Table of Contents

What is Mythology Anyway? 1

Part 1: Classical Mythology 2

What is Classical Mythology? 2
Greek Creation Myth 3
The Twelve Labours of Heracles 5
Theseus and the Minotaur 11
Perseus and Medusa 15
The Trojan War 20

Part 2: Medieval and Early Modern Mythology 24

What is Medieval Mythology? 24
Norse Creation Story 25
How Sif Lost Her Golden Hair 28
Beowulf 32
King Arthur 37
Cinderella 41
Rapunzel 46
Little Brier-Rose 50

Part 3 - Non-Western Mythology / Modern Mythology 54

Introduction to Non-Western Mythology 54
Tales of Maui 55
Mauis Origin 55
How Maui Slowed the Sun 59
How Mui Brought Fire to the World 62
First Nations Mythologies 66
How Coyote Stole Fire 66
Moowis, the Snow-Husband 69
Fa Mu Lan 71
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights 73
Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp 75
Egyptian Mythology 85
Imhotep 85
The Book of the Dead 86
The Legend of Isis and Osiris 87

Modern Mythology 89
The Heros Journey 89
Archetypes 90

Sources 93
What is Mythology Anyway?
The simplest definition of myths are stories that people tell each other. However myths
are more than a collection of entertaining tales. They were also used by people to help
make sense of the world around them.

In ancient times, when most myths were created, science was not as advanced as it is
today. People would therefore use mythology to answer questions such as where does
rain come from? Why does the sun rise and set? Or why was humanity created?

All myths can be divided into the following three categories:

Divine Myths

In divine myths, supernatural beings or gods are the main

characters. These supernatural beings are superior to humans in
power and ability, and control the forces of nature. Most of these
stories are told in order to explain why the world is the way it is,
for example, where does lightning come from?

Legends

Legends however are stories of great deeds done by human heroes or

heroines. In these stories, the main characters might have supernatural
abilities, but they are definitely mortal, and can die. Legends typically
take place in a far distant past, before history was recorded, and may
contain some historical facts mixed in with the fiction.

Folktales

Folktales are stories in which ordinary humans or animals are the main
characters, but spirits or supernatural characters may interact with
them during their journey. These stories are often told to teach a moral
lesson, or proper behaviours. Folktales often bring a happy ending for
the heroes, and promote the idea that good will always triumph over
evil.

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Part 1: Classical Mythology

What is Classical Mythology?

Classical Mythology typically refers to stories from the Western Tradition, originating in
Ancient Greece and Rome. Many of these myths and legends are believed to have
been passed down orally for over two thousand years, before they were written down
around 850 BCE.

The first known person to write down these Classical Myths was known
as Homer. Homer is famous for telling the story of the Trojan War
through his works The Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as a number of
smaller works about the gods. Very little is known about Homer, and
some think that he may be more than one person, but since he was
writing almost three thousand years ago, very little actually survives.
Homers stories however reference many Greek gods, and some of the
greatest heroes of Classical Mythology.

The next major author of Greek mythology is known as Hesiod.

Hesiod lived in Greece in 700 BCE, and is known primarily for
authoring the Greek creation story, as well as a number of side
stories about the gods. It is believed that Hesiod compiled a
number of oral stories he learned throughout his lifetime into one
written work. Once more, as his writing took place thousands of
years ago, scholars know very little for sure about Hesiod, and
whether he was a single person, or many authors.

The stories of Classical Mythology are typically from Ancient Greece, and were later
adopted by the Romans. The Romans were famously known for taking the Greek
stories and giving them Roman names, but leaving all other aspects of the myths intact.

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Greek Creation Myth

In the beginning there was only chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the
unknowable place where death dwells, and Night. All else was empty, silent, endless,
darkness.

Then somehow Love was born bringing a start of order. From Love came Light and
Day. Once there was Light and Day, Gaea, the earth appeared. Gaea gave birth to
Uranus, the heavens. Uranus became Gaea's husband,
covering her on all sides. Together they produced the three
Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans.

However, Uranus was a bad father and husband. He hated

the Hecatoncheires. He imprisoned them by pushing them
into Tartarus - a dark pit of endless nothingness. This
angered Gaea and she plotted against Uranus. She made a
flint blade and tried to get her children to attack Uranus. All
were too afraid except, the youngest Titan, Cronus.

Gaea and Cronus set up an ambush of Uranus as he slept one

night. Cronus struck his father with the knife, causing him to
withdraw from the earth. As he departed he promised that Cronus
and the Titans would be punished.

Cronus became the next ruler. He imprisoned the Cyclopes and

the Hecatoncheires in Tartarus. He married Rhea, and under his
rule the Titans had many children. He ruled for many ages. However, Gaea and Uranus
both had told him that he would be overthrown by a son. To avoid this Cronus
swallowed each of his children as they were born.

Rhea was angry at the treatment of the children and plotted

against Cronus. When it came time to give birth to her sixth
child, Rhea hid herself, then she left the child to be raised by
nymphs. To conceal her act she wrapped a stone in babys
cloths and passed it off to Cronus, who then swallowed it.

This child was Zeus, and he grew into a handsome youth on

Crete. When he was strong enough, Zeus and Rhea then prepared a drink for Cronus,
designed to make him release the other children. Rhea slipped the drink to Cronus one
night, and it worked exactly as planned. Cronus vomited up the other five children -

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Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera. Being gods they were unharmed, and
came out of Cronus stomach fully grown. They were thankful to Zeus and made him
their leader.

Determined to overthrow Cronus, the young gods, calling themselves the Olympians,
attacked the Titans. The battle was fierce, and lasted for many years. The Titans were
strong, but Zeus was more cunning. He went down to Tartarus
and freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires. The Titan,
Prometheus, switched sides, and joined Zeus as well. The
Cyclopes provided Zeus with lightning bolts for weapons. The
Hecatoncheires were able to ambush the Titans, and attack
them with boulders thrown from their many hands.

With their new allies, the Olympians were able to

defeat the Titans. Zeus exiled the Titans who had
fought against him into Tartarus, under the guard
of the Hecatoncheires. All of the Titans remain there to this day, with the
exception of Atlas, who was singled out for the special punishment of
holding the world on his shoulders.

Since the war, the heavens and Earth have been ruled by the mighty
Olympian gods and their children, who continue to watch over and interfere in the lives
of humans.

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The Twelve Labours of Heracles

Heracles was half man and half god. His mother was a mortal. But his father was a king
- a very special king, the king of all the gods, the mighty Zeus. But Heracles did not
know he was part god until he had grown into a man.

Right from the beginning, Hera, Zeus' wife, despised Heracles,

as he had been born outside her marriage with Zeus. She tried
all kinds of ways to kill him, including sending a couple of big
snakes into his crib. Heracles crushed those snakes in a flash!
Heracles was incredibly strong, even as a baby!

When Hercules grew up and had become a great warrior, he

married a woman named Megara. They had two children.
Heracles and Megara were very happy, but Hera had decided
that their happiness was not to last. Hera sent a fit of madness to Heracles that put him
into so great a rage, he unknowingly killed Megara and his children.

When Hercules regained his senses and saw the horrible thing that he had done, he
asked the god Apollo to help him make amends for his crime. Apollo commanded the
hero to do certain tasks of Labours for his cousin
Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae, as a punishment for his
wrongs, so that the evil might be cleansed from his spirit.
What Heracles did not know was that Hera had been
plotting with Eurystheus to create twelve impossible
tasks, which would almost certainly result in the heros
death.

As his first Labor, Heracles was sent to kill the Nemean

Lion. This was no easy feat, for the lion's skin was
impenetrable by spears or arrows. Heracles blocked off
the entrance to the lion's cave and choked it to death with
his bare hands. Ever afterwards he wore the lion's skin
as a cloak and its gaping jaws as a helmet.

King Eurystheus was afraid of his heroic cousin that he hid in a storage jar. From the
safety of this hiding place he issued the order for another Labor. Heracles was to seek
out and destroy the monstrous and many-headed Hydra.

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The Hydra lived in the swamps of Lerna. Some said that the Hydra had eight or nine
heads, others counted between fifty and a hundred. And still others claimed as many as
ten thousand. All agreed, however, that as soon as one head was beaten down or
chopped off, two more grew in its place. Only one of the heads was immortal, but
cutting it off was the challenge. To make matters worse, the Hydra's very breath was
lethal. Even smelling its footprints was enough to bring death to an ordinary mortal.
Fortunately, Heracles was no ordinary mortal.

The great hero sought out the monster in its lair and brought it out into the open with
flaming arrows. Then he made sure to hold his breath while fighting with the beast.
Heracles had the strength of ten, but the fight
went in the Hydra's favor. The monster
twined its many heads around the hero and
tried to trip him up. It called on an ally, a
huge crab which also lived in the swamp.
The crab bit Heracles in the heel and further
impeded his attack. Heracles was on the
verge of failure when he remembered his
nephew Iolaus.

Heracles employed Iolaus, to drive his

chariot. Iolaus had driven Heracles to the
swamps of Lerna, and he looked on in anxiety as his uncle became entangled in the
Hydra's snaky heads. Finally, Iolaus could no longer bear to stand aside. In response to
his uncle's shouts, he grabbed a burning torch and dashed to the fight.

Now, as soon as Heracles cut off one of the Hydra's heads, Iolaus was there to sear the
wounded neck with flame. This kept further heads from sprouting. In this fashion,
Heracles cut off the heads one by one, with Iolaus cauterizing the wounds. Finally
Heracles chopped off the immortal head and buried it deep beneath a rock.

This was not to be the hero's last experience fighting in a swamp. A future Labor would
pit him against the Stymphalian Birds, man-killers who inhabited a marsh near
Stymphalus in Arcadia. Heracles could not approach the birds to fight them - the ground
was too swampy to bear his weight and too mucky to wade through. Finally Heracles
resorted to some noisemakers given to him by the goddess Athena. By making a racket
with these, he caused the birds to take wing. And once they were in the air, he brought
them down by the dozens with his arrows.

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Heracles next Labour came when Eurystheus challenged him
to retrieve the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. The
Hesperides, or Daughters of Evening, were nymphs assigned
by the goddess Hera to guard certain apples which she had
received as a wedding present. These were kept in a grove
surrounded by a high wall and guarded by a dragon named
Ladon. The grove was located in some far western land in the
mountains named for Atlas.

Atlas was a Titan, which is to say a member of the first generation of gods, born of
Earth. One of his brothers was Cronus, father of Zeus. Atlas made the mistake of siding
with Cronus in a war against Zeus. In punishment, he was forced to support the weight
of the heavens on his shoulders.

Heracles had been told that he would never get the apples without the aid of Atlas, who
was a friend of the Hesperides. The Titan was only too happy to help, since it meant
being relieved of his burden. He told the hero to hold the pillar while he went into the
garden of the Hesperides to retrieve the fruit.

Atlas was successful and returned quickly

enough, but in the meantime he had
realized how pleasant it was not to have to
strain for eternity keeping heaven and
earth apart. So he told Heracles that he'd
have to fill in for him from now on.
Heracles pretended to agree to this
proposal. But he said that he needed a
cushion for his shoulder, and he wondered
if Atlas would mind taking back the pillar
just long enough for him to fetch one. Atlas
graciously agree, once more taking the
weight of the heavens. Once relieved on the load, Heracles strolled off, and never
returned, leaving Atlas to shoulder the burden once more.

As his final Labor, Heracles was instructed to bring the hellhound Cerberus, guardian of
the Underworld, up from the infernal kingdom of Hades. Hades was god of the dead.
His realm, to which all mortals eventually traveled, lay beneath the earth and was called
the Underworld, or Hades, after its ruler.

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There were two ways to get to the Underworld. The first and simplest was to die. The
other way was only open to gods or heroes, who could proceed with caution to Hades'
realm via certain hidden caves.

In being challenged to bring back Cerberus to the land of the living, Heracles was faced
with one of his most difficult Labors. Descending to Hades, the
first problem he encountered was a glowering Charon the
Boatman. Charon wasn't about to ferry anyone across in his
rickety craft unless they met two conditions. Firstly, they had to
pay a fare or bribe. And secondly, they had to be dead. Heracles
met neither condition, a circumstance which angered Charon. But
Heracles simply glowered at the Boatman, and stared at him so
fiercely, for so long that Charon let out a whimper and meekly
conveyed the hero across the Styx.

The next and greater challenge was Cerberus himself. The dog had teeth of a razor's
sharpness, three heads, a venomous snake for a
tail and for good measure another swarm of snakes
growing out of his back. When Heracles began to
wrestle with the hound, these snakes lashed at him
from the rear, while Cerberus's multiple heads
lunged for the hero's throat. Fortunately, Heracles
was wearing his trusty lion's skin, which was
impenetrable by anything short of one of Zeus's
thunderbolts. After a titanic struggle, Heracles got
Cerberus by the throat and choked the dog into
unconsciousness.

Taking care to secure the permission of Hades and his queen Persephone, the hero
then slung Cerberus over his shoulder and carted him off to Mycenae, where he
received credit for the Labor.

Heracles was the only hero to become a full-fledged god upon his death. He received
special consideration because in a different adventure, he had aided the Olympians in a
battle against the Giants. By virtue of his spectacular achievements, even by heroic
standards, Heracles was given a home on Mount Olympus and a goddess for a wife.
But part of him had come not from his father Zeus but from his mortal mother Alcmene,
and that part was sent to the Underworld. As a ghost, it eternally roams the Elysian
Fields, a special section of Hades reserved for heroes, in the company of other great
adventurers.

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 12 Labours of Heracles

1) Kill the Nemean Lion

Lion with unbreakable skin

Heracles trapped the lion in a cave, and
strangled it to death

2) Kill the Hydra

Creature with many heads and poisonous blood

Defeated by chopping off heads and burning the
stump

3) Capture the Stag of Ceryneia

Deer with bronze hooves and golden horns, pet

of Artemis
Faster than any man
Chased by Heracles for a year before capture

4) Capture the Erymanthian Boar

Enormous boar living in the mountains

Chased into a cave and captured with a net

5) Clean the Augean Stables

Stable holding thousands of animals - had never

been clean
Heracles lifts up a river, and runs it through the
stables

6) Remove the Stymphalian Birds

Enormous, man eating birds, living in a swamp

Heracles frightens birds with noisemakers, then
shoots them with arrows

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7) Capture the Cretan Bull

Massive bull living in the islands of Crete

Wrestled and tied up by Heracles

8) Capture the Man Eating Horses of

Diomedes

Man eating horses owned by King Diomedes of

Bistones
Heracles, with several allies attack and kill
Diomedes and his army - take horses

9) Steal the Belt of Hippolyte

Hippolyte is queen of the Amazons - warrior

women who rule over men
Heracles negotiates, then battles the Amazons,
takes the belt

10) Steal the Cattle of Geryon

Geryon was a giant with three heads and six

legs, who owned a magnificent herd of cattle
Heracles kills Geryon with an arrow, then herds
the cattle back to Eurystheus, losing and
recapturing the herd several times

11) Acquire the Apples of the Hesperides

Golden apples guarded by a hundred headed

dragon and the Hesperides (daughters of Atlas)
Heracles kills the dragon, then holds the world
on his shoulders while Atlas takes the apples.

12) Capture Cerberus

Three headed hound of the Underworld

Heracles forces the Boatman to take him into the
Underworld, wrestles Cerberus, and with Hades
permission, takes him back to Earth.

10
Theseus and the Minotaur

King Minos of Crete was a powerful man, feared by the kings of the lands around him.
When he demanded goods or men for his great armies, they gave him what he wanted.
When he demanded, they send tributes to honour him, they sent them without question.
It was the only way they prevent war with powerful
Crete.

King Minos had a great palace built for himself. Inside

this palace, Minos had built a giant maze, a Labyrinth,
and, at the center of the maze, he kept a terrifying
creature, - the Minotaur. Now this was no ordinary
animal; it was a monster, half man and half bull.

It was powerful, and savage and it loved to eat the flesh of the humans who had been
shut into the labyrinth by King Minos. They would wander through the maze, completely
lost, until at last they came face to face with the Minotaur.

As for the city of Athens, Minos demanded that every year the
King send him seven young men and seven young women as
tribute.

"Why do we send these young people to Crete every year?"

Theseus asked his father, the King of Athens. "And why is it that
none of them ever return?"

"Because if we did not send them, Minos would wage war on us and it is a war that we
would not win," said King Aegeus. "And they do not return because they do not go to
Crete as slaves. They go as food for the Minotaur."

"Father, this is terrible," shouted Theseus, "we cannot let this

go on. We cannot sacrifice any more of our young citizens to
this tyrant. When it is time to send the next tribute, I will go as
one of them and I vow that it is the last time the Minotaur will
be fed with the flesh of any of our people."

Try as he might, his father could not persuade him to change

his mind. Aegeus reminded him that every year, other young
men had sworn to slay this terrible beast and they had never
been seen again.

11
 Theseus insisted that he understood the dangers but would succeed. "I will return to
you, father," cried Theseus, as the ship left the harbour wall, "and you will be proud of
your son." "Then I wish you good luck, my son," cried his father, "I shall keep watch for
you every day. If you are successful, take down these black
sails and replace them with white ones. That way I will know
you are coming home safe to me."

As the ship docked in Crete, King Minos himself came down to

inspect the prisoners from Athens. He enjoyed the chance to
taunt the Athenians and to humiliate them even further. "Is this
all your king has to offer this year?" he jeered. "Such puny
creatures. Hardly even a snack for the mighty creature within the labyrinth. Anyway, let's
get on with it. I am not a hard-hearted man, so I will let you choose which one goes first
into the Minotaur's den. Who is it to be?"

Theseus stepped forward. "I will go first. I am Theseus, Prince of Athens and I do not
fear what is within the walls of your maze." King Minos laughed, replying, "Those are
brave words for one so young and so feeble. But the Minotaur will soon have you
between its horns. Guards, open the labyrinth and send him in."

