Draupadi's emergence from fire, marked by the blue lotus fragrance, symbolizes both divine intervention and a prophetic destiny tied to the destruction of the Kauravas. Her divine origin connects her to sacred forces, framing her actions as part of a cosmic order. In Hindu religious politics, her role in the Mahabharata reflects the gods' will, justifying violent conflict as a means of enforcing divine justice.

However, Draupadi's quest for vengeance complicates her status as a heroine. While her actions are divinely sanctioned, they blur the line between justice and vengeance, marking her as an anti-hero. Her willingness to destroy in the name of retribution challenges traditional moral boundaries, making her a divine figure acting through violence, not peace.

This passage is central to understanding Rama’s heroic and divine qualities, as it is the moment where the text sets the ethical and spiritual standards by which the hero is measured. The list of virtues "virtuous, heroic, true, firm in his vows, good and kind" positions Rama as the epitome of moral perfection. The inclusion of his ability to control his rage highlights the stoic ideal that was highly valued in ancient texts and religious teachings, particularly in Hinduism, where control over one’s emotions and desires is seen as a sign of a higher spiritual state.

The text also includes a spiritual dimension by noting that when Rama's "warrior wrath is high," even the gods "fear and fly." This establishes Rama not only as an exceptional human hero but also as someone divinely chosen and imbued with supernatural strength. His wrath, while fierce, is framed as a divine weapon, further cementing his role as the divinely appointed ruler and reinforcing the religious nature of his heroism.

In this sense, Rama’s actions and virtues transcend human limitations, making him both a moral and divine figure, an ideal hero who serves as a model for good governance and spiritual authority. His portrayal here connects him with the gods, suggesting that his heroic qualities are not just earthly but heavenly in their significance.

This section ties together the religious, political, and heroic dimensions of Rama’s character, and it sets the tone for his divine journey. It also emphasizes the patriarchal ideals that shape his duty as he is not just a man of action but one whose actions are guided by divine will and moral clarity.

Xerxes’ Hubris, Emotional Collapse, and Religious Politics In this passage, Xerxes' self-pity and overwhelming despair highlight the destructive power of hubris, a fatal flaw that marks him as an anti-hero. His words “Alas the day, that I should fall Into this grimmest fate of all” are drenched in emotional exaggeration, which contrasts sharply with the stoic resilience expected of a leader. This emotional outburst reveals the excessive pride that defines his downfall. Xerxes’ failure to take responsibility for his actions is compounded by his invocation of divine forces: “What power of Fate Descends, what louring gloom of hate?” He attempts to externalize his downfall, seeking to explain the catastrophic loss not as the result of his own hubris or poor leadership, but rather as the manifestation of divine wrath.

This appeal to the gods is significant in the context of religious politics in Greek tragedies. Xerxes' plea to the gods underscores how divine intervention is often invoked in times of defeat to justify a loss. This religious framing places the divine will at the center of the narrative, portraying Xerxes’ downfall as something beyond human control. However, this is not just a religious explanation, it also serves a political function. By blaming the gods, Xerxes attempts to shield his leadership from scrutiny, redirecting attention away from his own decisions and onto the will of the divine. This invocation of divine punishment mirrors the political context of the time, where rulers would often claim divine favor or wrath to legitimize their actions or explain their misfortunes.

Xerxes’ emotional breakdown and reliance on divine blame also exemplify the patriarchal mentality of his leadership. In his mind, the gods are punishing him, not because of his failings as a ruler, but because fate is turning against him. This reflection of religious politics reveals how rulers in antiquity often manipulated religious narratives to reinforce their authority. The gods, in this context, are invoked not simply as a spiritual force but as a political tool to justify Xerxes' actions and protect his reputation as king. By invoking divine wrath, he also seeks a sense of absolution, shifting blame away from his own choices and hubris.

This religious rhetoric, however, only deepens his tragic fall. Instead of demonstrating civic responsibility or personal reflection, Xerxes remains emotionally detached from the consequences of his actions, appealing to higher powers rather than confronting his own leadership flaws. The gods may be invoked, but the lack of accountability on Xerxes’ part only reinforces his status as an anti-hero, a leader undone by his pride and emotional instability, rather than a rational hero capable of taking responsibility for his choices.

