52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Air

For four months now, I have been participating in the 2020 edition of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. It has been both a challenge and a blessing. Some writing prompts have been harder than others: this week’s challenge has been one of the easier ones: Air.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Fire

It is Week 15 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks’ writing challenge. This week’s writing prompt is Fire.

Nearly every human culture/religion has a god/goddess of fire. Ancient Egyptians had Ra and Sekhmet, the Romans had Vulcan, and the Greeks had Hephaestus. Agni is the Hindu god of fire, while the Celt god Áed’s name literally means “fire.” In Oceanic mythologies, the fire gods/goddesses include Gedi (Fijian), Pele (Hawaiian), Auahitūroa (Māori), and Ti’iti’i, (Samoan). While Native American nations have  Xiuhtecuhtli (Aztec), Huracán (Mayan), Haashchʼééshzhiní (Navajo), Kananeski Anayehi (Cherokee),

Then, there was Prometheus, a Titan who defied the Greek gods by stealing fire and giving it to humanity. The fire that Prometheus bestowed upon humanity has been both a blessing and a curse. Without fire, humanity would not have been able to advance, and civilization as we know it would not have come into being. But fire is also the great destroyer, and lives have been lost because of its flames.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Disaster

Welcome to Week 9 in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks’ writing challenge. This week’s theme is Disaster. When I saw this writing prompt, the first thing I thought was “large loss of life” and “extreme weather.”

Sadly, the disasters I will be sharing involve both.  However, before I address this week’s theme, please allow me a moment to explain how my family came to be in an area where these tragedies occurred.