Standing behind the king, listening, was his daughter, Ariadne. From the moment she
set eyes on Theseus, Ariadne fell in love with him. As she listened to her father goading
and taunting the young prince, she decided that she would help him. As he entered the
labyrinth and the guards walked away, she called softly to him. "Theseus, take this," she
whispered. "Even if you kill the Minotaur, you will never find your way
out again."

She threw him a great ball of string and he tied one end of it to the
entrance. He smiled at her, turned and began to make his way into
the maze, the string playing out behind him as he went. Theseus
walked carefully through the dark, foul-smelling passages of the
labyrinth, expecting at any moment to come face-to-face with the
creature. He did not have long to wait. Turning a corner, with his
hands held out in front of him feeling his way, he suddenly touched
what felt like a huge bony horn.

In an instant his world turned upside-down, quite literally. He was picked up between
the Minotaur's horns and tossed high into the air. When he landed on the hard cold
stone, he felt the animal's huge hooves come down on his chest. Every last breath
seemed to be knocked out of him and he struggled to stay alive in the darkness.

12
But Theseus was no ordinary man. He was the son of the King, he was brave and he
was stubborn. As the Minotaur bellowed in his ear and grabbed at him with its hairy
arms, Theseus found a strength which he did not know he
possessed.

He grabbed the animal's huge horns, and kept on twisting

the great head from side to side. As the animal grew weak,
Theseus gave one last mighty tug on the head, turning it
almost right around. The creature's neck snapped, it gurgled
its last breath and fell to the floor with an enormous thud.

It was over, he had done it. The Minotaur was dead. All he
had to do was make his way out of...and then he realized the
awful truth. In the struggle, he had let go of the string, his
lifeline. Theseus felt all over the floor in the pitch darkness
and kept thinking he had found it, only to realize that he all
he had was a long wiry hair from the Minotaur.

Despair set in and Theseus wondered if this was where his life would end, down in the
dark, all alone, next to the stinking body. Then, his hand brushed a piece of string and,
with a whoop of delight, he knew he had found the thread which would lead him back
out. As he neared the entrance of the labyrinth, the darkness began to fade and he
made out the figure of Ariadne, waiting for his return.

"You must take me back to Athens with you," she cried, "My
father will kill me when he finds out that I have helped you."
"But of course you must come with us," said Theseus, "it would
be cruel to leave you here." Quickly and quietly, they unfurled
the great black sails of their ship and headed for home. "I
cannot believe how my life has changed," said Ariadne, as they
sailed across the calm seas towards Athens. "To think that I
am free of my cruel father and that I will soon be married to a
great prince."

"Married?" said Theseus, "Oh, yes, that will be...er...

wonderful." But in truth, Theseus did not really find her attractive. So, when their ship
docked at an island on their way home, to collect fresh water, Theseus sent Ariadne off
to find bread and fruit. The moment she was gone, he set sail and left her on the island.

13
Theseus treatment of Ariadne had consequences however. The gods were enraged at
Theseus, and devised a horror for him, as a punishment for his treatment of the young
girl. In his haste to get away, Theseus forgot to change his sails to white. King Aegeus,
waiting on the headland, saw the ship approaching with its black sails flying in the wind.

"My son has failed and he is dead," he cried. And in despair, he flung himself from the
cliff into the raging waters below. From that day on, the sea was named in memory of
Theseus' father, and to this day, it is known as the Aegean Sea.

14
Perseus and Medusa

Acrisius, the king of Argos, was told by the oracle of Delphi that his own grandson would
kill him one day. This grandson would be the child of his daughter Danae. Scared of the
upcoming future and his destiny, King Acrisius decided to
make sure his daughter would never have a child, so he built a
room beneath the earth and imprisoned Danae there.

However, Zeus came to her in the form of golden rain, slipping

through the walls of chamber. Danae fell in love with Zeus, and
shortly after, Perseus was born. Hearing the news but not
believing that Zeus was the father of the newborn, Acrisius let
his daughter and grandchild out to the open sea on an ark.
They eventually came to the shores of Serifos Island, where
they were saved and adopted by a local couple, the man being
the brother of the king of the island, Polydectes.

When Perseus grew up to a handsome and strong young man, one more time he found
himself in the way of a king, this time King Polydectes. Polydectes wanted Danae to
become his wife. Knowing that he wouldnt have the woman for himself as long as
Perseus was there to protect her, the king made a plan to send Perseus not only far
away but also to a dangerous mission. Polydectes told Perseus to bring him the head of
the gorgon Medusa.

Medusa was one of three sisters, the gorgons,

but she was the only mortal one. The gorgons
had initially all been gorgeous women. Medusa
was so beautiful that Poseidon fell in love with
her, but she didnt feel the same way about
him. Poseidon, in anger, turned her and her
sisters into monsters with live snakes covering
their heads. Medusa kept her beautiful face
but everything else was so monstrous, any who dared to look into her face ended up
being turned into stone.

Perseus thus had a difficult task before him. He asked the gods Athena and Hermes for
help and two of them provided him with several items with which he could defeat the
gorgons. The first was a pair of winged sandals to fly him to the end of the world where
gorgons lived, the next was a helmet that made him invisible, and finally a sword and a

15
mirrored shield. The shield was the most important tool Perseus had, since it allowed
him to see a reflection of Medusas face and to avoid being turned into stone.

Before the gods left, Athena spoke to Perseus,

saying: You must find the Old Grey Sisters that
live on the northern shore. They will also tell you
how to find her lair. Be bold yet cunning in your
quest, we wish you well."
And so Perseus' quest began. He travelled first
northwards, to seek out the Old Grey Sisters.
Soon he approached their cave by the seas.
Never had he
seen a more revolting sight. Hunched together in the
mists and spray of the sea were three knotted, hideous
old crones, as grey as the rocks that surrounded them.
They had just one eye between them. As he cautiously
approached, Perseus heard them muttering and
passing the soft, slippery eye gingerly between them
with their gnarled fingers. Each sister scolded the
others and begged for a turn with the eye, in equal
measure.

It was an awful sight, but one which Perseus knew he

could use to his advantage.
As one took the eye out to pass it to another, Perseus seized his chance. He flew down
on his winged sandals and, snatching the eye, darted out of reach. "Where is it? Give it
to me," screeched one old hag. Youve taken it. Give it back. Its my turn!" howled
another, scrabbling about on the floor for the lost treasure.

Quiet! yelled Perseus, listen to me! All three fell silent, their wizened, sightless heads
craning towards the voice. I, Perseus, have your eye and I shall keep it and take it far
away, unless you reveal to me the secret location of the Gorgons."

Thief! Give us the eye, it is ours, screeched each crone. How dare you steal it from
us! Tell me of what I seek or the eye will be lost to you, boomed Perseus. You will
end your days in darkness, if you fail me." The sisters screamed, ranted and pleaded
with Perseus, stumbling towards him, their skinny arms stretched out. They gasped and
groaned as though in agony, until eventually one exhausted old crone muttered the
information Perseus wanted. Heres your eye, he called, throwing the gruesome object

16
into the middle of the threesome. He took off as their screeching, scrabbling and
quarrelling started once again.

The lair of the gorgons was unmistakable, surrounded, as it was, by the frozen, stone
remains of unwary visitors. Perseus cautiously entered, crouching low to avoid the
sloping roof, slimy green and dripping with water. He crawled further in, peering ahead
in the gloom. The distant snoring of the Gorgons, and the soft hissing of the snakes that
crowned their heads, reached the anxious warrior. The air turned bitter, the cold stinging
his body like a swarm of wasps. He crept silently on, using the shield to reflect the way
ahead.

Suddenly, he tripped on a rock and a low grunt of pain escaped his lips. He froze,
listening, peering. What was that? Then he saw a reflection in his shield. Medusa was
lying there, twisted and grotesque. Her hands were claws and her skin was scaly. Her
mouth, open in sleep, revealed tusks that served for teeth and a black protruding
tongue, far too big for her mouth. Perseus gripped his gleaming sword until his knuckles
turned white.

He glanced again at his shield. He knew

he would have but one chance. It was
only the highly polished surface of the
shield that was keeping him from turning
to stone. He inched nearer and the
snakes writhed to reach him, he slowly
raised his weapon and, with one
powerful movement, struck the Gorgons
neck, slicing off her head.

At the instance of death her eyes flew

open. There was a roaring of thunder and out of the severed neck arose a magnificent
winged horse. As it flew into the sky, dark shadows shifted. "Who dares trespass in our
lair?" The furious Gorgons scanned the gloom with their deadly eyes, but Perseus,
wearing the helmet of darkness, was invisible to them. Still using the shield as a mirror,
he grabbed the snaked head of Medusa and dropped it into his bag.

He darted back out of the lair and, using his sandals, followed the winged horse into the
skies, to the vengeful cries of the remaining two Gorgons. Perseus was eager to return
home to rescue his mother. As he allowed himself a deep sigh and a brief smile, little
did he know that his adventure was far from over.

17
He was flying along the coast, when he saw a beautiful young woman chained to a
jagged shelf above the sea. The rocks around her were littered with the bones of men
and beasts.

Clearly some terrible monster had feasted upon

them. Appalled by the situation and struck with the
girl's beauty, Perseus flew down to her. Who are
you and what are you doing here? he asked.
My name is Andromeda, and Im being sacrificed
because my mother was so vain and boasted that I
was more beautiful than the sea nymphs. In their
anger they released the sea monster over the land.
Only my death will appease it," wept the girl.

Only the sea monsters death will appease me!

exclaimed a shocked Perseus.
Look out, its on its way, cried Andromeda,
pointing frantically out to sea.
Perseus turned and watched the water ripple with the approach of the creature. As the
great, scaly monster emerged below the rocks, Perseus hovered in the air on his
winged sandals, challenging the brute and guarding the beautiful hostage. The monster
opened its huge jaws, showing teeth as sharp as daggers.

Perseus swung his sword, hacking as the creature twisted and turned, snarling and
snapping to get its mouth around the young hero. But Perseus was quick. He darted this
way and that, wielding his sword with punishing blows whilst evading the monsters
lashing tail and cavernous jaws. Perseus launched one final attack and the monster was
dead. Andromeda was free and safe, in the arms of her adored and adoring hero.

The journey back home was long, with many dangers. However, now that Perseus had
his beloved Andromeda by his side, he feared nothing and no-one.
Arriving at the palace of King Polydectes once more, Perseus could hear the sounds of
the courtiers eating, drinking and dancing. He could see no sign of his mother and sent
Andromeda to her rooms to stay there until he came to them.
As he entered the great hall, the room quickly fell silent. Everyone stopped, everyone
stared.

It was Perseus, alive and back amongst them! The silence was broken only by the
regular, deliberate footsteps of Perseus as he slowly approached the King's table. The
King stood to his full height and stared down at the young man. Speaking not a word,

18
Perseus stopped and stared back at the King. The silence seemed to grow louder and
louder.

It was eventually broken by Perseus. With a half-smile on his

face, he addressed the king directly. "My lord, you look
surprised to see me."

Polydectes forced a smile but, in a voice which trembled with

anger, answered him. "Every day I have looked for your return.
Each morning I have thought about your quest and each night
I have asked for any news of your success...or failure."
Quiet returned to the room, all eyes fixed firmly on Perseus,
who just stared.
Feeling how awkward this silence was becoming, Polydectes,
threw his arms wide and proclaimed, "Perseus, your return
has brought joy to me as it will to all my subjects."

The young warrior looked down at the bag which hung from his left hand. With his right
hand he reached over and slowly loosened its cords. "Then, your majesty, you should
know that I have not only brought you joy, I have brought you the gift you wanted. And
...here it is!"

He reached into the sack, closed his eyes tightly, and, in one swift movement, raised
the hideous trophy above his head. The wicked King and
all of his courtiers turned instantly to stone, frozen for
evermore.

Perseus was quickly reunited with his mother and within a

few days Andromeda and Perseus were married. Dictys
became king of Serifos. As for Acrisius, he did not escape
the fate foretold by the Delphic Oracle. A few years later
he was visiting the annual games at Larissa. Competing
in the discus was none other than the young hero
Perseus. Perseus threw his discus with all his might, but it veered off course, striking his
grandfather, Acrisius, killing him instantly. The prophecy was fulfilled.

19
The Trojan War
The true origins of the Trojan War can be traced back to the marriage of King Peleus
and the goddess Thetis. The goddess Eris, angered at having not been invited to the
wedding, threw down among the assembled gods a golden apple inscribed, "For the
fairest."

A fight broke out between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite regarding

who should receive the apple. Zeus, not wanting to anger any of the
goddesses, decided that the Trojan prince Paris, who was also at
attendance at the wedding, should decide.

Each of the goddesses promised Paris mighty gifts in an effort to

sway his decision. Hera promised to make Paris a mighty king, and power over many
kingdoms throughout the land. Athena promised him the gift of wisdom, and vowed that
he would be the finest warrior who ever lived. Finally, the goddess of love, Aphrodite
made her offer. She promised Paris the love of Helen,
the most beautiful woman in the world.

Paris decided in favor of Aphrodite, who in return

granted him the love of Helen, while Hera and Athena
became, from that time onward, the implacable
enemies of the whole Trojan race.

There was a challenge with Aphrodites promise

however. While Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world, she was also married
the king of Sparta, Menelaus. Paris was undaunted however, and he journeyed to
Sparta to meet the beautiful Helen.

As promised by Aphrodite, Helen immediately fell in

love with the Prince of Troy, and allowed him to carry
her off with him to his home. Menelaus, her husband,
was understandably upset. He happened to be brother
to Agamemnon, the greatest king among the Greeks,
and the two of them visited all the Greek chieftains
and convinced them to take part in a great expedition
which they were preparing to avenge the wrong.

The kings of Greece assembled an army of 100,000 men and 1,186 ships assembled in
the harbor of Aulis. Here, while they made sacrifices to secure the goodwill of the gods
for the expedition

20
After landing, skirmishing, and pitching their camp, the crafty king Odysseus and
Menelaus proceed as ambassadors to Troy, to demand the surrender of Helen. But this
proposal never takes hold, owing to the opposition of Paris. War is declared.

The number of the Trojans is barely one tenth that of the invaders; and although they
possess many brave heroes, such as Aeneas, Sarpedon, Glaucus, and especially
Hector, in their fear of the great Greek hero Achilles they dare not risk a general
engagement, and remain holed up
behind their walls.

On the other hand, the Greeks could do

nothing against the massive walls of
Troy, instead were limited to raiding
surrounding towns and villages. Over the
course of ten years, the Greeks are successful at conquering the surrounding
countryside, and take many war prizes for their kings and greatest warriors. Among
these prizes are a number of slaves, divided amongst all the kings and heroes. One of
particular importance is a girl named Briseis, who was given to the mighty hero,
Achilles.

Agamemnon, most powerful of all the Greek kings, was also given a slave as a war
prize. He, however, was forced to return her to the
Trojans after the gods Apollo listened to her prayer,
and sent a plague to ravage to Greek troops. To make
up for his loss, Agamemnon demanded the next best
prize - Achilles slave Briseis.

Achilles storms over to Agamemnons tent, intent on

killing the greedy king. Just as he is about to draw his
sword, Athena appears before him. Realizing the death
of Agamemnon, and the arrest of Achilles following the
assassination would surely lead to the defeat of the Greeks, Athena calls upon the
enraged hero to halt. The goddess is able to persuade Achilles to pursue peaceful
options for the moment, but promises in time that Agamemnon will be punished for his
offence. Achilles is still furious, but he agrees, and withdraws to his tent, promising that
he will not return to fight for the Greeks until Agamemnon returns the girl and restores
his honour. Noting the loss of Achilles, the Trojans finally come out from behind their
walls, and line up on the battlefield.

21
The armies are standing opposed to one another, prepared for fight, when they agree to
a treaty that the whole conflict will be decided by a duel between Paris and Menelaus
for Helen. Paris is overcome in the duel, and is only
rescued from death by the intervention of Aphrodite.

When Agamemnon presses for the Trojans to honor their

part of the agreement, a Trojan Pandarus breaks the
peace by shooting an arrow at Menelaus, and the deal
falls apart. The armies and heroes of Troy and Greece
attack each other, with various gods and goddess from
Olympus joining the conflict. Some gods such as Hera
and Athena fight on the side of the Greeks, while others
like Ares and Aphrodite support the Trojans.

The day ends with an indecisive duel between the great Trojan warrior Hector and the
Greek hero, Ajax. They call a truce to bury their dead, and the Greeks, acting on the
advice of Nestor, surround their camp with a wall and trench.
That night, Agamemnon already begins to think about fleeing, but Nestor advises
reconciliation with Achilles. Agamemnon sends multiple kings, including Odysseus, to
make amends with Achilles. The efforts of ambassadors are wasted.

The Trojans advance and attack the Greek walls. The opposition of the Greeks is
brave; but Hector breaks the rough gate with a rock, and the stream of enemies pours
into the camp. The Trojans advance still further to where they are able to begin burning
the Greek ships.

At this point, Achilles allows his friend Patroclus to borrow his

armour and enter the battle to help the distressed Greeks. Thinking
it to be Achilles himself, the Trojans in terror flee from the camp
before Patroclus.

At last Patroclus himself is slain in a duel against Hector. Achilles'

armour is lost, claimed by Hector as a war prize. And now Achilles,
furious at the death of his friend, reconciles with Agamemnon, and
on the following day, wearing a new, splendid suit of armour
designed by the god Hephaestus, avenges the death of his friend on countless Trojans,
finally ending in an epic duel with Hector himself.