This passage dramatizes the religious consequences of Xerxes’ arrogance, he dares to “bind the holy Hellespont,” essentially engaging in sacrilegious overreach. The language frames his actions as both politically and theologically misguided. It underscores the religious politics at play. Greek cultural values pit mortal ambition against divine order. Translators emphasize this hubris differently some heighten the moral tone, others soften it. Annotation links divine justice to narrative tragedy.

Enkidu’s creation by Aruru in response to Gilgamesh’s unchecked tyranny embodies religious intervention in hero making. The phrase “a goddess made him” communicates divine redress, introducing Enkidu as a corrective force, or anti-heroic counterpart, governed by spiritual logic. Unlike Gilgamesh’s sanctified rule, Enkidu’s origin underscores the gods’ active role in maintaining cosmic balance. Together, these two figures reflect religious politics in action, heroism is defined not by solitary glory, but through divine checks and relational harmony.

The Assyrian and Babylonian/Akkadian versions of Gilgamesh present religious values that are central to their narratives but with notable differences shaped by the translators' cultural and historical contexts. The Assyrian version places a strong emphasis on the king’s semi-divine status and the divine mandate, reflecting a more centralized religious-political ideology. The Babylonian/Akkadian translations, by contrast, highlight the hero's struggle with mortality and divine justice, emphasizing human limits before the gods. Linguistically, the Assyrian translation occasionally uses exalted language to reinforce Gilgamesh’s divine authority, possibly to support the ruler’s legitimacy in Assyrian culture. Meanwhile, the Akkadian versions often reflect a more somber and reflective tone, revealing a nuanced view of human-divine relationships. These differences underscore how religion informs notions of heroism and morality differently in each culture and how translation choices embed the political-religious values of the time.

I find it interesting that Enkidu is not considered "fully man" until he experiences loss of virginity from a woman. What dictates whether or not a man or civilized? Also, what does this say about how men view women? Was this act necessary to became a civilized man? This shows how women are seen as beings who are not only domesticated but that they can domesticate others.

Joseph was tested by Yahweh through the pharoah’s wife to see if he would sin, and while Joseph stayed true to his beliefs, he was later on accused of advancing on her. Joseph was tested and put through suffering and almost faced exile and death but justice prevailed in the end. Joseph ended up rising up to a high position of power in Egypt, and saved many people from famine. From a theological perspective, Yahweh in the Old Testament is hard, but fair. This teaches that Yahweh isn't a cruel God, but one that allows tests of faith and if you're like Joseph, you will be redeemed for having that faith. Yahweh teaches a just world, where justice is always served, even if it’s delayed sometimes.

Annotation by: Samuel Godinho CC License: CC- BY-NC Tag: #SP2025-LIT211

I find the religious tension within the poem to be very interesting. The narrator and Beowulf frequently reference God and divine justice, but the poem still upholds Paganism and pagan ideals like fate and blood vengeance. This also shows the transitional period in which it was written, showing a cultural tug of war with the merging of old beliefs and emerging Christian values. The original poem shows many pagan values but once it was transcribed and translated it took on more Christian characteristics. This is an example of how religious values influenced this text.

Instead of asking the lady herself, Tous and Giwe insisted on asking Kay-Kavous about who she belongs to. And Kay-Kavous was attracted to her beauty and ended up having her all by himself. In conclusion, nobody thought that it was appropriate to ask it to her itself. It shows that they did not regard her opinion or whom she wanted to partner up with, since she was a woman. Her voice was not even heard. She was barely an object, an eternal source of beauty and entertainment for them. It can be said that females were not given any leading roles neither their decisions mattered at that time. It was a full on patriarchal society where it was the gender role of the men to decide the fate of women whom they had never even had any interactions before.

