Two Biblical Creation Accounts

The Biblical Creation

The Biblical Creation. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Most religious traditions contain some form of cosmogony, or creation myth, and Abrahamic religions are no different. The Book of Genesis opens with a tale of creation which provides an interesting look at the origin of the world.

Genesis says that God created the heaven and the earth in the beginning. When the earth was created, it had no form and everything was dark. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God divided the light from the darkness, calling the light Day and the darkness Night. This division of light and dark became known as the first day.

On the second day, God created a firmament in the waters, dividing the waters above from the waters below. He called the firmament Heaven.

On the third day, God gathered the waters under heaven into one place, causing dry land to appear. He called the dry land Earth, and the water Seas. Then he caused the earth to produce all form of plant life.

On the fourth day, God created lights in the heaven to divide day from night. He first made the Sun, then the Moon, and lastly the stars, placing them each in the heaven in turn.

On the fifth day, God created all forms of ocean life, and caused all species of birds to come forth out of the waters. He commanded them to reproduce and fill the waters and the air.

On the sixth day, God created all forms of land animals, including humans, which were created in his own image. God gave humankind dominion over all other forms of life, and commanded all creatures to reproduce and fill the earth.

On the seventh day, God rested from the work of creation.

The next few verses offer what appears to be a second account of the creation, albeit in a different order.

God caused a mist to rise up from the earth, watering the ground and creating mud. From this mud, God formed the body of a man and breathed life into his body, naming him Adam. God planted a garden in Eden, and placed Adam in the garden to take care of it.

God saw that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone, so he formed all the animals and birds out of the ground. He brought the all creatures to the man and Adam gave them names. Then God caused Adam to sleep. While he was sleeping, God removed one of his ribs and used it to create the first woman, Eve.

While most people accept the Genesis account as written, some scholars believe the creation actually represents two different traditions which have come to be merged over time, and in fact the first account shares many elements of Persian and Etruscan creation myths.

Another explanation is one offered by the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Moses 3:5, in the the church’s Pearl of Great Price, says that God “created all things…spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth…for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air.” Thus, the first account of creation was a spiritual creation, and the second account of creation was a physical creation.

SOURCES

Doane, T. W. Bible Myths and Their Parallels in Other Religions. 1882. Project Gutenberg. 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 June 2011. <http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31885>.
The Holy Bible. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979. Print.
The Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981. Print.

This article originally appeared 9 July 2011 on mythsoftheworld.blogspot.com

Permanent link to this article: https://www.operationbrainleak.com/two-biblical-creation-accounts/

Isis and Demeter

Demeter

Demeter. Image courtesy of
Wikimedia Commons.

While reading the Egyptian myth of the death of Osiris, I was struck by the similarities in Isis’s search for Osiris’s body and the Greek myth of Demeter’s (Ceres) search for Persephone (Proserpina).

In the Egyptian myth, Isis searched the world for Osiris’s body, locked inside a casket. She discovered that the casket had been thrown into the Nile, where it was driven by the waves to Byblos in Syria. It had washed up on shore and a sacred tree had grown up around the casket, enclosing Osiris body in its trunk. The king of Byblos saw the tree, cut it down, and erected the trunk as a sacred pillar in his house.

Isis traveled to Byblos and, disguised as a common woman, found favor in the eyes of the queen. She was chosen by the queen to nurse the royal baby. Isis suckled the boy with her finger and every night she placed him in the fire. It happened one night that the queen discovered her son in the fire and pulled him out. Isis informed her that if the boy had only been allowed to lie in the fire for two more nights he would have been immortal. She then told the queen who she was and recovered Osiris’s body from the sacred pillar.

In the Greek myth, Persephone was kidnapped by Pluto (Hades). Disguised as an old woman, Demeter searched the entire earth trying to find her daughter. In her travels, she stopped at Eleusis, where she was welcomed into the king’s house and asked to nurse his son, Demophon.