The two young heroes, each the champion warrior of his army, were now fighting as
they had never fought before. Achilles battled in a rage, desiring to avenge his fallen

22
friend, while Hector fought with everything he
had, knowing that the fate of Troy depended
mostly upon his leadership. The struggle was
terrible. It was watched with breathless interest
by the armies on both sides, and by aged Priam
and the Trojan women from the walls of Troy. In
spite of Hector's courage and his great skills, he
was doomed to die, and soon he fell under the
blows of Achilles.

Then, in sight of both armies and of Hector's

weeping family, Achilles took off his enemy's armor, bound the dead body by his feet to
his chariot, and dragged it three times around the city walls before he went back to
camp to mourn over the remains of Patroclus.

That night, King Priam of Troy, and father of Hector came secretly into the Greek camp,
and, snuck into Achilles' tent. He had come to beg Achilles to give back the body of
Hector, that he might weep over it, and bury it with all the usual ceremonies and honors.

Touched by the old man's tears, and ready now to

listen to his better feelings, Achilles kindly raised
the old king, comforted him with gentle words, and
not only gave back the body, but also promised that
there should be a truce of a few days, so that both
armies could bury their dead in peace.

The funerals were held, the bodies burned, the

usual games celebrated; and when the truce was over, the long war was begun again.

Shortly after the war resumed, in an attempt to force a way into the
hostile town through the gates of Troy, Achilles falls, slain by the arrow
of Paris, hitting him in his right heel - the only vulnerable spot on his
body

Following the death of Achilles, the wise king Odysseus comes to realize
Troy could only be taken by deception and trickery. On the advice of Athena, the
Greeks build a gigantic wooden horse, in the belly of which the bravest Greek warriors

23
hide themselves under the direction of Odysseus. The rest of the Greeks pretend to
abandon the fight. They burn their camp hide behind a nearby island.

The Trojans are overjoyed and celebrate their victory and the departure of the Greeks.
After much debate, they decide to bring the horse into the city to commemorate the
defeat of the Greeks.

That night however, the Greek warriors inside

open the door of the horse. The Greeks capture
the main gate of Troy, and send a signal to let
the army outside know that the way was clear.
Thus Troy was captured; all the inhabitants are
killed or sold into slavery, and the city is
destroyed. The only survivors of the royal house
are Aeneas, who is later said to found Rome,
and Hector's wife Andromache.

The Greeks brutal behaviour upon the conquest of

Troy outrages the gods however. For many of the
Greeks, their sufferings are far from over. On their
voyage home after the war, the gods plague the
Greeks with many troubles. Many of the Greeks kings
and their men are shipwrecked, and forced to wander
the sea for many years.

Part 2: Medieval and Early Modern Mythology

What is Medieval Mythology?

24
The Medieval Age covers the period following the fall of the Western
Roman Empire, and runs through to the beginning of the Renaissance.
This period is known for a rise in the power and influence of the Catholic
Church, and as a consequence, many of the Classical Myths of Greece
and Rome were lost.

The myths and legends from this period are therefore more localized, and
are more reflective of the communities through which they were created.
These tales range from the Norse gods of Scandinavia, such as Thor and
Odin - who show great similarity to those of Greece and Rome, to the
Christian Knight King Arthur of Britain, who accomplishes many heroic and
magical deeds, but all in the service of the one Christian God.

Other tales from this period are local folk tales, which continued to be told
orally due to the decline in writing and education during this period, such as
those of Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. Many of these tales were
created and passed on for hundreds of years past the medieval age until
they were written down in their final form during the Early Modern period.

Norse Creation Story

25
Before there was soil, or sky, or any green thing, there was only the gaping darkness of
Ginnungagap. This place of dark and silence lay
between the homeland of elemental fire,
Muspelheim, and the homeland of elemental ice,
Niflheim.

Frost from Niflheim and flames from Muspelheim

crept toward each other until they met in
Ginnungagap. Amid the hissing and sputtering,
the fire melted the ice, and the drops formed
themselves into Ymir, the first of the godlike
giants. As Ymir sweat from the heat of Muspelheim, more giants were created from the
droplets.

As the frost continued to melt, a cow, Audhumbla,

emerged from it. She fed Ymir with her milk, and she, in
turn, was nourished by licking the ice of Niflheim. Her
licks slowly uncovered Buri, the first of the gods.

Buri had a son named Bor, who married Bestla, the

daughter of the giant Bolthorn. The half-god, half-giant children of Bor and Bestla were
Odin, who became the chief of the gods, and his two brothers, Vili and Ve.

Odin and his brothers killed Ymir and set about

constructing the world from his corpse. They
fashioned the oceans from his blood, the soil from
his skin and muscles, vegetation from his hair,
clouds from his brains, and the sky from his skull.
The brothers also tasked four dwarves, to hold
Ymirs skull high above the earth.

The gods eventually formed the first man and

woman, Ask and Embla, from two tree trunks, and
built a fence around their dwelling-place, Midgard, to
protect them from the giants.

The gods then built a bridge from earth to heaven

called Bifrst. Some call it the rainbow. It has three colors and is very strong, made with
more skill and cunning than other structures.

26
The chief sanctuary of the gods is by the ash tree Yggdrasil. There they hold their daily
court. Yggdrasil is the best and greatest of all trees. Its branches spread out over the
whole world and reach up over heaven.

27
How Sif Lost Her Golden Hair

What do Thursdays mean to you? They are not gloomy like

Mondays, or glorious like Friday's, or lazy like Sundays. They
seem quite boring really, unless, that is, you know about Norse
mythology. But once you have heard the stories of the Norse
gods, you will realize that Thursdays are meant to be loud,
thunderous, stormy days, for they are named after Thor, the red-
headed, hammer-wielding, thunder-clapping god of the Norse
people.

Although Thor was a loud, rough, and violent person, he did

have one soft spot and that was for his beautiful wife, whose name was Sif. She had
long, thick wondrous golden hair that flowed down her back
like a field of corn. In fact, it was Sif who made the Norse
peoples crops grow long heavy ears of corn that would keep
people well fed and happy.

Of course as every lady knows, beautiful hair does not take

care of itself. She was very proud of her hair, and did not allow
herself to have a bad hair day. Especially as she knew she
was not the only one who was very proud of her hair, Thor her
husband was very proud of it too, and often boasted of it when
he was drinking his mead to anyone who was around to listen.

One day, while she was sitting on a bank of the softest moss
outside her house in Asgard, where the gods live, drying her
golden hair in the sun, Sif went to sleep. Its easy to go to sleep
in the sun when youre not doing much. And its especially
easy, if another god puts a spell on you so that nothing can
wake you.

That God was Loki, the god of fire and mischief, who cast this
sleeping spell on Sif. He found her dozing with her gorgeous
hair flowing all around her, and his evil mouth smiled at this
chance to make trouble in the Thunder-Gods household. He
knew that Sifs hair of gold was Thors greatest treasure and
he was determined to take it away from him.
While she was asleep, Loki took his shears and chopped off
Sifs hair, every single lovely lock! Her head was bare and bald.

28
A while later, Sif woke up. Her head and neck felt cold and light, she looked up and
saw the sun was still shining. Then she felt for her hair, there was nothing there!
Looking down, she caught sight of the clusters of curls that lay all around her. Horrified,
she rushed inside and burst into tearsand rain fell in bucketfuls on all the corn in the
north, so the people asked What in heavens happened to Sif?

That night Thor came home. But when he called to his

lovely wife, he did not hear her sweet voice in reply.
Thor thought she must be somewhere else, so he
visited all of the homes and palaces of the other gods to
look for her. Sif was nowhere to be found.

Defeated, Thor returned home. And then he heard his

name, in a whisper. Sif stood in the shadows, so that
Thor could only see her outline. My husband, she
sobbed, I am ashamed for you to set your eyes on me.
I must leave Asgard, the home of the gods, which is
beautiful and perfect, and go to hide elsewhere.

Dont speak like that. What has happened to you my sweet, that you say such terrible
things? asked the Thunder-God tenderly. Come out so that I can see you.

My crowning beauty, my hair has gone. An evil-doer has cut it and taken it from me. I
do not want you to see me like this, so I must leave.
Thor saw that it was true, Sif had lost her hair. Her shaven head was still beautiful, but
the dancing joy had gone from her eyes. Instead her face was puffy with sobbing and
her distress touched the heart of Thor.
And then the men of the Earth heard the skies roar with angry
thunder.

Who was it who did this, Sif? raged Thor. I, the strongest of the
gods, I will find whoever did this and kill him. I will make the other
gods use all their strength, all their magic and all their powers to
give you back your wonderful golden hair!

Thor led Sif at home, and left to discover who could have cut her
hair. None of the other gods could tell Thor who had committed the
crime. Finally Odin, the chief of the gods, and the father of Thor,
spoke. It must have been Loki who did this he pronounced.

29
Nobody else would do such a thing. But Thor, you must not kill him here. There can be
no killings among the gods in Asgard. Besides, he has many skills, and may be able to
find a way to return Sifs beauty to her.

Hmph grunted Thor who was red with rage. Id like to

kill him! but that wouldnt help Sif. Odin spoke again,
Control your rage, my son. I will call the Call, and all
must answer it, even Loki! Odins Call was terrible to
hear, but all the gods and goddesses who were not in
the Council chamber, had to leave what they were doing
and assemble.

Even Loki. Loki saw at once that everyone was against

him, so he said Where is your proof that I am the
culprit? Come, said Odin. Do not lie, do not avoid the
truth. You have done Sif and Thor a great wrong, and
you must repair it! I cannot grow hair, joked Loki. And even if I could, it would not be
on her head! None of the gods laughed. Loki looked at Thor whose temper was
legendary, and he looked at Odin who solemnly said again You must make good the
wrong you have done , and Loki saw that he would indeed have to find a way to
restore Sifs beauty.

So Loki left Asgard to try and find a

solution. Loki ventured deep below the
passages of the earth to where the dwarves
live. Down inside the earth, the dwarves
were master builders and the rich guardians
of metals, minerals and crystals. They had
learnt to create items of much beauty and
magic. Loki had seen them make a magic
spear that hit whatever it was thrown at,
and a boat which could sail anywhere, and
which you could fold and put in your pocket.

Loki was crafty, and he always flattered the dwarves whenever he went to see them. He
praised their work to the skies, and promised them the earth. Resisting flattery and false
promises requires more intelligence than the dwarves possessed, so they grew to like
him. Nobody else had ever been nice to them, not even when they were babies, so their
hearts softened. Then he said Have you gold and skills enough to make a cap of floor-
length hair as fine as silk?

30
 The dwarves set to work at once. They
stitched, threaded, weaved and span for
days, until finally the Cap of Golden Hair
was ready! Even Loki was impressed.
Tis true, you are master smiths indeed.
None are better. Will you give me this Cap
in return for the Heavens and the Earth?
The dwarves, who were not clever, gave
Loki the Cap of Golden Hair, although the
Earth was already theirs, and the
Heavens were not Lokis to give.

Loki said his farewells, and was glad to return to the fresh air of Midgard with the Cap.
Then returned to Asgard and the Heavens and went to find Sif. Take your veil off, Sif
he said for you will have golden hair again. And he wrapped the Cap around Sifs head
where it fitted perfectly. Sif was so overjoyed with her new hair that she twirled around,
her long locks flowing behind her. Her eyes sparkled once more and as the glow
returned to her cheeks, she looked truly beautiful.

And that is the story of how Sif lost and regained her golden hair.

31
Beowulf
Long ago, in the land we know as
Denmark, King Hrothgar ruled. He was
loved and admired by his people.
Hrothgar built a great hall called Heorot,
with a splendid gold roof. Each evening
he and his lords, called thanes, and
warriors feasted, shared stories and
listened to music. The great hall was
filled with the sounds of harps and
songs and merrymaking.

Everyone loved Heorot except two evil inhabitants of the land - the monster Grendel
and his sorceress mother. Grendel was a fierce and loathsome creature who roamed
the swamps and despised all people and their pleasures. He was the enemy of
everything pure and true, honest and kind. He lived only to make misery for others.
At night, when Grendel heard the joyous sounds from Heorot, he shuddered with fury.

Bent on destruction, he skulked to the hall and carried off a sleeping warrior. In the
morning, when the others woke and found one of their comrades gone, they wept with
sorrow, but none felt strong enough to hunt Grendel and follow him to his faraway lair
on the dank swamp.

This continued again and again. Grendel carried off a warrior,

and before long the beautiful hall was abandoned, as none were
brave enough to feast there. King Hrothgar, growing old,
despaired that his country would be ruined by the wicked
monster.

Tales of Grendel's evil spread across the sea and reached the
ears of a young warrior prince named Beowulf. When he heard
the story of Grendel, he vowed he would cross the sea and
deliver Hrothgar from his enemy, for Beowulf feared no one. He
believed that goodness could overcome any evil.

With a band of warriors, Beowulf traveled to Hrothgar's kingdom where the king's
thanes met them. "We have heard of the evil deeds of Grendel," Beowulf said. "Take us
to your king so that we may stop this monster's destruction." The thanes gratefully
welcomed Beowulf.

32
 "I have heard wonderful tales of your Heorot,"
Beowulf said to Hrothgar. "Let us go there to
feast and to celebrate our new friendship.
Such a place should not stand abandoned."
The thanes were terrified at the notion.
"Grendel will come," they said, but Beowulf
insisted, and so at last a party made its way to
the hall. There they feasted and sang and told
stories. When at last everyone fell asleep, it
seemed that peace had returned to the kingdom.
But along the moors, Grendel stalked. His heart nearly burst with rage when he saw the
lights of Heorot ablaze. Inside the hall, Beowulf lay awake. He had put aside his sword
and armor, for iron could not hurt Grendel, who was protected by a spell. Beowulf heard
a rumbling roar outside the doors. His enemy had arrived.

Beowulf opened the great doors of Heorot, and when

Grendel saw him, he seized the warrior. Beowulf grasped
Grendel's arm in a powerful grip and twisted it. The monster's
mind whirled. His body trembled. No one had ever tried to
overcome him. No one had ever had such strength. You may
think it odd that Beowulf, so much smaller than Grendel,
could fight so easily, but goodness and nobility create
strength, and so the struggle between man and monster
raged on. When Beowulf's men heard the row, they ran
outside, their swords drawn.

"Drop your swords," Beowulf cried to his men, "for they will
do no good. I must do this alone." Grendel struggled to free
himself from Beowulf's grasp, and when at last he broke
away after many hours, he disappeared into the darkness,
weak and spent. He dragged himself back to his lair, where he died from exhaustion
and from the humiliation of being defeated by a mere mortal.

Word spread of Grendel's death. The king and his people celebrated, singing songs
about their new hero. They told stories in his honor, and believed that from that day on
they would live in peace. But they had forgotten one thing: Grendel's sorceress mother
lived still and had sworn revenge for his death.

One night she snuck into Heorot and carried off one of Hrothgar's sleeping thanes.
Again the old king knew there would be no real peace in his kingdom until the sorceress

33
witch was destroyed. He begged Beowulf to help him once more. Beowulf set off for the
dark, stinking swamp where the witch lived in a great cavern beneath tangled marshes
and brackish streams.

When he reached the lake that was her home, he dived in. The moment he did, the lake
burst into flame. Even this did not stop Beowulf, though his men, standing onshore,
could only watch in horror. Beowulf swam deeper and deeper, until at last he saw
Grendel's mother. She grabbed him in her gigantic arms and sped toward her cave.
They came to a place so well-lighted that Beowulf at last could see the creature whose
evil heart had turned her so ugly she dared not show herself to those who lived above.

Beowulf struggled with her until he finally

overcame her with her own enchanted
sword.
But Beowulf's warriors, waiting near the
edge of the lake, were filled with fear as the
hours passed and their master did not
return. When they saw the water running
red, they cried, "Our leader has been slain."
But as they turned to flee, they heard a
shout behind them. They saw the
exhausted Beowulf crawling from the lake
of fire.
The men ran to him. As they dressed his wounds, they asked, "Did you destroy her?"
"She destroyed herself," Beowulf answered. "Evil turns upon itself. She wished only
destruction, and that is what she has found." And so it was that Hrothgar's people
learned from the great Beowulf the strength of an honest heart, and they lived for many
years in peace.

Many years later, back in his homeland, Beowulf encountered a monster far, far greater
than any troll. The trouble began when a lowly slave was fleeing his angry master, a
village chief. In his fearful flight, the slave came across a burial mound on the cliffs close
to the sea. It was a vast stone dome that rose up against the moonlit horizon. The huge
granite blocks had been worn smooth by the ages. A strange reddish light issued from
the entrance and the curious slave drew closer. He entered the mound and followed the
glow to its core.

At the center the slave saw an astounding sight. There was a mountain of treasure.
Gold coins spilt like grain from a cut sack. Bejeweled helmets and swords lay alongside
scepters and shields. Necklaces and rings in countless number. Atop it all there lay a

34
coiled dragon like a gigantic sleeping cat. Its scales red gleamed like embers. The
thrumming of its breath made the whole mound
vibrate. The huge bat wings and barbed tail
twitched in its sleep.

The slave saw an opportunity to make amends

with his master. Overcoming his fear he crept
closer. He bent and quickly snatched up a gold cup
encrusted with jewels. Then he turned and ran for
home faster than he had come.

The treasure had lain in the mound for a thousand years. The dragon had slept upon it
for three hundred. No one knew why he had come. But dragons are wont to seek out
gold and lie upon it and they are jealous guardians. In its deep, primal dreams the
dragon realized something was amiss. The dragon knew each and every piece of
treasure in its hoard and it knew the cup was missing. As it detected the smell of man in
the air the fury grew like a volcano with it. Out of the mound it exploded in a hate filled
killing frenzy.

Falling from the night sky the dragon spat jet

after jet of fire on the villages turning housed
into cinders. He snatched up those not slain
by his breath and devoured then. He gulped
down livestock and reduced crops to ashes.

