Justified “Noises” in Consciousness Searching

Consciousness is not math. Still, it is an equation. Its presence is noticeable. Still, its absence is not that unnoticeable. If so, how do we define it? How do we figure out the function later on? It is the variable – the sense. Martin de sa Granja apparently tries to use his “auditory” sense, besides the visual, for consciousness searching. Does he? He seems to claim so… Through the use of “Noises” as the title… Through the main character… Through the never-been-used bat.

Visual or Auditory?

Most of the time, our visual comes first, followed by other senses. Scientists have claimed this theory since a long time ago with its justification of lightning and thunder phenomenon. As if following the classical rule of nature, the main character first saw his concern on “what he saw”. The author, over and over again, reminds the readers of this. The main character saw his discomfort of the TV show the other character was watching. He said how “stupid and poor” it was, with its “extremely poor jokes.” After that, he moved his concern on the seem-to-be-real problem – the noises. The noises, or the laughter, the other character made while watching the TV show had bothered him, possibly for a long time. 

The Real Object or Subject

At a glance, it looks like the main character envied of the TV show for catching (too much of) the attention of the other character. Or, for making the other character made noises he hated. If so, why did not he hit the off-button? In fact, the object of this anger is neither the TV show nor the noises. Yet, it is on the other character. This caused everything, as the TV show and the noises, to trigger the anger inside. The character seemed feeling great discontentment at the other character after so long as seen in “Giving you time, supplying you with the chance to redeem even a fraction of your characteristic uselessness”. “There was no need to look in detail to notice” makes it even clearer. The main character looks tired and making a decision: not to expecting too much; although, the anger showed the hurt expectation itself. In great stage of discontentment, the anger seems to over-control himself: his feeling and his logic. This creates the noises worsen than ever before. This creates the object to become the subject, and the other way around. This loss of logic and feeling had driven him to draw a conclusion: taking the other character out. So why did the noises keep existing?

Noises as Distraction

What noises are they? Are they true or imaginative? In the very beginning of the story, the author wants to convince the readers that the noises came from the other character. “I heard the damn noises you were emitting with your mouth” said he. But subtly, the author gives the other clue “You know what I’m talking about”. It creates another possible answer of what noises he talked about, which he kept himself. The noises are possibly invisible, yet real. 

Slow but sure, the unresolved question gives clues by itself. A couple of times, the main character denied the preliminary answers above. It is not the visual, not the auditory, which bothers him. It is something else. It is something out of the physical sense, more powerful and sensitive. It drives us to think “it must be something that can only be understood with feeling”. The emotion, it is. He stated “not because I had seen myself when I passed by the mirror, but because I could feel it”. And, “feeling waves of intense heat coming out from inside of” him. He even claimed to know that the consciousness of the other character yelling it [warning]. It delineates that the main character over-sensed things around him, and things inside of him.  

The main character was equipped with limited omniscient point of view. He stood as one who understood everything that was going on including the ability to read the consciousness of the other character through the eyes. However, this seemed to be distracted by the ignorance of the other character. The main character was troubled by the undelivered message of his to the other character. He tried to give tests for a couple of times, yet he did not get to know the results for lack of responses. His attempt to disturb the other character’s attention to the TV show failed. He was troubled with himself, alone. The unbalanced sensibility of both creates an agreement of what was going on did not take place. 

The noises, which are described as the subject of the story, could be the object. This works so by seeing the way the author treats “noises” to blind people’s focus on the main character. BUT, it can be simpler than that. The noises could be just a tool, used by the main characters for excuse, for justification. With the sensibility of the main character, it is clear that he knew what happened on the side of the other character. Yet, he still complained and asked “why did she does that?” or “why didn’t she does that?” And, the noises appeared to be an instant answer of his questions. Furthermore, he found some kind of justification for what he actually already planned before: a murder. This is shown in “remembering this, I feel fully justified in my actions”

The Dark World of a Room

The actions the main character planned and was planning were not without a reason. That the author moved the main character to a kind of store room, which was dark and full of unused stuff, was not without a reason too. After not finding the expected awareness of the other character, the main character dragged himself to the room as a way of reviewing the both characters’ life spent together. The dark lighting represents a state of getting lost. The dim light shows dim hope. The unused stuff represents the time they spent together. The story seems to lift up a “relationship” theme, which signifies some aspects of it: time or togetherness, although it could also be in its literal meaning. And, the most possible thing to represent it is the unused stuff, which has caught a lot of the main character’s attention. The main character reviewed the stuff the main character bought as useless; and this gave him other justification of his “actions”. The never-been-used bate is one example, aside from the old lawn mower which is much exposed. 