Every night, Demeter placed Demophon into the fire in the family hearth, intending to make him as a god. His mother walked in one night and discovered her son in the fire. She snatched him from the flames, and Demeter revealed herself, telling the mother that Demophon would have been immortal had she been allowed to continue the ritual.

The many similarities between these two myths are too obvious for me to point out. One explanation for these similarities might be the proximity of Egypt to the Mediterranean world. In ancient times, there was quite a bit of contact between Greece and Egypt, and the myths of one culture may have been adopted into the myths of the other, just as the Greek myths were adopted by the Roman culture.

SOURCES

Colum, Padraic. Orpheus: Myths of the World. New York: Macmillan, 1930. Internet Sacred Text Archive. John Bruno Hare, Aug. 2004. Web. 2 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/omw/index.htm>.
Evelyn-White, Hugh G., trans. Hymn to Demeter. Loeb Classical Library, 1914. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Web. 2 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/demeter.htm>.
Mackenzie, Donald. Egyptian Myth and Legend. London: Gresham Publishing Co., 1907. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Apr. 2002. Web. 2 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/eml/index.htm>.
Mackenzie, Donald. Myths of Crete and Pre-Hellenic Europe. London: Gresham Publishing Co., 1917. Internet Sacred Text Archive. May-June. 2002. Web. 2 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/moc/index.htm>.
Spence, Lewis. Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 2005. Print.

This article originally appeared 2 July 2011 on mythsoftheworld.blogspot.com

Permanent link to this article: https://www.operationbrainleak.com/isis-and-demeter/

The Death of Osiris

Osiris

Osiris. Image courtesy of
Wikimedia Commons.

When Ra ascended to heaven, Osiris and and his consort Isis took the throne and ruled over Egypt. Osiris tamed the people of Egypt, putting in place good laws and judging in wisdom. Isis and Osiris taught the people to grow and harvest crops. They also taught the people to build temples and live in righteousness.

Osiris left Egypt to travel the world, teaching all men as he had in Egypt. While he was gone, his brother Set tried to usurp the throne, but was defeated by Isis. When he realized he couldn’t take the throne by force, Set began planning to destroy Osiris through treachery.

When Osiris returned to Egypt, a great feast was held. Set brought a richly decorated chest, built to Osiris’s exact measurements, and proposed a test to determine to whom he would gift the chest. He caused the people to lie inside the chest one by one, saying he would only the give the chest to the person who exactly fit inside it.

At last Osiris came forward and took his turn. Before he could get out of the chest, Set and his followers nailed the lid shut and sealed it with lead. Set’s followers escaped with the chest and cast it into the Nile. When Isis learned of Set’s treachery, she searched the land for the chest containing Osiris’s body. Meanwhile, Set ascended the throne and ruled the land with tyranny.

The coffin of Osiris was carried on the Nile to Byblos, where a sacred tree grew to enclosed the chest. The king of Byblos saw the great tree and cut it down, erecting the trunk as a pillar in his house. When Isis discovered the location of the chest, she sailed to Byblos and disguised herself as a common woman. She became friendly with the queen’s handmaidens and was invited by the queen to be the nurse of the royal prince.

Isis fed the child on her finger, and placed him in the fire by night. While the babe rested in the fire, Isis transformed into a swallow and flew around the sacred pillar, crying in sorrow.

One night, the queen discovered her child in the fire and drew him forth. Isis revealed her true form, and told the queen that if she had only been allowed to leave the child in the fire for two more nights he would have become immortal. She asked to be given the sacred pillar, and the king granted her wish.

Taking the coffin of Osiris, Isis returned to Egypt. Isis flapped her wings and the air entered Osiris’s nostrils, restoring him to life. Set discovered them while hunting at night and cut Osiris into fourteen pieces, which he cast into the Nile. The pieces were scattered across the land by the Nile, but Isis recovered them and built a tomb for each piece.

Isis and Nepthys wept over the body of Osiris, and Ra heard their cries. He sent Anubis, Thoth, and Horus, who united the pieces of Osiris’s body and wrapped it in linen bandages. He became the Judge of the Dead and lived in the Underworld.

