Project Topic Brainstorm

Machu Picchu, of the ancient Incas Source

I have already pretty much decided that I want to do my project on Lewis Spence's Mythology of Ancient Mexico and Peru, focusing only on the myths of Peru. This is because I spent two years living there, and although I did learn some myths while I was there, there were clearly many more that I needed to learn. Just a basic perusal of the chapters sparked my interest in the many rituals and sacrifices that they made to the sun god as well as their similarities to Mexican ancient rites.

Another interesting topic is that of the mythologies of ancient britain, specifically Beowulf. I loved the story of his fights with the monsters and dragons when I was younger, and his ideas about honor and leadership. It would be interesting to really reread this ancient epic with a more modern and mature outlook, which would be good fun for a project.
The myths of the Native Americans have also interested me, particularly of the Inuit of Alaska. There are many stories here about tricksters and gods, which actually is strangely reminiscent of some of the legends of Norse mythology. It would be very interesting to do some kind of comparison between the two.
Finally, I can always find something new to learn from classical Greek mythology. One of my clearest memories of childhood is going to the doctor for some problem that I had and sitting in the waiting room for what seemed like hours while my mom read me stories from Greek mythology. I loved hearing about the romances and intrigues of Mount Olympus, as well as their usually ill-fated encounters with mortals. It would be fun to do something with them again.

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My Project website is here ! A picture I took while in Peru of a tiny pueblo in the Andes

Storytelling "The Sun and the Wind"

There once was a very happy traveler who had just gone to visit his parents in a far-off province. He had spent about a week there, a happy time, and was cheerfully returning to his wife and children who were awaiting him at home. To further bolster his spirits, the weather looked absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining, but not too harsh, and with the slightly chilly air he felt completely comfortable with his jacket wrapped around his shoulders. While he walked, he marveled at the beautiful scenery around him and listened to the humming of the insects and the sweet singing of the birds. Before he had departed, his dear mother had given him a heavy travelling coat that she said would be sure to protect him from the rain, cold, and anything else he encountered. He thanked her at the time but now it looked like her gift would not be required. He carried on walking, whistling as he went. The harder the wind blew, the tighter the man wrapped his ...

Storytelling "Hans the Hedgehog"

Hans riding his rooster (Source) This is the story of how Hans the Hedgehog became engaged to a princess. Hans was a very special little creature. His parents had tried for so long to have a child, but when Hans was born, they were horrified to see that their little baby had the head and torso of a hedgehog but the legs of a boy. Although they did their best to love him, from an early age Hans could tell that they were horrified and ashamed of their child. He grew very depressed and spent most of his time in the barn with the other animals, like the pigs, donkeys, and his best friend of all, the rooster. Since he was half hedgehog, Hans stopped growing very quickly and remained quite small. Although this surely disappointed his father, it was perfect, for Hans was able to ride around on top of the rooster as if it were a colorful horse. He rode the rooster everywhere, even flying up around the trees that lined his father’s fields. From th...

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