This incident serves as evidence of valiant bravery, as well as the unavoidable tragic outcome. Kay-Kavous's order for Siyavash to endure such a cruel test exposes the harsh and frequently nonsensical nature of the Shahnameh's legal system. Rather than resorting to dialogue or a fair trial, Siyavash is made to prove his innocence through a life-threatening trial by fire. In doing so, he displays an unshakable belief in his own virtue and submits to his father’s command without resisting. As he seeks purity before his father, his prayer to God prior to going into the flames demonstrates his strong belief in divine justice. Even though he is innocent, his entry into the fire represents the extent he will go to in order to protect his honor. This moment in specific reveals the inherent absurdity of the test, as Siyavash’s need to prove his virtue through such a drastic and senseless act speaks to a broader societal issue in which virtue is judged by unrealistic, and impractical measures. The irony is obvious that even though Siyavash lives unharmed, his good deeds and pure heart will not ultimately spare him from the fate that awaits him. His role as a tragic hero, virtuous and innocent yet still chained by a system which demands complex proof of his worth, is preserved as a testimony by this trial. Additionally, as a piece of the general story, the passage reflects traditional gender roles, and in this case it is the way masculinity is defined and/ tested in the context of heroism and honor.

If Siawosh is the hero then Soudabeh can be considered the villain since her lies led him to go through a lot of pain. She is illustrated as a woman who harbors intimate feeling for her step son and spreads ill things about him when he did not comply with her feelings. Since Kay-Kavous liked her dearly, he could not go against her. However, he never made an effort to ask his son and clear all the misunderstandings there and then. Or it could be that men were supposed to prove their innocence through illogical tests and strengths rather than simply answering the questions honestly. Likewise, had he failed and died during the process, would an innocent person be branded as a criminal? And why was Soudabeh not questioned? How can words enough to prove that she was innocent yet his son was not?

This passage captures the divine nature of Sita’s devotion, as she follows Rama—her husband—into the heavens, symbolizing her loyalty and the spiritual journey she undertakes with him. The phrase “most noble name and race” refers to Rama’s royal and divine heritage, positioning him as the ultimate hero, while Sita’s role as his devoted companion further emphasizes her sacrificial and idealized feminine qualities. The image of “pure celestial stream” descending from the Himalayas invokes a sense of divine purity and transcendence, reinforcing her role not just as a wife but as a goddess-like figure.

In the story of Siyavash in Ferdowsi Epic Shahnameh, the thematic consistency of another male hero who is defined by chastity and patience, like Joseph and Yusuf. The gender roles in this Persian epic mirror the similar ancient patriarchal ideas. Siavash's rejects the advances of the queen; in embarrassment she accuses him of rape; this scene locks in that Siyavash is the superior righteous man and Sudabeh is the lustful and temptress woman. What is different from Savayah's story to the others is the tragic turn that occurs to him despite his virtue and righteousness. Siyavash is a victim of political corruption, not just female deceit. Linguistically, the Shahnameh paints Siyavash as a noble man with a voice that is almost otherworldly in that of honor, through his select speech and manners. It is important to also know that the timing that this Epic was written emphasizes the theme that although we deem traits such as loyalty and riotousness as something to live by, in the face of political corruption it is easy to lose them. The portrayal of gender as well with the idea of masculine virtue being the superior to the chaos that ensues in woman is prevalent in the story.

In the tragedy of Euripides, Hippolytus is our hero in the story who rejects the concept of woman entirely, he devotes himself entirely to the goddess Artemis and is chastised. Phaedra, his stepmother, is manipulated by Aphrodite and is made to fatally fall in love with Hippolytus. She accuses him after he refuses sheer. The gender roles in this Greek tragedy, while following a similar theme of the heroic and virtues man rejecting the tempting woman, there is a much heavier and thought-provoking concept of Hippolytus and his masculinity being defined negatively due to his anti-woman and sheer arrogance towards them entirely.

Linguistically, the dialogue shows the fragility of humans and the unyielding power of impulsive gods, Greek langue is full of tragic diction and figurative langue that shows the male virtue and one female's guilt and shame that on both ends of the spectrum can either be heroic or destructive. The tragedy critiques patriarchal norms with Hippolytus’ downfall being his hubris and rejection in something such as feminine human nature, and in comparison, to all four stories, Hippolytus has the most critical views of gender among them all.

Enough is enough. Draupadi had to go through a lot because of the cowardice of her husband, Yudhishthira in particular. Thanks to Bheema, the problem of Keechaka had been resolved. Had it not been for him, Yudhishthira might have just watched her being disrobed again and again without even trying to help her.