SOURCES

Budge, E. A. Wallis, trans. The Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani. 1895. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Oct.-Dec. 2000. Web. 8 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/index.htm>.
Colum, Padraic. Orpheus: Myths of the World. New York: Macmillan, 1930. Internet Sacred Text Archive. John Bruno Hare, Aug. 2004. Web. 8 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/omw/index.htm>.
Mackenzie, Donald. Egyptian Myth and Legend. London: Gresham Publishing Co., 1907. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Apr. 2002. Web. 8 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/eml/index.htm>.
Spence, Lewis. Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 2005. Print.

This article originally appeared 25 June 2011 on mythsoftheworld.blogspot.com

Permanent link to this article: https://www.operationbrainleak.com/the-death-of-osiris/

Into Darkness: A Life-Long Trekkie’s Review

A couple of nights ago, I finally got around to watching Star Trek Into Darkness. As you may be able to tell from the lateness of my viewing experience, I was not much of a fan of Star Trek (2009) so I had mixed feelings about seeing Into Darkness.

WARNING: The rest of this review contains spoilers!

Despite my apprehension, I found myself really enjoying this movie, at least for the first hour or so. The action was a little heavy, but unlike with Star Trek (2009) I felt like I was actually watching a Star Trek movie. I later realized it was because every plot element was ripped off from a previous Star Trek episode or movie.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. The actors almost captured the camaraderie from the original series and they actually felt like younger versions of the original characters. The rest of the main characters still bear little resemblance to their Prime universe counterparts, and I still don’t understand the need for the relationship between Spock and Uhura. In the original movies, there was a hint of something going on between Scotty and Uhura and I think the writers should have explored that instead.

Perhaps its because he hasn’t been in the captain’s chair for long, but Kirk seems to show poor judgment several times throughout the movie. One example: Who in their right mind promotes an 18-year-old ensign who serves on the bridge to chief of engineering? Granted he’s a wiz kid (unlike the Prime Chekov), but there’s got to be someone in engineering who can take over after the chief engineer is forced to resign.

About halfway through the movie was where things really started to get rocky for me. The first half or so was a pretty good story, then suddenly I felt like I was watching a distorted funhouse mirror version of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I knew the writers had thrown in some “Easter eggs” as an homage to the original franchise, but the sheer number of plot points and dialogue apparently lifted from Star Trek II was ridiculous. The most ridiculous scene in the entire movie was Kirk’s death scene, with Spock’s scream of “Khaannnn!” simply unbelievable and unnecessary. It worked for Kirk in Star Trek II, but should have been left there.

Also, the whole falling to Earth scenes ruined the illusion for me. From a reality perspective, everyone should have been floating, not falling. Having not even entered the atmosphere yet, the Enterprise would not have been close enough to Earth for gravity to have that strong of a pull on the objects and people aboard the ship.

Another thing I could never figure out were the accents. Why were Carol Marcus and Khan both British? I suppose Carol Marcus could have been raised in The UK due to Nero’s incursion in 2233, but Khan was a product of 20th century Earth and would not have been affected by Nero. Benedict Cumberbatch played an awesome villain, but he’s about the furthest thing you can get from Ricardo Montalban’s Khan. Perhaps he had some sort of accident after being awakened from cryogenic freeze and suffers from foreign accent syndrome?

I found the ending highly predictable. As soon as I realized Kirk was going to die (which was as soon as Scotty and Kirk began heading for the warp core), I knew Bones would use Khan’s blood to revive him. You might say that the tribble gave it away.

Overall, I enjoyed Into Darkness much more than Star Trek (2009), but I couldn’t help feeling that it was meant to be some sort of alternate reality parody of Star Trek II instead of a serious entry into the Star Trek multiverse.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.operationbrainleak.com/into-darkness-a-life-long-trekkies-review/

The Talkative Tortoise

Tortoise carried by geese

The tortoise carried by the geese.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

While reading Indian Fairy Tales, I came across an interesting story from the Jataka. The story tells of a tortoise who lived in a pond in the Himalayas. The tortoise loved to talk, and he eventually became good friends with two young wild geese. One day, the two geese invited the tortoise to come with them to their home, in a cave on Mount Cittakūta.