Justification Gained, Actions Executed

The noises and bate are enough to justify his “actions” which seems to already be planned. This plan is more detected since “Now I felt agitated and nervous” is stated, and from the guessing “A saw? no… a drill ? neither … An axe?” The main character expected a tool to hit the other character since the very beginning. This happened unconsciously or consciously. And, he felt glad of finding a bate and said “I knew what it was! This is perfect…” He assured himself by saying “At least it was not a complete waste, I could put it to good use”. These sentences seem to inform us that the actions had already been in mind for a long time. But, there was always an obstacle which was represented by an “old lawn mower”. It could be the society, the situation, people or opinions around them, which was almost unlikely controlled. That is why he “did try to find it” when it fell down, and said nothing when “almost stumbling again with” it.

After that, the plans were put into actions. The anger took control and forgiveness (hope) was absent. “There was no way back, but you still tried to beg” said he. The main character murdered the other character. For a while, he felt glad and assured “And this, is the story of how you died… for making noises with your mouth. The noises, you know what I’m talking about”. But then, the confidence faded. He re-thought of what was going on. This put the main character into an imbalanced state, which was shown in “The listener was absorbed, with wide eyes and mouth also, infested with disbelief and overwhelmed by fear”. After the great fluctuation of emotions, the consciousness finally came up and cleared it up. The main character, in his loneliness, talked to himself. In the middle of confusion, he admitted “I killed you. Sometimes, I do that… “. “You” could be referred to the other character or the main character, himself. This last line justified he surrendered if the blame was on him, if the victim was actually him. 

Is the Murder Real or Imaginative?

It was apparently made to be real at first, but the consciousness of the main character made the reality denied. It’s imaginative - only in the main character’s mind. After all, it’s more like self-character assassination.

Bibliography:

Granja, Martin de sa. “Noises”. Martincrazystories. 2013.

Image credit:   

hesperado.blogspot.com & omsync.com

Note:

I recommend this short story for being so imaginative yet so true. 
Good narrative exposition, excellent poetic denouement.

The Scarlet Letter: the Letter of Feminists in the 19th Century

1.  Introduction

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. He first put his hand at writing and producing historical sketches after college. At Brook Farm, Two  intellects, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, drove him to promote transcendentalism. Transcendentalism delivers two principles. First, it is a religious, philosophical movement dedicated to the belief that divinity manifests itself everywhere. Second, it also advocates a personalized, direct relationship with the divine in place of formalized, structured religion. The second principle is manifested in The Scarlet Letter. 

            After his marriage in 1842, Hawthorne moved into an Old Manse. In 1846, he published Mosses from an Old Manse, a collection of American-related essays and stories. This collection made him earn praises from the literary establishment of America that paid attention to the attainments of cultural and political independence. 

            In 1850, after having lost his job, he published The Scarlet Letter to enthusiastic acclaim. His other outstanding novels include The House of the Seven Gables (1851), The Blithedale Romance (1852), and The Marble Faun (1860). After being one of the United States consuls in Europe for six years, Hawthorne died in 1864, a few years after returning to America.

            Of all Howthorne’s works that take America’s Puritan as a subject, The Scarlet Letter is his masterpiece. Puritan was known for its intolerance of secular ideas and lifestyles. Hawthorne uses the repressive, authoritarian Puritan society as an analogue for humankind in general. Hawthorne specifically focuses on American issues without overriding aesthetic, thematic side of his works. His universality and his dramatic keenness have honored him in the literary canon.

            In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne slightly puts feminism issue as a matter of the Puritan’s society. According Barbara Ellis, the female-dominated environment of Howthorne “gave him a respect towards women” more than other writers do (1). This respect was markedly manifested in the major character of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne. Hawthorne characterized Hester “as an internally complex and a source of fear to men”(1).

            From the starting point above, the writer is interested in figuring out the attitudes toward women held by the society as seen in The Scarlet Letter.