Soon bands of warriors joined together to

form defense. To the dragon they were mere
insects to be crushed, burned or eaten. No
one who challenged the dragon lived. King
Beowulf, who was by now seventy years old, boldly said he would slay the dragon. He
gathered his finest men, including his closest friend
Wiglaf, and set out to find the monsters lair.

Beowulf called out the dragon, screaming his challenge.

The ground beneath the warriors feet rumbled and the
air turned acrid. Then out of the mound, the dragon
charged. Iron claws scraped the ancient stones as the
beast hurtled forward with an ear splitting roar.

35
Almost all of the warriors turned and fled like frightened children; only Beowulf and the
trusty Wiglaf held their ground. Even the brave heart of the King turned cold at the sight
of the beast unfurling its wings like the sails of a ship as it reared up onto its hind legs
and spewed flame down at them.

They threw up their shields. Wiglafs oaken shield was turned to ash under the
punishing blast and he had to dive behind his king. Beowulfs iron shield glowed as if in
a furnace.

As the monster was taking another breath, the pair ran forward to attack. Beowulfs
sword glanced off the dragons scales raising showers of sparks. Finally it shattered like
glass against metal. The dragon struck, its venom dripping maw clamping about the
king. The razor teeth sliced through Beowulfs armour and deep into his flesh. Snorting
in triumph the dragon shook his foe like a dog with a
captured rat.

Wiglaf attacked from the side, uselessly hacking at the

dragons horned head. His sword did no damage but the
dragons bite slackened for a brief moment. This allowed
the dying King to draw his short sword and thrust it up
into the dragons mouth.

Again the beast reared up snorting fire and poison but

this time its roar was weakened and it toppled to one
side. The beasts one vulnerable spot had been hit. The
two combatants lay side by side. The dragons glow
fading and Beowulf bloated by venom and blackened by flame. The greatest of all
heroes was dead.

Beowulfs body was dressed in clothes and armour befitting a warrior king and laid upon
a long ship that was set alight. The vast carcass of the dragon was rolled into the sea
and the ancient treasure that had caused all of this woe was buried one again in the
deep cold mound.

36
King Arthur

This very old story begins with Uther Pendragon, a great king.
He was a good man and he was king in the south of Britain.
Other places were very dangerous at that time, but people did
not fight in Uther's country. Uther loved a beautiful woman,
Igraine, and he wanted to marry her. But she did not love him
and he was very sad about that.

Merlin was a very clever man and he knew a lot of magic. He

could change into an animal or bird. Sometimes, when he used
magic, nobody could see him. He also helped people with his magic, and one day he
came to King Uther.

'You can marry Igraine,' he said. 'I will help you. But when you have a child, you will
have to give the boy to me.'
I will give him to you, said the King. He married Igraine and later they had a baby son.
They called him Arthur. When Arthur was three days old, a very
old man arrived at the door of the King's house. It was Merlin.
King Uther took the child in his arms and gave him to Merlin.
Merlin took the child away. He gave the boy, Arthur, to a good
knight. His name was Sir Ector. And so, Arthur lived with Sir
Ector and his son, Kay, and the two boys were brothers.

Years later, King Uther fell very ill. He did not get better. He
called for Merlin because he wanted to talk about the future of his
country. Merlin came and listened to the King.
'I know that I am going to die,' King Uther said. 'Who will be king
after me - I have not had any more children? '

'Call your knights and great men,' Merlin told the King. 'Tell them', 'My son, Arthur, will
be the next king!' King Uther told his people this before he died. But a lot of people
wanted to be king, so the knights and great men began to fight. There was no new king
for a long time.

When Arthur was a young man, Merlin went to London. He visited the Archbishop, the
most important man in the Church. Call the knights to London. Then we will find the
new king, Merlin told the Archbishop.
The knights came to London. They met at a large church, and the Archbishop spoke to
them. When they came outside, they saw something strange in front of the church. It

37
was a very large stone with a great sword in it. The sun shone on the sword and it
looked very strong. The knights were excited, and started to talk about it. 'Where did it
come from? ', How did it get here? Who brought the stone here? We didn't see
anybody. And who put the sword in it? On the stone were these words:

ONLY THE KING CAN TAKE THE SWORD FROM

THE STONE

Every knight tried to pull the sword out of the stone.

Nobody could do it - the sword did not come out.
The knights pulled and pulled. But they could not
move the sword.

'Our king is not here,' said the Archbishop. 'But I

know that we will find him.' Ten knights stayed and
watched the stone. The Archbishop invited all the
great men in the country to London for a big fight. There were many big fights at that
time. People fought on horses with swords in their hands. The strongest and best knight
always won. The Archbishop hoped that the new king might be among the contestants.

Sir Ector went to the fight with his two sons, Sir Kay and young Arthur. Arthur was now
sixteen years old. The young men wanted to fight with the other knights, but Sir Kay did
not have a sword. Arthur was a kind young man. He wanted to help.

'There is a sword in a stone outside a church. I saw it on the way here. I will get it and
fight with it. Then you can have my sword': he said to his brother. Arthur left Sir Kay and
quickly went to the church. There were no knights outside
by the stone because they were at the fight. Arthur climbed
down from his horse and went to the stone.

He did not read the words on the stone. He took the sword
in his hand and pulled. It came out of the stone easily. He
ran back to his horse with the sword. Some minutes later
he met Sir Kay and Sir Ector again, and he showed them
the sword.

'Where did that sword come from?' Sir Ector asked. He knew about the words on the
stone. They went back to the place outside the church, and Sir Ector put the sword in
the stone again. 'Now pull it out,' he said to Arthur. Arthur pulled it out. It came out as
easily as a knife out of butter. Sir Ector saw this and took Arthur's hand.

38
'You are my king,' he said. Arthur did not understand. What did his father mean?

'Arthur,' Sir Ector said slowly, 'I love you very much, but I am not really your father.
Merlin, the famous man of magic, brought you to me when you were a small child. I took
you into my family because he asked me. Now I know that you are the king.'

'I will try to be a good king,' said Arthur. 'And I will listen to your
words, because you are my father. Sir Kay, my brother, you
will be an important knight and a friend to me.' Then they went
to the Archbishop and told him everything.

The knights were angry. They did not think that Arthur was
really the king. So the Archbishop called all the knights to the
stone. Arthur put the sword back into the stone. Every knight
tried again to take it out, but it did not move. Then they
watched and Arthur pulled it out easily. Everybody shouted,
'Arthur is our king! Arthur is our king!'

Many people came to see Arthur. They were all happy because now they had a kind,
good king. He was strong and he was not afraid. Merlin told Arthur the story of his
parents. 'Your father was King Uther and your mother was Queen Igraine. When you
were a baby, I took you to Avalon, a magic place. You were born with magic in your life.
You will be the best knight and you will be the greatest king. You will live for a very long
time.'

So King Arthur began a new life. He took his horse and

went through the country with his knights. Sometimes they
had to fight bad men but they were not afraid. Arthur was a
good king, and his knights were brave. His country was a
quiet place again.

King Arthur went to the north and the east with his knights
and fought an invading people known as the Saxons. Then they came back and
stopped in the town of Camelot. Arthur made it the most important town in the country. It
was now his home, and the home of his brave knights. One day King Arthur visited his
friend, King Leodegraunce. He had a daughter and she was the most beautiful woman
in England. The daughter's name was Guinevere. When he went back to Camelot,
Arthur could not stop thinking about her.

39
'I love Guinevere and I want to marry her,' Arthur told Merlin. King Leodegraunce was
very happy. Arthur was a good and brave man - a good husband for his lovely daughter.
So Arthur and Guinevere went to church and the Archbishop married them. Everybody
enjoyed a wonderful party in Camelot.

Then Merlin made a large round table for King Arthur's knights in Camelot. There were
150 places at the great wood and stone table. King Arthur gave his best and bravest
knights a place at the Round Table. Each knight had his place at the table, but no chair
was better than another chair. Nobody sat at the top of a round table and nobody sat at
the bottom.

'The names of the Knights of the Round Table will be famous! Cried Merlin.

40
Cinderella

A rich man's wife became sick, and when she felt that her end was drawing near, she
called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, remain pious and good,
and then our dear God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven
and be near you." With this she closed her eyes and died.

The girl went out to her mother's grave every day and wept, and she remained pious
and good. When winter came the snow spread a white cloth over the grave, and when
the spring sun had removed it again, the man took himself another wife.

This wife brought two daughters into the house with her. They were beautiful, with fair
faces, but evil and dark hearts. Times soon grew very bad for the poor stepchild. "Why
should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?" they said. "If she wants to eat bread,
then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!"

They took her beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and
gave her wooden shoes. "Just look at the proud princess! How decked out she is!" they
shouted and laughed as they led her into the kitchen.

There she had to do hard work from morning until evening, get
up before daybreak, carry water, make the fires, cook, and
wash. Besides this, the sisters did everything imaginable to hurt
her. They made fun of her, scattered peas and lentils into the
ashes for her, so that she had to sit and pick them out again. In
the evening when she had worked herself weary, there was no
bed for her. Instead she had to sleep by the fireplace in the
ashes. And because she always looked dusty and dirty, they
called her Cinderella.

One day it happened that the father was going to the fair, and he asked his two
stepdaughters what he should bring back for them. "Beautiful dresses," said the one.
"Pearls and jewels," said the other. "And you, Cinderella," he said, "What do you want?"
"Father, break off for me the first twig that brushes against your hat on your way home."
Cinderella replied.

So he bought beautiful dresses, pearls, and jewels for his two stepdaughters. On his
way home, as he was riding through a green thicket, a hazel twig brushed against him
and knocked off his hat. Then he broke off the twig and took it with him. Arriving home,

41
he gave his stepdaughter's the things that they had asked for, and he gave Cinderella
the twig from the hazel bush.

Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave, and planted

the branch on it, and she wept so much that her tears fell upon it
and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree.

Cinderella went to this tree three times every day, and beneath it
she wept and prayed. A white bird came to the tree every time, and
whenever she expressed a wish, the bird would throw down to her
what she had wished for.

Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last
three days. All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could
select a bride for himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been
invited, they were in high spirits. They called Cinderella, saying, "Comb our hair for us.
Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles. We are going to the festival at the king's
castle."

Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go to the dance with
them. She begged her stepmother to allow her to go. "You, Cinderella?" she said. "You,
all covered with dust and dirt, and you want to go to the festival? You have neither
clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!"

However, because Cinderella kept asking, the stepmother finally said, "I have scattered
a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then
you may go with us." The girl went through the
back door into the garden, and called out, "You
tame pigeons, you turtle doves, and all you birds
beneath the sky, come and help me to gather:
The good ones go into the pot, The bad ones go
into your crop."

Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen

window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all
the birds beneath the sky came whirring and
swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The
pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also
began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowl. Hardly
one hour had passed before they were finished, and they all flew out again.

42
The girl took the bowl to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would
be allowed to go to the festival with them. But the stepmother said, "No, Cinderella, you
have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. Everyone would only laugh at you."
With this she turned her back on Cinderella, and hurried away with her two proud
daughters.

Now that no one else was at home, Cinderella went to her

mother's grave beneath the hazel tree, and cried out: Shake and
quiver, little tree, throw gold and silver down to me.

As soon as she had spoken the words, a bird threw a gold and
silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and
silver. She quickly put on the dress and went to the festival. Her
stepsisters and her stepmother did not recognize her. They
thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful
in the golden dress. They never once thought it was Cinderella, for
they thought that she was sitting at home in the dirt, looking for lentils in the ashes.

The prince approached her, took her by the hand, and danced with her. Furthermore, he
would dance with no one else. He never let go of her hand,
and whenever anyone else came and asked her to dance,
he would say, "She is my dance partner." She danced until
evening, and then she wanted to go home. But the prince
said, "I will go along and escort you," for he wanted to see to
whom the beautiful girl belonged. However, she eluded him
and jumped into the pigeon coop. The prince waited until
her father came, and then he told him that the unknown girl
had jumped into the pigeon coop. The old man thought,
"Could it be Cinderella?"

The prince had them bring him an ax and a pick so that he

could break the pigeon coop apart, but no one was inside.
When they got home Cinderella was lying in the ashes, dressed in her dirty clothes. A
dim little oil-lamp was burning in the fireplace. Cinderella had quickly jumped down from
the back of the pigeon coop and had run to the hazel tree. There she had taken off her
beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again.
Then, dressed in her gray smock, she had returned to the ashes in the kitchen.

43
The next day when the festival began anew, and her parents and her stepsisters had
gone again, Cinderella went to the hazel tree and said: Shake and quiver, little tree,
throw gold and silver down to me.

Once more, a bird came by and threw down an even more magnificent dress than on
the preceding day. When Cinderella appeared at the festival in this dress, everyone was
astonished at her beauty. The prince had
waited until she came, then immediately took
her by the hand, and danced only with her.
When others came and asked her to dance
with them, he said, "She is my dance partner."
When evening came she wanted to leave,
and the prince followed her, wanting to see
into which house she went. But she ran away
from him and into the garden behind the
house. A beautiful tall tree stood there, on
which hung the most magnificent pears. She
climbed as nimbly as a squirrel into the branches, and the prince did not know where
she had gone. He waited until her father came, then said to him, "The unknown girl has
eluded me, and I believe she has climbed up the pear tree.

The father thought, "Could it be Cinderella?" He had an ax brought to him and cut down
the tree, but no one was in it. When they came to the kitchen, Cinderella was lying there
in the ashes as usual, for she had jumped down from the other side of the tree, had
taken the beautiful dress back to the bird in the hazel tree, and had put on her gray
smock.

On the third day, when her parents and sisters had gone
away, Cinderella went again to her mother's grave and said
to the tree. Repeating the same phrase as before, the bird
once more returned and threw down to her a dress that was
more splendid and magnificent than any she had yet had,
and the slippers were of pure gold. When she arrived at the
festival in this dress, everyone was so astonished that they
did not know what to say. The prince danced only with her,
and whenever anyone else asked her to dance, he would
say, "She is my dance partner."

When evening came Cinderella wanted to leave, and the prince tried to escort her, but
she ran away from him so quickly that he could not follow her. The prince, however, had

44
set a trap. He had had the entire stairway smeared with pitch. When she ran down the
stairs, her left slipper stuck in the pitch. The prince picked it up. It was small and dainty,
and of pure gold. The next morning, he went with it into the town, saying: "No one shall
be my wife except for the one whose foot fits this golden shoe."

Cinderellas two sisters were happy to hear this, for they had
pretty feet. With her mother standing by, the older one took
the shoe into her bedroom to try it on. She could not get her
big toe into it, for the shoe was too small for her. Then her
mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut off your toe. When
you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the shoe,
swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her
on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. However,
they had to ride past the grave, and there, on the hazel tree,
sat the two pigeons, crying out: Rook di goo, rook di goo!
There's blood in the shoe. The shoe is too tight, this bride is not right!

The prince looked at her foot and saw how the blood was running from it. He turned his
horse around and took the false bride home again, saying that she was not the right
one, and that the other sister should try on the shoe. She went
into her bedroom, and got her toes into the shoe all right, but
her heel was too large. Then her mother gave her a knife, and
said, "Cut a piece off your heel. When you are queen you will
no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut a piece off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe,
swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on
his horse as his bride and rode away with her. When they
passed the hazel tree, the two pigeons were sitting in it, and
they cried out: Rook di goo, rook di goo! There's blood in the shoe. The shoe is too
tight, this bride is not right!

The prince looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe,
and how it had stained her white stocking all red. Then he turned his horse around and
took the false bride home again. "This is not the right one, either," he said. "Don't you
have another daughter?"

45
"No," said the man. "There is only a deformed little Cinderella from my first wife, but she
cannot possibly be the bride." The prince told him to send her to him, but the mother
answered, "Oh, no, she is much too dirty. She cannot
be seen."

But the prince insisted on it, and they had to call

Cinderella. She first washed her hands and face clean,
and then went and bowed down before the prince, who
gave her the golden shoe. She sat down on a stool,
pulled her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it
into the slipper, and it fitted her perfectly.

When she stood up the prince looked into her face, and
he recognized the beautiful girl who had danced with
him. He cried out, "She is my true bride." The
stepmother and the two sisters were horrified and
turned pale with anger. The prince, however, took
Cinderella onto his horse and rode away with her. As
they passed by the hazel tree, the two white pigeons cried out: Rook di goo, rook di
goo! No blood's in the shoe. The shoe's not too tight, this bride is right!

When the wedding with the prince was to be held, the two false sisters came, wanting to
gain favor with Cinderella and to share her good fortune. When the bridal couple walked
into the church, the older sister walked on their right side and the younger on their left
side, and the two pigeons from the woods flew into the church and pecked out one eye
from each of them. Afterwards, as they came out of the church, the older one was on
the left side, and the younger one on the right side, and then the pigeons pecked out the
other eye from each of them. And thus, for their wickedness and falsehood, they were
punished with blindness as long as they lived.

Rapunzel

46
Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had long wished for a child.
Finally, the woman came to believe that the good Lord would fulfill her wish. Through
the small rear window of these people's house, they could see
into a splendid garden that was filled with the most beautiful
flowers and herbs. The garden was surrounded by a high wall,
and no one dared enter, because it belonged to a sorceress who
possessed great power and was feared by everyone.

One day the woman was standing at this window, and she saw a
bed planted with the most beautiful rapunzel. It looked so fresh
and green that she longed for some. It was her greatest desire
to eat some of the rapunzel. This desire increased with every
day, and not knowing how to get any, she became miserably ill.

Her husband was frightened, and asked her, "What makes you so ill, dear wife?" "Oh,"
she answered, "if I do not get some rapunzel from the garden behind our house, I shall
die." The man, who loved her dearly, thought, "Before you let your wife die, you must
get her some of the rapunzel, whatever the cost."