The tortoise was willing, but he had no means of traveling to the cave. The geese told him that if he could keep his mouth shut and not talk to anybody, they could carry him there. The tortoise agreed, so the geese made him hold a stick between his teeth. Then they each grabbed one end of the stick and flew into the air.

They flew over the country in this manner for some time, until they happened to pass over Benares. The village children pointed and laughed to see a tortoise being carried in this manner. The tortoise, forgetting the geese’s instructions, opened his mouth to reply and plunged to his death below.

This story caught my interest because this wasn’t the first time I had read the tale of a talkative tortoise carried on a stick by two birds. Several years ago, I bought a book of Native American stories, and it contained an almost identical tale.

In the Native American version, turtle asked the geese to take him with them when they flew south. The geese liked turtle and agreed, on the condition that he couldn’t talk while they were flying. They knew turtle wouldn’t be able to keep his promise, so they decided to carry him on a stick by his mouth. That way, he wouldn’t dare open his mouth once they had left the ground.

One version of the legend claims that turtle was able to keep his promise and learned many new stories in the southern lands, as well as how to hibernate through the winter. Another version says that turtle kept his mouth closed until he could no longer stand it. He then opened his mouth to talk and fell to the ground. Luckily he wasn’t killed, but his shell was cracked, explaining why all turtles have cracked shells.

SOURCES:

Bruchac, Joseph, and Michael J. Caduto. Native American Stories. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing, 1991. Print.
Cowell, E.B., ed. The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha’s Former Births. Trans. W.H.D. Rouse. Vol. II. Cambridge UP, 1895. Internet Sacred Text Archive. John Bruno Hare, Jan. 2006. Web. 1 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/j2/index.htm>.
Fausböll, V., trans. Five Játakas. Copenhagen, 1861. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Christopher M. Weimer, July 2002. Web. 1 June 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/etc/5j/index.htm>.
Indian Fairy Tales. Public Domain Books, 2004. Kindle.
“Legend of the Turtle.” First People. Web. 1 June 2011. <http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Legend_Of_The_Turtle-Micmac.html>.

This article originally appeared 18 June 2011 on mythsoftheworld.blogspot.com

Permanent link to this article: https://www.operationbrainleak.com/the-talkative-tortoise/

Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp, Part III

Aladdin and the Genie

Aladdin and the Genie. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Magician Seeks Revenge

One day, the city was attacked by the Sultan’s enemies. The Sultan appointed Aladdin as commander of his armies. He fearlessly engaged the enemy, and after a violent battle he put them all to flight. The Sultan declared a festival to celebrate the triumph and the love of the people for Aladdin continued to increase. Meanwhile, the Maghrabi magician discovered that Aladdin and the lamp were no longer entombed in the cavern. He traveled to Al-Kal’as, where he learned of Aladdin’s fame and fortune. Discovering the lamp was kept in Aladdin’s palace and not on his person, the magician began formulating a plan. He visited a coppersmith and had a set of lamps fashioned, which he began exchanging for old lamps in the streets outside Aladdin’s palace.

The Lady Badr al-Budur was sitting near the window when she heard the magician pass by. The princess exchanged Aladdin’s old lamp for a new lamp, not knowing the lamp was inhabited by a Jinni. Recognizing his prize as the enchanted lamp, the Maghrabi immediately left off his exchanging and fled the city. Rubbing the lamp, he commanded the Jinni to remove Aladdin’s palace to his own land in Africa, and it was done.

The Sultan awoke the next morning to find Aladdin’s palace missing. He immediately sent for Aladdin, who was on a hunting trip. The Sultan commanded Aladdin to be beheaded, but the people refused to allow the soldiers near him. Fearing an insurrection, the Sultan granted Aladdin a pardon. Aladdin agreed to a period of forty days to find his wife, after which time he would present himself for beheading.