It was very wrong of her to try and set Draupadi with her brother even though he had forced her to do so. She should have denied the request and alarmed Draupadi instead of this. It is really sad to see a woman not understanding other woman's sorrow. Looks like a woman is a woman's true enemy.

Friends in need are friends indeed.

If she wanted, she would have chosen the life full of riches but she chose not to do so. If not for her love, and responsibilities as a wife, I do not know what else it is for.

This kind of shows Draupadi's love and loyalty towards her husbands even though they literally were about to destroy her life.

I would say that she was the bravest among the braves present in the room. Nobody thought that it was the best to interrupt the game when a woman was objectified and nobody questioned Duryodhana and Shakuni's play. They were all there for their petite entertainment. And when Dhritrarastra realized that it was wrong, it was too late and wanted to cover up the incident by fulfilling three of her wishes.

What he said eventually came true. However, I believe that he had the power to stop all this from happening by just advising his brother that it was enough when he bet Draupadi in the game. Where did his conscience and bravery go when Draupadi needed it the most?

Words of elders were taken as absolute.

Even though the deal was to get Draupadi married off to anyone who won the contest, king Panchala and his family still should have conducted some kind of background check of every contestants present. The life of his daughter depended on it. I do not know if it is a good thing that the Pandavas were fated to get married to her however, being a father, he could have at least shown interest to this matter for the safety and security of his daughter. Whatever the leading male figure in the family says have to be followed by the women in the family and this tradition is still prominent in my society even though it is a misogynistic point of view.

Looks like Draupadi was interested in Arjuna at this time, even though she did not know who he was just because he came in there as a Brahmin. Had Karna been there instead of him, would she still be interested on him?

Nobody till now knows that Karna is in fact lord Surya and Kunti's son, thus he is of a noble birth. However, it can be seen that Draupadi humiliated him based on his caste/last name. Even though she was a woman of great knowledge, she should have still not discriminated others based on their caste. The whole caste system was formed to assign people work based on their family name. However, there is no rule that one must stick to the profession that he/she does not like. And even today, we can often see racism based on the surname. If you are born in a Suta family does not mean that you are a lesser being. Had she be born in Suta family instead of the noble family, would she say the same to the guy from the noble family? Nevertheless, she should have been mindful about Karna's feelings and he even a noble at that time since Duryodhana made him a king.

Draupadi was far more intelligent than her husbands. When Yudhishthira messed up in the dice game, she had to take matters on her hands. She questioned her husbands, their cousins, uncles and everybody who witnessed the game about their morality and humanity. She vowed not to tend to her hair so that her husbands would be reminded of the injustice that she had to go through just because of them. In a sense, it was her way of getting justice herself that her husbands ignored.

Draupadi was born from the fire along with her brother. She was far more than a capable and knowledgeable woman, more than what all the five Pandava brothers deserved. It could be said that her character had been less mentioned so that she would not outshine her husbands or other male characters. Saying that the story more shifted towards the masculinity and shadowing the importance of feminism in the society.

If I got humiliated because of my husbands does not mean that others/ my enemies' wives deserve the same. It is their husbands who need to be punished and suffered, not their wives. It kind of feels unfair to me.

If he knew what was going to come, then why did he even do it? If playing the game of dice was his karma to gain dharma, then it does not make any sense at all. Personally, I do not wish to have a husband who's going to put me and his brothers through a lot of suffering just because he wanted to take a risk. And him advising Bheema to be patient is very hypocritical at this moment. I would like to comment that he failed as a husband and also as a brother, the moment he agreed to Shakuni's game knowing that he would be dishonest.

