Reading Notes: Native American Marriage Tales, Part A

For this week, I chose to read the Native American Marriage Tales unit. The stories in this unit are so bizarre, but also entertaining. The story of the Piqued Buffalo Wife is so weird, that I am not sure if I like it. Perhaps aside from the bestiality and the question of whether or not the child is human or a calf, this story is entertaining. I am glad it ended happily, even if it began horrifically.
The story of Bear-Woman and Deer-Woman is just as weird, maybe more so. Are these women animals or humans or a combination? I think it is sad that almost everyone dies, and I wonder where the husband was through all of this and what he thought when he arrived home.
The story of the Splinter-Foot-Girl is also extremely bizarre. So a man gets pricked by a thorn and a little girl pops out, and then how old is the girl before the bull wants to marry her? And then a rock once to marry her, which I'm not sure how that would work physically. I do, however, like the idea of a girl being forced into marriage but then saved. Perhaps she could save herself though.
I'm beginning to get used to animals and humans "marrying" in these stories, such as in the story of The Eagle and Whale Husbands. The only part I do not understand is that the girls wanted the eagle and the whale as their husbands, but then they try to escape. Perhaps it wasn't what they thought it would be or they were just joking.
The story of The Fox-Woman is actually kind of sad. The two should have remained together. 

The title of the story of The Woman Stolen by Killer Whales is what caught my eye in this unit. I find this story so hilarious actually. First the woman gets taken underwater (how does she breathe?), and then the man goes underwater also (how does he breathe?). And then there is a fire underwater and they need water to put it out. It's almost as if the creator of this story forgot that this is set underwater. I found this so comical and entertaining.
The story of The Rolling Head is all kinds of messed up. It features bestiality and cannibalism and homicide. I'm not really sure how I feel about it.
The story of The Bear-Woman does not make complete sense plot wise. Why is the eldest sister trying to kill her siblings? Is she still upset that they killed her lover? It seems like an overreaction. It was still an interesting story to read. I am sure I could write about some kind of animal or a person who can change into an animal. So far, these stories have given me a lot to think about. 

Biography: Native American Marriage Tales collected by Stith Thompson. Source link: Part A

Image information: "Fuzzy Freddy" taken by Rob Lee, 2006. Web source: Wikimedia Commons