Aladdin wandered aimlessly for two days. Despairing of ever finding his wife, Aladdin accidentally rubbed the ring on his finger, and the Jinni of the ring appeared. Aladdin asked for his palace and wife to be brought back to him, but the Jinni refused, saying that act depended on the Jinni of the lamp. Aladdin then asked to be taken to the land where his palace was now, and immediately found himself facing his wife’s windows.

The next morning, the princess gazed out her window to find Aladdin seated near the wall. When the magician was gone, she invited Aladdin to enter the palace by a private entrance. The princess told Aladdin of her lamp exchange and of the Maghrabi’s attempts to convince her to marry him. Discovering that the magician carried the lamp on person at all times, Aladdin began devising a plan to kill him.

Aladdin left the palace and exchanged clothes with a poor beggar in a neighboring city. When Aladdin returned, the princess invited the magician to her chambers for dinner, during which she put a sleeping potion in his wine. She then fetched Aladdin, who recovered the lamp and killed the magician. The Jinni transported the palace back to its original location, and Aladdin and his wife spent the night celebrating.

A short time later, the Maghrabi’s brother, also a powerful magician, learned of his death at the hand of Aladdin. Seeking revenge, he traveled to Al-Kal’as where he killed a local holy woman, Fatimah. Dressed as Fatimah, he began working the crowd beneath the walls of Aladdin’s palace. Wishing to see the holy woman, the Lady Badr al-Budur commanded Fatimah be brought to her. She offered Fatimah a room in the palace, which the magician quickly accepted. The magician praised the wonders of the palace, saying they lacked only one thing – the egg of a rukh hanging from the center of the dome.

When Aladdin asked for a rukh’s egg to adorn his palace, the Jinni flew into a rage, only pardoning Aladdin because of his ignorance of the Jinn’s reverence towards the great bird. The Jinni revealed the magician’s disguise to Aladdin, after which Aladdin pretended to have a headache. Fatimah was called and Aladdin killed the magician with his own dagger.

From that time on, Aladdin and his wife were free from danger. When the Sultan died, Aladdin was given the throne, and they lived happily and in peace until their deaths.

Part I · Part II

SOURCES:

Burton, Richard, trans. The Arabian Nights. 1850. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/burt1k1/index.htm>.
Burton, Richard F., trans. Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights. Vol. 3. The Burton Club, c.1970. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Sn_3/vol13.htm>.
Lane, Edward William, trans. Stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Ed. Stanley Lane-Poole and Charles W. Eliot. Vol. XVI. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909-14. Print. The Harvard Classics.
Payne, John, trans. Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp. London, 1901. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Payne/aladdin/p13_index.htm>.
Scott, Jonathan, trans. The Arabian Nights Entertainments. The “Aldine” Edition. Vol. 3. London: Pickering and Chatto, 1890. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Scott/Scott_3/scott3.htm>.

This article originally appeared 11 June 2011 on mythsoftheworld.blogspot.com

Permanent link to this article: https://www.operationbrainleak.com/aladdin-and-the-enchanted-lamp-part-iii/

Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp, Part II

The Genie Returns with Food

The Genie Returns with Food. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Aladdin’s Marriage to the Sultan’s Daughter

One day, the Sultan’s daughter, Lady Badr al-Budur, desired to visit the public baths. The merchants all closed shop so that she would have her privacy, but Aladdin hid behind the door of the bathhouse in order to catch a glimpse of her beauty. Upon seeing her face, Aladdin fell in love with the Sultan’s daughter, and spent the rest of the day in a daze. When his mother threatened to call a doctor, Aladdin told her what had happened and that he resolved to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage.

Aladdin sent his mother to ask the Sultan, bearing a gift of jewels gathered from the cavern. After a month of trying, Aladdin’s mother was given an audience with the Sultan. Laughing at her request, the Sultan asked to see what she carried with her. When the Sultan saw the jewels, he would have agreed right then, but the Wazir requested a delay of three months in order to allow his own son to present a gift of equal value.