2.  Discussion

Set in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1600s, Howthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is colored by a religious-oriented concept of living. The society, which was Puritan, put all trust they had in religion's rules as the rules of God. The rules of the Church were radically applied to every aspect of life as a way of purifying the Church from secular ideas and lifestyle. 

            One of the aspects that were obviously affected by Puritanism is familial life. The rules of Puritanism were highly considered and strictly applied to a family even in the very beginning of a marriage. Supposed to be a part of worship, marriage was viewed crucial to be done in the fairly young phase of life. Based on the Bible, family is the center of devotion to God in which it becomes the entrance where a male is first given the responsibility for being a spiritual, financial head of the household while a female is asked for her obedience under her husband’s authority. 

            In The Scarlet Letter, the superiority of male upon female in family was dispensed by the absence of Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, in their married life. Though, the obedience of Hester upon Chillingworth was narrated in the exposition in which Hester followed the order of her husband to sequentially move “to Europe, to Amsterdam” and to “New England”(2). 

            Even though Hester was seemingly free from the authority of her husband for some time, as a wife without a husband living together, she was oppressed by the authority of others represented by males. John Wilson, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth took part in Little Pearl’s parenting, something that should be the right of a mother to manage. They planned on separating Little Pearl from Hester for her scarlet letter and bad-considered way of parenting. The males arrived to the conclusion after having unsatisfactory answers from Little Pearl when asked “Pearl, Can you tell me the answer to this question? Who made you?” to find out her knowledge of God (10). 

            In religious life, the superiority of male was an inviolable rule. As a whole, the positions in the Church were occupied by males. The religious life was centered in the oldest Church in Boston named Congregationalist Church. In here, meetings of Puritans were held, led by the board of ministers. During every meeting they made, the ministers had the authority in the decision as they were the representative of God in the world by saying such sentence as “You have to tell us the name of the child’s father. It will help you in the eyes of God. Tell us, please.” (2). After drawn, the decision was obeyed as if it was the voice of God.

            The authority of the males of God was beyond the church. Orienting to the rules of God,  the society placed such great obedience to the Church and the ministers. Arthur Dimmesdale was a major character that flawlessly represents the males in the Church. Hailed as “a great man of God”, the young minister was considered could do nothing wrong, though, he tried to confess the truth “I am the worst sinner in this town” to everybody (15). His sin was not believed by the town’s people and the situation, for instance he failed to confess the truth to the people even to John Wilson walking past the platform he stood on, ready to scream out this confession (17). Even, most of the town’s people only said nothing rather than being angry at Dimmesdale’s confession at the end of the story (35).

            Females, however, did not have any voice in decision taking on political or social issues in the society. They only became passive participants in the meetings held in the town square or meeting house. In the exposition, some additional female characters were given chances to speak up their anger to Hester in “Hester is a child of the Devil” and “Look at her! Those are not the clothes of an adulteress” (1). Nonetheless, what was spoken by the females was just trivia and had no effect to the story. 

            The significance of female in the society, as seen in The Scarlet Letter, was so minor. The major characters are dominated by males, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. Even, the majority of the characters in the story are males namely the two major characters with the addition of John Wilson, Governor Bellingham, the man from the ship and some additional characters. The female characters that are obviously seen are only Hester and Little Pearl.

            The position of females in the society was inferior, under the superiority of males. This inequality was implicitly seen in the difference of the ways people named males and females. Both in the narration of the story and in the utterances of the characters, female characters especially Hester was always called by using the first name or “you” as the naming of the second person or just “woman”, for instance: “Where did you come from, Hester?” (Dimmesdale to Hester) or “Woman!” (John Wilson to Hester in a sarcastic way). In opposite, male characters were called by using the last name or their occupation, for instance: “Mr. Wilson, what does the child know?” (Governor to John Wilson) or “Minister?” (Little Pearl to Dimmesdale). In western society, the use of last name is more informal and shows more respect than the use of first name.

            Back to the fundamental concept of the society that was religion-based, females were always inferior and shown as devil or other negatively connotated things. Wikipedia stated that according to Puritans, “girls carried an additional number of Eve’s corruption and were catechized separately from boys at adolescence” (1). Such a thought created separation of education for girls and boys. Boys were prepared for vocations and leadership roles while girls were prepared for domestic and religious purposes. In fact, superiority of male was already characterized since the early phase of life.