So just as it was getting dark he climbed over the high wall into the sorceress's garden,
hastily dug up a handful of rapunzel, and took it to his wife. She immediately made a
salad from it, which she devoured eagerly. It tasted so very good to her that by the next
day her desire for more had grown threefold. If she were to have any peace, the man
would have to climb into the garden once again. But this time, no
sooner than he had climbed over the wall then, to his horror, he
saw the sorceress standing there before him.

"How can you dare," she asked with an angry look, "to climb into
my garden and like a thief to steal my rapunzel? You will pay for
this."
"Oh," he answered, "Let mercy overrule justice. I came to do this
out of necessity. My wife saw your rapunzel from our window, and
such a longing came over her, that she would die, if she did not get some to eat."

The sorceress's anger lessened somewhat, and she said, "If things are as you say, I will
allow you to take as much rapunzel as you want. But under one condition: You must
give me the child that your wife will bring to the world. It will do well, and I will take care
of it like a mother." In his fear the man agreed to everything.

47
 When the woman gave birth, the sorceress appeared, named the
little girl Rapunzel, and took her away. Rapunzel became the
most beautiful child under the sun. When she was twelve years
old, the sorceress locked her in a tower that stood in a forest and
that had neither a door nor a stairway, but only a tiny little window
at the very top. When the sorceress wanted to enter, she stood
below and called out: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair to
me.

Rapunzel had splendid long hair, as fine as spun gold. When she
heard the sorceress's voice, she untied her braids, wound them
around a window hook, and let her hair fall twenty yards to the ground, and the
sorceress climbed up it.

A few years later it happened that a king's son was riding through the forest. As he
approached the tower he heard a song so beautiful that he stopped to listen. It was
Rapunzel, who was passing the time by singing with her sweet voice. The prince
wanted to climb up to her, and looked for a door in the tower, but none was to be found.

He rode home, but the song had so touched his heart that he returned to the forest
every day and listened to it. One time, as he was standing behind a tree, he saw the
sorceress approach, and heard her call on Rapunzel to let down her hair.

"If that is the ladder into the tower, then sometime I will try my
luck." Thought the prince. And the next day, just as it was
beginning to get dark, he went to the tower and called out:
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair. The hair fell down, and
the prince climbed up.

At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as she

had never seen before came in to her. However, the prince
began talking to her in a very friendly manner, telling her that his
heart had been so touched by her singing that he could have no
peace until he had seen her in person. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked
her if she would take him as her husband, she said yes and placed her hand into his.

She said, "I would go with you gladly, but I do not know how to get down. Every time
that you come, bring a strand of silk, from which I will weave a ladder. When it is
finished I will climb down, and you can take me away on your horse." They arranged
that he would come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day.

48
 The sorceress did not notice what was happening until one day
Rapunzel said to her, Mother, tell me why it is that you are more
difficult to pull up than is the young prince, who will be arriving any
moment now?"

"You godless child," cried the sorceress. "What am I hearing from

you? I thought I had removed you from the whole world, but you
have tricked me nonetheless." In her anger she grabbed
Rapunzel's beautiful hair, wrapped it a few times around her left
hand, grasped a pair of scissors with her right hand, and snip snap,
cut it off. And she was so unmerciful that she took Rapunzel into a wilderness where
she suffered greatly.

On the evening of the same day that she sent Rapunzel away, the sorceress tied the
cut-off hair to the hook at the top of the tower, and when the prince called out:
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair. she let down the hair.

The prince climbed up, but above, instead of his beloved Rapunzel, he found the
sorceress, who peered at him with poisonous and evil looks. "Aha!" she cried scornfully.
"You have come for your darling, but that beautiful bird is no longer sitting in her nest,
nor is she singing any more. The cat got her, and will scratch your eyes out as well. You
have lost Rapunzel. You will never see her again."

The prince was overcome with grief, and he threw himself from
the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he
fell poked out his eyes. Blind, he wandered about in the forest,
eating nothing but grass and roots, and doing nothing but
weeping and wailing over the loss of his beloved wife. Thus he
wandered about miserably for some years, finally happening into
the wilderness where Rapunzel lived miserably.

He heard a voice and thought it was familiar. He moved toward it,

and as he approached, Rapunzel recognized him, and crying,
threw her arms around his neck. Two of her tears fell into his eyes, and they became
clear once again, and he could see as well as before. He led her into his kingdom,
where he was received with joy, and for a long time they lived happily and satisfied.

49
Little Brier-Rose

In past times there were a king and a queen, who said every day, "Oh, if only we had a
child!" but they never received one.

Then it happened one day while the queen was sitting in her
bath, that a frog crept out of the water onto the ground and said
to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled, and before a year passes
you will bring a daughter into the world."

What the frog said did happen, and the queen gave birth to a
girl who was so beautiful that the king could not contain himself
for joy, and he ordered a great celebration. He invited not only
his relatives, friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise
women so that they would be kindly disposed toward the child.
There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but because he had
only twelve golden plates from which they were to eat, one of them had to remain at
home.

The feast was celebrated with great splendor, and at its conclusion the wise women
presented the child with their magic gifts. The one gave her virtue, the second one
beauty, the third one wealth, and so on with everything that one could wish for on earth.

The eleventh one had just pronounced her blessing when the thirteenth one suddenly
walked in. The thirteenth woman was enraged that she had not been invited, and
without greeting anyone or even looking at them she cried out with a loud voice, "In the
princess's fifteenth year she shall prick herself
with a spindle and fall over dead." And without
saying another word she turned around and
left the hall.

Everyone was horrified, and the twelfth wise

woman, who had not yet offered her wish,
stepped forward. Because she was unable to
undo the wicked wish, but only to soften it,
she said, "It shall not be her death. The
princess will only fall into a hundred-year
deep sleep."

50
The king, wanting to rescue his dear child, issued an order that all spindles in the entire
kingdom should be burned. The wise women's gifts were all fulfilled on the girl, for she
was so beautiful, well behaved, friendly, and intelligent that everyone who saw her had
to love her.

Now it happened that on the day when she turned fifteen

years of age the king and the queen were not at home,
and the girl was all alone in the castle. She walked
around from one place to the next, looking into rooms
and chambers as her heart desired. Finally she came to
an old tower. She climbed up the narrow, winding stairs
and arrived at a small door. In the lock there was a rusty
key, and when she turned it the door sprang open. There
in a small room sat an old woman with a spindle busily
spinning her flax. Good day, old woman," said the
princess. "What are you doing there?"

"I am spinning," said the old woman, nodding her head.

"What is that thing that is so merrily bouncing about?" asked the girl, taking hold of the
spindle, for she too wanted to spin.

She had no sooner touched the spindle when the magic curse was fulfilled, and she
pricked herself in the finger. The instant that she felt the prick she fell onto a bed that
was standing there, and she lay there in
a deep sleep. And this sleep spread
throughout the entire castle. The king
and queen, who had just returned home,
walked into the hall and began falling
asleep, and all of their attendants as
well. The horses fell asleep in their
stalls, the dogs in the courtyard, the
pigeons on the roof, the flies on the
walls, and even the fire on the hearth
flickered, stopped moving, and fell
asleep. The roast stopped sizzling. The
cook, who was about to pull kitchen
boy's hair for having done something wrong, let him loose and fell asleep. The wind
stopped blowing, and outside the castle not a leaf was stirring in the trees.

51
Around the length of the castle, a thorn hedge began to grow, and every year it became
higher, until it finally surrounded and covered the entire castle. Finally nothing at all
could be seen of it, not even the flag on the roof.

A legend circulated throughout the land about the beautiful

sleeping Little Brier-Rose, for so the princess was called.
Legends also told that from time to time princes came,
wanting to force their way through the hedge into the castle.
However, they did not succeed, for the thorns held firmly
together, as though they had hands, and the young men
became stuck in them, could not free themselves, and died
miserably.

Many long, long years later, once again a prince came to

the country. He heard an old man telling about the thorn
hedge. It was said that there was a castle behind it, in which a beautiful princess named
Little Brier-Rose had been asleep for a hundred years, and with her the king and the
queen and all the royal attendants were sleeping. He also knew from his grandfather
that many princes had come and tried to penetrate the thorn hedge, but they had
become stuck in it and died a sorrowful death.

Then the young man said, "I am not afraid. I will go there and see the beautiful Little
Brier-Rose. The hundred years had just passed, and the day had come when Little
Brier-Rose was to awaken. The prince declared. When the prince approached the
thorn hedge, it was nothing but large, beautiful flowers that separated by themselves,
allowing him to pass through without harm, but then behind him closed back into a
hedge.

In the courtyard he saw the horses and spotted hunting dogs

lying there asleep, and on the roof the pigeons, perched with
their little heads tucked under their wings. When he walked
inside the flies were asleep on the wall, the cook in the kitchen
was still holding up his hand as if he wanted to grab the boy,
and the maid was sitting in front of the black chicken that was
supposed to be plucked. He walked further and saw all the
attendants lying asleep in the hall, and above them near the
throne the king and the queen were lying. He walked on still
further, and it was so quiet that he could hear his own breath.
Finally he came to the tower and opened the door to the little
room where Little Brier-Rose was sleeping.

52
There she lay and was so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off her. He bent over
and gave her a kiss. When he touched her with the kiss, Little Brier-Rose opened her
eyes, awoke, and looked at him kindly.

They went downstairs together, and the king

awoke, and the queen, and all the royal attendants,
and they looked at one another in amazement. The
horses in the courtyard stood up and shook
themselves. The hunting dogs jumped and wagged
their tails. The pigeons on the roof pulled their little
heads out from beneath their wings, looked
around, and flew into the field. The flies on the
walls crept about again. The fire in the kitchen rose
up, broke into flames, and cooked the food. The
roast began to sizzle once again. The cook boxed
the boy's ears, causing him to cry, and the maid
finished plucking the chicken.

And then the prince's marriage to Little Brier-Rose

was celebrated with great splendor, and they lived happily until they died.

53
Part 3 - Non-Western Mythology / Modern Mythology

Introduction to Non-Western Mythology

The majority of the myths we see in film today originate from stories told in Western
Europe. However, there is a wide range of myths and legends which were created
outside this region, some bearing great similarity to Western myths, but many others are
very different. The oldest recorded myth was created in 3500 BCE in the Middle East,
and in the 5,500 years since then, there are now hundreds of thousands such tale in
existence.

This section of the course intends to look at some of the myths that were created
outside the Western tradition, and have been adapted into some sort of cinematic
format. These will include myths from Asia, the Middle East, Polynesia, and the First
Nations of North America. Through this section, you are encouraged to connect myths
from non-Western traditions to those of Western traditions, to find some elements
common to all mythologies, and are still prominently featured in modern stories.

54
Tales of Maui

Mauis Origin

Tarangas child was born early, before his time. He was born by the seashore. Taranga
was afraid of this early birth, of this child who had come into
the world before he was fully formed. So she cut off a tuft of
her hair and wrapped her baby in it, and then she threw him
into the surf, and gave him to the waves, to Tangaroa the
Ocean.

Tangaroa took the newborn child. The seaweed folded about

him, and rocked him from side to side, and the breezes that
blew carried him back to land, till Tangaroa gave the child up
to the sandy shore. There the jellyfish found him, and rolled
themselves around him, so that he might be safe. But the flies
buzzed round him, and the birds gathered, waiting for him to
die. And the child lay on the sandy beach.

The young infant laid upon the beach until the old man Tame-nui-ke-ti-Rangi saw the
flies and the birds collected in clusters round the jellyfish. And the old man ran as fast
as he could, stripped off the jellyfish, and found the child within. Then Tame-nui-ke-ti-
Rangi took the child home, and hung him up in the roof of his house so that the child
might feel the warm smoke and the heat of the fire. So the child was saved by the
kindness of Tame-nui-ke-ti-Rangi, the wise one.

Many seasons passed and the baby grew into a

child. The child was clever, and now knew as much
magic of the earth and the sky as did the wise old
Tame-nui-ke-ti-Rangi.
Then one day Tame-nui-ke-ti-Rangi said to the child,
Go, go find your family. Your time with me has
ended. So he left Tame-nui-ke-ti-Rangi.

He travelled all day and all night, and when the land was too difficult to cross, he turned
into a bird and flew. In this way he at last found his mother, his relatives, and his
brothers, one night when they were all dancing in the Great House of Assembly.

The little child crept into the Great House of Assembly, and there were his four brothers,
sitting. He crept behind them and sat down with them, so that when their mother

55
Taranga came to get her children for the dance, she found one more. She said to her
sons, One, thats Maui-taha; two thats Maui-roto; three- thats Maui-pae; four thats
Maui-waho. And then she saw another little one. Another one! said Taranga. Where
has this fifth one come from? she asked. Then the little child said, Im your child too.
Im Maui-the-baby.

Taranga counted them all over again, Maui-taha, Maui-roto, Maui-pae, Maui-waho.
Thats all. Thats four. There should be only four of you. Who is this fifth one? Who are
you? But little Maui said again, Im your child too. I am Maui-the-baby.

Now Taranga got angry. Come you are no child of mine. You must belong to
someone else. Leave this house at once! Then
little Maui said, Very well. I will leave if you say
so. But I must be your child. I was born by the
seashore, and you threw me, wrapped in your
hair, into the waves. And Tangaroa looked after
me, the seaweed rocked me, and the breezes
blew me to shore, and Tame-nui-ke-ti-Rangi
took me to his house and hung me up in the
roof so I would stay warm. And then I grew and
heard of this Great House and came to find
you. I know my brothers from the time I was
inside you. And little Maui recited all the names
of his brothers. This is Maui-taha, and this is Maui-roto, and this is Maui-pae, and this is
Maui-waho. And I am Maui-the-baby.

When Taranga heard him talk like this, she believed him, and she opened her arms to
him and held him. You are my son, my little son, my last-born child, she cried. And she
called him Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, which means Maui-formed-in-the-topknot-of
Taranga. And from then on that was his name. So Maui found his mother and his
brothers.

That night, little Maui slept cuddled up with his mother Taranga. But in the morning, very
early, up rose Taranga, and went away before her children were awake. The five boys
woke up and looked all around, but they could not see her.

The four elder brothers were used to this, so they didnt bother. But little Maui was very
unhappy. I cant see her anywhere, he said. Maybe she has gone to make some food
for us, he thought. But Taranga had gone, far away. When night fell, Taranga came
back. Once again she called to little Maui, Come my child, come sleep beside me

56
tonight. So Maui cuddled up with his mother and went to sleep. But when he woke up in
the morning, his mother had disappeared again. Little Maui was very unhappy again.

This kept happening for some time every night Taranga would come back to her
children, and in the morning, she would vanish. At last, little Maui decided to find out
where his mother went every morning.

So one night, as his mother slept and his four brothers slept as well, Maui woke up and
stole his mothers apron, and her belt and all her clothes and hid them. Then he shut the
door and window tight, and blocked up every little crevice and chink, so that the light of
the dawn could not get into the house and wake his mother.

Soon the morning came, but no light came into the house. Mauis mother and his
brothers slept on. The sun rose slowly in the sky, till it was bright daylight outside, and
still his mother and his brothers slept on. Till at last his mother woke up and said to
herself, What kind of night is this that it does not end? Then she realized her clothes
were gone, and jumping up started searching for her clothes, her apron, and her belt.
But she couldnt find them. She saw that the door and window had been blocked up. So
she ran and pulled out the things with which the door and window had been blocked up.
And then she saw the sun was high in the sky and that it was broad daylight.

Then Taranga was deeply distressed. She pulled on an old

cloak, and pulling open the door, ran out. As soon as his
mother ran out of the house, Maui jumped up and peeped
out through the door of the house. He saw his mother
reaching down and pulling up a tuft of grass, and then
dropping down into a hole underneath it. She clapped the
tuft of grass back into the hole, as though it were a lid, and
vanished. Maui ran to the spot where she had disappeared
and pulled up the same tuft of grass. Peering into the hole
that opened, he saw a long underground passage running
deep into the earth.

Maui ran back to the house and woke up his brothers. Wake up, wake up, he called.
See, our mother has disappeared again. And he told them all about the hole in the
grass that Taranga had vanished into. Where do you think our mother and our father
live? little Maui then asked his brothers.

How can we know, weve never seen it, answered the older brothers. And why should
we care? And why should you care? We are happy here. Can you not be happy here

57
with us? But little Maui was not happy. He wanted to know where his mother and his
father lived.

Well, then, you will have to go and try to find our

mother and our father, said the brothers. So Maui
used all the magic he had learnt and turned
himself into a beautiful pigeon. Then off he flew,
into the long underground passage into which his
mother had gone. On flew Maui the Pigeon, on
and on. Sometimes the passage became very
narrow, and sometimes it was wide and beautiful.
But at last, in the distance, he saw a grove of
manapau trees and under these trees some
people.

Maui flew straight on, till he came to the grove. He perched on the tree under which the
people sat. And there he saw his mother, with a man who was his father. The other
people called to them by name, and then Maui was sure he had found his mother and
his father.

So he hopped down lower, and with his beak, pecked off one of the berries that grew on
the tree. He dropped the berry gently so that it struck his father. His father brushed it off.
It was nothing, he said. Just a berry that fell by chance.

Then Maui pecked off more berries and began throwing them down hard, so that they
struck both his mother and his father. They looked up, and all the people jumped up,
looking into the tree to see who was throwing the berries. And they saw Maui the
Pigeon. Then the people began to pelt the pigeon with stones to make it fly away, but
they couldnt hit the pigeon.

Then Mauis father picked up a stone and threw it

at the pigeon. It struck him on the left leg and the
pigeon fell down, fluttering and flapping. The
people ran to pick the fluttering bird up, but the bird
changed into a boy. And the people were
frightened. No wonder he did not fly off, cried
some of them. It was a boy all along!