A short time later, Aladdin’s mother discovered the Sultan was preparing to marry his daughter to the Wezir’s son. Aladdin called forth the Jinni of the lamp to help him stop the marriage. When the bridge and bridegroom went to bed that night, the Jinni bore their bed to Aladdin’s room, where Aladdin had the Wezir’s son placed in the outhouse to sleep for the night. Aladdin explained the Sultan’s promise to Badr al-Budur, and lay beside her on the bed with a scimitar placed between them.

When the morning came, the Jinni restored the couple to their bedroom. The Sultan asked how their night was, but the princess refused to answer, giving him an angry look. When the queen visited her daughter, the princess told her the whole story. The queen counseled her to tell no one, and convinced her to leave her room and join the bridal festivities.

That night, the Jinni again brought the couple to Aladdin’s room, and the events of the previous night were repeated. When the the princess again refused to answer the Sultan, he grew angry and drew his blade. She then told him the story, and the Sultan promised to set a guard for the night. When the Wezir confronted his son, he asked to be set free from the marriage. The Wezir convinced him to see what the coming night would bring, but the Sultan cancelled the wedding before the night came.

The three months passed, and Aladdin sent his mother to remind the Sultan of his promise. The Sultan agreed, on condition that Aladdin would provide him with forty gold platters loaded with gems, borne by forty white slave girls and forty black eunuch slaves. When Aladdin learned of the Sultan’s condition, he again called forth the Jinni of the lamp. The Jinni brought the requested jewels and slaves, and Aladdin immediately sent his mother to the Sultan with the required dowry.

The Sultan was awed by the sight of the dowry, and agreed to keep his bargain. He proclaimed that the marriage would take place that night, and commanded Aladdin to come to him at once. The Jinni took Aladdin to a bath and dressed him in the finest clothing, and provided him with a royal entourage to accompany him to the palace. Arriving at the palace, Aladdin was seated on the Sultan’s right.

After the wedding feast Aladdin rose, intending to build a home for the Lady Badr al-Budur.  The Sultan gave Aladdin whichever spot of land he wished, and Aladdin had the Jinni build on the broad plain facing the palace. When the Sultan arose the next morning, he opened his window to find that Aladdin’s palace was finished. When the princess arrived at Aladdin’s palace that night, she marveled at the beauty of the decorations.

The next morning, Aladdin arose and visited the Sultan, inviting him to dinner. Upon arriving at the palace, the Sultan was also amazed at the construction and beauty. While exploring, the Sultan discovered a window which Aladdin had requested be left unfinished. When asked the reason for the unfinished window, Aladdin replied that due to the suddenness of the wedding he was unable to find artists to finish it. The Sultan decided to finish it himself, but his artisans were unable to duplicate the fine work of the rest of Aladdin’s palace. When Aladdin saw their work, he commanded the artisans to restore the jewels they had used to their previous owners, finishing the window himself.

Part I · Part III

SOURCES:

Burton, Richard, trans. The Arabian Nights. 1850. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/burt1k1/index.htm>.
Burton, Richard F., trans. Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights. Vol. 3. The Burton Club, c.1970. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Sn_3/vol13.htm>.
Lane, Edward William, trans. Stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Ed. Stanley Lane-Poole and Charles W. Eliot. Vol. XVI. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909-14. Print. The Harvard Classics.
Payne, John, trans. Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp. London, 1901. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Payne/aladdin/p13_index.htm>.
Scott, Jonathan, trans. The Arabian Nights Entertainments. The “Aldine” Edition. Vol. 3. London: Pickering and Chatto, 1890. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Scott/Scott_3/scott3.htm>.

This article originally appeared 4 June 2011 on mythsoftheworld.blogspot.com

Permanent link to this article: https://www.operationbrainleak.com/aladdin-and-the-enchanted-lamp-part-ii/

Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp, Part I

Aladdin in the Magic Garden

Aladdin in the Magic Garden. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Finding of the Lamp

In the city of Al-Kal’as in China, there lived Mustapha, a poor tailor, with his wife and young son, Aladdin. When Aladdin reached his tenth year, the tailor decided to teach him his trade. Aladdin was lazy, and whenever Mustapha left his shop Aladdin would sneak out and play with his friends. This behavior saddened the poor tailor, and he eventually sickened and died. Finding herself a widow, Aladdin’s mother sold the shop and took to spinning cotton into yarn to provide for herself and the boy.

