Myth-Folklore Blog

 Crash Course Myth: Overview of Mythology Author: Multiple What is Myth?: Mythology is a culmination of knowledge Myths are very old and there is a possibility of different forms Has been argued and theorized for many years The line between myth and religion is blurry Stories that people have used in a variety of ways over a course of time Most don't have authors and their origins are vague Comes from the Greek word "mythos" A myth has significance and staying power The Hero's Journey and the Monomyth: The identical pattern or structure is shown between myths 3 parts and 17 subparts Usually broken down by part one: separation which is called to adventure or the belly of the whale or even crossing the first threshold Then there's part two: trials and victories of initiation which contains parts such as the road of trials, the meeting with the goddess, the ultimate boon, or even atonement with the father Last, there is part there: the return, where there could be re...

                                                                                                    Kalevala Author: Elias Lonnrot Part B: Joukahainen's Revenge Then the youth Joukahainen paused then was ready and one shoot and one restrained him He shouted "I will shoot my arrows heedless" Then he spanned his crossbow and took an arrow from his quiver He took the strongest of his arrows He was then ready to shoot at V He spoke the words that follow "Do thou strike Birchwood arrow.. strike thou in the back.." Quickly after he shot the first among his arrow high above his head it went. He shot in reckless fashion his second arrow and it was far too low Then he shot again a third time and in th...

  Kalevala Author: Elias Lonnrot Part A: Joukahainen and Vainamoinen V was old and steadfast and in Kalevalas lands he sang his songs and proved his wisdom He sang everyday words of ancient wisdom, songs that other children would sing it The songs of V carried throughout and in the south rumors were spread and reached Pohjola J was the meager youth of Lapland when visiting the village he would hear songs about another minstrel and that he was better Better songs than he could compass and better than his father taught him J heard these rumors with great displeasure and was filled with envy that Vs songs were greater He sought out his mother for knowledge and a journey where he can contend with V " I will set myself against him and defy him to a contest" Said J Then he went steadfast, eventually, the runner dashed together as they road against each other Their progress was arrested  V asked who are you and what is your lineage and that J dries recklessly without reflection J an...

   King Arthur Author: Andrew Lang Part B: King Arthur The End of Arthur Kind Arthur had won his battle against Mordred but had wounded on the battlefield and attended to by Sir Bedivere The king told sir his time was fast and to take his sword and throw it into the water and come back and tell him what he's seen Sir replied he shall do it however when he saw the sword and all its jewels he told himself that if I trow this rich sword nothing good will come of it so he hid it When he returned the King asked what he had seen Sir replied he saw nothing but the wind and the waves and the King replied that he must not be dealing with him truthfully The king ordered him to go back do his command and to throw it in Sir went again but his heart failed him when returned he told of the same thing King Arthur cried out your traitor and if you do not fulfill my bidding I will slay you Sir was shamed for disobeying the king as he went to throw the sword an arm came out of the water and cau...

 King Arthur Author: Andrew Lang Part A: King Arthur The Sword Excalibur King Arthur had fought a hard battle and would have lost if Merlin did not cast a spell on the knight He also brought the King to a hermit that healed his wounds in three days Arthur and Merlin left the hermit and rode together when Arthur said "I have no sword" Merlin told him to be patient They came to a large lake and Arthur beheld in an arm rising out of the water holding up a sword Merlin said that is the sword I spoke of and that is the lady of the lake coming to give you the sword When she got close Arthur saluted her and whether the sword is his She replied the sword is yours and if you give me what I ask you and he said he would She told him it was Excalibur and that her gift she will ask in time King Arthur and Merlin went to obtain the sword and when they left Merlin saw the King admiring the sword and asked which is better the scabbard or the sword Arthur replied he liked the sword  Merlin to...

   Beowulf Author: Stafford Riggs      Part B: Battle with the Dragon It was dark when they got close to the spot then they saw a space among the trees At one side was a burial mound and at the entrance, you could see the dragons hot breath Beowulf drew his earls and gave a great speech Gripping his shield he advanced to meet the dragon Beowulf cried out "come out foil field... pit your strength with me which is the greatest known in all this cold Northland!" There was a deathlike stillness in the night and finally, the dragon rushed from its lair It was ten ells in length with six-inch claws and a head so large that Beowulf marveled for a second The heat from its flame was so hot Beowulf held up is shield The battle was swift as lightning the forest was filled with clamoring from their battle  The heat was so bad Beowulf has to resort to cunning to wear his enemy out and avoid burning to death Trees fail from the earth from a flick of his tail Beowulf soug...

 Beowulf Author: Stafford Riggs     Part A: Beowulf's Resolve A wanderer was singing Beowulf sat No one paid attention to his rapid breathing  He leaned forward on the table with his eyes fixed on the minstrel The thoughts running through his head were confused but one was sure and that was to slay the monster Grendel He saw himself face to face with Grendel and suddenly and wild cry came from him He shouted that he was the son of Ecgtheow and of Hygelacs sister and that he will go to the land of the Danes and serve their king He shouted he will slay Grendel Those that heard him thought his cries were humorous to want to battle someone like Grendel The audience didn't know whether to approve or laugh and the youthful Beowulf with his eyes lit on fire Hygd the queen stood up among the turmoil and stepped to Beowulf and offed him a cup and smiled at him with pride Hygelac commanded silence among the guests and turned to Beowulf in a loud voice and told him it was time...