3.  Conclusion

The setting of the place and time of The Scarlet Letter made Puritanism look so fundamental as a part of the society. The radical, strict implementation of the rules of God had created some imbalance or inequality among genres, male and female. In the religion-oriented society, the superiority of male upon female was considered reasonable for the belief of Eve’s corruption. Eve’s corruption left girls or women to carry innate sin and encounter with some bad connotations such as devil.

            The superiority of male upon female was rooted in the midst of society since the early phase of one’s life through the separation of education. Education became the basis of further superiority of male that happened in all basic aspects of life including familial, religious, political and social lives. 

            The authority of male was not only seen in the major aspects of life but also in the daily life. The ways people called a male or a female were different and showed different grades of respect. People called a male in a more formal, respectful way, compared to a female.

4.  Bibliography

"Literary Criticisms". Oocities. 19 April 2013.

"Puritan" Wikipedia. 19 April 2013.

"The Scarlet Letter". Bartleby. 19 April 2013.

"The Scarlet Letter" Sparknotes. 19 April 2013.    

"The Scarlet Letter". Wikipedia. 19 April 2013.   

Bressler, Charles E.. Literary Criticism: an Introduction to Theory and Practice. 2nd Ed. New Jersey: Practice Hall, 1998.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Dover Publications, 1994.

Image credit: fs1.beta.obami.com

If the Nature Has Soul and “Weapon”

“Responsibility weights heavily on every living thing” is a set of words explicitly exposed by Nguyen Huy Thiep through his short story entitled “Salt of the Jungle”. Lived in Vietnam in the era of war, the author portrays the flow of the internal Vietnam conflict and the intervention of America, the superpower country, during the Vietnam War without any judgement implied. The neutral point of view served is obviously reflected by considering how the author characterizes all of the characters: Mr.Dieu and Monkeys. Both characters survive to live for life as it should be, in a harmony. The nature defines its own concept of harmony; when human as a partner of the living things desires beyond what the nature gives, the nature has a soul and a weapon to restore the lost harmony.

Harmony is often interfered with self-importance possessed by humans. Self-importance is something universal, which is naturally owned by all people everywhere in the earth. This negative trait is directly presented in the forms of the two characters in differently-sized scopes. In the beginning of the story, the author directly shows how a male monkey is corrupt during his familial life. He selects the best fruit and eats himself, leaving the bad one to a baby monkey and a female monkey. This reflects the internal conflict of the corrupt government of Vietnam, which means monkey is a physical reflection of the Vietnamese. Still in relation to Vietnam, the author implicitly symbolizes the countries, North Vietnam and South Vietnam, with names Mount Hoa Qua and Thuy Liem Cave. Furthermore, as for international-sized harmony interference, America with its sophisticated, matchless technology, on behalf of peace or harmony, takes place its importance on this full-of-conflict country. In reality, harmony is a real problem encountered by humans.

The interference of harmony also occurs in the  mutual relationship between humans and other living things – plants and animals. It is owing to an irrational desire, and also self-importance, of humans. Mr. Dieu portrays this latent character of humans very well. At the beginning of the story, the author tells how both a new shotgun and a spring day for the hunt really make life worth living for Mr. Dieu. Humans are too much obsessed with faked, temporary contentment, which makes them desire something beyond what the nature gives.

Nature virtually has a soul. The writer believes every living thing has a soul. He asks the readers to think so by creating a particular spot in the forest named Death Hallow in which “forsaken spirits usually take the form of white monkeys”. Humans and the living things (nature) are just the same. Both show anger if interfered. Nature has its own way or “weapon” to react the interference and to restore the lost harmony. Nature shows its anger and uses its weapon to Mr. Dieu twice. An avalanche is one. Even thanks to the soul, nature can also say thanks to humans. Nature thanks to Mr. Dieu for his kindness to a fine golden-haired female monkey with the Tu Huyen flowers and gentle spring rain.

“Salt of the Jungle” is recommended for all, due to its universality. Based on the way the life goes in Vietnam, the author views it with a deeper understanding of a reflection that is much bigger than war: lost harmony! Humans and nature live in a set harmony; when it is denied on behalf of self-importance or irrational, faked peace, the nature is ready with its “weapon” to get the harmony back.

