The Things I Acquired From Fellow Gods and Goddesses (Post #10)

• Mikaela (Demeter) - Persephone's parents are Zeus and Demeter and she has many cultural things dedicated to her, like fragrances, publishing, and space.
• Aryn (Artemis) - Artemis has the ability to change shape and she can send plagues out on humans. I also learned that on here third birthday she was given all the mountains by her father. 
• Jamie (Apollo) - Apollo defeated Python and created the Delphi games in order to please Gaea. He also 
• Carly (Hermes) - Hermes created the lyre in which Apollo uses, and in return Apollo gave Hermes a golden staff that could herd cows. 
• Anna (Raven) - Raven is able to transform into different things, such as a leaf and he stole the sun from a chief and spread it out all over the land.
• Emma (Frigg) - Frigg has the ability to predict the future and the day of the week, Friday, was named after her. 
• Hannah (Balder) - Balder's name means prince and the only thing that could kill him was mistletoe. 
• Molly (Odin) - Odin names means All-Father and he gave up an eye for more knowledge. 
• Emily (Loki) - Loki is the one who killed Balder, and he can become different things.
• Rylee (Freya) - Freya is associated with a group called Vanir and she is the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty.
• Claire (Thor) - Thor wrestled with the god of time, who was disguised as an old lady at the time, and he names all his accessories. 
• Lindsay (Ra) - Ra was considered a mightier god than his father by Nut himself. He also saved the human race, even though he was the one who kinda started the destruction of them.
• Erin (Set) - Set was the one who killed Osiris and scattered his remains across Egypt. His nephew also overthrew him.
• Jazlyn (Osiris) - Osiris is green because he is the god of agriculture, and he cannot leave the underworld.
• Brynn (Isis) - Isis is called the Crone of Death or the Mother of Life, and she made friendships with the human beings on Earth.

The Retelling of my Myth (Post #9)

I hear the cries of help from everyone. Whether it be from the elderly, people in danger, or even a child. It is because I am the goddess of Mercy. I am dedicated to helping the helpless and making their lives easier if need be. This morning when I woke everything was fine, nothing major needed my assistance. A baby needing numbing ointment to help with teething, a few citizens with health issues, fisherman needed help crossing the ocean, the daily occurrences. It wasn't until late afternoon that the winds carried the pleas of help from some farmers. Learning of this news I traveled swiftly towards them. The air was dry and hot, not the usual temperature for this time of year. Rice is grown during this season and it needs moist, wet climate to thrive. I pondered this strange happening when I came across the farmers who needed help. Upon their faces were lines of sorrow and worry; sadness etched upon every wrinkle. Men and women looked at me with tears almost to their eyes. When they saw me they all started talking at once, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. I gathered bits and pieces, but my main focus was what lie before me. Never in my life had I seen plots so ghastly or atrocious. The soil looked crumbly and the plants were withered and lifeless. The air itself had a depressing feel to it. Instead of water flooding the plots, the land was barren. I returned my attention back to the farmers and promised to help them. As the shadows overtook the land I was still out of ideas of what to do. Never before had this happened. Mother Nature usually kept all things in place, but these farmers must have done something to upset her. Once the night had settled I had come up with an idea. These plots have been deprived of water and needed some hydration. Seeing as it would have taken ages to get water from a nearby well to them (even though I am a goddess, my powers do not extend to that region) I decided that milk from my breasts would do the trick. So I traveled back to the rice field and squeezed some out onto each plot of rice. The difference was noticeable soon afterwards. The rice blossomed and it came out white, I guess that's what happens when you put milk in instead of water, and the farmers woke to see it all. The transformation of their attitudes and emotions made me feel  better. Their faces no longer had that heavy burden and their eyes looked brighter. They no longer had to worry about going hungry or having to wonder where the next meal was coming from. After rejoicing among themselves, they thanked me and I was on my way.

Resolution (Post #8)

The resolution is after Guanyin helps the rice grow, when the farmers are overjoyed and everything is peaceful once again. Everyone is happy and the creation of white rice is told after the end of the myth.

