Ash was born special. His father had prayed for a son like him to Shiva for many years, a son who could live up to Shiva's name, and his virtues. So Ash was born, a young baby boy with a gem in his head.
This gem was special, as it gave Ash the ability to slightly control the emotions of those around him. Growing up, Ash used this gem to coerce his instructors to train him harder in combat. It was only a bonus that this gem also kept him from thirst, hunger, and fatigue, so Ash could train all day and night.
He was charismatic, and everyone throughout his lifetime loved him, and being around him. His long thick hair was only a help in his love life.
Ashwatthaman and Shiva.
Ash didn't grow up with luxuries in life, his family was poor, often surviving off of scraps. So Ash was humble, always treating others with respect and kindness.
It wasn't long before his kingdom was at war, and as the good man he was he volunteered to fight alongside his people, not killing many but doing his part. It wasn't until the warring kingdom sent an assassin to kill his father, the supreme commander at the time, where things went south. See, Drona was no weakling except to when it came to his son. They tricked Drona. They had him believe that Ash was dead, and so Dorna mourned, making him weak and vulnerable.
When Ash heard of the death of his father, something changed in him. He became vicious and bloodthirsty. As revenge, he attacked the Pandavas, the rival kingdom, in a fit of rage, killing many in his rampage. He went so far as to kill an unborn child.
When the haze had faded, Ash was cured, having the Gods be the final judgement.
Authors note: Ashwatthama was a character I wanted to understand better, in terms of his personality and how he became so enraged when his father died. I wanted Ashwatthama to be an almost normal guy who was loved by many, besides his father of course. I think painting him in this better light allows us to see that he wasn't always a villian.
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)
This gem was special, as it gave Ash the ability to slightly control the emotions of those around him. Growing up, Ash used this gem to coerce his instructors to train him harder in combat. It was only a bonus that this gem also kept him from thirst, hunger, and fatigue, so Ash could train all day and night.
He was charismatic, and everyone throughout his lifetime loved him, and being around him. His long thick hair was only a help in his love life.
Ashwatthaman and Shiva.
Ash didn't grow up with luxuries in life, his family was poor, often surviving off of scraps. So Ash was humble, always treating others with respect and kindness.
It wasn't long before his kingdom was at war, and as the good man he was he volunteered to fight alongside his people, not killing many but doing his part. It wasn't until the warring kingdom sent an assassin to kill his father, the supreme commander at the time, where things went south. See, Drona was no weakling except to when it came to his son. They tricked Drona. They had him believe that Ash was dead, and so Dorna mourned, making him weak and vulnerable.
When Ash heard of the death of his father, something changed in him. He became vicious and bloodthirsty. As revenge, he attacked the Pandavas, the rival kingdom, in a fit of rage, killing many in his rampage. He went so far as to kill an unborn child.
When the haze had faded, Ash was cured, having the Gods be the final judgement.
Authors note: Ashwatthama was a character I wanted to understand better, in terms of his personality and how he became so enraged when his father died. I wanted Ashwatthama to be an almost normal guy who was loved by many, besides his father of course. I think painting him in this better light allows us to see that he wasn't always a villian.
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)
Hello, Callie!
ReplyDeleteI think your story was very well written and made the story of Ashawatthama more accessible and easy to understand. I really liked how easy it was to see the parallels to the actual story, likely because of the similar character names, and I like how you explained all of the events in a more modern/casual prose. This made the events of the story really easy to follow. If anything, I think some of your sentences are run ons and could use a comma. Very good job!
Hey Callie,
ReplyDeleteI like the background that you added for your character; it definitely helped me understand who the character was and their origin. Also, I liked how you shortened the character’s name from Ashwatthama to Ash. It was a more modern twist to the character. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your story and am looking forward to reading more of your work.
Callie,
ReplyDeleteI really like this version of this character because you fave him a backstory that explained his actions. I also love the power you gave him. I think it’s interesting to take a character that as slightly touched on and hen give him or her a backstory so they can be understood. I think Ashwatthama was a good character to do this with because he ya viewed so poorly in the original version.