Draupadi's revenge was finally addressed in the epic battle of the Mahabharata. The Pandavas won the war and got their rightful kingdom back from the Kauravas. And Draupadi once again became the queen. Draupadi's sufferings motivated the brothers to be unified and fight against them. Draupadi always made sure that they were reminded of their wrongdoings towards her and fight for her, fight against those who did wrong to her. At the end, good won against evil. It makes me happy to know that even though it was late, she as able to see the demise of those who attempted to sexually harm her, she got justice at the end. It can be understood that they expected Draupadi to go through all that but not raise voice against it at all. She was supposed to be a voiceless girl who dared not speak against unjust done to her. Likewise, her husbands and their cousins were right to abuse her physically, mentally and even sexually. Nevertheless, they were neither accused of the wrongdoings nor prosecuted for that. It seems that what ever they did was absolutely fine. And her voice was not even heard when she did so, meaning that, powerless Draupadi's words were not even considered worthy to be listened.

https://histoire-geographie.ac-dijon.fr/spip.php?article1092

It's difficult to spread Open Access and Free cultural work licenses if blog posts about Open Access are not compatible with Open Access. The article by Anne Young has a non-commercial restriction. It would be nice to contact Anne Young to propose to release her blog post under CC BY-SA license or anyway under a Free cultural work license.

A concoction is something that has been made out of several things mixed together. 调制品

Does this description of "courseware" include OER texts sucked into walled gardens and only available to students who pay first-day-access fees for them, with bundled assessment and ancillaries? What happens when OER authors mark all their content NC?

To add to "More scholarship about CC licenses" and to support unit 4.1: Bishop, Carrie. “Creative Commons and Open Access Initiatives: How to Stay Sane and Influence People.” Art Libraries Journal 40.4 (2015): 8–12. Web.

Bishop presents a cheerful exploration of the Tate’s mammoth enterprise to digitize and release into the public Web 52,000 works of art, many of which are still under copyright. Commonly, galleries and museums would like to broaden exposure to the artwork in their collections, but when artists or their descendants are still actively monitoring use and income, there can be a barrier between connecting the public with the art work and the needs of the artistic community. Bishop describes the Tate’s desire to license the newly digitized images under a Creative Commons license to provide clear guidelines to the public, but at the same time to respond to the fears, hopes, and wishes of their artists. The Tate decided that it could best realize its goal to "democratize access" and to connect the public with British artists through applying the CC-BY-NC-ND license—both making the images available and quelling the concerns of the artists or their estate managing family members. The article provides an interesting perspective to the discussion of “open culture” or “free culture.” Some of this freedom may come about in incremental doses. The CC license might make it possible to allow an artist to connect their work with a larger public, at the same time that it makes them confident that their work won’t be misused or appropriated in an undesired manner. Aart museums seem to have a difficult relationship with open access and Creative Commons licensing. The Getty, for instance, has a fairly complicated statement of terms that make murky all that CC transparency, so there is viewing the material and then there is repurposing the material. The result is that a slow, measured pace, while nurturing the artist along, may be the way to ultimately make CC and Open Access a norm rather than an exception.

most traffic was moved to regional airport bt Greensboro, W-S, and High Point. Where Piedmont Airlines originated. someone would climb the tower to see if incoming planes were arriving to clear space. No jetways. carried your luggage to the plane. propellers would create lots of dust.

down near 3rd Street

"Did you climb Pilot Mountain?" "It's not high enough to climb."

Pretty gardens.

Moravian Cemetery "God's Acre"

Reynolds High School, front entrance on the right. Adjacent to the Reynolds Auditorium, donated by Kate Reynolds, a 2000 seat auditorium. Renovated in the 1940s with air conditioning, which functioned by large blocks of ice and fans blowing cold air.

vacant lot adjacent to Colonial Inn owned by JRV's grandmother, but no one ever bought it bc it was too expensive. had trees, benches, etc.

speculating that this is the Zizendorf Hotel, downtown. flagging down the trolley by waving for it to slow down, and jumping on. streetcar went down Main Street, towards Salem College. People would carry live chickens (big fat hens) for Sunday dinner but put its head in a paper bag to keep it from squawking. conductors wore change belts. Across the street from original Wachovia Ban, corner of West 3rd and North Main Streets in the West End. some street cars had two decks.

Avalon Cotton Mill - planned company town between Salem NC and Roanoke VA that ended in a massive fire. Would be around Stoneville NC website devoted to this topic http://www.chriscrowder.com/avalon/index.php

class of 1936. Tall building on the left - Main Hall - was classrooms, lower building on the right was dorms. Had more trees...