Tales of the North American Indians Author: Stith Thompson      Part B: The Jealous Uncle (end) The story picks with the Uncle giving the boy something.. he had the boy get into a box and had it lowered into the sea He drifted in the sea for a long time until he heard a noise He heard voices arguing over who saw the box first They picked up the box and began to carry but feeling how heavy it was they untied it Opening the box he was surprised to see two pretty best friends He found himself in eagle land  The girls were the daughters of the village chief, they led them to thier father each claiming him The chief gave the boy to the older girl and with her, he lived happily but he often remembered his times with old people and the cruelty of his uncle. His wife noticed his depression and wanted to cheer him so she went to her father He advised him to put on the eagle's skin and soar high until he could see his village and bring his parents back He could see all other p...

    Tales of the North American Indians Authors: Stith Thompson     Part A: The Jealous Uncle There was a village with a man named the unnatural uncle and when his nephews became a few years old h would kill them After a second boy had gone his wife went to the mother of the boys and said let's hide the next kid and make them believe it is a girl Another nephew was born and the Unnatural Uncle sent his wife to finds to the sex of the chi;d She reported the child a girl and the Uncle said to let her live They tended to the boy and dressed him like a girl and as he ew older he imitated their ways and attitudes Unnatural UIncle often wondered about his boyish looks and one day not knowing the uncle was watching exposed his body Unnatural Uncle when he got home told his wife how she fooled him and asked to see his nephew The boy was frightened but told his parents not to worry as he would come back safe He asked of his previous brother's playthings before leaving and fou...

  Africa: Makoma (cont.) Author: Andrew Lang Reading Notes - Makoma contd: This is a continuation of the story of Makoma Makoma traveled for many days until he reached a barren country of rock and not a single living grew upon it Amidst this dead region, he found a man-eating fire and Makoma demanded to know what the man was doing The man replied he was eating fire and his name,e was Chi-idea-moto the flame spirit and I can destroy what I want Makoma responded that he is greater and that he cannot destroy him The fire eater laughed and split a flame at Makoma tarnishing the ground but Makoma dodged before it could hit him Makoma flung his hammer at him striking him helpless and Makoma placed him in the sack Woro-now with others he's conquered  He now had the added power to produce fire along with the abilities of the others he's defeated Makoma had found a spot in a meadow where he wanted to live the next day he released his giants to get poles to build a kraal He only let Chi...

    Myths of the Cherokee Author: James Mooney Part B: Snake Boy and Snake Man Two hunters had gone into the woods together and when evening came make a campsite and a fire One of the hunters had killed several squirells and was preparing to broil them There was tabu against the meat of a squirrel or turkey His companion warned him of the tabu that he would become a snake The hunter laguhed and exclaimed that was a conjureres story and continued his preparation When the squirrels werer roasted, he ate them and layed by the fire to sleep Later in th night his companion was awoked by a groaning and found the other lying on the ground in agony He soon realized the lower part of his body was changed to the body/tail of a snake The man was still able to speak and yelled for help but his companion couldnt do anything but comfort him He watched as his his arms sunk into his body and the skin began to scale over Eventually his head had become a serpent and the great snake crawled way ...

  Myths of the Cherokee Author: James Mooney Part A: The Deer and the Rabbit The deer began with no horns and had the head of a doe The deer was a great runner and the rabbit a great jumper and many animals were curious which could farther Eventually, a match was arranged between the two and the prcie was a pair of antlers On the day of the match all the animals were there with the antlers marking the starting point While everyone admired the antelers the rabbit exclaimed that he did not know this part of the country and decided to take a look through the bushes  The animals deemed it alright and so the rabbit went After a while the rabbit had not returned and so the animals began to suspect him of trickery They sent someone to look for him and short after found the rabbit trying to clear a path through thicket where the race was going to occur The messneger retunred quietly and told the rest of the animals When the rabbit retured they accused him of cheating but he denied it ...

 Nigerian Folk Stories Author: Elphinstone Dayrell Part A: Why the Cat Kills Rats There was Ansa and he was the king of Calabar for 50 years He had a very faithful housekeeper that was a cat and rat as a house boy The king was very fond of his cat The rat was very poor and fell in love with the king's servant girl but was unable to give her presents The rat thought of the king's store one night he made a hole in the roof and then stole corn and pears and presented them to her The cat had to check the inventory in the store for the king at the end of the month he found out things were missing The king was very angry and asked for an explanation The cat had heard from one of her friends that the rat had been stealing and giving it to the girl When the cat told the king he called the girl before him and had her flogged and the rat was given to the cat to deal with Both the cat and the rat were dismissed from service The cat was furious and killed and ate the rat and now whenever s...