When Aladdin was in his fifteenth year, a dervish from Maghrib came to the city. The dervish was a magician and astrologer who wielded great magic. He saw Aladdin playing in the street with his friends and thought to himself, “This is just the youth I need.” He questioned one of the youths about Aladdin, and after discovering his history, pretended to be the brother of Aladdin’s dead father. He gave Aladdin money and promised to visit him and his mother the next day.

The next day, the Maghrabi again found Aladdin in the streets and gave him money to prepare a supper for that evening. When he arrived for supper, the magician fabricated a story about his travels and enquired what trade Aladdin had learned to provide for his mother. Upon learning of Aladdin’s idleness, the magician offered to finance him in the merchant business.

Over the next couple of days, the magician toured the city with Aladdin, showing him the marketplace, the restaurants, the Sultan’s palace, and the gardens outside the city. When they stopped at a hill beyond the gardens, the Maghrabi told Aladdin to build a fire, and opened a chasm in the ground with magic. At the bottom of the chasm was a golden ring attached to a marble slab. The magician told Aladdin he was the only one who could lift the slab, behind which lay a great treasury.

Once the slab was raised, Aladdin entered the cavern with the magician’s ring on his finger and instructions not to touch any of the treasure until he had the lamp from the far chamber in his hands. While returning to the cavern’s entrance, Aladdin filled his pockets with all manner of jewels. Finding himself burdened by their weight and unable to climb the last step, he asked the magician for help. The Maghrabi told Aladdin to throw him the lamp to lighten his load, but Aladdin couldn’t reach it for all the jewels piled on top in his pockets. In anger, the magician closed the chasm, sealing Aladdin inside.

Realizing the magician’s deception, Aladdin set about looking for another entrance to the cavern. After wandering in the dark for three days, Aladdin discovered the Maghrabi had sealed all of the other doors by magic. He fell to crying and accidentally rubbed the magician’s ring. The slave of the ring, a Marid of the Jinn, appeared, offering to perform whatever task Aladdin required of him. Aladdin wished to be released from the cavern, and immediately found himself standing on the hill near the remains of the fire.

Rushing home, he told his mother of his adventure and showed her the lamp. They determined to sell the lamp to get money for food. When Aladdin’s mother rubbed the lamp to clean it, a Jinni appeared and declared himself the slave of the lamp. Aladdin requested food, which the Jinni quickly brought on gold platters. When they were done eating, Aladdin’s mother advised him to get rid of both the ring and the lamp, but Aladdin refused. When the food was gone, he took the platters and sold them in the market. This continued for some time, and all the while Aladdin spent his days in the market street learning to become a merchant.

Part II · Part III

SOURCES:

Burton, Richard, trans. The Arabian Nights. 1850. Internet Sacred Text Archive. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/burt1k1/index.htm>.
Burton, Richard F., trans. Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights. Vol. 3. The Burton Club, c.1970. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Sn_3/vol13.htm>.
Lane, Edward William, trans. Stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Ed. Stanley Lane-Poole and Charles W. Eliot. Vol. XVI. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909-14. Print. The Harvard Classics.
Payne, John, trans. Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp. London, 1901. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Payne/aladdin/p13_index.htm>.
Scott, Jonathan, trans. The Arabian Nights Entertainments. The “Aldine” Edition. Vol. 3. London: Pickering and Chatto, 1890. The Thousand Nights and a Night. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Scott/Scott_3/scott3.htm>.

This article originally appeared 28 May 2011 on mythsoftheworld.blogspot.com

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Book Review: The Tolkien Reader

The Tolkien Reader
By J.R.R. Tolkien

Published in 1966, The Tolkien Reader is a collection of shorter works by the father of modern fantasy, The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien. I was about ten years old when I bought my copy at a local used book store, the same store where I bought my first copies of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. I have never before nor since seen another copy of The Tolkien Reader, and for several years I felt I had in my possession something rare and special. I have since learned that the book was republished in 1986 and is still available from many booksellers.

