A Journey's End

Looking back on this class brings back an evolution of thoughts and memories.  When I first registered for Oral Traditions, I had no clue what to expect.  This question was answered the first day of class.  What should I expect? Memorization: lots of it.  I'll admit I was originally disgruntled.  I wasn't sure how a bunch of memorization would benefit me as an English major or a person.  My heart was not full of optimism, but every journey must start somewhere.  The last few months have led me on a journey much like the Odyssey, and, like orators of old, I could probably recite the whole story.  The Odyssey tells the story of a lost wanderer finding his way home: that is exactly what these last few months have been for me--a journey to my center, a place of better understanding.  Many obstacles stood in my way but I have tackled them all.  I have learned so much about the powers of the brain, about the information it can hold and reproduce with the proper training and organization.  I have witnessed amazing feats of memory from every member of this class.  If seeing is believing man do I now believe.  Memory can be used in so many ways.  It keeps alive our history and our soul.  Life without memory would be empty.  We would have no recollection of our lives, of the amazing things we've learned or experienced, the people we love and know.  As a culture, we would falter without memory.  Progress would not exist because we would not remember things we had learned in the past.  This class has ultimately taught me that memory infiltrates everything.  I thank Dr. Sexson for helping me open my eyes to this wonder of the human mind.  The first stage of my journey is complete: I have embraced memory and the power of the oral tradition.  However, there's no doubt that I have more to learn.  Every year of my education and future will bring new discoveries and enlightenment.  Thanks to this class, I am armed with the means to remember everything I learn.

Maps

Here's my personal summary of Kane's chapter on Maps.  A little refresher before our final!

The story of Raven tells of the creation of the world and with this creation began the creation of Maps.  Maps aren't lines and borders drawn on a piece of paper, or signs marked at imaginary borders as we drive down the highway.  Maps are lines of myth and creation.  Some myths mark our natural boundaries: mountains, rivers, trees, and rocks.  Every culture relates these landmarks to a myth and they create their physical lives around these markers.  These markers are mythic centers, places of ancestry and power, that sparkle across the globe and can be connected through both prominent and obscure lines (also mapped out by various myths from multiple cultures).  

However, Maps are not just physical, maps are also history lessons from our lives.  Myths create maps for our actions: when to plant the crops, when to harvest them, when to migrate and when to bunker down for the winter.  When we listen to these myths, we remember the lessons our ancestors shed blood, sweat, and tears, to learn.  If we listen we will know the ways of the Earth and prosper, but if we turn a deaf ear then we will falter and be lost.  Never forget: myths are the songs of the Earth.

Memorizing Lines

I'm currently taking Gwen Morgan's Classical Lit Class and she has given us the option of performing a Greek play instead of taking her final for the semester.  The process has been a long one and has involved a lot of line memorizing. I personally don't have a ton of lines to memorize but thought I would try to apply the memory techniques from this class.  To be honest, the techniques have not worked for me at all-not for lines.  Since most of my lines are conversational, I memorize them based off the dialogue rather than a series of images in my head.  I also decided that I have to spout them too quickly to have time for walking through a memory theater.  I feel like this inability to memorize lines with a memory theater may be personal to me, I mean we have seen Parker and Levi spout Shakespeare lines using this technique.  Regardless, I have my lines memorized now and we're set to perform this Thursday.  It would be fantastic if any of you have time to come support us-we need 50 people in the audience to earn credit.  The play is a COMEDY called THE FROGS by Aristophanes and will be performed THURSDAY EVENING, 7:00 P.M. IN THE BLACKBOX THEATER. FREE FOR STUDENTS.  If you need a study break or have some free time please come stop by and support us!!

An Evening with the Muses

Through the course of this class, we have discussed the many ways humans communicate stories.  We've focused on the power of orality and writing with the mention of art and drawings.  I would argue that there is another powerful form of communication: music.  Music tells a story without words, painting pictures and evoking emotions.  I invite you all to come experience this effect Thursday evening as the MSU concert bands present their Epic Concert.  The wind symphony (the group I play in) is performing the Lord of the Rings Symphony based off the books (not the movie score).  This piece is truly amazing and we have worked our tails off getting it ready so please come support your school musicians! The concert starts at 7:30 Thursday evening in Howard Hall and is FREE for students and $5 for everybody else.  Come enjoy an evening with the muses!

Lines from Ong

Here are some important lines from the last two Ong chapters.

1. "In orality-literacy perspectives, what we are dealing with here is the increasing interiorization of the world opened up by writing." pg. 149

2. "the advent of print intensified the inwardness fostered by script." pg. 149

3. "Human knowledge comes out of time." pg. 137

4. "Song is the remembrance of songs sung" pg. 142

Musing over my Museyroom

"Create a Museyroom."  What an assignment.  So I'm supposed to figure out how my brain best remembers things, accesses memory loci, etc, and make a poster explaining that to others. Good grief Charlie Brown.

So I've been puzzling over this assignment in a general manner that follows the above statements.  My mind is a mystery to me.  A mystery department.  A department of mysteries.  OMG HARRY POTTER.  I've had a stroke of brilliance.  So anyone that has read the Harry Potter books, or at least seen the movies (which I'm willing to bet is darn near all of us) is familiar with the Department of Mysteries (located at the Ministry of Magic) that stars in the 5th book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  This department contains mysterious objects of all nature pertaining to the world of wizards.  One of the rooms is a gigantic circular room with doors spaced all around the walls that lead to each of the other rooms.  Each room has a subject.  Hmm, I may be a muggle but this sounds like a Bruno/Camillo-esque memory theater to me!  I plan to adopt this brain wave in my museyroom by creating a circular room of doors that leads to each of my memory palaces or something along these lines.  Stay tuned for my progress!!