No, said the others. More likely a god just look at him, we have never seen anyone
look like him. I see one who looks like him every night that I visit my children, said

58
Taranga. And then she told her friends and her husband the story of little Maui-the-
baby.
Then Taranga turned to Maui and asked him, Where do you come from? From
westward? And Maui answered, No. Then Taranga asked again, From the northeast?
From the southeast, then? From the south? And Maui answered, No. Then Taranga
asked, Was it the wind that blows that brought you here then? And Maui answered,
Yes. This is indeed my child, cried Taranga.

And Taranga embraced him and welcomed him. And Mauis father, whose name was
Makea-tu-tara welcomed him and took him to cleanse him from all impurities and
perform the sacred rituals over him, so that the gods would keep Maui safe.

How Maui Slowed the Sun

59
One evening, Mui and his brothers were making their evening meal. They had just
finished heating the stones when the sun went down and it quickly became too dark to
see. Mui was annoyed with having to eat his food in the dark. He stood in the light of
the fire and addressed his people.

"Every day we have to rush to do our chores and gather our food before
the sun sets. Why should we be slaves to the sun? I will catch the sun
before it rises, and teach it to travel slowly across the sky!" But one of the
brothers was quick to criticize, not believing Mui could possibly do such a
thing. "It would be impossible to catch the sun, he's much bigger than any
bird you've ever caught!" "The heat and flames would surely burn you to
death," said another. "I think he's got sunstroke," another added, and they
all laughed.

When they had quietened down, Mui took the sacred jawbone of his
ancestor from his belt and waved it in the air. "I have achieved many things that were
thought impossible gaining fire from Mahuika, catching the greatest fish in the world,
descending to the underworld, and many more. With this magic jawbone, gifted by
Murirangawhenua, and with your help, I will succeed in conquering the sun!"

The majority of the people agreed that Mui had achieved many great feats, they
decided to help Mui in his quest. The next day Mui and his friends collected a huge
amount of flax. Mui then taught them how to make flax ropes, a skill he learnt when he
was in the underworld. They made square shaped ropes, flat ropes, and twisted the flax
to make round ropes. After five days the ropes were completed and Mui said a special
prayer over them.

During the night, Mui and his brothers

collected the ropes and travelled towards the
east to where the sun first rises. They hid
under trees and bushes during the day, so the
sun wouldn't see them approaching. They
collected water in calabashes as they travelled,
which Mui said was necessary for their task
ahead. On the twelfth night Mui and his
brothers arrived at the edge of a huge, red-hot
pit, dug deep into the ground.

Inside the pit Tamanuiter, the sun, was sleeping. The brothers were silent, terrified at
what might happen if he awoke. Mui immediately ordered his brothers to build four

60
huts around the edges of the pit to hide their long ropes. In front of the huts they used
water to soften the clay and build a wall to shelter them. Mui and his brothers then
spread their flax ropes into a lasso, only just finishing before dawn, when the sun was
due to wake.

"When Tamanuiter rises and his head and shoulders are in the lasso, I will call for you
to pull tight on the ropes," Mui instructed his brothers. One of the brothers became
worried and wanted to run while he still had time. "Why are we doing this?" he asked
another. "It's madness!" "We'll be burnt alive, if we run now we
might escape with our lives!" The two brothers tried to sneak
away but Mui caught sight of them through the corner of his eye.
"If you run now the sun will see you when he rises from his pit.
You will be the first ones to die. There is no turning back!"

The brothers had no time to answer. The sun had begun to wake
and was rising from the pit. They quickly ran back to their huts
grabbed hold of their ropes and hid behind the wall of clay,
trembling as they waited for Mui's orders. Mui hid and watched.
Tamanuiter slowly emerged from the deep pit, not knowing that
a trap was set for him. His head went through the lasso, and then
his shoulders. Mui suddenly jumped from his hut and yelled to his brothers, "Pull on
the ropes, now!"

At first the brothers were too scared to come out. Mui yelled again, "Quickly, before it's
too late, and we are scorched to death!" Just then the sun peered down to the edges of
the pit and saw Mui standing before him. Tamanuiter was furious. He hurled a ball of
fire towards Mui, but Mui ducked, holding tightly to his rope and once more chanting
his spell:

"Taura nui, taura roa, taura kaha, taura toa, taura here i a Tamanuiter, whakamaua kia
mau kia ita!" The brothers jumped from their hiding places, grabbing their ropes just
before Tamanuiter could free himself from the lasso. The sun roared in anger.

Mui fought off the intense heat and moved to the edge of the pit. He raised his magic
jawbone above his head and brought it down hard on the sun. The magic forces from
the jawbone flashed like a bolt of lightning.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Cried Tamanuiter. "From now on you will travel slowly
across the sky, never again will the length of our day be dictated by you," Mui replied.

61
Tamanuiter tried to struggle free, but again, Mui showed him the power of his magic
jawbone. And Tamanuiter finally gave up the fight. Mui instructed his brothers to let
go of their ropes. Tamanuiter travelled slowly up into the sky, tired and beaten.
The days became longer for Mui and his people, giving them plenty of time to fish,
gather food and do their chores. Mui's power and ability could never be questioned
again, he had succeeded in taming the sun. From that day until this, Tamanuiter has
always travelled slowly across the sky.

How Mui Brought Fire to the World

62
 One evening, after eating a hearty meal, Mui lay beside his fire
staring into the flames. He watched the flames flicker and dance
and thought to himself, "I wonder where fire comes from." Mui,
being the curious person that he was, decided that he needed to
find out. In the middle of the night, while everyone was sleeping,
Mui went from village to village and extinguished all the fires until
not a single fire burned in the world. He then went back to his hut
and waited.

The next morning there was an uproar in the village. "How can we cook our breakfast,
there's no fire!" called a worried mother.
"How will we keep warm at night?" cried another. "We can't possibly live without fire!"
the villagers said to one another.
The people of the village were very frightened. They asked Taranga, who was their
leader, to help solve the problem.

"Someone will have to go and see the great goddess, Mahuika, and ask her for fire,"
said Taranga.None of the villagers were eager to meet Mahuika, they had all heard of
the scorching mountain where she lived. So Mui offered to set out in search of
Mahuika, secretly glad that his plan had worked.

"Be very careful," said Taranga. "Although you are a descendant of Mahuika she will not
take kindly to you if you try and trick her." "I'll find the great ancestress Mahuika and
bring fire back to the world," Mui assured his mother. Mui walked to the scorching
mountain to the end of the earth following the instructions from his mother and found a
huge mountain glowing red hot with heat. At the base of the mountain Mui saw a cave
entrance. Before he entered, Mui whispered a special spell to
himself as protection from what lay beyond. But nothing could
prepare Mui for what he saw when he entered the sacred
mountain of Mahuika.

Mahuika, the goddess, rose up before him, fire burning from

every pore of her body, her hair a mass of flames, her arms
outstretched, and with only black holes where her eyes once
were. She sniffed the air. "Who is this mortal that dares to
enter my dwelling?"
Mui gathered the courage to speak, "It is I, Mui, son of
Taranga."

63
"Huh!" Yelled Mahuika. "Mui, the son of Taranga?" "Yes the last born, Mui-tikitiki-a-
Taranga." "Well then, Mui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, welcome, welcome to the essence of the
flame, welcome my grandchild." Mahuika stepped closer to Mui, taking a deep sniff of
his scent. Mui stood completely still, even though the flames from Mahuika's skin were
unbearably hot.
"So... why do you come, Mui-tikitiki-a-Taranga?" Mahuika
finally asked. Mui said, "The fires of the world have been
extinguished, I have come to ask you for fire." Mahuika
listened carefully to Mui, and then she laughed. She pulled a
fingernail from one of her burning fingers and gave it to him.
Take this fire as a gift to your people. Honour this fire as you
honour me."

So Mui left the house of Mahuika taking with him the

fingernail of fire. As Mui walked along the side of the road he
thought to himself, "What if Mahuika had no fire left, then
where would she get her fire from?" Mui couldn't contain his
curiosity. He quickly threw the fingernail into a stream and headed back to Mahuika's
cave.

"I tripped and fell," said Mui. "Could I please have another?" Mahuika was in a good
mood. She hadn't spoken to someone in quite some time and she liked Mui. She
gladly gave Mui another of her fingernails. But Mui soon extinguished this fingernail
as well and returned to Mahuika with another excuse. "A fish splashed my flame as I
was crossing the river," Mui said.

Mahuika provided another of her fingernails, not suspecting

that she was being tricked.
This continued for most of the day until Mahuika had used
all her fingernails and had even given up her toenails. When
Mui returned to ask for another, Mahuika was furious. She
knew Mui had been tricking her and threw the burning
toenail to the ground.

Instantly Mui was surrounded by fire and chased from the

cave. Mui changed himself into a hawk and escaped to the
sky, but the flames burned so high that they burnt the underside of his wings, turning
them a glowing red. Mui dived towards a river, hoping to avoid the flames in the
coolness of the water, but the immense heat made the water boil.

64
Mui was desperate. He called on his ancestor Twhirimtea for help. Then, a mass of
clouds gathered and a torrent of rain fell to put out the many fires. Mahuika's mountain
of fire no longer burned hot. Mahuika had lost much of her power, but still she was not
giving up. She took her very last toenail and threw it at Mui in anger. The toenail of fire
missed Mui and flew into the trees, planting itself in the Mahoe tree, the Ttara, the
Patete, the Pukatea, and the Kaikmako trees. These trees cherished and held onto the
fire of Mahuika, considering it a great gift.

When Mui returned to his village he didn't bring back fire as the villagers had expected.
Instead he brought back dry wood from the Kaikmako tree and showed them how to
rub the dry sticks together forming friction which would eventually start a fire. The
villagers were very happy to be able to cook their food once more and to have the
warmth of their fires at night to comfort them.
Mui satisfied his curiosity in finding the origin of fire, although he very nearly paid the
ultimate price in doing so. To this day the Kahu, the native hawk of Aotearoa, still
retains the red singed feathers on the underside of its wings, a reminder of how close
Mui was to death.

65
First Nations Mythologies

How Coyote Stole Fire

Long ago, when man was newly come into the world, there were days when he was the
happiest creature of all. Those were the days when spring brushed across the willow
tails, or when his children ripened with the blueberries in the sun of summer, or when
the goldenrod bloomed in the autumn haze.

But always the mists of autumn evenings grew chiller, and the
sun's strokes grew shorter. Then man saw winter moving near,
and he became fearful and unhappy. He was afraid for his
children, and for the grandfathers and grandmothers who carried
in their heads the sacred tales of the tribe. Many of these, young
and old, would die in the long, ice-bitter months of winter.

Coyote, like the rest of the People, had no need for fire. So he
seldom concerned himself with it, until one spring day when he
was passing a human village. There the women were singing a
song of mourning for the babies and the old ones who had died in the winter. Their
voices moaned like the west wind through a buffalo skull, prickling the hairs on Coyote's
neck. "Feel how the sun is now warm on our backs," one of the men was saying. "Feel
how it warms the earth and makes these stones hot to the touch. If only we could have
had a small piece of the sun in our teepees during the winter."

Coyote, overhearing this, felt sorry for the men and women. He
also felt that there was something he could do to help them. He
knew of a faraway mountain-top where the three Fire Beings
lived. These Beings kept fire to themselves, guarding it carefully
for fear that man might somehow acquire it and become as
strong as they. Coyote saw that he could do a good turn for man
at the expense of these selfish Fire Beings.

So Coyote went to the mountain of the Fire Beings and crept to

its top, to watch the way that the Beings guarded their fire. As he
came near, the Beings leaped to their feet and gazed searchingly round their camp.
Their eyes glinted like bloodstones, and their hands were clawed like the talons of the
great black vulture. "What's that? What's that I hear?" hissed one of the Beings. "A thief,
skulking in the bushes!" screeched another.

66
The third looked more closely, and saw Coyote. But he had gone to the mountain-top on
all fours, so the Being thought she saw only an ordinary
coyote slinking among the trees. "It is no one, it is
nothing!" she cried, and the other two looked where she
pointed and also saw only a grey coyote. They sat down
again by their fire and paid Coyote no more attention.

So he watched all day and night as the Fire Beings

guarded their fire. He saw how they fed it pine cones
and dry branches from the sycamore trees. He saw how
they stamped furiously on runaway rivulets of flame that
sometimes nibbled outwards on edges of dry grass. He
saw also how, at night, the Beings took turns to sit by
the fire. Two would sleep while one was on guard; and
at certain times the Being by the fire would get up and
go into their teepee, and another would come out to sit by the fire.

Coyote saw that the Beings were always jealously watchful of their fire except during
one part of the day. That was in the earliest morning, when the first winds of dawn arose
on the mountains. Then the Being by the fire would hurry, shivering, into the teepee
calling, "Sister, sister, go out and watch the fire." But the next Being would always be
slow to go out for her turn, her head spinning with sleep and the thin dreams of dawn.
Coyote, seeing all this, went down the mountain and spoke to some of his friends
among the People. He told them of hairless man, fearing the cold and death of winter.
And he told them of the Fire Beings, and the
warmth and brightness of the flame. They all
agreed that man should have fire, and they all
promised to help Coyote's undertaking.

Then Coyote sped again to the mountain-top.

Again the Fire Beings leaped up when he came
close, and one cried out, "What's that? A thief, a
thief!" But again the others looked closely, and saw
only a grey coyote hunting among the bushes. So
they sat down again and paid him no more
attention.

Coyote waited through the day, and watched as night fell and two of the Beings went off
to the teepee to sleep. He watched as they changed over at certain times all the night
long, until at last the dawn winds rose. Then the Being on guard called, "Sister, sister,

67
get up and watch the fire." And the Being whose turn it was climbed slow and sleepy
from her bed, saying, "Yes, yes, I am coming. Do not shout so."

But before she could come out of the teepee, Coyote

lunged from the bushes, snatched up a glowing portion of
fire, and sprang away down the mountainside. Screaming,
the Fire Beings flew after him. Swift as Coyote ran, they
caught up with him, and one of them reached out a
clutching hand. Her fingers touched only the tip of the tail,
but the touch was enough to turn the hairs white, and
coyote tail-tips are white still.
Coyote shouted, and flung the fire away from him. But the
others of the People had gathered at the mountain's foot, in case they were needed.
Squirrel saw the fire falling, and caught it, putting it on her back and fleeing away
through the tree-tops. The fire scorched her back so painfully that her tail curled up and
back, as squirrels' tails still do today.

The Fire Beings then pursued Squirrel, who threw the fire to Chipmunk. Chattering with
fear, Chipmunk stood still as if rooted until the Beings were almost upon her. Then, as
she turned to run, one Being clawed at her, tearing down the length of her back and
leaving three stripes that are to be seen on chipmunks' backs even today. Chipmunk
threw the fire to Frog, and the Beings turned towards him. One of the Beings grasped
his tail, but Frog gave a mighty leap and tore himself free, leaving his tail behind in the
Being's hand---which is why frogs have had no tails ever since.

As the Beings came after him again, Frog flung the fire on to Wood. And Wood
swallowed it. The Fire Beings gathered round, but they did not know how to get the fire
out of Wood. They promised it gifts, sang to it and shouted at it. They twisted it and
struck it and tore it with their knives. But Wood did not give up
the fire. In the end, defeated, the Beings went back to their
mountain-top and left the People alone.
But Coyote knew how to get fire out of Wood. And he went to
the village of men and showed them how. He showed them the
trick of rubbing two dry sticks together, and the trick of spinning
a sharpened stick in a hole made in another piece of wood. So
man was from then on warm and safe through the killing cold of winter.

68
Moowis, the Snow-Husband

In a certain tribe in the far West there was a maiden who was very beautiful. Many
warriors loved her, but she would listen to none of them, as she thought she was too
good for them. In the same tribe there was a young man who was called Beau-man,
because he was so beautifully dressed. He was very handsome too, and so when he
fell in love with the maiden, he felt sure she would love
him also.

But when he came to see her, she would not listen, and
when he tried to make her hear, she made a dismissive
motion with her hand. Beau-Man was humiliated - All of
his friends laughed at him, and this made him so very
angry that he went away to his tent and lay down. He
remained without eating anything for many weeks. His
parents and friends all attempted to get him up, but he
would not.

Shortly after, the time came for the tribe to move camp, as this was just a hunting trip,
and when the summer arrived they always went back to the village. They asked Beau-
man to come with them, but still he would not move. So they lifted the tent, and left him
lying there in his bed all alone.

The next day he got up, for he had thought of a splendid plan to have revenge on the
maiden. He knew a spirit who would help him when asked. He began to gather all the
bits of colored cloth, old beads, and feathers that were lying on the ground where the
camp had been. Most of them were very dirty, and
some were wet with snow. But he put them all in one
pile, and then with the help of the spirit, he made
them all look clean. Then he made beaded
moccasins from some of the scraps; leggings and a
coat from some others. At last a frontlet with feathers
sticking in it for the head. He gathered up snow and
dirt, and filled the moccasins and the rest of the suit
with it. The spirit then changed the whole thing into a
man,a fine-looking warrior, to whom was given the
name Moowis.

69
The Beau-man at once took him to the village where the maiden lived. Moowis was
kindly received by the chief, who invited him into his lodge. He was finely dressed, and
held himself so proudly that the maiden fell in love with him. The chief asked him to sit
near the fire. But he could not sit there very long, as the heat began to melt the snow,
and soon he would have been a pile of rags. He put a boy between himself and the fire,
and kept moving away until he was near the door.

Then the chief came and asked him to sit in the bridegrooms chair. This meant that he
was married to the maiden. When it became evening, Moowis said he must go now, as
he had a long journey to make. The maiden begged to go with him, but he told her she
could not. Still she begged so hard that he asked the Beau-man what he should do. Let
her go with you, he answered; it will serve her right.