Image credit: alliancevast.info

Reconvening the Innocent Voice of Childhood

Of the many American authors, Mark Twain undoubtedly stands out for his concern on childhood with a little bit more of innocence. The ever greatest masterpiece of his, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, transforms into a timeless proof of how the innocent voice of childhood contains a myriad of profound meanings. His pride of his childhood spent in Hanibal, Missouri and his talent of witticism have driven him to be “The father of American Literature” at the time he earns praise as “The greatest American humorist of his age”. By means of the simply-structured, casually-toned writing, he digs up the buried memories of childhood through a humorous, lively character named Thomas Sawyer. In here, this playful boy is accompanied by his sidekicks, Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn, as well as other fellow friends. Under the flags of sincerity, friendship, and mischievousness, they walk on a fun way of life. These children make adults wake up and open their eyes that profound goodness is there, in the innocent voice of childhood.

The undeniable of children is sincerity. The way children see, think and feel something is so simple. There must be a simple yes, if a word yes comes out of their mouth, and vice versa. Never be an intricate thing for them is to feel gratified by what they have already possessed or not. But if children desire something, they will go for it, no matter what. Thomas Sawyer figures out “a great law of human action – A man or a boy will desire something if it is not easy”. He grasps that people forget how to do something on behalf of sincerity. Too many orientations and faked importance are a reason of it. He reminds us not to focus on the result but the process. “People stop when they almost find the box of gold” said he. Just be sincere; people do not need to undergo the lack of spirit at tow. 

Children show, not tell, their friendship. This distant gap of the adults and children’s ways of thinking come into sight when being asked from what point they should uncover their views of friendship. More often than not, not many adults are able to express their view in a couple of words. They are totally different from children who mostly have no idea what the word means. But, look at this! The mischievous Thomas shows the significance of friendship through his actions flawlessly. Here are some of the examples. Although Thomas has a quarrel with Becky Thatcher, he lets himself punished for her fault. Just like a good motivator does, Thomas also advises Huckleberry Finn not to leave Mrs. Douglas’ house and encourages him to adapt his new way of life.  And, at the end of the story, Huck speaks up his mind about their club and friends; “We will promise to help each other” he says. The children with a little or more of innocence obviously show what friendship is.

“Mischievousness, it is!” adults say, “Think out of the box!” children do. Adults are trapped in so-called homogeneity and monotonicity back and forth. They grumble every time but do nothing to make a change. They pleasantly go with the flow, no matter they undergo continuous torture on their mind and feeling  Children are different. With fresh imagination and what is called mischievousness by adults, they effortlessly put colors on their lives. Thomas conveys this meaning through simple words “Church will be pleasure when something different happens.” He thinks people should not fool themselves as if it is a sin to let them under the spotlight of others. Thomas together with Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper enjoys earning praise and being spotlighted with joy (a couple of TIMES!); they do everything different from being some pirates to discovering a buried box of gold. 

To pique your interest in life could not be better without this humorous book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The clips of the adventures gift you great pleasure and entertainment in the hurly burly of life. But still, the book is a perfect pick for those who want to have such reflection during their days of fatigue or for those who feel that things go wrong. If you are currently suffocated by a long list of official work or paperwork and have no idea what it is for, reading this book will bring your faith back. The characters in the book are you in the past, when everything was full of joy, when anything was only waited for to raise up your challenge, when nothing was worried about but loved and when you dreamed of what you are now. Keep your head up high with the innocent voice of childhood in your mind!

Image credit: realismlit.blogspot.com

British Legend “Robin Hood” and Myth “Black Dog”

1.      Introduction

Aside from a myriad of its literary works, Britain is also outstanding for its big number of legends and myths. Compared to Americans, British people place their belief on legends and myths so much more. In consequence, British people have a collection of legends and myths, which is varied in the term of number and variety. 

This local belief is deeply rooted in the society and vaguely portrayed in some English literary works. British authors, including J.K. Rowling with Harry Potter, often manifest British legendary or mythological creatures in their works. For instance, Harry Potter contains a mythological creature named Boggart.
Some British legends and myth are even globally known. One of the immortal legendary figures that is outstanding throughout the globe is Robin Hood. He is well-known for his “robbing from the rich, giving to the poor”. In addition, the myth of the Black Dog is also popular until Latin America and perpetuated as a name of pub in Jersey.

From the starting point above, the group is interested in exploring British legend “Robin Hood” and myth “Black Dog”. Besides, the writer also wants to find out whether British legend “Robin Hood” and myth “Black Dog”share some similarities to Indonesian legend and myth.