Climax (Post #7)

The climax of this myth happens when Guanyin pours her milk onto the rice plots and the rice begins to flourish. It is the turning point of the story, when 'good' overtakes 'evil'. The dry season and crumbly soil are transformed into suitable and beneficial conditions for the rice.

Conflict (Post #6)

Conflict happens almost immediately, and there is only one major problem. The farmers do not have the conditions for growing rice and need help. Guanyin solves the issue by dropping some of her milk onto the rice fields to give them nourishment and help them grow. After she does this, the rice flourishes and everything is better, with no more conflict, for the time being.

Characterization (Post #5)

Guanyin grew as a person, but not by much because it was during a short period of time, less than 24  hours. However, she did help the farmers that were in peril, and that contributed to her self-being. Since the myth happens almost overnight, she doesn't have much time to build character and characterization is not a very big part. The main point is explaining the creation of rice and telling another story of Guanyin's giving and compassionate life. She helps the farmers with their rice because, as the goddess of  mercy, that is what she does. Helping others helped build her reputation and add to her character of a loving and caring goddess.

The farmers were the other characters mentioned. They have had a hard time growing their crops, especially rice, and have called upon the Guanyin to help them. In the beginning, they are sad and helpless, but after Guanyin cures their plots they are happy and joyful. 

Setting (Post #4)

It was a nice day. The air was warm but had a dense feel from all the moisture. There was a slight breeze and with it, cries of help could be heard from men in a rice patty nearby. While traveling through to their location, the air changed, it had almost a drier, crisp feel, not a good sign during rice season. The fields were very dry. Soil would crumble when picked up and nothing felt even remotely wet. Guanyin saw the sad faces of the farmers and the ruins of their food and money source. Later on, as the night approached, she went back to the rice fields and decided to help them by giving moisture to the rice plots. As she squeezed milk from her breasts onto the rice, the soil started to become wetter and healthier. Her milk made the rice flourish, and the next day there was an abundance of white rice. As the sun made its journey back around the farmers saw what happened, and their faces showed pure joy and they set out harvesting on the hot day.

Cultural Pieces (Post #3)

Guan Yin is very important to Chinese people. She is one of the most admired or praised, and therefore has many statues of her all over the place. There was also a book written about her origin and other aspects of her life. 

The statue to the left is one of many depicting what she looks like and representing what she does. The willow in her hand conveys that she is able to be 'bent' but never broken like a willow. She stands on a lotus to show the purity and hope she gives people.

Lastly, music has been made about her. They are usually songs that are relaxing or have a calming affect. Most people listen to it when meditating. 

Guanyin and Her Involvement With Rice (Post #2)

One day, Guanyin heard the cries of plea and mercy from some farmers nearby. She went to go investigate what had happened to cause them to cry out. When she arrived, the farmers told her that their rice fields were not growing and they desperately needed it for food to feed themselves and their families. Guanyin didn't need the farmers to tell her what was going on because the fields looked withered and lifeless. She told them that she'd try to help. Later on that evening, Guanyin came back to the rice fields and squeezed some milk out of her breasts onto the plots to give them some nourishment and help them grow. The next day, the farmers say that their fields looked better and healthier than ever before. They thanked Guanyin, and now flourishing rice fields contain the milk from Guanyin.

Guanyin (Post #1)

The goddess Guanyin derives from Chinese mythology and is the goddess of Mercy. Her name is also spelled different ways: Kwan Yin, Kuan Yin or Quan Yin. She has the ability to make the mercy of people fade away and give the person peace. There are different myths saying that Guanyin was once a man, and as time passed, he changed into a female version to accommodate to their powers. In the story of her creation, Guanyin has a few siblings (gender,ages, and how many were not given), a mother and a father who eventually became ill. Guanyin, in her Chinese form, is usually seen in a white dress and head piece. She's depicted as beautiful and can commonly be seen on a lotus. In her Bodhisattva form she has the appearance of a women with a thousand arms. Even though she is originally from Chinese mythology, Guanyin is common in Japan, Korea, Thailand, and other places.