The Reader begins with an introduction by author Peter S. Beagle titled “Tolkien’s Magic Ring,” followed by “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son,” Tree and Leaf, “Farmer Giles of Ham,” and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.

“The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son” is an historical play based on a fragment of epic poetry. Set just after a 991 CE battle between the English and the vikings, the play is a fictional account of two servants’ search for the body of their duke.

Tree and Leaf is a short book originally published in 1964. The first half of the book is an essay titled “On Fairy Stories” and the second half is a short allegory titled “Leaf By Niggle.” “Leaf By Niggle” follows the life of an aspiring painter and his discovery of true happiness. “On Fairy Stories” is an essay by Tolkien discussing the fairy tale as a literary genre.

“Farmer Giles of Ham” is a short story set in a fictional version of medieval Great Britain. It tells the story of several encounters between a farmer named Giles and the dragon Chrysophylax.

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poems, originally published as a separate volume in 1962. Only the first few poems actually have anything to do with Bombadil, but the whole collection is purported to be poetry from Middle Earth and the Shire.

For any Tolkien fan, this book is a must-have. If you are not a fan of plays as a written genre, you probably will not find much of interest in “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son,” but it could also be read as a poem. Much of the poetry in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is silly, but there are a few real gems in the collection and even the silly poems have a sense of artistry. “Farmer Giles of Ham” and “Leaf By Niggle” are both good reads, but my favorite part of the whole volume is the essay. It provides valuable insight into Tolkien’s thoughts on myth and legend and their connection to fiction. I would definitely recommend this book to all Tolkien fans.

This review originally appeared 27 July 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

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5 Tips for Reshingling a Roof

When my wife and I bought our house, we were told by our insurance company we would need to replace the roof shingles within the next year. That was almost a year ago, so over Memorial Day weekend we reshingled our house. Many hours and several mistakes later, I consider myself qualified to offer a few tips that anyone reshingling their house should keep in mind.

Tip #1: Hire a Professional
This is the most important tip of them all, especially if you’ve never shingled a roof before. Laying shingles is not that complicated, but if your time and manpower is limited, hiring a professional is worth the extra cost. Next time I shingle anything larger than a shed, I will hire professional roofers.

If you plan to shingle your roof without using a professional, continue reading; otherwise, these next four tips won’t really apply to your situation.

Our House - Old Shingles

Before

Tip #2: Plan Plenty of Time
This was the biggest mistake I made on my roof. I planned to shingle all day Saturday, but I soon discovered that one day was not enough time. I ended up getting an early start on the roof by working on it Friday, but it took almost four days to finish. One thing to keep in mind is the time needed to complete your roof will directly relate to the size of your roof and the amount of help you have shingling. Which brings me to my next tip…

Tip #3: Get Extra Help
You’ve probably heard the old sayings “the more, the merrier” and “many hands make light work.” Up to a point, this also applies to roofing. While too many people just get in the way, too few people makes the job take a lot longer than necessary. I had a crew of four working on the roof on Saturday, but on the other days it was just two people. Had I got six or eight people to help, I would have been able to finish the job much sooner.

Tip #4: Rent a Nail Gun
Another mistake I made while shingling my roof was to not rent a nail gun and air compressor. I didn’t want the extra cost of the rental, so I chose to pound all of the nails in by hand. Using a nail gun would have sped up the process and we possibly could have completed the roof by Sunday. If I could do it again I would definitely rent a nail gun.

Tip #5: Use the Proper Tools
Whether you use a nail gun to attach your shingles or not, there are several other tools you will need to reshingle your roof. These tools include gloves, knee pads, a razor knife with plenty of extra blades, a tape measure, and a square. Like any job, using the correct tools will save you lots of time and money.

Despite the job taking longer than expected, I think our roof turned out looking pretty good.

Our House - New Shingles

After

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