2.      Definitions of Legend and Myth

Prior to any discussion about British legend and myth, the definitions of the words legend and myth should be grasped. Below are the definition of legend and myth.

a.      Legend

According to Oxford Dictionaries, the definition of the word legend is stated below.

Definition:

Noun

• 1a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated: the legend of King Arthur [mass noun]:according to legend he banished all the snakes from Ireland
• historical the story of a saint’s life: the mosaics illustrate the Legends of the Saints

• 2an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field:the man was a living legend a screen legend

• 3an inscription, especially on a coin or medal.
• a caption:a picture of a tiger with the legend ‘Go ahead make my day’
• the wording on a map or diagram explaining the symbols used:see legend to Fig. 1

Adjective

[predic.]

• very well known: his speed and ferocity in attack were legend

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'story of a saint's life'): from Old French legende, from medieval Latin legenda 'things to be read', from Latin legere 'read'. legend (sense 1 of the noun) dates from the early 17th century.

Overview:

According to Wikipedia, a legend (Latin, legenda, "things to be read") is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. Legend, for its active and passive participants includes no happenings that are outside the realm of "possibility", defined by a highly flexible set of parameters, which may include miracles that are perceived as actually having happened, within the specific tradition of indoctrination where the legend arises, and within which it may be transformed over time, in order to keep it fresh and vital, and realistic. A majority of legends operates within the realm of uncertainty, never being entirely believed by the participants, but also never being resolutely doubted. Legend, typically, is a short (mono-) episodic, traditional, highly ecotypified historicized narrative performed in a conversational mode, reflecting on a psychological level a symbolic representation of folk belief and collective experiences and serving as a reaffirmation of commonly held values of the group to whose tradition it belongs.

b.      Myth

According to Oxford Dictionaries, the definition and the origin of the word legend are stated below.

Definition:

Noun

• 1a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events:ancient Celtic myths [mass noun]:the heroes of Greek myth

• 2a widely held but false belief or idea:the belief that evening primrose oil helps to cure eczema is a myth, according to dermatologists
• a fictitious or imaginary person or thing: nobody had ever heard of Simon’s mysterious friend—Anna said he was a myth
• an exaggerated or idealized conception of a person or thing:the book is a scholarly study of the Churchill myth

Origin:

The word myth is known in the mid 19th century: from modern Latin mythus, via late Latin from Greek muthos

Overview:

According to Wikipedia, The term "mythology" can refer either to the study of myths (e.g., comparative mythology), or to a body or collection of myths (a mythos, e.g., Inca mythology). In folkloristics, a myth is a sacred narrative usually explaining how the world or humankind came to be in its present form, although, in a very broad sense, the word can refer to any traditional story. Bruce Lincoln defines myth as "ideology in narrative form". Myths typically involve supernatural characters and are endorsed by rulers or priests. They may arise as either truthful depictions or overelaborated accounts of historical events, as allegory for or personification of natural phenomena, or as an explanation of ritual. They are transmitted to convey religious or idealized experience, to establish behavioral models, and to teach.

c.       The Difference between Legend and Myth

A legend is an unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and accepted as historical from traditions. A myth is a story about superhuman begins of an earlier age taken by preliterate society to be a true account, usually of how natural phenomena, social customs, etc. came into existence.

3.      British Legend “Robin Hood”

Robin Hood (spelled Robyn Hode in older manuscripts) is a heroic outlaw in English folklore, a highly skilled archer and swordsman. Although not part of his original character, since the beginning of the 19th century  he has become known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Robin Hood and his band of "merry men" are usually portrayed as living in Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire. 

In the earliest sources, Robin Hood is a yeoman, but he was often later portrayed as an aristocrat wrongfully dispossessed of his lands and made into an outlaw by an unscrupulous sheriff.

In these early accounts, Robin Hood's partisanship of the lower classes, his Marianism and associated special regard for women, his outstanding skill as an archer, his anti-clericalism, and his particular animosity towards the Sheriff of Nottingham are already clear.

In popular culture, Robin Hood is typically seen as a contemporary and supporter of the late-12th-century king Richard the Lionheart, Robin being driven to outlaw during the misrule of Richard's brother John while Richard was away at the Third Crusade.