  South African Folktales Author: Multiple Part A: The Lost Message Ants have many enemies and anteaters live wholly from them A few ants found it best to have a council meeting to make arrangments for a retreating place They could not come to a decision There were a red, rice, black, wagtail, gray, and shining ant as well as others Thye discussed for a long time but came to no conclusion each part decided it best to go their own way  from among the ants, some had an appointed king and divided labor, unity could not be seen greater around the world Each group did it in its own way and no one had a plan against birds or an anteater Red ants built an underground house and the anteater destroyed it Rice ants lied underground and the anteater visited them too nothing was better Wagtail lived in the trees but a centipede laid waiting as well as the birds gobbled them up\ Gray decided to take flight but was stopped by the lizard hunting spider and the birds Insect king heard there w...

                                                                               Egyptian Myth and Legend Author: Donald A. Mackenzie Part B: The Two Brothers There were two brothers Anpu was the eldest and the younger was Bata Anpu had a house and wife Bata live with him like his own son and made garments for him Bata drove the oxen to the field, ploughed the land, and harvested the grain  He worked tirelessly but his equal has yet to be found in the lands of Egypt Every morning Bata tended to the oxen, fed them, and even provided milk and herbs for his brother and his wife Bata rested with the cattle and slept inside the, Bata was the first to rise in the morning and baked bread for Anpu and carried his portions to the field Bata understood the cattle...

  Egyptian Myth and Legend Author: Donald A. Mackenzie Part A: Creation At the beginning of the world was a waste of water called Nu Nu gave being to the sun god  The god of brightness appeared as a shining egg  The spirits of the deep known as the fathers and mothers were companions of Nu Ra was greater than Nu which is who he arose from He was known as the first divine father and strong ruler of the gods He first created Shu the wing god and his consort Tefnut who had a lioness head They called Tefnut the "Splitter" because she sends the rain In after time Tefnut and Shu were known as The Twins and were shone as starts amidst the constellations of heaven Seb was the earth god and Nut was the goddess of firmament and they became the parents of Osiris and his consort Isis and Set and his consort Nepthys Ra at the beginning of creation based the earth and heavens to rise out of the waste of water As he requested Shu the uplifter raised Nut and she formed a vault which arhc...

  Tales of Nasruddin Author: Laura Gibbs Part B: Itching and Scratching This is a short humorous story where Nasruddin and his wife are sleeping in bed. Nasruddin and his wife share a small house, bed, and even sleep on a single pillow together. One night Nasruddin had an itch so bad that it had woke him up from his sleep. He kept scratching his head but the itch wouldn't go away. Then his wife wakes up and yells "stop scratching my head I'm trying to sleep!" Nasruddin apologized and told her to go back to sleep and then felt around until he found his head. He realize the entire time that he was scratching the wrong head and exclaimed "that explains it!".  Nasruddin's Small Bed (Source: Pixy )

Tales of Nasruddin Author: Laura Gibbs Part A: Nasruddin, His Son, and the Donkey This is a short story where Nasruddin was going into town with his son. In the beginning, Nasruddin rode while his son rode the horse. On their trip, someone saw them and was disgusted and asked why must your father walk. In order to please the wishes of the man the son got off and Nasruddin got on the horse. Further down along the road there was another unpleasant encounter where someone scoffed at Nasruddin calling him a cruel father for making his son walk. In order to please him, they both rode the donkey. Further along the road again unpleased with what they were seeing a bystander says "poor donkey, carrying two riders!". Next, they both get off and walk and the final person they saw laughed and made fun of Nasruddin and his son saying that at least one them should ride the donkey. Nasruddin took this as a lesson for his son that there is no pleasing everyone! Nasruddin's Donkey (Sourc...

    Homers Odyssey  Author: Tony Kline Part B: Ghosts of Erebus Begin by dragging sheep on their black ship they set oy to sea until the sunset and the wave had become dark On the way to place Circe described they eventually beached their ship and landed the seep Perimedes and Eurylochus restrained the sacrifice victims Odysseus drew his sword and dug a two-foot pit  He then poured a libation which consisted of milk honey wine and water and then even sprinkled barley He then prayed to the ghosts swearing that when he arrives at ithica he would sacrifice a heifer the best of his herd After his prayers, Odysseus led the sheep to the put and cut their throats Ghosts of the dead then swarmed out of Erebus Voices of all kinds of people could be heard even warriors slain in battle The feeling was so ominous O. turned pale with fear O. called to his crew and requested they burn the sheep with prayers to Hades and Persephone O. wanted to question Teiresias Odysseus's Sacrifi...

  Homers Odyssey  Author: Tony Kline Part A: The Land of the Cyclopses Odysseus and his men arrived at the land of cyclopses They are known to be aggressive and rely on the immortal gods for labor They live in caves and have no regard for their neighbors They lack transportation or a means to get from place to place they have no ships However this does not make them poor, they have rich well-watered meadows  Their soil is considered so rich they would actually yield great harvests Ahead of the harbor, it was incredibly dark Odysseus assumed some gods guide them through the darkness No one could see the land they had no clue where they were until they hit land They slept a night "Dawn appeared" and they began to explore the island Nymphs had disturbed a herd of goats sending them towards O's men Thanks to the gods they procured some kills 9 for the crew and 10 for O They drank until they hardly had any left Across the land, they could hear the Cyclopses voices and the soun...