In a little while they set out. Moowis walked so fast that

the maiden had to run to keep up, and in a short time she
was very tired. Still he walked on so swiftly that he was
soon far ahead. They walked all night, and when the sun
rose the bridegroom was almost out of sight. As the day
grew warm, his snow began to melt, and as it did so, his
fine clothes began to turn back into rags. Then they
began to fall off. First the maiden found his mittens, next
his moccasins, then she picked up his coat. She walked
on calling, Moowis, where are you? But all she could
find was bits of rags, beads, and feathers scattered over
the fields. She wandered on from one village to another
calling, Moowis, Moowis, oh, Moowis, where have you
gone?

The village maidens turned her cry into a song, and used to chant it as she passed. She
never saw anything more of him, although she wandered on for years, always calling,
Moowis.

70
Fa Mu Lan

As a young girl of seven years old, Fa Mu Lan wandered

away from home and became lost on a mountainside. Night
fell, and it became darker and darker. Alone and scared, Mu
Lan ran across an old man who lived on the mountain. The
man invited Mu Lan into his home, which was carved right
into the mountainside.

Mu Lan stays the night, and in the morning, the old man
reveals to her that she will not be allowed to return home, but
must instead stay with him, and learn of the martial arts for
the next seven years. Mu Lan expresses to the old man that
she wishes to see her parents again, so he provides her with
a magical cup filled with water, through which she could observe her family through the
reflection.

Mu Lan studies animals for her first five years on the mountain - learning about each
animal's unique abilities and strengths. After those five years, the old man takes Mu Lan
to the bottom of the mountain, and tells her that she must make her way back to the top
alone. Using her knowledge of animals, which she learned through her last five years of
study, Mu Lan is able to survive the climb up the mountain. She knows what plants are
safe to eat, how to create a fire, and how to survive on little more but melted snow.
Eventually, she completes her journey up the mountain.

When she reaches the top of the mountain, the old man declares
that her seven years of training are now at an end, and Mu Lan
may now return home to her family. The old man gives Mu Lan
the magic cup one more time, and looking upon it, she finally
understands the reason for her seven years of training. Her father
never produced a son, and he himself has become too old to fight
the increasing number of evils which were rising up in the world.

The old man provides Mu Lan with all of the supplies she will
need as a warrior - a horse, mens clothes, a sword, and armour.
He also cuts her hair short, and ties it back in the style of a man.
She then rides down the mountain, and off to meet her destiny.

When Mu Lan returns to her village, she immediately enrolls in the first military unit that
she can find. When she arrives, she sees that the soldiers despise their commanding

71
officer. Wanting to see the reason for this, Mu Lan sneaks into his tent one night, and
sees the man taking portions of the mens pay for himself!

Having been raised by the old man to be a warrior for justice, Mu Lan draws her sword,
and takes off the corrupt mans head. In the morning, the other men arrive to find Mu
Lan holding the severed head of the officer. The men immediately cheer this strange
new warrior, and immediately agree to become Mu Lans personal army.

Fa Mu Lan and her new army now begin to march towards the capital city of China.
Sitting on the Chinese throne is a corrupt emperor who is leading his country to ruin.
She realizes that she is destined to end the reign of this evil man. As Mu Lan and her
army travel across the countryside, they kill any corrupt officers or government officials
that they find on the way. Mu Lan and her army quickly become heroes throughout the
land, though no one has yet realized that Mu Lan is actually a woman.

Eventually Mu Lan reaches the capital

city and fights her final battle to dethrone
the corrupt Emperor. Legend states that
at this time she was pregnant, but her
armour was large enough to conceal her
belly. Some say she even gave birth on
that battlefield, while she was fighting.
Mu Lan and her army are eventually
victorious, and the corrupt emperor is
removed, while a more just man is given
the throne instead.

The new emperor offers Mu Lan a position in his new government. Mu Lan declines
however, having completed the task set before her, and having enough adventure for
one lifetime. Instead, Mu Lan, her child, and her husband all return to her family's home,
and Mu Lan at last reveals to the world that she was in fact a female. Word quickly
spreads, and though people around China are shocked by Mu Lans revelation, they still
show great respect and admiration for the warrior woman who brought peace and
justice to China.

72
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights

Once there was a Sultan named Schahriar, who had a wife

whom he loved more than all the world, and his greatest
happiness was to surround her with splendour, and to give her
the finest dresses and the most beautiful jewels. It was
therefore with the deepest shame and sorrow that he
accidentally discovered, after several years, that she had
deceived him completely, and in secret, she had been
committing crimes so bad, that he felt himself obliged to carry
out the law of the land, and order the grand-vizier to put her to
death.

The betrayal of his wife was so heavy that his mind almost gave
way, and he declared that he was quite sure that at bottom all women were as wicked
as his former bride, and the fewer the world contained the better. So every evening he
married a fresh wife and had her executed the following morning before the grand-
vizier, whose duty it was to provide these unhappy brides for the Sultan. The grand -
vizier fulfilled his task with reluctance, but there was no escape, and every day saw a
girl married and a wife dead.

This behaviour caused the greatest horror in the town, where nothing was heard but the
cries of those who had lost loved ones to the Sultans insanity. In one house was a
father weeping for the loss of his daughter, in another perhaps a mother trembling for
the fate of her child; and instead of the blessings that had formerly been heaped on the
Sultan's head, the air was now full of curses.

The grand-vizier himself was the father of two daughters, of

whom the elder was called Scheherazade, and the younger
Dinarzade. Dinarzade had no particular gifts to distinguish
her from other girls, but her sister was clever and
courageous in the highest degree. Her father had given her
the best education money could buy, and in addition, her
beauty excelled that of any girl in the kingdom of Persia.

One day, when the grand-vizier was talking to his eldest daughter, who was his delight
and pride, Scheherazade said to him, "Father, I have a favour to ask of you. Will you
grant it to me?"
"I can refuse you nothing," replied he, "that is just and reasonable."

73
"Then listen," said Scheherazade. "I am determined to stop this barbarous practice of
the Sultan's, and to deliver the girls and mothers from the awful fate that hangs over
them.
"It would be an excellent thing to do," returned the grand-vizier, "but how do you
propose to accomplish it?"
"My father," answered Scheherazade, "it is you who have
to provide the Sultan daily with a fresh wife, and I implore
you, by all the affection you bear me, to allow the honour
to fall upon me."
"Have you lost your senses?" cried the grand-vizier,
starting back in horror. "What has put such a thing into
your head? You ought to know by this time what it means
to be the sultan's bride!"
"Yes, my father, I know it well," replied she, "and I am not
afraid to think of it. If I fail, my death will be a glorious one,
and if I succeed I shall have done a great service to my
country."
"It is of no use," said the grand-vizier, "I shall never
consent. If the Sultan was to order me to plunge a dagger
in your heart, I would have to obey. What a task for a
father! Ah, if you do not fear death, fear at any rate the
anguish you would cause me."
"Once again, my father," said Scheherazade, "will you grant me what I ask?"
"What, are you still so stubborn?" exclaimed the grand-vizier. "Why are you so
determined to bring upon your own ruin?"

But the maiden absolutely refused to listen to her father's words, and at length, in
despair, the grand-vizier was finally agreed to his daughters wish, and went sadly to the
palace to tell the Sultan that the following evening he would bring him Scheherazade.
The Sultan received this news with the greatest astonishment.

"How have you made up your mind," he asked, "to sacrifice your own daughter to me?"
"Sire," answered the grand-vizier, "it is her own wish. Even the sad fate that awaits her
could not hold her back."
"Let there be no mistake, vizier," said the Sultan. "Remember you will have to take her
life yourself. If you refuse, I swear that your head shall pay forfeit."
"Sire," returned the vizier. "Whatever the cost, I will obey you. Though a father, I am
also your subject." So the Sultan told the grand-vizier he might bring his daughter as
soon as he liked.

74
The vizier took back this news to Scheherazade, who received it as if it had been the
most pleasant thing in the world. She thanked her father warmly for granting her wishes,
and, seeing him still bowed down with grief, told him that she hoped he would never
repent having allowed her to marry the Sultan. Then she went to prepare herself for the
marriage, and begged that her sister Dinarzade should be sent for to speak to her.

When they were alone, Scheherazade addressed her thus: "My dear sister; I want your
help in a very important affair. My father is going to take me to the palace to celebrate
my marriage with the Sultan. When his Highness receives me, I shall beg him, as a last
favour, to let you sleep in our chamber, so that I may have your company during the last
night I am alive. If, as I hope, he grants me my wish, be sure that you wake me an hour
before the dawn, and speak to me in these words: 'My sister, if you are not asleep, I beg
you, before the sun rises, to tell me one of your charming stories.' Then I shall begin,
and I hope by this means to deliver the people from the terror that reigns over them."
Dinarzade replied that she would do with pleasure what her sister wished.

When the usual hour arrived, the grand-vizier brought Scheherazade to the palace, and
left her alone with the Sultan, who asked her to raise her veil. When she did so, he was
amazed at her beauty. But seeing her eyes full of tears, he asked what the matter was.
"Sire," replied Scheherazade, "I have a sister who loves me as tenderly as I love her.
Grant me the favour of allowing her to sleep this night in the same room, as it is the last
we shall be together." Schahriar agreed to Scheherazade's request, and Dinarzade was
sent for.

An hour before daybreak Dinarzade awoke, and

exclaimed, as she had promised, "My dear sister, if you
are not asleep, tell me I pray you, before the sun rises,
one of your charming stories. It is the last time that I shall
have the pleasure of hearing you."
Scheherazade did not answer her sister, but turned to
the Sultan. "Will your highness permit me to do as my
sister asks?" said she.
"Willingly," he answered. So Scheherazade began...

75
Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp

There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, lazy boy who
would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little boys like himself. This so
upset the father that he died. Yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers, Aladdin did
not change his ways. One day, when he was playing in the streets as usual, a stranger
asked him his age, and if he were not the son of
Mustapha the tailor.
"I am, sir," replied Aladdin; "but he died a long while
ago."
On this the stranger, who was a famous African
magician, fell on his neck and kissed him, saying: "I
am your uncle, and knew you from your likeness to
my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I am
coming."
Aladdin ran home, and told his mother of his newly
found uncle.
"Indeed, child," she said, "your father had a brother,
but I always thought he was dead."
However, she prepared supper, and to Aladdin to
seek his uncle, who brought gifts of wine and fruit.
Once inside, the newcomer fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit.
He then turned to Aladdin, and asked him what type of work he did, at which the boy
hung his head, while his mother burst into tears. On learning that Aladdin was lazy and
would learn no trade, he offered to take a shop for him
and stock it with merchandise. Next day he bought
Aladdin a fine suit of clothes, and took him all over the
city, showing him the sights, and brought him home at
nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son
so fine.
The next day, Aladdin and his newfound uncle journeyed
beyond the city gates and into the mountains. The pair
stopped when they reached two mountains divided by a
narrow valley.
"We will go no farther," said the magician. "I will show you
something wonderful; but first gather some sticks so that I
can make a fire."
When the fire was lit, the magician threw on it a powder he had about him, at the same
time saying some magical words. The earth trembled a little and opened in front of
them, revealing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by. Aladdin

76
tried to run away, but the magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him
down.
"What have I done, uncle?" Aladdin said from the ground; whereupon the magician said
more kindly: "Fear nothing, but obey me. Beneath this stone lies a treasure which is to
be yours, and no one else may touch it, so you must do exactly as I tell you."
At the word treasure, Aladdin forgot his fears, and grasped
the ring as he was told, saying the names of his father and
grandfather. The stone came up quite easily and some steps
appeared.
"Go down," said the magician; "at the foot of those steps you
will find an open door leading into three large halls. Go
through them without touching anything, or you will die
instantly. These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees.
Walk on till you come to a pedestal which holds a lighted
lamp. Pour out the oil it contains and bring it to me." The
magician then gave Aladdin one of the rings from his fingers,
and sent him into the cave.
Aladdin found everything as the magician had said, gathered
some fruit off the trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth of the cave. The
magician cried out in a great hurry:
"Make haste and give me the lamp." This Aladdin refused to do until he was out of the
cave. The magician flew into a terrible rage, and throwing some more powder on the
fire, he said some words which caused the stone in the entrance to roll back into its
place.
The magician left the country, which plainly showed that he was
no uncle of Aladdin's, but a cunning magician who had read in
his magic books of a wonderful lamp, which would make him
the most powerful man in the world. Though he alone knew
where to find it, he could only receive it from the hand of
another. He had picked out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose,
intending to get the lamp and kill him afterwards.
For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying. At last he
clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed the ring,
which the magician had forgotten to take from him. Immediately
an enormous and frightful genie rose out of the earth, saying:
"What do you want of me? I am the Slave of the Ring, and will
obey thee in all things."
Aladdin fearlessly replied: "Get me out from this place!" whereupon the earth opened,
and he found himself outside. As soon as his eyes could bear the light he immediately
went home. He then told his mother what had passed, and showed her the lamp and

77
the fruits he had gathered in the garden, which were in reality precious stones. He then
asked for some food.
"Alas! child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have spun a little cotton and
will go and sell it."
Aladdin told her keep her cotton, for he would sell the
lamp instead. As it was very dirty she began to rub it,
that it might fetch a higher price. Instantly a hideous
genie appeared, and asked what she would have. She
fainted away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said
boldly:
"Fetch me something to eat!"
The genie returned with a silver bowl, twelve silver
plates containing rich meats, two silver cups, and two
bottles of wine. Aladdin's mother, when she came to
herself, said:
"Where did this splendid feast come from?"
"Ask not, but eat," replied Aladdin.
So they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and Aladdin told his mother about the
lamp. She begged him to sell it, and have nothing to do with devils.
Aladdin refused, and vowed instead to use the ring to make life better for both of them.
When they had eaten all the genie had brought, Aladdin sold all twelve of the silver
plates for a tidy profit. He then repeated the process each
mealtime, allowing both him and his mother to live comfortably
for many years.
One day the Sultan and his daughter were making their way
down the street, towards the baths. Aladdin happened to look
out his window, and saw the princess - falling madly in love
with her at first sight. He went home so changed that his
mother was frightened. He told her he loved the princess so
deeply that he could not live without her, and meant to ask her
in marriage of her father. His mother, on hearing this, burst out
laughing, Aladdin, however, persisted, and managed to
convince his mother to go before the Sultan and request a
marriage.
Aladdins mother then fetched a napkin and laid in it the magic fruits from the enchanted
garden, which sparkled and shone like the most beautiful jewels. She took these with
her to please the Sultan.

78
After many days of waiting in the palace, she was finally granted an audience with the
Sultan. Aladdins mother went up to the foot of the throne,
and remained kneeling till the Sultan said to her: "Rise,
good woman, and tell me what you want."
She hesitated, but then told him of her son's violent love
for the princess.
"I prayed him to forget her," she said, "but in vain; he
threatened to do some desperate deed if I refused to go
and ask your Majesty for the hand of the princess. Now I
pray you to forgive not me alone, but my son Aladdin."
The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the napkin,
whereupon she presented the brilliant jewels to him.
He was thunderstruck, and turning to his grand vizier and
said: "What do you think? Ought I not to marry the
princess to one who values her at such a price?"
The vizier, who wanted the princess for his own son,
begged the Sultan to withhold her for three months, in the course of which he hoped his
son would be able to bring a richer present. The Sultan granted this, and told Aladdin's
mother that, though he supported the marriage, she must not appear before him again
for three months.
Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two had passed, his mother,
going into the city to buy oil, found everyone rejoicing, and asked what was going on.
"Do you not know," was the answer, "that the son of the grand-vizier is to marry the
Sultan's daughter tonight?"
Breathless, she ran and told Aladdin,
who was overwhelmed at first, but
quickly thought of the lamp. He rubbed
it, and the genie appeared, saying:
"What is thy will?"
Aladdin replied: "The Sultan, has broken
his promise to me, and the vizier's son
is to have the princess. My command is
that to-night you bring me the bride and
groom."
"Master, I obey," said the genie.
Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure enough at midnight the genie
transported the bed containing the vizier's son and the princess.
"Take this new-married man," he said, "and put him outside in the cold, and return at
daybreak."

79
Whereupon the genie took the vizier's son out of bed, leaving the princess alone in an
unfamiliar room.
When morning came, the genie fetched in the shivering bridegroom, laid him in his
place, and transported the bed back to the palace.
Presently the Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning. The unhappy vizier's son
jumped up and hid himself, while the princess would not say a word, but was very
frightened. The next night, the same thing occurred - the genie transporting the new
couples bed, and separating them for the night.
Before the fourth night, the son of the vizier approached the Sultan, saying that, dearly
as he loved the princess, he had rather die than go through another such fearful night,
and wished to be separated from her. His wish was granted, and he ran off in relief.
When the three months were over, Aladdin sent his mother to remind the Sultan of his
promise. Upset about the failure of his sons marriage,
the vizier was determined to prevent Aladdins union as
well. He persuaded the Sultan to set so high a value on
the princess that no man living could afford it.
The Sultan then turned to Aladdin's mother, saying:
"Good woman, a Sultan must remember his promises,
and I will remember mine, but your son must first send
me forty basins of gold, carried by forty slaves, tell him
that I await his answer." The mother of Aladdin bowed
low and went home, thinking all was lost.
She gave Aladdin the message, and advised him to
give up his quest for the princess.
Aladdin was stubborn however, and replied "I would do a great deal more than that for
the princess."
He summoned the genie, and in a few moments the eighty slaves arrived, and filled up
the small house and garden.
Aladdin made them set out to the palace, two
and two, followed by his mother. They were
so richly dressed, with such splendid jewels
in their girdles that everyone crowded to see
them and the basins of gold they carried on
their heads.
They entered the palace, and, after kneeling
before the Sultan, stood in a half-circle round
the throne with their arms crossed, while
Aladdin's mother presented them to the
Sultan.

