperate for food. When Pharaoh saw Sarah, he took her in and gave Abraham food and servants. I am pretty sure this was all just a devious trick. 2. If you look at this story from Sarah's perspective, you will probably get the same feeling. I think that Sarah stays quiet because she is being obedient to her husband. She gained a high position in society, and later, free food, servants, and money. 3. The story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar is interesting to me because of the sheer craziness of it all. Sarai knows that she can't give Abram a child, so she selflessly offers Hagar to him so that he can produce offspring. I could never imagine sharing my spouse with another person. This story really makes you wonder if you could ever love someone as much as that.

Genesis Day 2

Cain and Abel
2. I definitely can see how this whole situation could look like a set-up to Cain. God showed favor to Abel's offerings for no particular reason, and this probably made Cain pretty jealous. And if Abel was God's favorite, wouldn't god have protected him from his brother? I think this story is a kind of blueprint for a few of the ten commandments that appear a little later in the Bible.


4. I have always thought of the Mark of Cain as a literal forehead-tattoo kind of thing. I don't really know why, but that has always been the image in my head. I also interpret Cain being protected as more of a punishment. God tells Cain that he is "cursed from the ground", which means he can't grow his own food. And since he can't grow his own food, can't be murdered, and is a fugitive, he is cursed to wander the earth as a scavenger/hunter. 


Noah


In class, somebody mentioned that the length of the flood changes in the middle of the text from 40 days to 150 days. But if you read carefully, you will see that it says the rain lasted for 40 days and 40 nights, while the flood lasted 150 days. I also noticed that the narrative is not chronological, especially in chapter 8. Another thing that i found interesting was that men and women are referred to as sons of God and daughters of men, respectively. Is this implying that women are not children of god, or does it mean that descendants of Seth were marrying descendants of Cain? 

Genesis Day 1

1. The opening verses of genesis are ambiguous because they give no descriptions. There is no explanation of what anything looked like, so the reader is left to interpret the words in their own way. Another thing that i found interesting about the first few lines is how choppy they sound when read aloud.
 While i'm not extremely familiar with other creation myths, i find that this is one of the least descriptive i have ever read. For one thing, God has no name. He is not a god, but the only God. I also noticed that many other creation myths anthropomorphize the earth, sea, sun, and moon, while this one does not.

5. To me, the tree of knowledge represents the burden of being human; knowing about what is good and what is evil and really dealing with that and living your life accordingly. In this story, God is the only one with the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve's eating the fruit causes them to start thinking for themselves, and God didn't want free thinkers. I think this part of the creation myth is used to explain free will.

6. I think Adam and Eve's punishment was inevitable because there is no real garden of Eden, There is no place where everything is perfect and i think if the story had kept them there, there would be absolutely no relevance to the human experience. If they never were expelled from the garden, there would be only two people on earth for ever and ever. So, basically, if Eve hadn't listened to the serpent, none of us would exist.