Epics of India

Figure 1:  Depiction of Hanuman  Wikipedia I decided to research Hanuman. Hanuman in the Ramayana  Wikipedia In the Ramayana, Hanuman encounters Rama and Lakshmana after Sita's abduction, and scouts out Ravana's city. While there, he also causes significant damage to the city and sets much of it on fire. He then participates in the final climactic battle where he carries an entire mountain of herbs to the battlefield to heal Lakshmana. Afterwards, he proclaims his dedication to Rama through some unusual acts. Hanuman in the Mahabharata  Wikipedia Hanuman later appears in the Mahabharata where he humbles an arrogant god by demonstrating his superior strength. That god is his half brother Bhima, who could not even lift Hanuman's tail, and learned humility as a result. "Hanuman" in Journey to the West  Wikipedia Hanuman is a major inspiration for the character of Sun Wukong. In the Journey to the west, Sun Wukong initially starts off as an ordina...

Figure 1:  Hanuman  Wikipedia Figure 2:  Sun Wukong  Wikimedia Ganesha, The Elephant Headed God  - I was originally interested in Ganesha for one reason. I love the story about how he "walked around his world" and got married; however, I can't seem to find the version that my Indian friends told me. I'm curious to learn other versions of this myth, and if I were to tell a story, it would be a mess of conflicting accounts regarding his marriage from different points of view where nobody remembers anything accurately. Hanuman - When I was younger, my favorite picture book was one about the monkey king. I think that examining one of his main inspirations would be useful. I'm curious to learn more about the literary similarities between them. I also wonder how their abilities and characterization vary, especially in regards to the monkey king's more mischievous traits. I would probably place him in stories where he interacts with the monkey king...