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The Sultan hesitated no longer, and said: "Good woman, return and tell your son that I
wait for him with open arms."
She lost no time in telling Aladdin, begging him to hurry. But Aladdin first called the
genie.
"I want a scented bath," he said, "a richly embroidered habit, a horse much grander than
the Sultan's, and twenty slaves to attend me.
Besides this, six slaves, beautifully dressed, to
wait on my mother; and lastly, ten thousand
pieces of gold in ten purses."
No sooner said than done. Aladdin mounted his
horse and passed through the streets, the slaves
throwing gold as they went.
When the Sultan saw Aladdin, he came down
from his throne, embraced him, and led him into a
hall where a feast was spread, intending to marry
him to the princess that very day.
But Aladdin refused, saying, "I must build a palace
fit for her," and left.
Once home he said to the genie: "Build me a palace of the finest marble. There must be
stables and horses and grooms and slaves; go and see about it!"
The palace was finished by next day, and the genie carried him there and showed him
all his orders faithfully carried out, even to the laying of a velvet carpet from Aladdin's
palace to the Sultan's.
That night, the princess said goodbye to her father, and set out for Aladdin's palace,
with his mother at her side, and followed by the hundred slaves. She was charmed at
the sight of Aladdin, who ran to greet her.
"Princess," he said, "blame your beauty for my boldness if I have displeased you."
She told him that, having seen him, she willingly
obeyed her father in this matter. After the wedding
had taken place Aladdin led her into the hall, where
a feast was spread, and they dined and danced
until midnight.
Aladdin had won the hearts of the people by his
gentle bearing. He was made captain of the
Sultan's armies, and won several battles for him,
but remained modest and courteous as before, and
lived thus in peace for several years.
But far away in Africa the magician remembered
Aladdin, and by his magic arts discovered that
Aladdin, instead of perishing miserably in the cave,

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had escaped, and had married a princess, with whom he was living in great honour and
wealth. He knew that the poor tailor's son could only have accomplished this by means
of the lamp, and travelled night and day till he reached the capital of China, bent on
Aladdin's ruin. As he passed through the town he heard people talking everywhere
about a marvelous palace.
"Forgive my ignorance," he asked, "what is this palace you speak of?"
"Have you not heard of Prince Aladdin's palace," was the reply, "the greatest wonder of
the world? I will direct you if you have a mind to see
it."
The magician thanked him who spoke, and having
seen the palace knew that it had been raised by the
genie of the lamp, and became half mad with rage.
He determined to get hold of the lamp, and again
plunge Aladdin into the deepest poverty.
Unluckily, Aladdin had gone hunting for eight days,
which gave the magician plenty of time. He bought a
dozen copper lamps, put them into a basket, and
went to the palace, crying: "New lamps for old!"
The princess, sitting in the hall of four-and-twenty windows, sent a slave to find out what
the noise was about, who came back laughing.
"Madam," replied the slave, "who can help laughing to see an old fool offering to
exchange fine new lamps for old ones?"
Another slave, hearing this, said: "There is an old one on the corner there which he can
have."
Now this was the magic lamp, which Aladdin had left there, as he could not take it out
hunting with him. The princess, not knowing its value,
laughingly told the slave take it and make the exchange.
She went and said to the magician: "Give me a new lamp for
this."
He quickly snatched it and told the slave take her choice of
new lamps. That evening, the magician went out of the city
gates to a lonely place, where he remained till nightfall. He
then pulled out the lamp and rubbed it. The genie appeared,
and at the magician's command carried him, together with the
palace and the princess in it, to a lonely place in Africa.
Next morning the Sultan looked out of the window towards
Aladdin's palace and rubbed his eyes, for it was gone. He
sent for the vizier, and asked what had become of the palace.
The vizier looked out too, and was lost in astonishment. He put it down to enchantment,
and the Sultan believed him. The Sultan then sent thirty men on horseback to fetch

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Aladdin in chains. They met him riding home, bound him, and forced him to go with
them on foot. He was carried before the Sultan, who ordered the executioner to cut off
his head. The executioner made Aladdin kneel down, and raised his sword to strike.
At that instant the vizier, noticed that a crowd had forced their way into the courtyard
and were scaling the walls to rescue Aladdin, calling for the executioner to stay his
hand. The people, indeed, looked so threatening that the
Sultan gave way and ordered Aladdin to be unbound, and
pardoned him in the sight of the crowd.
Aladdin now begged to know what he had done.
"False wretch!" said the Sultan, "come here!," and showed
him from the window the place where his palace had stood.
Aladdin was so amazed that he could not say a word.
"Where is my palace and my daughter?" demanded the Sultan. "For the first I am not so
deeply concerned, but my daughter I must have, and you must find her or lose your
head."
Aladdin begged for forty days in which to find her, promising if he failed to return and
suffer death at the Sultan's pleasure. His prayer was granted, and he went forth sadly
from the Sultan's presence. For three days he wandered about like a madman, asking
everyone what had become of his palace, but they only laughed and
pitied him. He came to the banks of a river, and knelt down to say his
prayers before throwing himself in. In so doing he rubbed the magic
ring he still wore.
The genie he had seen in the cave appeared, and asked his will.
"Save my life, genie," said Aladdin, "and bring my palace back."
"That is not in my power," said the genie; "I am only the slave of the ring; you must ask
the slave of the lamp."
Aladdin considered this, then said: Can you instead take me to the palace, and set me
down under my dear wife's window." He at once found himself in Africa, under the
window of the princess. He saw plainly that all his misfortunes
were owing to the loss of the lamp, and vainly wondered who had
robbed him of it.
That morning the princess rose earlier than she had done since
she had been carried into Africa by the magician, whose
company she was forced to endure once a day. She, however,
treated him so harshly that he dared not live there altogether. As
she was dressing, one of her women looked out and saw
Aladdin. The princess ran and opened the window, and at the
noise she made Aladdin looked up. She called to him to come to
her, and great was the joy of these lovers at seeing each other
again.

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After he had kissed her Aladdin said: "I beg of you, Princess, tell me what has become
of an old lamp I left on the cornice in the hall.
"Alas!" she said "I am the innocent cause of our sorrows," and told him of the exchange
of the lamp.
"Now I know," cried Aladdin, "that we have to thank the African magician for this! Where
is the lamp?"
"He carries it about with him," said the princess. He wishes me to marry him, saying that
you were beheaded by my father's command. He is forever speaking ill of you, but I only
reply by my tears.
Aladdin comforted her, and left her for a while. He then came up with a plan. "Put on
your most beautiful dress," he said to her, "and receive the magician with smiles,
leading him to believe that you have forgotten me. Invite him to dine with you, and say
you wish to taste the wine of his country. He will go for some, and while he is gone I will
tell you what to do."
That night, when the magician came to visit, the princess looked more beautiful than
ever. She allowed the magician in, saying to his great amazement:
"I have made up my mind that Aladdin is dead, and that all my
tears will not bring him back to me, so I am resolved to mourn no
more, and have therefore invited you to dine with me. But I am
tired of the wines of the palace, and would taste those of Africa."
The magician flew to his cellar, and the princess put a powder
Aladdin had given her in her cup. When he returned she asked him
to drink her health in the wine of Africa, handing him her cup in
exchange for his as a sign she was committed to him.
They both drained their glasses, and shortly after, the magician fell
back, lifeless.
The princess then opened the door to Aladdin, and flung her arms round his neck. They
embraced, and Aladdin then approached the dead magician. He took the lamp out of his
vest, and called upon the genie carry the palace and all in it back to his homeland. This
was done, and the princess in her chamber only felt two little shocks, and little thought
she was at home again.
The Sultan, who was sitting in his closet, mourning for his lost daughter, happened to
look up, and rubbed his eyes, for there stood the palace as before! He ran over to it,
and Aladdin received him at the entrance with the princess at his side. Aladdin told him
what had happened, and showed him the dead body of the magician, that he might
believe. A ten days' feast was proclaimed, and Aladdin and his wife lived out the rest of
their days in peace. Aladdin succeeded the Sultan when he died, and reigned for many
years, leaving behind him a long line of kings.

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Egyptian Mythology

Imhotep

Imhotep lived approximately around 3000 B.C.E., and was allegedly one of the greatest
geniuses of the Ancient World. Imhotep has been credited with inventing the pyramids,
writing a number of philosophical works, and holding the key roles of high priest, doctor,
and astronomer. Imhoteps accomplishments were so great that he became one of the
very few non-royals to be promoted to godhood by his people.

Centuries after his death, stories of Imhotep became mixed with myths, and as late as
1900 CE, many of the leading experts in Egypt actually believed that he was a god or
demigod and never an actual person. Temples have been found devoted solely to
Imhotep, and his name has been inscribed beside statues of true Egyptian gods such
as Isis and Thoth. It wasnt until archaeologists stumbled upon records of Imhotep the
man, that people in the modern age realized he was more than just a myth.

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The Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead is a common name used for a collection of Egyptian funerary
writings. The Book of the Dead was mainly designed to help prepare deceased
individuals for the journey to the afterlife.

The Book of the Dead is the common name for the ancient Egyptian funerary texts
known as The Book of Coming [or Going] Forth By Day. The name "Book of the Dead"
was the invention of the German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius, who published a
selection of some texts in 1842.

Passages from the book were inscribed on the coffins of the dead, or placed inside as a
paper copy, so the deceased individual could reference it on the journey to the next life.
Inside the Book of the Dead, one could find a collection of spells, charms, and
passwords to help one in the afterlife, and help them achieve true happiness in death.
Other passages in the book described tests, such as the weighing of the deads heart
against a feather to determine how much the deceased had sinned in their past life.

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The Legend of Isis and Osiris

A long time ago when the earth was new and everything
was just beginning, the earth was covered with water. An
egg floated on the water, just one egg. When that egg
hatched, Ra was born. Ra did not want to spend his time
floating around, doing nothing, so he flew into the sky
and became the sun.

Ra dried up much of the water and made the land. Ra

was lonely, so he made a wife. He named her Nut. Ra
made many gods and goddesses to keep him company.
He put them all to work. His children were very busy
running the world. Still, they took time out to have
children, because children were glorious things to have! Soon, there were many gods
and goddesses. Ra was the father or the grandfather or the great-grandfather of them
all!

All children are glorious, but to Ra, one child was especially important. That child was
his grandson, Osiris. Osiris had a brother named Set. Ra thought Set was okay, I
suppose, but his favorite by far was Osiris. To show Osiris how much he was loved, Ra
made Osiris the first Pharaoh of Egypt. Osiris married Isis, his one true love, and the
king (Osiris) and queen (Isis) settled down quite happily with their son (prince) Horus.

Set was terribly jealous. Why should Osiris be named Pharaoh and not him? In a fit of
anger, Set killed his brother Osiris, and chopped him into little pieces. He threw the
pieces into the Nile River. Set was sure he would get away this murder. But you know
how rumors spread. Isis soon heard what Set had done.

Isis managed to gather the pieces of her

beloved Osiris. She brought these pieces
to her good friend Anubis, the jackal-
headed god. Anubis was very clever. He
managed to put the pieces of Osiris
together again. But he did not have the
power to bring him back to life, so that
Osiris could retake his place beside his
beloved Isis, and rule Egypt as king.

When the great Ra heard about it, he was

furious. He gave Osiris a new job, an
even better job. He made Osiris the god

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of the dead, which was the most important job of all. Osiris could rule over the land of
the dead, and be dead himself. In fact, he would have to be dead to enter the land of
the dead. So things worked out very well, or so Ra believed.

When the young prince Horus heard what his uncle Set had
done, although he was still only a boy, he tracked down his
uncle Set and murdered him.

Isis was grateful to her friend Anubis, and to her son Horus, and
to her grandfather Ra. But nothing anyone could do would bring
Osiris back to her. He would dwell forever in the land of the
dead, and she would live forever in the land of the living. Isis
knew that she would never see her beloved husband again.

From then on, and even today, once each year Isis travels to
the riverbank. Remembering, and dreaming, tears fall from her eyes. That is why the
Nile River rises each year, to bring life to everyone and everything along the Nile. When
Isis cries, the Nile will rise! And that is a very important thing.

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Modern Mythology

The Heros Journey

A scholar named Joseph Campbell devoted a large part of his life to studying myths and
legends from many different cultures and traditions, in a quest to find common elements
between all myths and cultures. Many of his ideas eventually came to be known as the
Heros Journey - which outlines common patterns which occur in myths throughout the
world, and can often also be seen in popular stories and films today.

Stages of the Heros Journey:

Call to Adventure
The hero is approached with an adventure or quest
The hero can accept or reject the quest

Road of Trials
The hero is tested in some way, and may either pass or fail the test

Complete the Mission

The hero completes the task and often obtains important knowledge, or a
special item which will improve their future world

Return to the point of origin

The hero must at some point journey back to his / her homeland

Apply the learned skills

The knowledge, or weapon, or skill gained by the hero is used to improve
the world

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 Archetypes
In addition to the Heros Journey, scholars have also identified a number of common
ideas and experiences in these stories which have come to be known as archetypes.
Below you will find a list of some of the most common archetypes seen in stories
ranging from ancient myths to modern Hollywood films.

Archetype Characteristics Examples Imagery

A main character which
exhibits mainly good
Fa Mu Lan
The Hero characteristics, and struggles
Heracles
against evil to return justice to
Maui
society

Character is young,
inexperienced, and has many
weaknesses. Usually seeks Young Arthur
The safety in the company of Perseus
Inexperienced others at first. May come of Aladdin
Youth
age and develop into the hero

Character whose main job is

to protect the main character.
Often wise and Merlin
The Mentor
Old man on the
knowledgeable. Trains the
mountain
main character, and prepares Athena
them for the trials ahead.

Character whose main

The Villain function is to oppose the Cronus
hero. The hero must defeat Sorceress
this character in order to Grendel
achieve justice

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 Highly intelligent and cunning
character - use intelligence,
deception, and persuasion to
achieve their goals. Often Loki
The Trickster disobeys the rules, and Coyote
conventional behaviour. May Maui
use their abilities for good or
for evil.

Fa Mu Lans
The main character training
The Initiation undergoes an experience Theseus enters the
which leads him / her to Labyrinth
maturity and development Arthur removes the
sword from the
stone

Perseus vs.
Clash of forces that represent Medusa
Good vs. Evil good against those who Aladdin vs. the
represent evil African Magician
Coyote vs. the Fire
Beings

A beautiful woman is in
trouble, and needs to be
rescued by the hero. Often Andromeda
Rapunzel
Damsel in will later become the love Sif
Distress interest of the hero

Special item that the hero

needs in order to complete Excalibur
The Magic Mjolnir
Weapon his / her quest Aladdins Lamp

Monster meant to invoke fear

in humans - originating from
some deep and dark place. Hydra
Creature of The hero must overcome this Dragon
Darkness creature to continue on with Minotaur
their quest

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 Some sort of animal
companion which shows that Cinderellas Birds
The Friendly
nature is on the side of the Coyote
Beast Mauis Jellyfish
hero.

Some type of test or

challenge which the hero
must overcome in order to Cerberus
The Guardian The Fire Beings
continue on with their
Mahuika
journey. Often a gatekeeper,
watchman, or puzzle.

Task a hero must embark on Maui catching the

to restore justice, life, and sun
harmony to the land. Often a Perseus killing
The Quest search for a special item, or a medusa
mission to slay a monster Prince Seeking
Briar Rose

The decline of the hero from Death of Heracles

The Fall a higher, more favorable family
position to a lower one. Aladdin losing his
lamp
Usually a punishment for a Rapunzel losing her
misdeed. hair

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Sources
Published Resources

Hoena, B. A., Adrienne Mayor, Gonzalo Ordonez, and Margaret Salter. Everything Mythology. N.p.:
National Geographic, 2014. Print.
Jackson, Jake, ed. Myths & Legends. N.p.: Flame Tree, 2013. Print.
Leonard, Scott A. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece. N.p.: World Book, a Scott Fetzer, 2002. Print.
Nardo, Don. The Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology. N.p.: Compass Point, 2012. Print.
Powell, Barry B. Classical Myth. N.p.: Pearson, 2015. Print.
Smith, Evans Lansing, and Nathan Robert. Brown. The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology. N.p.:
Alpha, 2008. Print.

Online Resources

http://www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/creation.html
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/bio.html
http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/entries/heracles.html
http://greece.mrdonn.org/greekgods/hercules.html
http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/textonly563-theseus-and-the-minotaur.html
http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/textonly20134-perseus-and-medusa.html
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=guerber&book=greeks&story=hector
http://www.storynory.com/category/myths/norse/
http://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/thor/
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/creation.html
http://norse-mythology.org/tales/norse-creation-myth/
http://norse-mythology.org/tales/loki-and-the-dwarves/
http://www.lextutor.ca/ra_read/graded/king_arthur/
http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/userstory8584-beowulf.html
http://www.uexpress.com/tell-me-a-story/1996/11/10/beowulf-and-grendel-an-english-legend
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm012.html
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm021.html
http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/textonly2762-sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight.html
http://www.longlongtimeago.com/once-upon-a-time/myths/maori-myths/maui/
http://eng.mataurangamaori.tki.org.nz/Support-materials/Te-Reo-Maori/Maori-Myths-Legends-
and-Contemporary-Stories/How-Maui-slowed-the-sun
http://eng.mataurangamaori.tki.org.nz/Support-materials/Te-Reo-Maori/Maori-Myths-Legends-
and-Contemporary-Stories/How-Maui-brought-fire-to-the-world
https://goo.gl/CXy1wQ
http://www.thenazareneway.com/index_egyptain_book_dead.htm
https://literarydevices.net/archetype/
https://goo.gl/dmEvXh

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