My Storybook this semester is going to center around the
theme of twinhood. As stated in my former posts, I would like to use my personal
experience as an identical twin to explore the trope of twins in Indian mythology.
Instead of a Ramayana-focused project, I plan to do a story stemming from the
Mahabharata epic as my research indicates that it includes a more complex
network of twins both earthly and divine. I plan to examine twin identity
through the heroes Nakula and Sahadeva, also known as the Pandavas, whose
origin story is connected to the divine horse-headed Gemini gods called the Ashvins
from ancient Indian tradition.
It is said that Sahadeva is the “brains,” as an intellectual, and his brother, Nakula, the “beauty.” This being said, as
Professor Gibbs has brilliantly suggested, I plan to use Sahadeva as a narrator as I figure this would be an interesting perspective given how his assumed knowledge about the legends of
twins in Indian tradition (the Ashvins/ Yama and his sister Yumi/
Yumana/Kalindi) would inform his point-of-view about his own identity and
experiences as a twin himself. The twins of lore, the Asvins and Yama/Yumi are
caught in contrasting archetypes in their roles as siblings associated with
certain unique but related characteristics which plays well with the common theme of complementary/cyclical wholes. For example, the Ashvins are said to symbolize the sunrise
and the sunset, and Yama and Yumi represent death/darkness and life/light
respectively. As I have stated before, the concept of being two harmonious halves appeals to me more than two conflicting or contrasting
entities. As one source by Kavita Kane has said, “…twins in our mythology are
examples of deep bonded relationships, epitomes of sibling love,” a fundamental
statement that I would like to be the undertone of wherever this project takes
me.
We won’t be reading the Mahabharata for a couple more weeks
still, so what kind of reconstructions will come from this story is yet to be
determined. That is, I can’t say concretely any specific episodes I might end
up writing until we start to read the Mahabharata. But if I were to assume a general three I would say: (Episode 1) About the Pandavas themselves, (Episode 2) The Pandavas and The Ashvins, (Episode 3) The Pandavas and Yama/Yami. So, I have some features chosen as
far as my main characters go, and their psychological and philosophical
influencers (that is, the trope of twinness in ancient Indian tradition through
the twin deities I have aforementioned). I also know I would like to work with
both prose and poetry with a more anthological approach rather than a
narrative if possible. These technicalities are subject to change. Given the blueprint I
have already, though, I feel like I am ready to dive into the material for weeks
5-6—bring on the Mahabharata!
Sources:
(Image Source: Graphic made by me, Sumopaint Photo Editor)
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