As well as ballads, the legend was also transmitted by "Robin Hood games" or plays that were an important part of the late medieval and early modern May Day festivities. The first record of a Robin Hood game was in 1426 in Exeter, but the reference does not indicate how old or widespread this custom was at the time. 

The early ballads link Robin Hood to identifiable real places and many are convinced that he was a real person, more or less accurately portrayed. A number of theories as to the identity of "the real Robin Hood" have their supporters. Some of these theories posit that "Robin Hood" or "Robert Hood" or the like was his actual name; others suggest that this may have been merely a nickname disguising a medieval bandit perhaps known to history under another name.

4.      British Myth “Black Dog”

A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil or a Hellhound. Its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal dog, and often has large, glowing eyes.  It is often associated with electrical storms (such as Black Shuck's appearance at Bungay, Suffolk), and also with crossroads, places of execution and ancient pathways.

The origins of the black dog are difficult to discern. It is impossible to ascertain whether the creature originated in the Celtic or Germanic elements in British culture. Throughout European mythology, dogs have been associated with death. Examples of this are the Cŵn Annwn, Garmr and Cerberus, all of whom were in some way guardians of the underworld. This association seems to be due to the scavenging habits of dogs. It is possible that the black dog is a survival of these beliefs. Black dogs are almost universally regarded as malevolent, and a few (such as the Barghest) are said to be directly harmful. Some, however, like the Gurt Dog in Somerset and the Black Dog of the Hanging Hills in Connecticut, are said to behave benevolently.

A black dog has been said to haunt the Newgate Prison for over 400 years, appearing before executions. According to legend, in 1596, a scholar was sent to the prison for witchcraft, but was killed and eaten by starving prisoners before he was given a trial. The dog was said to appear soon after, and although the terrified men killed their guards and escaped, the beast is said to have haunted them wherever they fled.

Galley Hill in Luton, Bedfordshire, is said to have been haunted by a black dog ever since a storm set the gibbet alight sometime in the 18th century. People in this century still believe with a black dog, in Jersey it is depicted on the pub sign.

In Jersey folklore, the Black Dog of Death is also called the Tchico, but a related belief in the Tchian d'Bouôlé (Black Dog of Bouley) tells of a phantom dog whose appearance presages storms. The real reason for the superstition of the Black Dog of Bouley Bay is thought to be due to smugglers. If the superstition was fed and became 'real' to the locals, then the bay at night would be deserted and the smuggling could continue in security. The pier at Bouley Bay made this an exceptionally easy task. The pub retains the name "The Black Dog".

Black dogs with fiery eyes are reported throughout Latin America from Mexico to Argentina under a variety of names including the Perro Negro (Spanish for Black Dog), Nahual (Mexico), Huay Chivo and Huay Pek (Mexico) - alternatively spelled Uay/Way/Waay Chivo/Pek, Cadejo (Central America), the dog Familiar (Argentina) and the Lobizon (Paraguay and Argentina). They are usually said to be either incarnations of the Devil or a shape-changing sorcerer.

5.      The Existence of Legend “Robin Hood and Myth “Black Dog” Today

Throughout history the legend “Robin Hood” and myth “Black Dog” have been passed down through the generations. Handed down from the past, the legend and the myth has been, and may still be, properly accepted as being true no matter it lacks accurate historical evidence. 

Robin Hood is still debated up to this day as to whether he was real, or just the subject of a tale of ballads and poems to entertain listeners. Based on a real man or created as a fictional story for entertainment, the tales of Robin Hood have a rich history that many have tried to trace. Ballads were the first way that stories of a lively man named Robyn Hood were spread among the people of England. The high rate of illiteracy brought the oral traditions of passing on stories, or history because of the wandering minstrel. The legend continues an ever-evolving tradition in our culture and literature. In addition, Robin Hood is also introduced to children through Robin Hood games.

Today, Black Dog is still believed in many countries. The emersion of electrical storms, for instance, are sometimes associated with the presence of  Black Dog that can bring havoc. 

The truth of the legend and the myth in the past is still and might always be debatable. But, the message contained in the legend and myth is true. The message brings and emphasizes goodness over badness. For instance, Robin Hood is provoked to outlawry by legal violence, both go disguised as a potter, and both command substantial numbers of well-disciplined men.

