h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A577992

Well, most people know very little about Mongolia. Even less about the Mongolian culture. And I hope with this entry, you all get another piece of informaton about the Mongolian people.

Methos

I love this entry! The stories are told in a really nice flowing style, the arrangement of one example of each kind of tale is very well organised, and the topic is something really interesting and quite new to me.
So well done, Methos!
This definitely deserves to be part of the Edited Guide.
Azara

Thanks for your kind words, Azara! I'm really glad you liked it!

I hope to write more entries about Mongolia - the culture, the literature... - soon. But hey, one at a time, right?

Methos

This looks like a very good entry.

One thing that has to be sorted out is the issue of copyright. Did you copy these tales out of a book? If you got them from a book, they may be still in copyright. While the tale may be traditional, this telling of it is probably still in copyright.

On the other hand, if these are your retellings of the traditional stories, then there is no problem.

Jesus, I never thought about copyright! Stupid me!

And even if I didn't copy the tales 1:1 out of books, their are close to that... So it may be the best, if I take the entry out of the guide until I figuered the situation out, I guess.

One question though: In two of the books I used researching my entry, there is neither that copyright-sign nor anything like that. So what does that mean?

Anyway, thanks for making me notice that copyright-thing, Gnomon!

Methos

Oh, and of course that means I'm taking my entry out of Peer Review again. Sorry!

I'm really embarassed but I never even thought about copyright. Probably because in university we work with copies of texts all the time... I swear, I didn't do that on purpose! I'm really sorry!

an awfully contrite Methos

hmm... will have to go search for the version which was featured by the Post

It happens. Most h2g2 researchers are volunteers, and fairly laid back, so we don't immediately think of things in terms of copyright and litigation. Sadly, few copyright holders are so relaxed.

What you need to do - it seems to me, anyway - is tell the stories in your own words, if you feel up to it. Sketch out the main points, then fill them back in with your own style.

If you don't feel you could manage this - if the versions you know are too set in your mind or whatever - then you could try taking it to the writing workshop. Put up the story skeletons and have other people fill them in. Meanwhile, you could provide your own commentary on motifs and themes in Mongolian folktales to accompany the tales.

The Prophet.

Hi!

Yeah, that's exactly what I have in mind, too. And to not to use the same words as the authors of those books I decided to translate original versions from Mongolian. That should work, right?

But because my computer isn't working at the moment, it could take a while...

Methos

I'm quite looking forward to these stories. Mongolia is a very intriguing place for me: a country in the center of the world that nobody has heard anything from since they nearly conquered all of Asia (and maybe even Europe) 800 years ago.

i.v. you could sift through back issues of The Post - I guess the stories are still there. I like the flying frog thing very much, and the 'seven suns' story sent shivers down my back because I've read some scientific reports/collections of folk tales all over the world: the great deluge / sintflut thing does seem to have more to it than one would want to believe at first glance.

A hearty hi to all of you!

So, I started working on the first tale yesterday. You know, translating and stuff.

And here comes my question: Would anybody want to help me with putting the tales into nice, "folktalic" English?

Methos

I would love to, but my capabilities are rather located in 'electronic' English

Methos,
I would be delighted to render your tales in an "oral traditional" style, or give it a try at least. Post a message on my space and I'll give you my e-mail address.
I look forward to collaborating with you.

IV

I'll do that. Thanks very much!!!

Methos

Good luck to you both. I read this a while ago when the copyright issue first raised its head. Personally i loved the article and my feeling is that the books you used are just versions of the oral history so i can't see that copyright would be an issue here if all they have done is repeat long established folktales.

However, i appear to be in the minority on this one so good luck with the rewrite...if you really think it is necessary

Thank you so much, Linus. I'm really happy to hear that you liked the article. And I think, most people who I have asked about the copyright weren't sure, but it's better not to take a risc, I think.

Anyway, I managed to translate the first two tales from Mongolian into English and I'm pretty sure between il viaggiatore and me we'll manage to make that translation work.

Thanks again! I really appreciate your support!

Methos

Oh, man... I went to read your article, and you'd removed it. So what's the word? Have you finished the re-writing of the folktales yet? I'm eager to see the finished piece.

Hey, scout dudes - I vote that we move this thread to the Sin Bin until Methos finishes his article.

Personally i would be happy to recommend it and mention the copyright issue so the powers can make a call on it.

Hi, just checked through a couple of folk tale translations, and although the tales themselves (I think) can't be copyrighted, the translations *can*. But as I hear you are translating yourself anyway, it shouldn't be a problem. Have you thought about contacting the translator and requesting permission to print his/her work?
A friend of mine's father is a translator (he translated, amongst others,the enormous Penguin Encyclopaedia of Symbols), and he's quite happy for people to use his work as long as he gets a credit for it. Hope all goes well, Frogbit.
PS, I'm looking forward to actually *reading* this entry, so far I've only heard about it.
PPS, I'm only a plant, so the suggestion to get the Suits to check out the legal side of things still stands.