6.      British Legend “Robin Hood” vs. Indonesian Legend “Si Pitung”

Many Indonesians know about the most popular British legend Robin Hood, which is slightly similar to one of Indonesian legends known as Si Pitung. Both are well-known for their principle of “robbing from the rich and giving to the poor”. Here are the comparisons between Robin Hood and Si Pitung.

No.	Similarities	English Legend ‘Robin Hood’	Indonesian Legend ‘Si Pitung’
1	The variety of the legends	Great varied according to the parts of England	Varied in 3 versions: Indonesias, Dutchman and Chinese.
2	The existence of band	Yes, called Merry Men	Yes, Pituan Pitulung (group seven): Abdoelrachman, Moedjeran, Merais, Dji-ih, dan Gering
3	The heroic act	Robbing from the rich and giving it to the poor	Robbing from the rich and giving it to the poor
4	Social background at the time	Injustice done by the government and the noblemen. In an age when the Rule of Law was respected as the foundation of good government but some parties could twist the law to their own ends	Injustice done by the government and the noblemen, especially Ducth colonies. In an age when the Rule of Law was respected as the foundation of good government but some parties could twist the law to their own ends
5	Tactic	Disguise and fight	Disguise and fight
6	Passing-down method	through ballads plus "Robin Hood games" or plays	through ballads
7	Death	Shot	Shot
8	Targets of robbery	Lord of Land, government	Lord of Land, government
9	Religious side	Good. Obedient Moslem	Good. Christian, praised honor to Mother Maria
10	The biggest enemy	Police: Van Heyne	Police: the Sheriff of Nottingham
11	Message	rebellion against the authority and injustice	rebellion against the authority and injustice

No.	Differences	English Legend ‘Robin Hood’	Indonesian Legend ‘Si Pitung’
1	Occupation	Yeoman or aristocrat wrongfully dispossessed of his lands	Goat trader
2	The existence of his family	Unknown	Known: Piung (father) and Mpok Pinah (mother)
3	The exact location of the legend	Biased: Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, or some other parts in between	Known: Pengumben, Rawabelong
4	Skills	archery, swordplay	Martial art
5	The existence of wife	Yes, named Matilda	Unknown
6	The magical side	No.	Yes, able to disappear
7	Century	15 century	19 century

7.      British Myth “Black Dog” vs. Indonesian Myth “Black Cat”

The myth of Black Dog in British Legend is almost similar to the myth of Black Cat in Indonesia. The primary concept of Black Dog and Cat Dog is an animal or nonhuman that brings misfortune or death. Besides, dog in Britain is as popular pet as cat in Indonesia. Here are the comparisons between Black Dog and Black Cat.

No.	Similarities	English Myth “Black Dog”	Indonesian Myth “Black Cat”
1	Symbolization	Death, devil, misfortune	Death, devil, misfortune
2	Signs of Coming	Electrical storms	No signs
3	Time of Coming	Nocturnal apparition	Nocturnal apparition
4	Shape of eyes	Large, glowing eyes	Large, glowing eyes
5	Trait	Malevolent	Malevolent

No.	Differences	English Myth “Black Dog”	Indonesian Myth “Black Cat”
1	Form	Dog	Cat
2	Incarnation	Of sorcerer	Of a spy or a companion of a sorcerer
3	Place of coming	Places of execution and ancient pathways	Haunted places, graveyard

8.      Conclusion

British legends and myths are many in number. Till now, the legends and myths are believed by the locals and variously known in different parts of Britain. Despite the debate on if it truly happened or not, the locals positively take the message of the legends and myths as their traditions and as a way of teaching moral lessons.

The popularity of the legends and the myths are known not only in Britain but also other countries including Indonesia. And even, some British legends and myths share similarities and differences to Indonesian legends and myths. In this case, British “Robin Hood” is comparable to Indonesian “Si Pitung” while British “Black Dog” is comparable to Indonesian “Black Cat”.

9.      Bibliography

“Cerita Rakyat legenda si Pitung”. Kumpulan Dongeng. 10 March 2013.

“Legend”. Oxford Dictionary. 10 March 2013.

"Mitos di Masyarakat". NDI. 21 April 2013.

“Myth”. Oxford Dictionary. 10 March 2013.

 “Mythology”. Wikipedia. 10 March 2013.

 “Myths and Legends”. Telegraph. 10 March 2013.

“Robin Hood”. Wikipedia. 10 March 2013.

 “Si Pitung”. Wikipedia. 10 March 2013.